Record constantly changing bpm by tapping

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dudleybrooks
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Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:08 pm

Post by dudleybrooks » Wed Jun 19, 2019 12:17 am

I would put this in the Feature Request section ... except (1) I think it's extremely unlikely to be implemented, certainly not in the near future; (2) I need it for a project I am working on right now.

So I'm asking if anyone knows of existing software that can do this.

There's lots of software which lets you find bpm by tapping. But it's only for music which has a steady tempo.

I'm transcribing the latest composition of my Balinese music teacher I Nyoman Windha, considered by many to be the foremost composer in Bali. He asked me to transcribe it in Western notation for a paper he is writing.

Balinese music is mostly in the equivalent of 4/4 (although Windha's music has a few changing meters). But Balinese music by nearly *all* Balinese composers has constant and extreme changes of tempo -- not just between sections, but even inside sections -- even in the middle of phrases!

I've seen "tapping" software which displays the "current" tempo with each tap. But none of the software records these numbers -- they only show the average bpm when you finish tapping. Does anyone know of software which would record an entire sequence of metronome markings ... and possibly even make a graph of tempo changes?

(In desperation, I've even considered grabbing a video of the results when I use the "tapping" software mentioned above.)


andyg
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Post by andyg » Wed Jun 19, 2019 8:07 am

No point in asking for a new feature here, my friend. This is a very unofficial forum that nobody from Avid looks at. You could always ask at the official Sibelius forum.

Inputting notation in real time is tricky enough when you're trying to keep a constant tempo. The chances of any notation software being fast enough to respond to constant changes of tempo are slim.

bobp
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Post by bobp » Wed Jun 19, 2019 8:28 pm

First get the notes down. Then figure out tempos. Use a metronome to get close, put that in your score. Adjust as necessary. It may not be exact. I'll bet they don't do it exactly the same each time.
Bob Porter
Sibelius 7.5, W10,i5,16 GB ram,desktop

dudleybrooks
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Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:08 pm

Post by dudleybrooks » Fri Nov 15, 2019 1:54 am

I forgot to mention that many years ago I had a notation program that would do exactly what I am asking for. I can't even remember its name anymore ... but the files it saved are all named <whatever>.WRK. It was for Windows ... I don't even remember which early version of Windows ... probably 3.1. It produced piano-roll notation and what we would now consider a rather primitive version of conventional notation.

You did the notation first, then specified what kind of note was going to get one beat (quarter note, for example), and then tapped the (changing) tempo. It recorded an appropriate metronome marking for *every* quarter note (or whatever).

I'm even considering writing my own mini-version -- just a BPM recorder, not a notation program. I'll probably program in Pd.

I see that Sibelius's Live Tempo can record your taps, make the playback tempi match your taps, and even provide a graphical display of the changing tempi. Surely it should only be a small matter to make those internal tempo changes visible as metronome markings?

I'm going to try it, and see if I can infer the changing BPM from the graphical display.

Has anyone tried this? If so, any comments on how well it worked? Or suggestions on the best way to do it? Thanks.

P.S. I didn't make clear that I want this *not* to make an accurate playback -- which, yes, Sibelius can easily do. Rather, it's to make a "study score" for educational purposes that will be clear in every detail, including tempi.

MikeLyons
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Post by MikeLyons » Fri Nov 15, 2019 6:38 am

You can automate tempo changes like this in a DAW. - Cubase, for example - and export the resulting music to a MIDI file or music xml file into Sibelius. Sibelius is designed for notatiting Western music, so you can't really expect it to handle some of the more 'unusual' aspects of other cultures. How is usch Balinese music notated? Does it even have notation? or is it an aural tradition?
Sib 6.2, 7.5 and 2023.6, Windows 11, 32GB RAM, 16TB 7200RPM Storage, 2TB SSD, Note Performer 3.3.2, EWQLSO, EWQLSC, Harmony Assistant and some others. mike@mike-lyons.co.uk

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