Arezzo User Manual
Introduction
Arezzo helps you learn the basics of classical harmony, melody and counterpoint:
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Harmony. The rules of the game are to first input a bass
line, and then to harmonize it. This means that you have to choose the
4 notes required per chord for the bass, tenor, alto and soprano lines.
You must proceed according to the chiffrage information that specifies
the chord inversion to be used, located below each chord. The system
can be configured to automatically give you each chord degree.
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Melody. Your task is to come up with a melodic voice that
is compatible with classical principles. Once introduced into Arezzo,
for instance in the bass line, you can ask Arezzo to check whether it
is well formed.
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Counterpoint. Arrezo is able to deal with first
species counterpoint (note per note, with one note per bar) up to 4 voices.
Enter the voices into Arezzo, for instance in the bass and soprano line,
then ask Arezzo to check if they are correct.
Once you think you created a proper harmonization, melody or counterpoint,
you can check it, ask for advice if you're stuck, listen to it or save it on
the Arezzo server.
Arezzo also offers communication tools that enable:
- e-mail posting of your scores to ask for advice, or to print them;
- sharing of scores with other users for group work ;
- chating with other users using the integrated chat system. We also recommend
the use of voice communication systems over the Internet, such as Microsoft
NetMeeting.
Optimal use of Arezzo requires a login name; you can get one free by sending
an e-mail to Arezzo, using the address provided at the end of
this manual. Note that this identifier will be used as a reference to your
files. When you try Arezzo latter on, you'll be able to retrieve your own files.
The "guest" login name account contains some examples you might want to look
at.
Usage
The score is displayed in the usual way. Each bar is annotated with its
number and the number of its first chord, given in parenthesis. This may be
handy when analyzing the system's messages.
Various items can be selected, and color coded, with a left mouse
button click or via the arrow keys:
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Chords in green
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Notes in red
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Digits, within an inversion, in red
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Beside selecting items, here are the various operations permitted by Arezzo.
The File menu :
- New a clean music sheet.
- Load a particular file.
- Revert the music sheet to its last saved version.
- Delete a particular file.
- Save your piece in the Workbench system. Only one version is
kept per client site.
- Save As asks for a particular file name to save your work into.
The Operations menu :
The Communications menu:
- Mail :
- your Score to a selected person -- this will automatically
start the Web browser of the receiver with your score in it. You can thus
get in touch with various teachers and ask them questions;
- as a PS-formatted file (this file will be mailed to
the logged user in order to enable its printing -- this is required since
direct printing from Arezzo is not allowed);
- as a MIDI-formatted file -- you can thus send your MIDI compositions
to whoever you want;
- as an ABC-formatted file (check
this site for
more information on abc).
- Share your score with other users (your score, and modifications
to it, will be displayed on all computers that share the same channel. Only
mouse events and actions on menu items signaled with a "*" are automatically
propagated to machines on the current channel. For other modifications, e.g.
tonality changes, please use Synchronize):
- by creating a New sharing channel;
- by joining an exiting channel (Join).
- Synchronize your shared score with other users.
Only mouse events and actions on menus whose labels begin with a "*"
are automatically propagated to users of your channel. For other modifications
(e.g., a tonality change), use the Synchronize operation.
- List current channel Participants.
- Exit the sharing mode and go back to Local mode.
- Chat with other users (a chat box will be opened and all text
written in it will be displayed on all computers that use the same chat channel):
- by creating a New channel.
- by joining an existing channel (Join).
The Preferences menu :
- Modify the score Tonality :
- changing the Mode (Major or Minor) ;
- changing the Alteration (bb, b, , #,
X) ;
- changing the Note (do, re, mi, fa,
sol, la, si).
- Modify the score time Signature.
- Modify the score Tempo.
- Choose your General MIDI Instruments. You may either use the Piano,
or select a particular sound for each voice, thus helping you distinguishing
it from others.
- Choose the Language (English or French) in which
messages are displayed.
- Select various Display options.
- Select which particular harmony, melody or counterpoints Checks
are performed when using the Operations menu. Please refer to your
music theory manual for a deeper explanation of these notions, or feel free
to contact your instructor.
The Alteration menu :
- Alter the selected note (b, bb, , #, X).
Can also be applied on elements of chiffrages.
The Inversion menu :
- Change the selected chord inversion (8, 3, 5, 5 3, 6,
6 3, 6 4 and sevenths). Sevenths (7, 6 5, 4
3, 2, 7+, 6 5/, +6, +4) are gathered
within their own menu. Note that diminished sevenths are not supported in
this version of Arezzo.
The Duration menu :
- Change the selected chord duration (1, 2, 4, 8,
16, 32). In practice, when a selected note is modified, all
notes in the given chord are modified too.
The Insert menu -- to insert a new chord (resp. a new note)
after the closest chord (resp. note) by clicking on the right mouse button (or
use the left mouse while holding the Control key down) :
- For the insertion of a Chord, you can either get a new chord with
a single Bass note, or a Full chord, with one note per voice.
- Lowest Note allows you to add the lowest possible note in an existing
chord.
- Bass, to add a note in the bass voice.
- Tenor
- Alto
- Soprano
The ? menu :
- The Glossary can be used if you don't understand a particular
word used in the bottom window. Select the word with the mouse and click on
Glossary. An glossary box will be opened in which you can type a word
and press Enter. A word selected with the mouse in the glossary box bottom
window will be explained too (click on the Explain button).
- Manual loads this html page.
- A propos... gives you information about Arezzo.
It is also naturally possible to perform some operations :
- On notes:
- Move a note in a chord by dragging it with the left button.
- Delete the selected note by hitting [Delete] or [Backspace].
- Create a note in a chord by clicking it with the right button (or
use the left mouse down while holding the Control key down) at its requested
position in the chord. Use the Insert button first to select either "Lowest
Note" to create the lowest possible note in the current chord, "Bass",
"Tenor", "Alto" or "Soprano" to choose a particular voice.
- On chords (You can use the scroll bar below the score to slide the current
position):
- Delete the selected chord by hitting [Delete] or [Backspace] (deselect
the selected note first if need be). You cannot delete the last remaining
chord.
- Insert a new chord after a chord by clicking on the right button
(or use the left mouse down while holding the Control key down). You need
to select "Chord" with the Insert button first.
Important note
Some actions only work if a dedicated server runs. If
it doesn't seem to be running, please contact pierre.jouvelot@mines-paristech.fr.