Creating a new tune
Entering chords on the second
staff
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On the bass (second)
staff, we are going to place chords to accompany your melody.
To help you place notes, if you are not very
familiar with musical theory, here is the list of notes you are
going to use, along with their position on the staff:
———treble G——
treble F
———E——
D
———C——
B
———————————————A——————————————— Topmost
line
G
———————————————F———————————————
E
———————————————D———————————————
C
———————————————B———————————————
A
———————————————G——————————————— Bottom line
In the first bar, we're going to begin
with a C major chord in its 2nd inversion, that is to
say:
G, C and E.
Select a half-note 
and drop a G into the first bar of the bass staff (see above to
get the position of G on the staff).
Then drop a C above this note.
To help you, when moving the mouse, the note to be dropped must show a
+ symbol which indicates that this note will be dropped in the same
column as an existing note.
The C appears in the same column as the G: these
two notes will be played at the same time. Then place an E (two
leger lines above the topmost line of the staff), also in the same
chord.
Your
chord is complete.
To the right of this chord, place the same chord
again, still with half-notes. The first bar is complete:
.
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Tip:
Rather than entering the same three notes again,
you could use the copy/paste option:
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Choose the Selection (lasso) tool in the floating
edit palette.
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Click to the left of the chord already placed
on the staff and keep the button pressed down.
-
Drag the mouse to the right so that
the selection
encompasses the chord.
-
Release the mouse button
-
Select Edit>Copy (Command-C)
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Click in the place you want this
chord to
be duplicated (to the right of the first one)
-
Select Edit>Paste (Command-V)
Do not forget to return to note insertion
mode (pencil and note icon).
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In the second bar, place the same chord
again.
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Tip:
If you used the copy and paste options
to insert the second chord, you can simply select "Paste" again. |
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Then place an A minor chord, made of half-notes
A, C and E as above.
The second bar
is complete.
In the third bar, place an F major chord,
made of A, C (as above) and F.
Next place a C major chord, identical
to those in the first bar.
The third bar is complete.
In the fourth and last bar, place a D
minor chord, made of A, D and F.
Then select a quarter note duration  .
Place a G chord (G-B-D) and an inverted
G chord (B-D-treble G)
If you did not make a mistake, you should have
something like this:
Play the tune 
Other method : Quick chord input
To write chords on a score, a simple and quick method can be used.
Instead
of entering each note by dropping it with the mouse you can write a
whole chord on a single click, by using the right mouse button.
We are going to write the previous chords again, by using this method.
Firs, click anywhere on score with the right button and keep the button down. In the menu that opens, select "2nd bottom inversion" at the end of the menu.
Then select a half note duration in the palette and long right-click on the C line. In the menu, select "modal chord". The C chord in second inversion is inserted.
Proceed the same way with other chords by selecting the duration and
short right-clicking the fundamental note of the chord (the one that
gives its name to the chord).
You will then enter:
Half note (palette)
2nd inversion (right-click menu)
C (right click)
C (right click)
C (right click)
Fundamental state (right-click menu)
A (right click)
1st inversion (right-click menu)
F (right click)
2nd inversion (right-click menu)
C (right click)
1st inversion (right-click menu)
D (right click)
Fundamental state (right-click menu)
Noire (palette)
G (right click)
1st inversion (right-click menu)
Treble G (right click)
By using this method, you can also enter any other chord by selecting
it in the list, or even choose its compnents by selecting "Custom"
A short click inserts the previously selected chord type. The click
position on staff sets the fundamental note of the chord to be inserted.
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