User Guide

Chapter 11: User Programmable Functions
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channel. Sophisticated options control usage of passing harmonies (diatonic, dominant
approach and chromatic), drop octave voicings (e.g. drop 2), octave doubling, patch
selection, and more. An unlimited number of harmonies can be created and can be saved
to disk as harmonies files. Changes in harmonies can be heard “live” as a song is
playing.
The Harmony Maker screen allows you to design a harmony.
This harmony can be used in the future for the melody or the thru harmony part.
Each harmony can use up to 3 channels, Harmony Channel A, B, and C.
If your harmony only has one instrument, then you will use Channel A for all the voices.
If your harmony uses Flute and Bass, then you could use Flute on Channel A, and Bass
on Channel B.
Let's make the Harmony called Shearing Quintet. This is illustrated above. The Shearing
Quintet was a famous Jazz quintet with a distinctive sound that consisted of:
- Piano playing a 4-part harmony with the melody doubled one octave below.
- Vibes doubling the melody.
- Electric Guitar doubling the melody one octave below.
OK, we'll make this harmony by using Piano as Channel A, Vibes as Channel B, Guitar
as Channel C. Let's start with the Piano.
Let's hear our Shearing harmony playing as we develop it. To do this, we need a song
with a melody to be playing before we enter the Harmony Maker. So let's exit the
Harmony Maker, and start a song with a melody playing (like Old Folks at Home.mgu).
Now go back into the Harmony Maker.
Voices
You'll see the voices down the left side of the dialog box.
Mel is the melody.
Voice 2 is a chord tone below the melody.
Voice 3 is 2 chord tones below the melody.
Voice 4 is 3 chord tones below the melody.
Voice 5 (rarely used) is an additional chord tone, usually the 9th or 11th in
the scale.
Mel2 and Mel3 are used to double the melody.
For the Shearing Quintet harmony:
The Piano is 4-part harmony, so it will use voice 1, 2, 3, and 4 on Channel A.
The Vibes will double the melody, so will use the Mel2 voice.
The Guitar will double the melody, so will use the Mel3 voice.
Settings for Each Voice