MIDI Unit Introduction
What is MIDI?
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (Google it!)
Is it recorded sound or a computer command?
What commands can MIDI give?
pitch, note on, note off, velocity, etc. (127 parameters in all)
How is MIDI used?
to program a sequencer to play (Garageband)
how many other ways is it used?
What is MIDI like?
player piano roll (Google, YouTube)
music box (YouTube)
Garageband MIDI
Green = MIDI
Blue = Audio waves
How to create green regions
drag in a green loop from the loop browser
record using the M-Audio Ozone keyboard and delete notes
How to make notes
Control - click (quarter notes)
4 quarters in a dollar
4 quarter notes in a measure of 4/4 time
turn on 1/4 note view on the ruler in both piano roll & score view
Option - drag (copies notes, regions) existing notes
keeps note length and velocity
Inputting our first MIDI song (by ear!) in the Piano Roll window
Sing Frere Jacques (Are you sleeping?)
Click in or option-drag C3, D3, E3, C3 (are you sleeping?)
Quarter notes (show 1/4 notes on ruler)
$0.25 x 4 = $1.00 is like 4 quarter notes = one measure
Box those notes and option drag to create 2nd set
E3, F3, G3 (Brother John)
Option-drag 2nd “Brother John”
Problem? leave a quarter rest between the “brother John”
Tap your foot and sing that far.
One tap for each word = quarter notes
One tap for two words or syllables = eighth notes (8 in a measure)
“Morning bells are” = eighth notes (G3, A3, G3, F3)
Change the ruler to show 1/8 notes
“Ringing” = quarter notes (E3, C3)
Option-drag the 2nd “Morning bells are ringing”
“Ding, ding dong” = quarter notes (C3, G3, C3)
Make three new tracks (Track>New Track>(Green) Software Instrument)
Option-drag the region in the project window into each new track
Drag each track two measures to the right of the region above it
Change instruments for each track to hear the entrances of the round
Sit back and enjoy!
Inputting by notes in the Staff window
Recording notes with a MIDI Keyboard