The handbook says, if I remember right, "To get a courtesy accidental, just drag it from the palette." Easy enough. But it doesn't work. It does nothing at all. So I found at a forum what should have been more clearly explained in the handbook: "To get a courtesy accidental, select the note so that it turns blue, drag the accidental from the palette and hold it over the note (not beside it, where it is supposed to go) so that the note turns red, then release. To add parentheses, do the same." Easy as pie, actually.
Finding the answer took me at least half an hour of reading debates about whether or when to use courtesy accidentals, and other problems with accidentals, and which editions of Muse Score had which problems with them. The solution, when I discovered it, was in something that was mentioned only in passing.
Years ago I used to be a statistical typist. One of my most successful experiences was typing up charts of various kinds with columns of numbers. On an old-fashioned typewriter you had to count, add, subtract and divide to get the spacing of the columns and headers just right and make them look nice. I found it easy and fun. To get spacing right with a computer is not easy and not fun. (That's why I do everything on a spread sheet, rather than setting tabs or using tables or charts.) In this music program I have to figure out all sorts of spacing issues which are affected by one another, which sometimes causes a function to do the opposite of what you think it will. I have to consider staff and system spacing, accolade spacing, measure spacing, headings, line breaks, chords, lyrics, percentage of page fill, and to figure out why page two acts differently from page one, etc. (--and learn the terms in Hebrew, because they kindly gave me a mostly-Hebrew version when I downloaded it, without giving me a language choice.) When the handbook doesn't give sufficient explanation, I go to a forum where the musician-computerists debate what's the correct way to write music, the differences between musician logic and computer logic, and all sorts of issues that are incredibly interesting except that they are over my head and I don't have time for it all. Sometimes I feel like yelling, "I play piano, not computer!"
I waver between wishing it could all be written from top down and wishing it could all be pre-set, when really it does a little of both, which is the only way it can work, at least when you have playback. Without playback (as Crescendo does it) is a different situation entirely. After I get proficient at MuseScore, maybe I'll take another stab at a certain program created by some funny English guys, who have a different approach, which presently looks too complicated to me, but has some interesting aspects, and some different handy keystrokes.
February 25, 2012
February 16, 2012
Vegetable Oil
Yesterday I had a good lunch planned for myself--fried zucchini and sweet potatoes. I quickly oiled the pan and put in some zucchini slices. After a minute I thought, "Why does the zucchini smell so pretty? And why is it bubbling?" Oh no, did I put dishwashing liquid in it? Yep, I did. So I quickly rinsed the zucchini as thoroughly as I could and then cooked it in vegetable oil. It still had a faint smell of dishwashing liquid, but it was pretty good.
One Day Gone
Yesterday was one of those days when you wonder why you got out of bed.
I was quite proud of myself, actually, for figuring out, all by myself, lots of things on a music program. But after a while I did some very wrong things, and somehow deleted all my latest music files and their backup copies. But I was determined, and the things I couldn't figure out surely must have an answer, so I got on a forum where I thought I would surely get some help. But then I couldn't reproduce the original problem. So in the process of trying to explain it and another one that came up, I figured part of it out, and the other part I decided was a bug in the program. It seems so clear now. There was a point after which everything went wrong, and in spite of the usually-effective "Undo," I couldn't back out, couldn't cut and paste, couldn't restyle, couldn't anything without increasing the muddle.
So today is back to the drawing board. Ahh, drawing, painting. I dreamed that when I got old I would learn to paint. I never dreamed I would be writing music. Somehow painting sounds more fun right now. But it is more efficient to take something you already know and add to it or branch out from it than to start something completely new.
I was quite proud of myself, actually, for figuring out, all by myself, lots of things on a music program. But after a while I did some very wrong things, and somehow deleted all my latest music files and their backup copies. But I was determined, and the things I couldn't figure out surely must have an answer, so I got on a forum where I thought I would surely get some help. But then I couldn't reproduce the original problem. So in the process of trying to explain it and another one that came up, I figured part of it out, and the other part I decided was a bug in the program. It seems so clear now. There was a point after which everything went wrong, and in spite of the usually-effective "Undo," I couldn't back out, couldn't cut and paste, couldn't restyle, couldn't anything without increasing the muddle.
So today is back to the drawing board. Ahh, drawing, painting. I dreamed that when I got old I would learn to paint. I never dreamed I would be writing music. Somehow painting sounds more fun right now. But it is more efficient to take something you already know and add to it or branch out from it than to start something completely new.
February 15, 2012
Psalm Collection Log
My new log is for all the Psalms that I write lead sheets for. These will include tunes I have written myself, and also some that I copy from various sources. This way I feel like I am getting sort of organized. That doesn't mean I am organized, but I feel like I am. Verse numbering is the Hebrew version.
February 13, 2012
Some Psalm Success
After one year of trying to right Psalm tunes, I have one, yes one, tune I am truly satisfied with. Many others are under way and will soon be put to the test. What I really need is feedback, from someone who knows music, poetry and Hebrew. So many times I just don't know which way to go. A Psalm as it is is perfect poetry, but turning it into a song requires some bending, and there are a million ways of bending it, and I can't decide which way is best.
I have researched several different music notation programs, and have decided to keep using Crescendo but also use Muse Score, which is better for adding lyrics and will do pdf's. Many people like Finale, but I wasn't satisfied with the way it looked or the way it did lyrics. I downloaded a trial version of Sibelius but it crashed my computer, so forget it with Sibelius, which is overkill any. I'm just writing lead sheets, not symphonies. Several others are very awkward to use or hard to figure out, or will not type Hebrew characters, or my computer will not accept them. Anyway, Muse Score is free.
Some of the Psalms I most wanted to write tunes for I haven't been able to do, which is probably just as well; but now that I know a little more what I'm doing, maybe I'll come up with better tunes.
I have researched several different music notation programs, and have decided to keep using Crescendo but also use Muse Score, which is better for adding lyrics and will do pdf's. Many people like Finale, but I wasn't satisfied with the way it looked or the way it did lyrics. I downloaded a trial version of Sibelius but it crashed my computer, so forget it with Sibelius, which is overkill any. I'm just writing lead sheets, not symphonies. Several others are very awkward to use or hard to figure out, or will not type Hebrew characters, or my computer will not accept them. Anyway, Muse Score is free.
Some of the Psalms I most wanted to write tunes for I haven't been able to do, which is probably just as well; but now that I know a little more what I'm doing, maybe I'll come up with better tunes.
February 11, 2012
Walking and Running
I just noticed on Sharon's blog that she is actually publishing on her blog how far she runs every day. That is pretty bold. The whole world will know if you fail.
On the other hand, it isn't a bad idea. Both to run and to publish your intentions. So I am about to publish mine. But first, background.
Several years ago I started having problems with my feet. A little over 2 years ago I was down to where I was about to give up walking. But that is so impractical that I decided, no, I can't let it happen. So I started counting how many steps I walked. Ten steps to the kitchen, fifteen steps to the mailbox. Etc. I got up to 600 (steps each foot) the first week. I got up to 1500 steps/week pretty quickly, partly because I got more diligent about counting. It was 150 steps to the corner stop sign, so I didn't have to re-count that part. I even give myself some credit for standing still. Washing dishes, e.g., is really hard on feet. Waiting for the bus, standing around after church--quite an ordeal actually.
I hope you don't think I'm crazy for counting steps. I'm not crazy. Particularly. But if I do only what I feel like and what doesn't hurt, I won't do anything. And if I get really ambitious and do too much one day, I might be down for three days. So it's the only way.
Diverging for a moment, I once read an article about a woman who wanted to lose weight. She figured that the only way to do it was to count how many bites she was eating, and then cut the number down by a third. She did this for some time. Eventually she got tired of counting, but by that time she had gotten used to what was the right amount to eat, and it had become a habit, so she didn't need to count anymore. I admire people with that kind of determination. I don't have a weight problem, but I know that food is a complicated issue, and I rejoice anytime I see someone get the victory.
It's the same kind of issue when puny people (and others) try to change their habits and eat more and exercise more. 1 Cor 9:27 "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection." Probably one of the hardest battles you'll ever fight.
So anyway, I have been counting for two years now. I got up to about 7600/week last year, PTL. That still isn't enough to go shopping or do a whole day of housework, but it's something.
But I got stuck at that number for several weeks, so I decided to try something new--I'm going to run every day. Ha-ha-ha! Funny? No, fun! I am desperate for more exercise, and I don't have room for an exercycle (boring, anyway), or a rowing machine (not quite so boring).
So, uh, well, this is embarassing but, I'm hoping to run, uh...maybe I'll put the actual number on my next blog.
On the other hand, it isn't a bad idea. Both to run and to publish your intentions. So I am about to publish mine. But first, background.
Several years ago I started having problems with my feet. A little over 2 years ago I was down to where I was about to give up walking. But that is so impractical that I decided, no, I can't let it happen. So I started counting how many steps I walked. Ten steps to the kitchen, fifteen steps to the mailbox. Etc. I got up to 600 (steps each foot) the first week. I got up to 1500 steps/week pretty quickly, partly because I got more diligent about counting. It was 150 steps to the corner stop sign, so I didn't have to re-count that part. I even give myself some credit for standing still. Washing dishes, e.g., is really hard on feet. Waiting for the bus, standing around after church--quite an ordeal actually.
I hope you don't think I'm crazy for counting steps. I'm not crazy. Particularly. But if I do only what I feel like and what doesn't hurt, I won't do anything. And if I get really ambitious and do too much one day, I might be down for three days. So it's the only way.
Diverging for a moment, I once read an article about a woman who wanted to lose weight. She figured that the only way to do it was to count how many bites she was eating, and then cut the number down by a third. She did this for some time. Eventually she got tired of counting, but by that time she had gotten used to what was the right amount to eat, and it had become a habit, so she didn't need to count anymore. I admire people with that kind of determination. I don't have a weight problem, but I know that food is a complicated issue, and I rejoice anytime I see someone get the victory.
It's the same kind of issue when puny people (and others) try to change their habits and eat more and exercise more. 1 Cor 9:27 "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection." Probably one of the hardest battles you'll ever fight.
So anyway, I have been counting for two years now. I got up to about 7600/week last year, PTL. That still isn't enough to go shopping or do a whole day of housework, but it's something.
But I got stuck at that number for several weeks, so I decided to try something new--I'm going to run every day. Ha-ha-ha! Funny? No, fun! I am desperate for more exercise, and I don't have room for an exercycle (boring, anyway), or a rowing machine (not quite so boring).
So, uh, well, this is embarassing but, I'm hoping to run, uh...maybe I'll put the actual number on my next blog.
February 8, 2012
Non-towels and Summer
When you put a towel in a puddle and stand on it, it should absorb water, right? And if you put a towel in a bucket and it's hanging over the edge, water soaks upward, doesn't it? Or at least it does when I don't want it to. But my newest dishtowels from Wal-Mart don't absorb water at all. You can drown them and they still don't get wet. After an hour in the washing machine they get wet, maybe with the help of detergent.
And that's life.
I accidentally defrosted the refrigerator, which it needed anyway.
Spring is on it's way. I have an urge to do spring cleaning. I have an urge to thoroughly organize, clean, paint, buy some pictures or hangings for the walls. But I probably won't. I'll just do a little cleaning and organizing and I'll open all the windows wide first chance I get.
Israel doesn't really have a spring. It's just winter and then summer. But spring is a state of mind you acquire after living in Indiana for a while. Summer is even better than spring. In the spring you start having hope that the gloom is not going to last forever. You start realizing that you're still alive and that you like being alive. But in summer, it's...summer! And you hurry to enjoy it, because you know it won't last, and you can't waste a minute.
Summer -- we all have seen --
A few of us -- believed --
A few -- the more aspiring
Unquestionably loved --
by Emily Dickinson
And, as is usual for Emily Dickinson, the rest of the poem is about the vanity of life. Now don't you tell me she's weird. I love Emily Dickinson. But I'd hate to stop where she did, spinning my wheels, and stopping short of faith. It's true that everything under the sun is vanity. But you can go beyond the sun, to the Son, and then everything becomes new.
"In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
And that's life.
I accidentally defrosted the refrigerator, which it needed anyway.
Spring is on it's way. I have an urge to do spring cleaning. I have an urge to thoroughly organize, clean, paint, buy some pictures or hangings for the walls. But I probably won't. I'll just do a little cleaning and organizing and I'll open all the windows wide first chance I get.
Israel doesn't really have a spring. It's just winter and then summer. But spring is a state of mind you acquire after living in Indiana for a while. Summer is even better than spring. In the spring you start having hope that the gloom is not going to last forever. You start realizing that you're still alive and that you like being alive. But in summer, it's...summer! And you hurry to enjoy it, because you know it won't last, and you can't waste a minute.
Summer -- we all have seen --
A few of us -- believed --
A few -- the more aspiring
Unquestionably loved --
by Emily Dickinson
And, as is usual for Emily Dickinson, the rest of the poem is about the vanity of life. Now don't you tell me she's weird. I love Emily Dickinson. But I'd hate to stop where she did, spinning my wheels, and stopping short of faith. It's true that everything under the sun is vanity. But you can go beyond the sun, to the Son, and then everything becomes new.
"In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
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