SmartMusic Performance Markers
You can use SmartMusic performance markers
to specify effects that are found in standard accompaniments such as rehearsal
letters, pauses for fermatas, cadenzas, cesuras, and repeats. You can
also use markers to adjust the level of Intelligent Accompaniment during
the course of the performance. You can add all of these markers using
the Add SmartMusic Markers dialog box under the Utilities menu (as described
in this section). After doing so, the markers appear in the score as expressions
defined for playback as the appropriate SmartMusic marker type.
Since SmartMusic markers always appear
in a Finale score as (hidden) expressions, they can also be added manually
with the Expression tool. Although the Add SmartMusic Markers dialog box
is the recommended method, some users prefer the extra control offered
when entering them manually. When you apply SmartMusic markers this way,
you create expressions that contain special SmartMusic playback data that
SmartMusic can recognize while performing the accompaniment. If you decide
to add SmartMusic Markers manually, follow the same instructions for placement
of each marker outlined in this section. (We recommend always trying the
Add SmartMusic Markers dialog box first while creating performance markers.
It’s faster and easier.)
SmartMusic markers are added to the beat
or measure you want the effect to occur, depending on the marker type.
See To add SmartMusic
performance markers for details. Here is a basic description of all
performance markers.
- Add an Intelligent Accompaniment marker to
a beat to specify a change in the Intelligent Accompaniment level.
- Add a Rehearsal Mark to the beginning of a
measure to indicate a rehearsal mark. This rehearsal mark will display
in the SmartMusic interface during the performance.
- Add an Opt. Octave Up 1 or Opt.
Octave Down 1 to specify the first beat of an optional octave section
(where the soloist has the option to play up or down an octave). Add an
End Opt. Octave marker to the
beat following the optional octave section to specify the end of the optional
octave.
- Add a Reset Tempo marker to a beat to specify
a return to the tempo specified in the document. This marker eliminates
tempo changes that have been applied as SmartMusic’s Intelligent Accompaniment
feature responded to tempo adjustments made by the soloist.
- Add a pause
marker (Wait for Note On, Wait for End of Note, or Wait
for Foot Pedal) to the beat you want to pause the accompaniment.
Then, add a Resume marker on the
beat the accompaniment is to resume (upon hearing the note, the cutoff
of a note, or a foot pedal message).
- Add a Repeat marker to indicate each pass
of a repeated section, or the ending of a repeated section. (All repeat
markers can also be generated automatically based on existing repeats
in the score by using the Add SmartMusic Markers dialog box.)
- Add a Repeat End marker to indicate the end
of a repeated section. (All repeat markers can also be generated automatically
based on existing repeats in the score by using the Add SmartMusic Markers
dialog box.)
- Add a Repeat DS marker to indicate a D.S.
repeat, both the first pass of the Segno, and then the actual D.S. section.
(All repeat markers can also be generated automatically based on existing
repeats in the score by using the Add SmartMusic Markers dialog box.)
- Add a Repeat DC marker to indicate a D.C.
repeat, both at the beginning of the piece, and then the actual D.C. section.
(Note that all repeat markers can be generated automatically based on
existing repeats in the score by using the Add SmartMusic Markers dialog
box.)
- Add a Small
Breath Mark marker to indicate
a short pause sufficient for a short breath.
- Add a Large
Breath Mark marker to indicate
a pause sufficient for a large breath.
- Add a Breath Mark End marker to indicate the
end of a breath mark.
- Add a Reset Measure Counter marker to reset
the SmartMusic measure counter.
- The Use Description Text marker is available
for additional marker possibilities that may be added to SmartMusic in
the future. By choosing this option, you instruct SmartMusic to read the
values entered into the Description text box of the Expression Designer,
and incorporate them into the performance accordingly (like rehearsal
marks and repeat markers).
Note that several
markers are sometimes added for you automatically while using the Add
SmartMusic Markers utility. For example, Reset Tempo is always added
at the point the accompaniment is to resume after a Wait for Note marker
has been added. (It is assumed the performer will resume at the tempo
specified in the score).
