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<TITLE>Swing</TITLE>
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<!--Table of Child-Links-->
<A NAME="CHILD_LINKS"><STRONG>Subsections</STRONG></A>
<UL CLASS="ChildLinks">
<LI><A NAME="tex2html746"
HREF="node18.html#SECTION001810000000000000000">Skew</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html747"
HREF="node18.html#SECTION001820000000000000000">Accent</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html748"
HREF="node18.html#SECTION001830000000000000000">Delay</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html749"
HREF="node18.html#SECTION001840000000000000000">Notes</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html750"
HREF="node18.html#SECTION001850000000000000000">Summary</A>
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<HR>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001800000000000000000"></A> <A NAME="swingmode"></A>
<BR>
Swing
</H1>
<P>
In jazz and swing music there is a convention to apply special timing
to eighth notes. Normally, the first of a pair of eights is lengthened
and the second is shortened. In the sheet music this can is sometimes
notated as sequences of a dotted eighth followed by a sixteenth. But,
if you were to foolish enough to play the song with this timing you'd
get a funny look from a jazz musician who will tell you to ``swing''
the notes.
<P>
The easiest way to think about swing eighths is to mentally convert
them to a triplet consisting of a quarter note and and eighth.
<P>
<DIV ALIGN="CENTER">
<IMG WIDTH="75%" SRC="mupex/swingconv.png" ALT="Lost Image">
</DIV>
<P>
In the above music the first shows ``straight eights'', the second
``dotted eight, sixteenths'', and the third a rough indication of how
the first line would be played in ``swing''. It all depends on the
style of music ... if we are playing a classical piece the first line
would have eight notes of the same length, and the second line would
have a sixteenth note one third the length of the dotted eights. In
contemporary music it might be that way ... or either or both could
be played as the third line.
<P>
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> can handle this musical style in a number of ways, the control
is though the S<SMALL>WING</SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE</SMALL> command and options.
<P>
In default mode
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> assumes that you don't want your song to swing.
<P>
To enable automatic conversions, simply set S<SMALL>WING</SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE</SMALL> to
``on'':
<P>
<Table Hspace="40%" CellSpacing=0 CellPadding=10 BGColor="OldLace" Border=3>
<tr><td>
<B>SwingMode On </B>
</td></tr>
</Table>
<P>
This directive accepts the value ``On'' and ``Off'' or ``1'' and
``0''.
<P>
With S<SMALL>WING</SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE</SMALL> enabled
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> takes some extra steps when
creating patterns and processing of S<SMALL>OLO</SMALL> and M<SMALL>ELODY</SMALL>
parts.
<P>
<UL>
<LI>Any eighth note in a pattern ``on the beat'' (1, 2, etc.) is
converted to a ``81'' note.
<P>
</LI>
<LI>Any eighth note in a pattern ``off the beat'' (1.5, 2.5, etc.)
is converted to ``82'' note, and the offset is adjusted to the prior
beat plus the value of an ``81'' note.
<P>
</LI>
<LI>Drum notes with a value of a single MIDI tick are handled in the
same way, but only the offset adjustment is needed.
<P>
</LI>
<LI>In S<SMALL>OLO</SMALL> and M<SMALL>ELODY</SMALL> tracks any successive pairs of
eighth notes (or rests) are adjusted.
<P>
</LI>
</UL>
<P>
<SPAN CLASS="textit">Important:</SPAN> when defining patterns and sequences remember that
the adjustment is made when the pattern is compiled. With a
D<SMALL>EFINE</SMALL> command the arguments are compiled (and swing will be
applied). But a S<SMALL>EQUENCE</SMALL> command with an already defined
pattern will use the existing pattern values (the swing adjustment may
or may not have been done at define time). Finally, if you have a
dynamic define in the sequence the adjustment will take place if
needed.
<P>
<SPAN CLASS="textit">Important (again):</SPAN> S<SMALL>WINGMODE</SMALL> is saved and restored when
switching G<SMALL>ROOVES</SMALL>. This means that the S<SMALL>WINGMODE</SMALL> setting
you set in a song file is only valid until the next time you issue a
G<SMALL>ROOVE</SMALL> command. See the summary below for more details.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001810000000000000000">
Skew</A>
</H1>
<P>
S<SMALL>WING</SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE</SMALL> has an additional option, S<SMALL>KEW</SMALL>. This factor is
used to create the ``81'' and ``82'' note lengths (see
<A HREF="node4.html#notelength">here</A>). By default the value
``66'' is used. This simply means that the note length ``81'' is
assigned 66% of the value of an eight note, and ``82'' is assigned
34%.
<P>
You can change this setting at any point in your song or style
files. It will take effect immediately on all future patterns and solo
lines.
<P>
The setting:
<P>
<Table Hspace="40%" CellSpacing=0 CellPadding=10 BGColor="OldLace" Border=3>
<tr><td>
<B>SwingMode Skew=60 </B>
</td></tr>
</Table>
<P>
will set a 60/40 setting.
<P>
If you want to experiment, find a G<SMALL>ROOVE</SMALL> with note lengths of
``81'' and ``82'' (``swing'' is as good a choice as any). Now, put a
S<SMALL>WING</SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE </SMALL>S<SMALL>KEW=</SMALL>V<SMALL>ALUE</SMALL> directive at the top of your song file
(before selecting any G<SMALL>ROOVE</SMALL>s). Compile and play the song with
different values to hear the effects.
<P>
If you want to play with different effects you could do something like
this:
<P>
<Table Hspace="40%" CellSpacing=0 CellPadding=10 BGColor="OldLace" Border=3>
<tr><td>
<B>SwingMode On Skew=40
<BR> ... Set CHORD pattern/groove
<BR>
SwingMode Skew=30
<BR> ... Set Drum-1 pattern/groove
<BR>
SwingMode Skew=whatever
<BR> ... Set Drum-2 </B>
</td></tr>
</Table>
<P>
This will give different rates for different tracks. I'll probably not
enjoy your results, but I play polkas on the accordion for fun.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001820000000000000000">
Accent</A>
</H1>
<P>
It's natural for musicians to emphasize swing notes by making the
first (the longer one) a bit louder than the second. By default
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT>
uses the internal/default volumes for both notes. However, you can
change this with the A<SMALL>CCENT</SMALL> option. The option takes a pair of
values joined by a single comma. The first value sets the percentage
change for the ``on-the-beat'' notes; the second set the adjustment
for the ``off-the-beat'' notes. For example:
<P>
<Table Hspace="40%" CellSpacing=0 CellPadding=10 BGColor="OldLace" Border=3>
<tr><td>
<B>Swingmode On Accent=110,80 </B>
</td></tr>
</Table>
<P>
will apply changes of 110% and 80% to the volumes. Use of this
option will create more natural sounding tracks.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001830000000000000000">
Delay</A>
</H1>
<P>
By default, the logic for setting the start positions of each note generated by
S<SMALL>WING</SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE</SMALL> is that the first note of the pair doesn't move and
the second is set at the duration of a ``81'' note from the first
(remember, ``81'' is set by the S<SMALL>KEW</SMALL> value).
<P>
However, you can move either or both notes forward to backwards with
the D<SMALL>ELAY</SMALL> option. This option takes 2 arguments (a comma pair)
with the first setting a delay for the first note and the second a
delay for the second. The delays can be negative, in which case the
note would be sounded early. The values represent MIDI ticks and must
be in the range -20 ... +20.
<P>
Example:
<P>
<Table Hspace="40%" CellSpacing=0 CellPadding=10 BGColor="OldLace" Border=3>
<tr><td>
<B>Swingmode On Delay=5,0 </B>
</td></tr>
</Table>
<P>
would push the first note of each pair just past the beat.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001840000000000000000">
Notes</A>
</H1>
<P>
So far in this section we have assumed that all swing notes are eight
note pairs. But, you can also set the function to work over sixteenth
notes as well:
<P>
<Table Hspace="40%" CellSpacing=0 CellPadding=10 BGColor="OldLace" Border=3>
<tr><td>
<B>Swingmode On Notes=16 </B>
</td></tr>
</Table>
<P>
The only permitted values for N<SMALL>OTES</SMALL> are ``8'' (the default) and
``16''. This is, probably, only useful in very slow tempo settings.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001850000000000000000">
Summary</A>
</H1>
<P>
S<SMALL>WING</SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE</SMALL> is a <SPAN CLASS="textit">Global</SPAN> setting which functions <SPAN CLASS="textit">when
patterns and solo note sequences are defined or created</SPAN>. This can be
confusing ... you can't take an existing G<SMALL>ROOVE</SMALL> and just do a
S<SMALL>WING</SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE</SMALL> after calling it up ... the command will have no
effect. Instead, you'll have modify the actual library code. Or write
your own.
<P>
The complete S<SMALL>WING</SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE</SMALL> setting is saved in the current
G<SMALL>ROOVE</SMALL> and can be accessed via the $_S<SMALL>WING</SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE</SMALL> built-in
macro.
<P>
The easy (and ugly and unintuitive) way to handle swing is to
hard-code the value right into your patterns. For example, you could
set a swing chord pattern with:
<P>
<Table Hspace="40%" CellSpacing=0 CellPadding=10 BGColor="OldLace" Border=3>
<tr><td>
<B>Chord Define Swing8 1 3+3 80; 1.66 3 80; 2 3+3 80; 2.66 3 80
...</B>
</td></tr>
</Table>
<P>
We really don't recommend this for the simple reason that the swing
rate is frozen as quarter/eighth triplets.
<P>
If you refer to the table of note lengths
(<A HREF="node4.html#notelength">here</A>) you will find the cryptic
values of ``81'' and ``82''. These notes are adjusted depending on the
S<SMALL>WING </SMALL>S<SMALL>KEW</SMALL> value. So:
<P>
<Table Hspace="40%" CellSpacing=0 CellPadding=10 BGColor="OldLace" Border=3>
<tr><td>
<B>Chord Define Swing8 1 81 80; 1+81 82 80; 2 81 80; 2+81 82 80
...</B>
</td></tr>
</Table>
<P>
is a bit better. In this case we have set a chord on beat 1 as the
first of an eighth note, and a chord on the off-beat as the
second. Note how we specify the off-beats as ``1+81'', etc.
<P>
In this example the feel of the swing will vary with the
S<SMALL>WING </SMALL>S<SMALL>KEW</SMALL> setting.
<P>
But, aren't computers supposed to make life simple? Well, here is our
recommended method:
<P>
<Table Hspace="40%" CellSpacing=0 CellPadding=10 BGColor="OldLace" Border=3>
<tr><td>
<B>SwingMode On
<BR>
Chord Define Swing8 1 8 80; 1.5 8 80; 2 8 80; 2.5 8 80 ...</B>
</td></tr>
</Table>
<P>
Now,
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> will convert the values for you. Magic, well ...
almost.
<P>
There are times when you will need to be more explicit, especially in
S<SMALL>OLO</SMALL> and M<SMALL>ELODY</SMALL> tracks:
<P>
<UL>
<LI>If a bar has both swing and straight eighths.
<P>
</LI>
<LI>If the note following an eighth is not an eighth.
<P>
</LI>
</UL>
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<ADDRESS>
Bob van der Poel
2016-06-11
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