Reference Guide

1036
Notation and lyrics
The Meter/Key view
Internally, SONAR stores times as “raw” ticks or clock pulses. The timebase—the number of pulses
per quarter note (PPQ)—is adjustable, from 48 to 960 PPQ. If you are using a timebase of 120 PPQ
and the project file is in 4/4 time, then a whole measure equals 480 ticks. See “Setting the MIDI
timing resolution” on page 254 for more information about the timebase.
Usually the easiest approach to working with meter changes is to set all of them up before doing any
recording. Use the Meter/Key view or the Project > Insert Meter/Key Change command to add
meter changes at the desired measures.
What Is key?
In musical terms, a key is a system of related notes based on the tonic (the base pitch) of a major or
minor scale. A key signature is a group of sharps or flats placed immediately to the right of the clef
sign. The key signature tells a performer that certain notes are to be systematically raised or
lowered.
There are fifteen different key signatures—seven with sharps, seven with flats, and one without
either. The fifteen key signatures correspond to fifteen different major scales, and to fifteen different
minor scales (for example, the key signature for C major is the same as for A minor).
The key signature affects several things in SONAR:
• The key signature controls how SONAR displays notes. In the Event List view and some dialog
boxes, SONAR converts the MIDI pitch number to labels like Db (D-flat in the key of C).
• The Staff view uses the key signature to display notation correctly.
• How the notes are transposed when the Diatonic option is enabled.
The key signature affects only how SONAR displays pitches for you. Changing the key signature
does not affect the MIDI key number (pitch) stored with each note. To actually transpose pitches,
use the Transpose command or edit notes individually by using the Piano Roll, Event List, or Staff
views.
Frequently you use only one key signature for an entire project, but SONAR supports multiple key
signatures and multiple meter changes in a project. The default key is C. You can change these
defaults by creating your own default template file. For more information, see “Templates” on page
991.
Note: Groove clips are not affected by changes to your project’s key. Groove clips follow the
default project pitch value, specified in Project > Set Default Groove Clip Pitch, and Pitch
markers in the Time Ruler. For more information, see “Using pitch markers in the Track view”
on page 644.