Using the real time arranger [Professional]

• Drag the Harmonic space node and drop it in the main area of the conductor view. You can then observe the following group that has been automatically created:

• You could also have reached the same result by creating a group of scores (contextual menu inside the conductor view) and by dragging the Harmonic space node into it. Resize the group by clicking and dragging its bottom right corner, so as to display:

You can see the 4 chord progressions "C - F", "D min - F", "F - G" and "G - C" with their assigned colours. The rule of such an harmonic space is that after a C, you may only have an F. After an F, you may only have a G. After a D min, you may only have an F and after a G, you may only have a C. This is of course very limited in this little example.

• As we have not yet selected the chord with which we want to start, Pizzicato shows you all the possible starting sequences. On each chord, you will see a little OK button. It is used to validate the chord to use. Click on the D min chord OK button and the group becomes:

The first chord is now fixed as D min and if we examine the rules as stated above, the only possible chord after D min is F. So Pizzicato suggests the F chord to the right of the first chord.

• Click on the OK button of the F chord and the group becomes:

• Indeed, the G chord is the only possible chord after F, according to this little harmonic space example. Click on the OK button and again on the next suggested chord. The group becomes:

Notice that the group is automatically resized when you add chords to the progression. On each chord of the progression, there are now 4 icons that you can use to:

• "?" : click on this icon to change the chord, by calling the chord selection dialog box.
• "+" : click on this icon to add a new chord after the current chord, with the help of the chord selection dialog box.
• "x" : click on this icon to delete the current chord from the progression. The following chords are shifted to the left accordingly.
• "<=" : click on this icon to remove all chords from the progression, starting with the current chord. The next suggestion of Pizzicato is then displayed on that location so you can re-orient the chord progression from this point on.

You will notice that each chord is now assigned to a duration of one 4/4 measure. You may move the border between two chords by dragging the mouse over the border and click it to move it to the left (shorter duration for that chord) or to the right (longer duration).

Up to now, this is only visual, but here comes the interesting point.

• Locate the following node inside the library, by expanding the nodes of the tree as necessary:

• Drag and drop the above Rhythm (selected in blue) inside the score group and position it as follows:

• Its content is one 4/4 measure of a country style rhythm, written in C Major. Expand the length of it as explained in the conductor view lesson : drag its bottom right corner to the right so as to have:

• Now listen to the group by using the yellow triangle of the conductor toolbar. You will hear the four measures change with the chords present in the group. This is the real time arranger that plays the score and arrange it to fit the chords you have selected.

We will now take a more sophisticated harmonic space from the library and see how we can intuitively design a chord progression.

• First, click on the "<=" icon of the first chord, so as to delete the chord progression. Then go in the library at the following location:

• and drag and drop the C Major - 3 notes chords + dominant 7th node into the group. Click on the first C chord OK button and resize the group and the rhythm so as to have the following presentation:

• Right-click on the blue background and select the Play in loop menu item. Start the playing and the score will now play in loop the same rhythm again and again. Here is how you can in real time select your chord progression.

• Double-click in the middle of the yellow C chord. A little coloured circle appears:

It is the fixed point for the real time arranger. When this circle is not present, the score is played with the chord present in the corresponding measure. But when you set this fixed point, Pizzicato continues playing the score with the chord being located at the fixed point (here C). You may now click in any of the chords suggested by Pizzicato and you will hear the change of tone in the rhythm. Try and click on each one of them. When you find one transition you like, just click on the OK button of that chord and the chord is added to the progression, as explained above. Pizzicato shows you then the next suggestions for possible chords in that harmonic space. This space represents here the 3 notes chords of the C major scale, as well as the dominant 7th chord, quite common in use.

When you click inside the circle, it disappears and the real time arranger continue to play the score with the existing chord progression. You may also disable the real time arranger by clicking inside the little yellow square present at the top of the group.

Warning - do not forget to delete this fixed point after you have used it, because otherwise Pizzicato will play all your score with that fixed point, even from other documents and they may sound strange to you because Pizzicato arranges them all in the fixed point chord.

Once you have found the chord progression you like, you may do two things with that group:

• You can drag the little green square on top of the group and drop it outside the group. Pizzicato will create a full score of the group, including the arranged notes with the chords.

• You can similarly drag and drop the little blue square and the score will only contain the chord progression. You can drag that chord progression in a document inside your My library folder to use it on other occasions. It is then part of your library.

You will find in the Pizzicato libraries numerous harmonic spaces. They are located in the Music libraries, Harmonic spaces folder and they are classified according to the types of chords (thirds, sevenths and others), by common notes and degrees to sequence.