User Manual

4.7
With NTempo you have continuous control of tempo as you listen to your score.
In NTempo Mode
To perform, it’s best to be in NTempo mode. When in this mode, the NTempo button on the left side of the Transport
will be light gray. If not, click the button. A green playback marker indicates where playback will begin. If the marker
has double lines along the edges (as in the close-up on the right), the software is ready for your rst key press.
Tap a Tempo
You press certain keys on your computer keyboard to continuously control the tempo. Press any key
on the “A” row (the row that begins with A, S, D, F on a standard computer keyboard). Optionally,
you can use a MIDI keyboard instead of a computer keyboard, detailed later in this chapter.
By default, each tap of an NTempo key corresponds to the pulse of the meter (examples: a quarter note in 4/4
time; an eighth note in 6/8 time). With each press, you see the playback marker move to the next beat and you
hear whatever notes in the score lie within that beat. The faster you tap these keys, the faster the tempo.
If the score has an NTempo sta – a single-line sta with blue notes on it – then your tapping follows the note
values on that sta rather than the current meter. See the next topic, NTempo Sta, for more details.
Tip: Experience has shown that to keep a steady, even beat, you should concentrate on keeping the beat
by hearing the music, and not as much by watching the movement of the green playback bar.
Indicators
Visually, a number of indicators help guide you through the score.
8 As you tap, you view the green playback marker progress through the score. To indicate that you are performing,
the playback marker no longer shows a double-lined border around it; when you decide to stop – not pause – (see
Pause/Stop, at bottom of next page) the double border returns. When the green marker approaches the right-hand
side of the score area, your view of your score jumps ahead.
8 In the Toolbar Display, on the right, you view your current beats-per-measure (bpm).
8 A vertical red line on the timeline moves to indicate where you currently are in the le. As you jump ahead in the
score, the silver box surrounding the red marker changes to indicate the measures you are currently viewing in the
score area.
8 The Heads-Up Display, if used, keeps you updated on current meter status, measure number, tempo speed, and
more.
8 As you jump ahead in the score, the measure numbers update in the Measure Number Bar (if you are using the page
view of Continuous).
Perform a Score (NTempo)