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Topic: Drums (Read 4806 times) previous topic - next topic

Drums

How do I write drum parts? I think I'm supposed to put it on Channel 10, I just don't know how.

Re: Drums

Reply #1 –
Write them just like any other notes.  If you have a bass drum part, you might put it in the bottom space of the staff, with the notes stem down. Hi-hat or cymbals might be stem up in the first space above the clef (read the help menu about writing chords to figure out how to do this)

If you want to use 2 or 3 slashes across a note stem, you enter those as text, using one of the user fonts such as Boxmark2.

You aren't stuck with a 5 line clef.  If you want, you can choose between 0 (not sure why), 1 or I guess any number of lines, as long as the lines won't go beyond the vertical size settings of the staff. Call up staff properties using F2 when your cursor is on the drum staff.

The second generation of NWC, the NWC 2 Public Preview has a drum clef sign and some variations on standard notes, such as notes with hidden heads, x-shaped noteheads, and variable length stems.

For playback, you'll want the staff to be set to Midi channel 10.  An instrument setting of Acoustic Grand Piano works well.

Re: Drums

Reply #2 –
"For playback, you'll want the staff to be set to Midi channel 10"

If you follow the previous explanation you will produce a drum part that can be read and played but don't expect it to playback on Channel 10 the way you expect.

The bottom space in the staff will sound like a mid tom and the space above the bass staff will sound like a ride cymbal.

You can write a drum part (for reading) but you had better mute it for playback.
Then create another staff for playback (channel 10)with the
drums in their correct position for MIDI playback.

You can find a file on the Scriptorium that may help with what you are trying to do.
 

Re: Drums

Reply #3 –
It is possible to get the look and feel at the same time. Just put each instrument on a separate staff, correctly notated but with the staff transposed to the required pitch on channel 10. Then layer them.