Contents
Notation Station Contents

Welcome to Notation Station, Blue Ribbon's standard notation viewer and printer. With Notation Station, it is easy to see your MIDI music as notation on screen, and print it out on any Windows compatible printer.

Main Notation Window

Introduction

A Page of Notation

Choosing The Page To Display

Display Options (Page Setup Dialog)

Printing And Print Preview

Returning To The Main Program

Loading MIDI Files

Contacting Blue Ribbon


Notation Window
Main Notation Window

Upon opening Notation Station, the main window opens, and proudly displays your music in traditional music notation.

Click inside this window to learn more about each piece.


Page Of Notation
A Page of Notation

Notation Station is not a full-fledged notation editing and arrangement program. Instead, it concentrates on taking your composition and effortlessly turning it into quality sheet music.

However, it does have plenty of options that you can use to control the nature of the sheet music it prints. To better understand these options, it helps to discuss the elements within a page of notation.

Note: This help file is not intended to teach musical notation, only to explain how Notation Station displays notation, and the features you can use to control how the notation looks.

Your entire piece of music is called a score.

Each instrument's notes are displayed from left to right on a staff. A group of staves is called a system, and is grouped together with a bracket to the left of the staves, extending from the top of the first staff to the bottom of the last staff.

This bracket tells us that all the staves enclosed by the bracket play at the same time, and each staff represents a different instrument in our song.

Each staff contains several standard elements. First, to the left of each staff is the staff name. Then, the clef sign -- denoting either a treble clef, bass clef, or percussion clef. Then, we have the key signature (sharps or flats) and time signature, followed by the notes, rests, triplet markings, and other elements of music notation.

Each staff optionally displays bar numbers directly above the time signature. The top staff optionally displays tempo markings and chord symbols above the staff from left to right.

Each measure is separated by a vertical bar line. If you load a song into Notation Station, double bar lines represent section boundaries.

Bass & Treble Clefs

Notation Station automatically places each instrument's track on either a Bass or Treble clef, depending on how high or low the notes are.

Typically, the Bass track ends up on a Bass clef, while all other tracks end up on Treble clefs.

When a note is too high or too low in pitch to display on a staff, an X is shown at the highest or lowest point on the staff instead of a normal note head. This X tells you that a note is out of range at that position.

Drum Clef

Because the drum clef represents drums as positions on the staff instead of pitches, we need to identify which drum displays at which position.

The first, or bottom, space on the drum staff (F on a treble clef) represents the bass drum.

The second line (G on a treble clef), the second space, and the third line represent low, medium, and high toms respectively.

The third space (C on a treble clef) represents the snare drum, hand clap, or rim shot. A hand clap or rim shot is shown as an X instead of the normal oval note head.

The fourth space (E on a treble clef) represents the high hat. An X represents a closed high hat, while a O represents an open high hat.

The first space above the staff (G on a treble clef) represents the ride cymbal. An X represents the bell of the cymbol while an O represents a normal cymbal hit.

Markings above the ride cymbal represent all other cymbals and drums.


Choosing Page To Display
Choosing the Page to Display

When Notation Station first displays the song, it displays page one. At the bottom of the screen, it shows the total number of pages in the song and which is the current page.

To change the current page, click on the Previous Page or Next Page buttons in the ToolBar, or choose the corresponding menu commands in the Page menu.

You can go to a specific page by choosing the Page/Goto menu command and typing in the page number.


Display Options
Display Options ( Page Setup Dialog )

Notation Station provides many display options. To access these options, open the Page Setup dialog by either choosing File/Page Setup or clicking on the Page Setup icon in the ToolBar.

Use the Page Setup dialog to rename the instruments, give the song a title and author, and change the overall scoring options.

Instrument Selection

Use the Instrument Selection section to configure the display of each individual track in your song.

The track list displays all the tracks in your song with a check next to the ones currently selected for display, followed by the name and the transposition. Click on an item to edit the parameters for that instrument.

Toggle the checkmark to determine whether the track should be displayed. If you disable a track, Notation Station will not display it. If you would like all or most of the Tracks to display or print, click on the Select All button below the Instrument Selection list. If you would like only a few Tracks to display or print, click on the Deselect All button.

Edit the Track name to give the instrument a new name. The new name will appear to the left of the staff on each page.

Click down on the Transposition list to select a transposition for the track. This comes in handy if you would like to present your sheet music to musicians who play instruments in different instrument keys. For example, a clarinet player may be used to seeing sheet music transposed to the key of B flat. However, understand that these are all special cases. Typically, you will print out all the tracks in Concert Key, which is what most instruments, including keyboards and stringed instruments, use.

Score Options

The Score Options box displays a set of overall options that you can enable or disable for the entire score.

Select Bar Numbers to display bar numbers at the beginning of each line.

Select Chord Symbols to display chords above the top staff.

Select Clef Sign Every Line or Key Signature Every Line to display these elements at the beginning of each new line on a page. This is only noticeable when printing or print previewing multiple staff groups per page, or when printing a single staff or individual parts.

Select Print Individual Parts to print each staff separately. Deselect this option to print a concert score. Again, this only comes into effect when printing or previewing.

Adding Title, Author, and Copyright Information

Type the title, author, or copyright information you would like printed along with your music in the fields to the lower right of the Page Setup dialog.


Printing And Previewing
Printing And Print Preview

When Notation Station prints or previews your score, it displays the title, author, and copyright information at the top of page one of your song. Page numbers are printed at the bottom center of each page.

As many staves or groups of staves are printed on each page as possible. Therefore, the page numbering for printed pages may be different from the page numbering for displayed pages on the screen.

Note: Be sure to use the Print Preview function if you need to print a certain page to make certain that the page you wish to print contains the measures that you wish to print.

Remember, if Print Individual Parts is selected in the Page Setup dialog, each staff is printed on a separate page instead of as a group.

Print Preview

To preview what the printout will look like, choose the File... Print Preview option or click the Print Preview button in the ToolBar.

The Page Setup dialog also has a Preview button to take you directly to the Print Preview screen.

Printing

To print, choose the File... Print menu selection or click the Print button in the ToolBar.

The Page Setup dialog also has a Print button to print your score directly.


Returning To Main Program
Returning To Calling Application

If you call Notation Station from one of Blue Ribbon's other applications, click this button to return to that application. If not, this option will do nothing.

You can also choose the File/Return to [Main Program] menu command where [Main Program] is the name of the calling program.

Alternatively, you can use the Alt-Tab key combination, if you wish.

This is better than exiting Notation Station, because the next time you need to use Notation Station, it will already be in memory, and it will pop up much quicker.


Loading MIDI Files

Notation Station has the ability to load in any MIDI file. Choose the Open File button in the ToolBar, or choose the File/Open menu command to open the Open dialog box. Then, choose the MIDI file you wish to load from the Open dialog box.


Introduction
Introduction to Notation Station

With Notation Station you can:

1. Automatically convert your compositions into quality musical notation.

2. Print one or more pages of music with concert score or individual parts.

3. Configure which tracks to display and set the title and author of the song.

4. Use sophisticated page layout features including track name and transposition as well as options for displaying chords, key signature, and more.

5. Access Print Preview to see exactly what the sheet music will look like before you print it.

Table of Contents

A Page of Notation

Main Notation Window


Contacting Blue Ribbon

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1605 Chantilly Drive NE

Suite 200

Atlanta, GA 30324

USA

800-226-0212  sales/info

404-315-0212  sales/info/technical support

404-315-0213  fax

404-315-0211  BBS

CompuServe ID# 72662,352 or GO BLUERIBBON

America Online: Keyword: BlueRibbon

Internet Email: 72662.352@compuserve.com or blueribbon@aol.com


HsToolbarOpen
Open Existing File

This option allows you to open a different file for viewing/printing. It opens the Open File dialog box where you can select a file for viewing. Keep in mind that the first open score does not close, it is kept in the background until you Close it.


HsToolbarPageSetup
Page Setup

This option allows you to change the page setup and display options for the currently open score.

Details...


HsToolbarPreview
Print Preview

This option lets you see your score as full pages on screen in WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) format. It will show the score on screen exactly as it will appear on paper.

Details...


HsToolbarPrint
Print

This option opens the Print dialog box, giving you printing options and allowing you to print your score.

Details...


HsToolbarPrevious
Previous Page

This option makes Notation Station go back one page (towards the beginning of your score). It will be greyed out if you are already on page one.

Details...


HsToolbarNext
Next Page

This option makes Notation Station go forward one page (towards the end of your score). It will be greyed out if you are already on the last page of your score.

Details...


HsToolbarReturn
Return to Calling Application

If you call Notation Station from one of Blue Ribbon's other applications, this option will return you to that application.

Details...


HsPageCount
Current Page Indicator

This shows you what page you are currently looking at, and the total number of pages in the score.

Details...


HsStatusBar
Status Bar

This will show you the status of the program, and explain what certain buttons and menus mean when your mouse is over them.


HsMenus
Menus

Click on the menu option you want details on:

File

        Open...

        Close

        Page Setup

        Print...

        Print Preview

        Print Setup...

        [Recent File List]

        Return to [Main Program]

        Exit

View

        Toolbar

        Status Bar

Page

        Next

        Previous

        Goto

Window

        Cascade

        Tile

        Arrange Icons

        [Select Specific Window]

Help

        Contents

        Search for Help on...

        How to Use Help

        Latest News

        Blue Ribbon Product Catalog

        About Notation Station...


HsViewArea
Main Viewing Area

This is where the standard notation of your song appears.

Explanation of symbols


File Close
Close File

Select this to close the currently selected score. Since Notation Station can have more than one score open at a time, make sure the score you want to close is active when you select close.


File Print Setup
Print Setup

Here you can choose which printer you want to use, as well as a number of other printer related options. This dialog box is different for each printer, so have your printer manual handy if you have any questions.


File Recent File List
Recent File List

This portion of the File menu will show the most recent files you have viewed. You may select these directly, rather than opening the Open file dialog box and finding the scores manually.

It won't say [Recent File List], it will show you file names like C:\SONGS\BLUEDAY.MID.


File Exit
Exit

This will close all open scores and exit Notation Station. If you are using Notation Station in conjunction with another Blue Ribbon product, you may want to Return to Calling Application instead.


View Toolbar

When this has a checkmark next to it, you will be able to see the toolbar right below the menus. When there is no checkmark, the toolbar will not appear. You do not need to have the toolbar visible to make full use of the program. By turning off the toolbar, you will have more display space for your score.


View Status Bar

When this has a checkmark next to it, you will be able to see the status bar at the bottom of the screen. When there is no checkmark, the status bar will not appear. You do not need to have the status bar visible to make full use of the program. By turning off the status bar, you will have more display space for your score.


Page Goto
Goto Page

This option opens the Goto Page dialog box. Type in the page you want to go to. To help you, the status bar at the bottom of the screen tells you what page you are on now, and the total number of pages.


Window Cascade
Cascade Windows

This takes all the open scores and organizes them so that you can see a portion of each one, making it easy to choose any one you want.


Window Tile
Tile Windows

This takes all the open scores and organizes them so that they are horizontally stacked on top of each other.


Window Arrange Icons
Arrange Icons

This option takes all the minimized scores (visible as icons) that are currently open and organizes them. It does not affect any scores that are being displayed (not minimized).


Window Select Specific
Select Specific Window

This portion of the Window menu allows you to choose between the open scores. Whichever one you choose will become the active score. If it is minimized, it will restore to its original size.

It won't say [Select Specific Window], it will show you the song title of the score, like "Blues Man".


Help Contents

This opens up the Notation Station help file's table of contents.


Help Search for
Search for Help on

This allows you to search for help on a specific topic, which you can type in or click on.


Help How to Use
How to Use Help

This will teach you how to get around Windows' help file browser.


Help Latest News
Latest News

This will tell you about any up-to-the-minute information that may not be in the manual.


Help Catalog
Blue Ribbon Product Catalog

This opens up Blue Ribbon's product catalog. It lets you learn about our other products, and you can even see full color screen shots!


Help About
About Notation Station

This will show you version and copyright information about Notation Station.


HsFileMenu
File Menu

Open...

Close

Page Setup

Print...

Print Preview

Print Setup...

[Recent File List]

Return to [Main Program]

Exit


HsViewMenu
View Menu

Toolbar

Status Bar


HsPageMenu
Page Menu

Next

Previous

Goto


HsWindowMenu
Window Menu

Cascade

Tile

Arrange Icons

[Select Specific Window]


HsHelpMenu
Help Menu

Contents

Search for Help on...

How to Use Help

Latest News

Blue Ribbon Product Catalog

About Notation Station...