Playing Screen Controls
From Synthesia Help
Contents |
Controls for the playing screen
Below the keyboard is the timeline with green showing how much has been played, yellow bookmarks and orange lines showing the looping region.
Under the timeline is the tool bar, the speed controls and the quit button.
We will discuss the tools from left to right.
The tool bar has fewer controls in Online Recital Mode. It doesn't have the speed controls or display, bookmarks or looping.
Keyboard zoom
Clicking the icon gives you these choices, the keyboard will zoom in or out, showing just the keys you choose.
- Show all 88 keys
- Zoom to visible song notes
- Zoom to 'Played by you' notes
- Zoom to my keyboard
Show labels on falling notes
Choices are firstly one of these
- No labels
- Finger hints numbers
- Software keyboard mapping (A, W, S), :if you are using a computer keyboard not a midi keyboard
- English note name (C, C#, D)
- Fixed-Do note names (Do, Re, Mi)
- Movable-Do note names (Do, Re, Mi)
- Scale number (1, 2, 3)
Then additionally the following on or off
- Only show upcoming 'Played by you' notes
Show labels on keys
Same options as above
Sheet music progress options
- Flip sheet music page by page
- Scroll sheet music smoothly
Song looping
When you click this icon you will be prompted to 'Right click and drag in the timeline to create a loop'
An orange highlight will appear as you drag.
To fine tune click on the timeline to position yourself near the one end of the loop, you will see a thin orange line going across the screen, as you move your mouse over the line arrows appear, you can drag the line to the exact position.
Now click in the looped area and press Play, it plays to the end and then loops over and over.
A scoreboard appears in the top right to help you judge your progress.
Pause or click outside the loop on the timeline to continue.
Edit Bookmarks
When you click on the bookmark icon you are given a prompt to 'Clink in the margin or timeline to set bookmarks'
You move forward and backward between bookmarks with the bookmarks controls.
Note: Clicking in the margin works but clicking in the timeline just shifts the green progress marker. You can't shift book marks in the same way as the looping boundaries and you can only delete all bookmarks rather individually.
Edit finger Hints
- Click the fingers icon.
- Move your mouse over a note you want to mark with a hint and a pair of hands will appear,
- Click and drag the mouse to the finger to play the note and release. The note now has a hint, eg L2 for index finger on the left hand.
Here is a video showing how to add finger hints to tracks.
Metronome settings
The state of the metronome can be set as either
- Metronome off
- Before first measure
- Always on
The metronome volume can be set as
- Quiet
- Medium
- Loud
The click speed can be set as
- 1x - normal
- 2x - double
The beat style can be set as
- Emphasise first beat
- Uniform beats
Rewind, Play, Forward
These are straight forward
- To previous bookmark - Move your place in the timeline to the previous book mark.
- Rewind three seconds - Move backwards three seconds, you can click multiple time to move further.
- Play - Click to play, click again to pause and resume.
- Forward three seconds - Move forwards three seconds, you can click multiple time to move further.
- To next bookmark - Move your place in the timeline to the next book mark.
Speed control
Click - or + to decrease or increase the playing speed by 10 % per click, the percentage speed of play is given in between.
Hold the Tab key while changing the speed to alter by increments of 1 %
Quit button
Quit playing and go back to the song selection page.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Enter
Select default and next page
Quit
Back a page
Speed
Up and Down arrows change by 10%, hold tab to change by 1%
Rewind/Forward
Back and Forward arrows
Stretch/Compress falling notes
Page up and Page down
Hide falling notes/sheet music
F5
Bookmarks
B edit, comma go back, period go forward
Looping
V edit
Finger Hints
N edit
Pause/Resume
spacebar
