Ok, I'm really new to cakewalk (well, any instrument that uses electricity actually). I want to do a really simple task, yet I'm hitting a pretty steep learning curve and could use some pointers.
All I want to do is create some very simple sheet music - a simple bass line, with a simple melody line in treble clef, with chord symbols above...more or less like the Real book with bass added. Over time, I would like to add more specialized chord voicings in both bass and melody.
I honestly don't know where to start. File New Project leaves me in the cockpit of a 747.... Is there a template that gets me closer to what I want?
A more specific question about the metronome: currently my metronome plays through my keyboard when I record. It plays a piano note. Is there a way to get the metrome to just play a click track? Playing the metronome through my laptop won't work, I'm wearing headphones on the piano and won't hear it.
Thanks for any advice. Even a pointer to the right tutorial would be helpful.
creating sheet music
Hi Drew,
You haven't given much info on what equipment you are using and which Cakewalk product it is. My answers are based on Sonar but will apply to Home Studio as well, anything older then I don't know.
First the metronome. Enter the options menu > project > metronome page here you can set you metronome settings. Make sure it is set to use MIDI note. Choose Port 1, Duration 6, Channel 10, this will send the info to the percussion track on your keyboard. For a simple click type track set the first beat to F#3 velocity 127 and the other beats to F#3 velocity 100. Click OK to exit. That should be the metronome set up.
You obviously have your keyboard set up correctly to transmit and recieve midi so you now need to record a track.
In your new project create an empty midi track via the insert menu. You obviously have the output set to playback through your keyboard because that is where the metronme sounds. Select channel 1 and choose a patch ie. piano, bass, anything. You now have to arm the track by pressing the R button which is next to the track number along with the Solo and Mute buttons. You are now ready to record. You should be able to press the record button and start playing. If everything is set up correctly the recording won't start until you play your first note. When you have finished recording press stop and un arm the track.
Now go to the view menu and select staff view. You should now see the staff view with all the notes you have just recorded. With MIDI being electronic data and not actual sound you can edit you performance here and in the piano roll view. The staff can be printed as a score by using the normal print method in the file menu. This applies for all the tracks, it will select the bass clef automatically and will even produce drum scores. Remember when recording or inputting drums always set the MIDI channel to 10 and never try and record anything else on channel 10 this is the default percussion channel.
To print multiple scores you have to highlight the different tracks first and then create a new staff view in the view menu. I usually record my left and right hand piano parts seperately then highlight both tracks to view the staff. Left and right hand are then scored seperatley for printout.
Chords you enter manually in the staff view by pressing the C button in the staff view window. Left click above the staff and it will enter a default value of C or the last chord entered. Right click and the chord options box appears and select the chord you want from the drop down window. The corrsponding guitar fret position should then appear. Once you have the correct chord click OK. If no chords appear then click the import button and navigate to you Sonar/Home studio folder locate the chord.LIW file on click open, this will import your chord library.
Hope that lot helps Drew. Anything thats not clear or any other questions, just post them up and someone will answer them.
Andy
You haven't given much info on what equipment you are using and which Cakewalk product it is. My answers are based on Sonar but will apply to Home Studio as well, anything older then I don't know.
First the metronome. Enter the options menu > project > metronome page here you can set you metronome settings. Make sure it is set to use MIDI note. Choose Port 1, Duration 6, Channel 10, this will send the info to the percussion track on your keyboard. For a simple click type track set the first beat to F#3 velocity 127 and the other beats to F#3 velocity 100. Click OK to exit. That should be the metronome set up.
You obviously have your keyboard set up correctly to transmit and recieve midi so you now need to record a track.
In your new project create an empty midi track via the insert menu. You obviously have the output set to playback through your keyboard because that is where the metronme sounds. Select channel 1 and choose a patch ie. piano, bass, anything. You now have to arm the track by pressing the R button which is next to the track number along with the Solo and Mute buttons. You are now ready to record. You should be able to press the record button and start playing. If everything is set up correctly the recording won't start until you play your first note. When you have finished recording press stop and un arm the track.
Now go to the view menu and select staff view. You should now see the staff view with all the notes you have just recorded. With MIDI being electronic data and not actual sound you can edit you performance here and in the piano roll view. The staff can be printed as a score by using the normal print method in the file menu. This applies for all the tracks, it will select the bass clef automatically and will even produce drum scores. Remember when recording or inputting drums always set the MIDI channel to 10 and never try and record anything else on channel 10 this is the default percussion channel.
To print multiple scores you have to highlight the different tracks first and then create a new staff view in the view menu. I usually record my left and right hand piano parts seperately then highlight both tracks to view the staff. Left and right hand are then scored seperatley for printout.
Chords you enter manually in the staff view by pressing the C button in the staff view window. Left click above the staff and it will enter a default value of C or the last chord entered. Right click and the chord options box appears and select the chord you want from the drop down window. The corrsponding guitar fret position should then appear. Once you have the correct chord click OK. If no chords appear then click the import button and navigate to you Sonar/Home studio folder locate the chord.LIW file on click open, this will import your chord library.
Hope that lot helps Drew. Anything thats not clear or any other questions, just post them up and someone will answer them.
Andy
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Guest
Thanks.
I'm running Cakewalk Express, with a Kurzweil PC2X.
I checked my metrenome settings and they are exactly as you suggest. However, when I record the metronome literally plays an F# on my piano instead of a percussion sound.
I'm running Cakewalk Express, with a Kurzweil PC2X.
I checked my metrenome settings and they are exactly as you suggest. However, when I record the metronome literally plays an F# on my piano instead of a percussion sound.
