**** MSMAN.FEB *****

Introduction.
 
To begin to describe the use of the MS program the process of setting up a
typical page of music will be traced  in detail.  This section will by  no
means touch  on  all  the  features  of the  MS  program,  nor  will  full
explanations be given for each step.  However page references will  appear
showing where complete descriptions of the features may be found.
 
At the top of each page in the following examples the composer's  original
manuscript appears.  Next is  a listing of the  input file containing  the
main information for the given manuscript  excerpt.  At the bottom of  the
page is the same music as it  will appear on the graphics display  screen.
It must be  emphasized that this  is just  the first step  in the  process
which will lead to the final output.   After this step is complete for  an
entire piece or  movement the files  produced will be  reprocessed by  the
page layout program, "PAGE".  In general, no major editing should be  done
until after the page layout program  has been used to establish the  final
format.  This program will be explained in detail later.
 
In the first input step several  items in the original manuscript will  be
ignored.  These items will usually  include tempo indications, some  slurs
and ties, most words, etc.  All these  things are to be entered after  the
final format  has been  created.   (In most  cases,  if these  items  were
entered in the early  stages, they would just  have to be re-edited  after
use of the PAGE program.)
 
In almost every  case it is  best to enter  the bottom staff  of a  system
first.  The main reason  for this is  that all bar  lines that cover  more
than one staff are always considered to go upward from some staff.  In the
example at hand  all the  bar lines  will be  entered only  on the  bottom
staff, Staff 0.  They will however extend  to the top of the upper  staff,
Staff 1.  The line containing the bar lines should go in first because the
extra space the bars need is  automatically provided.  If there are  notes
already in position on other staves, this extra space cannot be given.
 
The usual method of entering data is initiated with the word IN.  When the
program sees IN it checks to see if staff lines have already been  entered
at the position indicated by P2.  If there is a staff already present, any
numbers following IN will be ignored, otherwise a a staff will be  created
in the proper position.
 
At line 100 the word IN is  followed by a group of parameters.  The  first
zero, P2, refers to Staff 0.  (The  word IN is P1.)  The second zero,  P3,
means that Staff 0 will begin in horizontal position 0, the far left  side
of the page.  The third zero, P4,  means there will be no vertical  shift.
The last number, P5, is set to .9,  meaning the staff size will be 90%  of
the default size.  Since no other parameters are mentioned, they will  all
use their default values.  (For example, P6, the right horizontal position
of the staff, will become 200, the far right edge of the printed page.
Line 200 will tell what  portion of the staff will  be used for the  input
which will follow.  The  zero says that the  default values will be  used.
This means that the full range of the line, 0 to 200, will be used.   (The
numbers, "0 200", could have been typed.)
 
Line 300 contains the main  body of the input for  the bottom line of  the
music.  M2  means we  will begin  with  a measure  line at  position  zero
(because of the  statement in  line 200)  which will  cover a  total of  2
staves, Staff 0  and Staff  1.  Each  particular item  in a  line will  be
delineated with a slash.   When there is  no more of  the current type  of
input to come a semicolon is used.
 
Next in line 300 comes the clef designation, BA.  BA=bass clef,  TR=treble
clef, AL=alto clef, TE=tenor clef.  These  are the only clefs that can  be
entered at this time.  However any of the other clefs may be created  with
the editing  methods.  If  no clef  is given  the use  of treble  clef  is
assumed.  Sometimes you may wish the notes  to be in position as if  there
were a bass  (or other non-treble)  clef.  In this  case precede the  clef
code with a minus sign.  In  effect this produces an invisible clef  which
has no space requirement.
 
Next comes the time signature, or  meter.  The time signature will  always
be made up  of the letter  T followed by  a number, a  space, and  another
number.  Thus "T6 8" will give the 6/8 meter.  Almost any two numbers  can
be used here.  For the  special meter signs for  common time (C) and  Alla
Breve use "T99 1" and "T98 1" respectively.
 
The next few entries are for the notes of the bass part.  The first entry,
"OE2", is  special however.   The letter  O indicates  that the  following
notes will be entered in "ordinary"  mode.  Every note will be  considered
to be in the  octave range of  the last given  octave number.  The  octave
range numbers begin with C1,  the lowest C on  the piano keyboard.  C4  is
middle C, C6 is the high C of the  trumpet, C2 is the low C of the  cello.
The B just below middle  C is B3, etc.  After  the first octave number  is
given, the octave range numbers need appear only if the notes enter a  new
range.
 
A little further  down line 300  you will find  "M2".  This indicates  the
next bar or measure line.  Immediately after this comes "PB2".  The letter
P tells the program to go into "proximity" mode in relation to the  octave
ranges of all the following input.  This  means that as long as no  octave
number is given,  each succeeding  note will  be at  the closest  possible
position to the preceding note.  Thus the sequence "PB2/CS/D" will bive us
the B2, C#3, D3.  If the letter P  had not been typed, the C# and D  would
have appeared in the octave range  2 instead.  Take note of the  following
example.  If /OC4/G/ is typed, the G will appear a fifth higher (G4)  than
middle C.  However if we  type /PC4/G/, the G  will appear a fourth  lower
(G3) than the C because this G is closer to middle C than is G4.  Remember
that the letters P and O are "sticky", that is the effect of either one of
them remains constant until the other one appears.  When you first run the
program the letter O is  understood.  However, it is  a good idea to  give
either an O or P at the beginning of your note input.
In line 300 a few accidentals appear, sharps and naturals.  Simple letters
are used for these.  F=flat, S=sharp, N=natural, FF=double flat, SS=double
sharp.  Line 400, the continuation of the note input line, begins with  an
R.  This is the code  for a rest.  Note that  the time values for all  the
notes and rests will be given in  the next line of input.  Some people  at
first think it might be easier to  type both the notes and rhythms at  the
same time.  Experience has demonstrated that it is much faster to separate
the input  into various  "passes".  The  major pitfall  of the  multi-pass
input system is that if  one has accidentally omitted  either a note or  a
rhythm, it  is sometimes  difficult to  find  the error.   It is  easy  to
develop typing habits that will minimize  this problem.  In some cases  it
might be best to type only one measure of notes per edit line, and then do
the same with the rhythm input.  Probably it is sufficient just to  insert
extra blank spaces in the input lines wherever bar lines appear.  This way
any errors can usually be found rapidly.
 
Line 500 contains the rhythmic input.  Most of the simpler rhythmic values
can be  entered  with  letter names.   E=eighth,  Q=quarter,  S=sixteenth,
H=half, W=whole, T=triplet.  This last is a bit ambiguous.  The T alone is
taken to mean 3 notes  in the time of 1  quarter note.  Since these  notes
look like eighths they are called eighth note triplets.  Thus T8 and  just
T would have the same affect.  For 16th note triplets type T16, etc.   For
more flexibility, numbers may be used for all rhythmic input.  The numbers
used will  be  the  bottom portion  of  the  rhythmic fraction.   16  =  a
sixteenth note, 8 = an eighth note, 4 = a quarter, 2 = a half, 1 = a whole
note 32 = a thirtysecond note, etc.  Using this system then an eighth note
triplet can be expressed as a 12 -- there are 12 of them in a whole  note.
A note which  occupies 1/5 of  a quarter note  is expressed as  a 20.   (4
times 5 = 20) In this way any rhythmic value can be expressed.  The number
used always indicates how many equal values are needed to make up the time
of a whole note.  Dotted rhythms are typed by simply adding dots to either
the number or letter used.
 
There are  several ways  to  deal with  strings  of repeated  rhythms  (or
notes).  In line 500, EX12/  means there will be  a sequence of 12  eighth
notes.  Then SX4/ gives four 16th notes, etc.  This same system will  work
with the input of notes.  (FX5 gives  a string of five Fs.  But note  that
CSX5 will give a string  beginning with a C# followed  by four Cs with  no
accidentals  in  front  of  them.   This  is  in  keeping  with   notation
traditions.  If you want all the Cs  to have sharps in front of them,  you
must be specific: CS/CS/CS/CS/CS/.)   Also any entry  of notes or  rhythms
may be repeated by  just typing another slash.   The slash always  repeats
the last itme specified.   16////// then is equivalent  to 16X6/.  In  any
case it is always a good idea to leave some spaces to show where  measures
are divided.  e.g. 4///16////  ////2./ shows we have  two bars, the  first
with four quarters and four  16ths, and the second  with four 16ths and  a
dotted half.
 
Line 600 has the entry of some  marks that are attached to specific  notes
or can get their  positions from the  note positions.  On  page of the  MS
Manual there is a full  list of the various items  that can be entered  at
this stage. In the case at hand the fingerings appearing in the third  bar
are given.  F5 13 17/ means that  the fingering number 5 should appear  on
notes 13 and 17.  For this purpose the notes are numbered according to the
order in  which they  appear.  However  all  the notes  of any  chord  are
considered as one since they all  will occupy the same rhythmic  position.
Rests are not counted at this point.