Workflow after midi-import

[Nextom]

Hi all,
could someone please outline me again the typical workflow for a midi import of a simple monophonic pattern, that I need an arrangement for?
When I imported it, I chose "analyze" and "convert" – not really knowing what "convert" might mean.
But then, after import, the master track shows F Major.

However, I need it to be A minor. How do I force it to change the scale?
And what do I have to do next with the pattern, so that I can create other tracks in the fitting harmony? I tried "Auto harmonize", but then the whole pattern changes. No good. So what do I have to do to keep this pattern as it is and make other tracks accompany it?

[yellukhan]

Hi,
first let me recommend this settings (which is my default)
its easy to see: Absolute / Scale / Chord / Out of scale notes at once...
Settings/Miscellaneous/



Now:

when you import just select "analyze" do not select "convert" so select "No"
convert means notes will change (will follow the chords / scales) when you change the scale / chords
1- if you select green (Chord+) convert mode, notes will indexed as chord notes
this means notes will follow the every "chord" chages
2- if you select blue (Scale+) convert mode, notes will be indexed as scale notes
this means notes will adapt them selves to the master scale when you change the scale.
...
in your case you need Absolute - Static midi notes to harmonize and build an arrangement on it.
Analyze: checked, Convert: No
hit to import...
After import done you can change master track scale A minor...
since notes in Absolute form they will not change when you change the scale.
now you can continue to work on it.

.....
edit for a little more details:

when you want to use "simple monophonic pattern" as you said,
you do not even use the Midi Import page
just create an empty RC project
and drag drop this midi to an empty track define the master track scale and harmonize it
.....


let me know if i miss something.

[Nextom]

Dear Yellukhan,

ah, I was hoping that you would take care of me … as usual
But I'm running right into the next obstacle: I don't know where to make these first settings. In my version of RC (3.1.b7) there's no Default Note Coloring Scheme unter "New Track":
. Should I update to the current version?

But beside that: It worked! Thanks much. Have a great day!

Thomas

[yellukhan]

oh sorry i should be more careful what i suggest...
its newly added in one of the latest betas...
but you can find same settings in track control panel as track based for now.




always my pleasure.

[Nextom]

Ah, there it is! I knew I had seen it somewhere …

[yellukhan]

i got the idea from you / from here

[Nextom]

Great! Makes all sense to me. Keep it coming!

[Nextom]

Now I have a new question now: After import, RC gave me a chord-sequence that changes chord on every second beat:


How can I control this, in case I wanted to have less chord changes in those four measures, or more?

[yellukhan]

you can use Bars for "Chord Change:" setting in Harmonization

[Nextom]

Ok, it's me again. Could we go over this in a bit more detail and with a new example, please?
I have a piece that I am expected to remix. For this, I need to first come up with a decent chord-progression and then with a couple of added musical lines. It would be great, when Rapid Composer could help me in this. But as usual, I'm relatively clueless …

I was told, that the piece is in A minor. (But which minor? They didn't say that, but I can tell that at least one note, the f#, isn't part of A minor. So that's my first stumbling block. How to deal with it?

Now I've imported the file via midi-import (and I made sure not to activate "convert", so that the notes would stay where they are.


Several more questions at this point:
I would like to make a few minor edits in this melody, to begin with. But I don't even know how to edit it in RC.
Also, I see that RC has analyzed the scale to be G Major – which is wrong. Now I am to input the "right" scale, but I don't know, which minor (harmonic minor? melodic minor?) or how to deal with that one note, F#, that's not part of the A minor scale that I know in my limited knowledge of musical theory.

Ok, for the heck of it, I put in "A minor" in the master track's chord progression now, and what I'm getting is the same chord progression as before, when it was set to G Major. Can this be right?


When I play it, it sounds terrible. Is this as good as it gets? I hope not. But where am I going wrong? What could I have done better? Please explain.
P.S.: I'd be happy to send you guys the file (the audio with the original as well as my RC-file), in case you want to try. Just let me know, what kind of file you want.

[yellukhan]

Dear Thomas,

i know nothing about the theoretical part of harmony but since the key is A minor scale seems first chord must be
Am triad (for 3 bars long or 2 bars Am and Asus4 for example)
then at bar 4 (where the F# involved) to me it might be Dmajor triad (you can also try Dadd4 there)
at bar 5 could be the E minor so on..
i am attaching a project has 1 Part and 2 Lines: Experiment-01 & Experiment-02
try to experiment with chord lengths according to the melody notes.

as final words
i think it depends of the taste but
if you upload that RC project in the captures,
i can try different harmonization / progression combinations to see what can i do more.

RCv3_Thomas_Aminor-HarmonyExample1.zip

[yellukhan]

+
also for the Melody Harmonization use Harmonize function in phrase inspector instead of midi import analyse...
you will have much more control at this way.
Create a new arrangement set the scale A minor set arrange length as long as your melody midi file
create a track and drag melody midi to the track.
Right click to phrase open inspector, click to gear icon and click to "Harmonize Melody"
and experiment with changing
Rule Set, Chord Change, Expectedness.

let me know if i miss anything.