Can't change tempo.

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Can't change tempo.

2006-08-19 06:56 pm

After I downloaded the song below from the scriptorium I inserted a tempo to try to slow it down. However, regardless of what I set the tempo to, the playback speed doesn't change. Any of the gurus out there know what the problem is?

http://nwc-scriptorium.org/ftp/ragtimeboogie/purripit.nwc

thanks for the help.

Re: Can't change tempo.

Reply #1 – 2006-08-19 07:35 pm

The tempo track is not visible.
Go to File > Page Setup...
Choose the Contents tab
Check the box for Staff-1 to show the staff
Click OK
Hang on to your hat...

Re: Can't change tempo.

Reply #2 – 2006-08-19 07:43 pm

There's a hidden staff with numerous tempo instructions in each bar. This is done to give a boogie feel to the playback.

You could change the first two tempo commands to something slower, then copy the beat to the rest of that bar, and copy that bar to the rest of the piece. Or do the same thing with a global modification tool.

Use caution, though. The piece works well at the indicated speed, particularly the left hand part. I tried reducing the tempo by 10%, 20% and 25%, and the piece doesn't work well when it slows down. It could work, but you'd need to tinker with the articulations.

Re: Can't change tempo.

Reply #3 – 2006-08-19 10:21 pm

Wow - very interesting. No wonder I couldn't change it. Thanks a lot for the help!

Re: Can't change tempo.

Reply #4 – 2006-08-19 10:29 pm

Re: Can't change tempo.

Reply #5 – 2006-08-20 03:09 am

david,

I'm new to noteworthy so I apologize if this is pretty basic: I was able to change the tempo by (as you suggested) changing it for one measure and then cutting/pasting that measure repeatedly.
From your last message, and a few others I've seen posted, there is clearly some kind of scripting language that NWC uses. In a brief review of the NWC help text, I had trouble locating where in the program I'd insert instructions like the ones you wrote - and didn't see info on how to create such scripts. Did you learn how to do this by using the help text that came with the program or is there some other reference (ie. book?) that I could buy. If it's in the help text, could you point me to the correct section? What command on the program menu gets me to a place where I'd enter such a script - is it "user tool"?

thanks....

Re: Can't change tempo.

Reply #6 – 2006-08-20 03:58 am

G'day Adam25352,
the "clip text" you see in David's reply is from NWC2. It is not supported in NWC1. You can copy and past the text you see into a staff in NWC2 and it will create the objects for you.

Similarly, if you highlight all or part of a staff in NWC2 you can copy and paste into a text editor and get a "clip" similar to David's posting.

User tools are something else again but they work on the clip text. Using a tool you can manipulate the clip text and then re-insert it into the staff. There is a user tool starter kit available here: http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/nwc2/usertools/

Other information and some tools written by users can be found here on the Scripto: http://nwc-scriptorium.org/nwc2scripts.html

Two useful documents:
http://nwc-scriptorium.org/ftp/nwc2scripts/generaldiscussion.pdf
http://nwc-scriptorium.org/ftp/nwc2scripts/invocationinstructions.pdf

Re: Can't change tempo.

Reply #7 – 2006-08-20 05:07 am

I'm sorry, Adam. Lawrie is right. Since I use NWC2 exclusively, I sometimes forget that others use version 1. I didn't mean to frustrate you.

Anyhow, my text clip only illustrated this:

Start with a time signature
Next make a bar line, set it to Local Repeat Open.
Enter the first tempo marking
Enter an 8th rest
Enter the second tempo marking
Enter an 8th rest.
Copy both tempo markings and both rests enough times to fill out one bar.
Make a final bar line, set it to be a Local Repeat Close, with a Repeat Count of 51.

I find it convenient to put the tempo markings above the staff, with the first mark a little higher than the second. You can do that best by moving your cursor up before making the tempo entry, but if you missed doing that, just highlight it and move it up with Control-Up arrow.

I highly recommend upgrading if you're investing in NWC1 anyway. NWC 2 does many things that you can't do in version 1, and at the moment the price to upgrade is still very reasonable.

Getting back to the local repeat method, I don't prefer it. You'll find you're using the swing tempos, when suddenly you need to change to straight eighths ^{(perhaps because you have groupings of 8th note triplets)} and back, or you have tempo or time changes. It's very easy to use the copy and paste routine, the extra staff, no matter how long, takes up negligible memory, and can be used for other things as well.

By the way, since you're new to the program, welcome aboard!.

Re: Can't change tempo.

Reply #8 – 2006-08-20 06:01 am

Lawrie/David,

thanks. I am using NCW 2 but didn't know about scripting functions - so thanks for the info.

david: good tip about putting the tempo markings above the staff - a lot easier to read. It didn't occur to me that I could put them up there (and didn't realize I could reposition with shift-ctr-uparrow).

thx again,
Adam