Contents
Help Contents for Multimedia Songbook

Getting Started

What is Multimedia Songbook?

The Main Screen

MIDI Setup

Playing Songs

The Title Page

Playing a Song

Creating a Song List

Special Features

Using the Noodler

Using the Mixer

Viewing the Instrument Gallery

For Help on Help, press F1


What is Multimedia Songbook?

Midisoft Multimedia Songbook is an interactive collection of songs arranged into seven different songbooks according to style:

Holiday

Classical

Around the World

Kids Tunes

Jazz & Ragtime

Rock & Pop

Inspirational

Songbook not only allows you to listen to popular songs, but to follow along with the notes as you hear them, create original song lists, and use Songbook's special features, such as the Mixer and Noodler, to add your own creative touches. Songbook also provides a bit of history information about all kinds of instruments in the Instrument Gallery.

Begin your Songbook session by clicking on one of the books in the main screen. Have fun!

See Also

The Main Screen

MIDI Setup


The Main Screen

Click on the menu items below to learn more about each option.

The main menu screen is the first thing you'll see when you open Multimedia Songbook after the initial installation. Songs are divided into seven categories according to the following music styles:

Holiday

Classical

Around the World

Kids Tunes

Jazz & Ragtime

Rock & Pop

Inspirational

Each style is represented by a book on the main menu screen. You can view songs of a particular style by clicking on the spine of the book. Songbook will then open the book to a Title Page where you can choose songs to play.

See Also

What is Multimedia Songbook?

MIDI Setup


MIDI Setup

The first time you open Songbook, you will be prompted to perform a MIDI Setup. Songbook will configure itself to match existing settings.

To begin the setup, choose MIDI Setup from the options menu. A dialog box appears. Follow the instructions in the dialog box to correctly configure Songbook.

See Also

What is Multimedia Songbook?

The Main Screen


The Title Page

Click on the menu items below to learn more about each option.

The Title Page appears after you have selected one of the music books on the Main Screen.

The right-hand page contains an alphabetical list of song titles included in that section; the left-hand page displays the title of the section. From the Title Page you can select a song to play from the list, or browse through the songs one by one.

If you know what song you want play, click once on the song title, and Songbook will open the page displaying the song you selected. If there are more song titles available, "More..." will appear at the bottom of the list of songs. Click to view more titles. "Previous.." at the top of the song list indicates that there are additional titles earlier on the list.

If you are not sure what songs you want to hear, browse through the songs using the left- and right-arrow buttons located on the lower corners of the book. The Next, Previous, First, and Last commands in the Page menu will also allow you to browse through the songs.

Click the Main Screen button to return to the Main Screen.

See Also

Playing a Song

Creating a Song List


Playing a Song

 Click here to view the Song Page.

After you select the song you want to hear from the list on the Title Page, Songbook opens a new page in the book and displays the song. Song pages consist of the musical score of the selected work and a descriptive paragraph providing additional information or comment on the song, composer, or era.

If you've selected a song and you're ready to play it, click the Play button on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. If you want to stop the song before it is over, click the same button. (You'll notice that it now reads "Stop.")

You'll also notice that Songbook keeps up with the music by scrolling through the musical score and highlighting the notes as you hear them. You can use the Zoom toolbar button to view more of the score.

The toolbar provides you with access to other Songbook controls and features as well. To learn more about toolbar functions, click on the toolbar items below.

Toolbar Items

Play/Stop Button

Tempo Control

Timer

Main Screen Button

Title Button

Mixer Button

Zoom Button

Menu items available on the song page give you access to Songbook's special features such as the Mixer, Noodler, and Instrument Gallery.

Other navigation features include the up and down arrows. Up and down arrows indicate that there is more descriptive text than is shown on the screen, or that there are more music tracks than can appear on the screen at the same time. The arrows are located on the bottom inside corners of the pages, and you can click them to scroll the text or view additional tracks. The arrows will also appear if you are zoomed in on the score, allowing you to see any track.

See Also

The Title Page

Creating a Song List


Play/Stop Button

Click this button to begin playing the song. While the song is playing, the button changes to read "Stop." If you want to stop the song before it has ended, click this button again.


Tempo Control

This slide bar is used to control the tempo of the song. Click and hold down the mouse button on the slide bar and move it towards Slower to decrease the tempo and Faster to increase the tempo.


Timer

After a song begins playing, the counter begins displaying the seconds and minutes that have elapsed since the song began. When the song ends or is interrupted by the stop button, the Timer resets at 0:00.


Main Screen Button

Click this button to return to Songbook's Main Screen.


Title Button

Click this button to return to the Title Page of the current category of songs. For example, if you are viewing a Classical-style song, clicking the title button will return you to the Classical songs title page.


Mixer Button

This button opens one of Songbook's special features, the Mixer.


Zoom Button

This button allows you to view more of the musical score while the song plays. When you click the Zoom button, the descriptive text and photograph disappear, and the score extends to cover the right- and left-hand pages. To restore the score to its original size, click the Zoom button again.


Creating a Song List

 Click here to view the Song List.

In Songbook you can create customized song lists. You can pick and choose songs of any style and arrange them in any order. Songbook will automatically play each song on your list, one after the other. You can also create and save several different song lists.

To play a current song list or create a new one, choose the Song List command from the Interaction menu. The left-hand page contains the tools to create a new song list, and the right-hand page contains information about existing song lists.

To create a new song list, select songs you want to include from any of the seven songbooks. In the picture, click on the book containing the song you want to add. A list of songs in that book appears in the Songs box.

To add a song to your list, click on the title in the Songs box and click the Add button. You can add up to 15 songs to each list. The song title appears in the Today's Program box on the right-hand page. To remove a song, select the title in the Today's Program box and click the Remove button.

When you are done selecting songs and have organized them in the order you want, you need to save the song list. First, click the Save New Song List button. Then, type the title of your new Song List and click the OK button. Your song list now appears in the drop-down list.

To begin playing a song list, first select the name of the song list from the drop-down list. Click the Play button, and Songbook will open the first song on the list and begin playing. Songbook will continue to play the songs on your list, in order, until you click the Stop button or turn the page.

See Also

The Title Page

Playing a Song


Using the Noodler

The Noodler allows you to play along with the songs using your own computer keyboard. The Noodler option appears when you are viewing a song page. To turn the Noodler on, select Noodler from the Interaction menu so that it is checked. With the Noodler option checked, tap the letter and function keys on your keyboard to play.

The Noodler has a note-mapping feature that ensures that every note you hit is the right one. The Noodler adjusts your keyboard to keep you in tune with whichever song is playing, and guarantees that any note you play will be in key! To turn on the note-mapping feature, select Noodler Preferences from the Options menu. Select the check box and click OK. To turn off this feature, clear the check box and click OK.

The sound you create by playing with the Noodler simulates the instrument selected for track one. To select another sound for the Noodler, click the Mixer button on the toolbar.

See Also

Using the Mixer

Viewing the Instrument Gallery


Using the Mixer

Using the mixer you can customize the sound of your songs. To view the mixer, click the Mixer button on a song page, or choose Mixer from the Interaction menu. The Mixer appears displaying each instrument in the song on a separate track.

Click on the picture below to learn more about the mixer's features.

See Also

Using the Noodler

Viewing the Instrument Gallery


Track Name

The name of the track is displayed here. Each instrument and track in the song is represented by a separate module in the mixer.


Instrument Display

The name of the instrument being used for that track is displayed here. Each instrument and track in the song is represented by a separate module in the mixer.


Volume Control

The volume control slide bar controls the volume of that track. Use your mouse to drag the slide bar up to increase volume and down to decrease volume.


Solo Button

Click this button if you want to only hear this track playing. Click it again to include the rest of the instruments.


Mute Button

Click this button if you don't want to hear this instrument. Click it again to revive the sound.


Instrument Bank Button

Click here to select an instrument to play on this track. Songbook displays a dialog box with an instrument bank and patch list. Select one of the instruments from the list. If you perform this procedure while a song is playing, you can hear the immediate results of your instrument choice. When you have selected the instrument you want, click OK.


Additional Track Controls

Each instrument in the song has its own module. Use your imagination to modify all the sounds in a song!


Viewing the Instrument Gallery

Click on the menu items below to learn more about each option.

Select Instrument Gallery from the Interaction menu to take a visual stroll through Midisoft Multimedia Songbook's gallery of musical instruments.

Each screen in the Instrument Gallery is filled with reference information about a variety of instruments including woodwinds, strings, percussion, brass, keyboards, and voices. There are photographs for each instrument, often including one showing how the instrument is held; descriptive text about the sound, quality, and history of the instrument; and a list of related instruments.

Click on the controls in the picture below to learn about each one.

See Also

Using the Mixer

Using the Noodler


Other Instruments Button

When you click this button, you will see a list, like the one pictured
below, of other related instruments that you can view. To view an
instrument on the list, double-click on the instrument name. To close
the list, click the button again (it now reads "About this Instrument").


Next Button

Click this button to view the next instrument. Instruments are arranged alphabetically. To view instruments of a similar type, click the Other Instruments button.


Previous Button

Click this left-arrow button to view the previous instrument. Instruments are arranged alphabetically. To view instruments of a similar type, click the Other Instruments button.


More Button

This button appears at the bottom of the narrative text or musical score if there is more to view. Click the down-arrow button to continue reading. An up-arrow button may appear indicating that there is previous text.


Play Button

Click here to hear a sample of the sound created by the instrument--some have very interesting sounds indeed!


Next Picture Button

Click this right-arrow button at the bottom right corner of the instrument photograph to view the instrument in a new light. Many instruments have been photographed solo as well as in the hands of a player.


Menu Button

Click this button to return to the Main Screen.


File Menu


Page Menu


Interaction Menu


Options Menu


Help Menu


Interaction Menu m
Interaction Menu


Options Menu m
Options Menu


Interaction Menu i
Interaction Menu


Song Page

Click on the picture below to learn more about Song Page functions.


Narrative

This area contains descriptive text about the song, composer, or era.


Score

This area contains the score, which can be expanded using the Zoom button on the toolbar. Songbook keeps up with the music, highlighting the notes in green as you hear them.


Song Title

Songbook displays the song title in this area.


Next Button sp
Next Button

Click this button to browse forward through the songbook.


Previous Button sp
Previous Button

Click this button to browse back through the songbook.


Song List

Click on the picture below to learn more about Song List functions.


Select a Book

Click on the spine of one of the songbooks, and the titles included in that book will appear in the list below.


Song List Title

The title of the currently selected song list appears here.


Total Length

The total length of the currently selected song list is displayed here.


Today's Program

All existing song lists are displayed in this drop-down list. To play one, select the title from the list and click the Play button.


Song List Songs

The songs included in the current song list are displayed here. To remove a song from the list, click the title and then click the Remove button.


Songs

Songs that appear in the songbook you selected (above) are listed in this area. To add a song to your song list, click the title and then click the Add button.


Close Button

Click this button to close the Song List page.


Help Button

Click this button to receive help on using Midisoft Multimedia Songbook.


Play Button

Click this button, and Songbook will begin playing the first song on your list. The songs will continue to play, one after the other.


Add Button

Click this button to add a song from the Songs list to your song list.


Remove Button

Click this button to remove songs from your song list.


Save New Song List Button

Click this button to name your new song list.