Tempo markings

A tempo marking in SongWriter can be purely graphic or it can be defined for playback. Several of these markings have been predefined and stored in a Text Expressions Library.

In larger scores with two or more instrumental groups, SongWriter automatically places all tempo marks on the top score staff as well as the top staff of each instrumental group.

To place a tempo or metronome marking in the score

1. Click the Expression tool  .
2. Double-click where you would like to attach the marking. The Expression Selection dialog box appears.
3. Choose the Tempo Mark category from the list on the left.

If the desired marking already appears in the list, double-click it or click and press Select. The marking appears in the score. If it does not appear in the list, do the following to create your own custom marking.

1. Click Create Tempo Mark. The Text Expression Designer dialog box appears.
2. Type the text for the tempo marking. You can enter Allegro, Moderato, or whatever marking you want.
3. To add notes for metronome markings, click the Insert drop-down menu and choose the desired note duration. Then, type "=[# of beats per minute]". SongWriter automatically assigns the playback tempo based on the value you enter. To assign a different tempo than the one specified, click the Tempo tab to open the Text Expression Designer - Tempo dialog box.

To move or delete a tempo marking

1. Click the Expression tool  . Expression handles appear.
2. Drag the handle to move the tempo marking. Select it and press the arrow keys to “nudge” it for fine positioning; select it and press delete to remove it.

To define a tempo marking for playback

1. Click the Expression tool  . If you haven’t yet placed the marking in the score, double-click any note or measure. When the Expression Selection dialog box appears, click the desired marking, click Edit, and then skip to the instruction marked by the asterisk (*).
2. Ctrl-Double-click the tempo marking’s handle. The Text Expression Designer dialog box appears.
3. *Click the Tempo tab.  
4. Check Assign Tempo. Your tempo options become available or ungreyed.
5. Select the note to get the beat from the drop-down list.
6. Type in the desired beats per minute tempo in the text box.
7. Click OK (or press enter). Any time SongWriter encounters the expression you’ve just defined when it plays back your score, the tempo will change to reflect the expression’s playback definition.

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