This document provides instructions for selecting and entering the song form in the Song Rhythm Tracks iOS app. It explains that every song has an underlying form that can be described using bar lines and section dividers. Users can either search for pre-existing song forms or define a custom form using stick notation showing the number and length of sections. Examples of common song forms like 32-bar AABA and their representations are provided.
2. Song Rhythm Tracks - Selecting Song form
A big part of why Song Rhythm Tracks
sounds so great is because of the song
arrangements.
You will need to work out the form of the song
you will play.
It is the same for all Apps -
3. Song Rhythm Tracks - Selecting Song form
Every song has an underlying form.
The great thing about using Song Rhythm
Tracks is the simple selection, or entering, of
that form. It is so much easier than sequencing
tracks.
4. Song Rhythm Tracks - What's my Song's form?
Work it out by counting -
(i) the number of sections in the form, and
(ii) the number of bars in each section.
Describe it using stick notation, e.g.
"8|10" means two sections, the first 8 and the
second 10 bars long.
5. Song Rhythm Tracks - What's my Song's form?
Some song forms have common names
which, when available, can be used as well.
Some songs have a bridge section (a.k.a. a
"middle-8"), which is designed to bring contrast.
It is good for the drums to provide contrast during
bridges as well.
6. Song Rhythm Tracks - What's my Song's form?
You can listen for these bars and sections or, if
you have sheet music, look for them -
| Bar-lines
|| Section Dividers
||: Start of repeated sections
:|| Finish of repeated sections
7. Song Rhythm Tracks - Bridges (aka “Middle-8”)
Bridge sections are not always marked.
Just remember they are where the repetitions
breaks to make way for a contrast of melody,
harmony and perhaps a change of key. In stick
notation a bridge section is preceded by a "/"
instead of a "|".
8. Song Rhythm Tracks - Example 1- "32-bar AABA"
||: a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a :|| b|b|b|b|b|b|b|b || a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a ||
This has 4 sections, each of length 8 bars, with the 3rd
section being a bridge.
Within the Apps, this form can be selected as
either "8|8/8|8", or using its common name of
"32-bar AABA", as "32.AABA".
9. Song Rhythm Tracks - Example 2 - "8|10" Form
|| a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a || a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a ||
This has 2 sections, the first of length 8 bars, the second
of length 10 bars.
Enter as a "user-defined" form.
Enter "8|10" into the first sections-list box and
save.
10. Song Rhythm Tracks - Entering Song form
The song, "Bye Bye Blackbird" may be played with song form
"16/8|8".
Let's create a new track.
Easiest of all is to search for a shared track definition.
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15. Example 3 - “In The Wee Small Hours”
|| a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a || a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a ||
It has 2 sections, one of length 8 bars, followed by one of
10 bars.
Within the Song Rhythm Tracks App, this form
is not available as a selection, so we will use
"user-defined" and "8|10".
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28. Example 4 - “Moonlight In Vermont”
|| a|a|a|a|a|a || a|a|a|a|a|a || a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a || a|a|a|a|a|a|a|a ||
This song could have more than one arrangement -
e.g."6|6/8|6", "6|6|8|6" or "6|6|8|8", which we will use.
Within the Song Rhythm Tracks Apps, this form
is not available as a selection, so we will use
"user-defined" and "6|6|8|8".
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39. Song Rhythm Tracks - Song form - Wrap Up
Options -
(i) Search for track title,
(ii) Select a song form or
(iii) Enter one using stick notation.
More Resources at -
http://alive-drumming.org/home/songform-rhythm-tracks/user-contributed-songs-songforms/
http://alive-drumming.org/home/songform-rhythm-tracks/
40. Song Rhythm Tracks - Setlists
The table of tracks is grouped into setlists.
Each setlist has its own header which has the
blue setlist buttons.
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57. Song Rhythm Tracks - Wrap Up
This concludes the ‘Arranging and Setlists’
tutorial.
Check out the other tutorial as well, “Basic
Features”, either as video or slides.