Copying and transposing chord notes in PRV

[Stephen Power]

Hello from Ireland

I've very new to Cakewalk and I hope you'll excuse the basic question, which I'm sure you've tackled many times. I have tried several attempts at solving it myself, but all to no avail, so here goes...

In the piano roll view, I'm trying to select the notes of a simple chord (e.g. root, 3rd & 5th) and move them in the PRV to form the same shape, but starting on a different root (e.g. G to C). For the life of me, I can't get the selected notes to move (or copy), despite trying various keyboard shortcut combinations. I have a feeling I'll kick myself when I hear the simple answer.

Thanks for your time, in advance.
 

[Mark Morgon-Shaw]

8 hours ago, Kerryman said:

In the piano roll view, I'm trying to select the notes of a simple chord (e.g. root, 3rd & 5th) and move them in the PRV to form the same shape, but starting on a different root (e.g. G to C). For the life of me, I can't get the selected notes to move (or copy), despite trying various keyboard shortcut combinations. I have a feeling I'll kick myself when I hear the simple answer.

There's nuerous ways depending on what you're trying to achieve..

Highlight ( hold right mouse & lasso ) then place the pointer over one of the highlighted notes until it turns into a cross with little arrows on and left click-drag will move it around the PRV - holding shift at the same time will constrain it either vertically or horizonatally depending which direction you move first which is handy

Highlight then Ctrl - left click-  drag will make a copy of the notes that you can drag elsewhere

Highlight then using the up / down arrow keys on the number pad ( 8 & 2 ) will move the selected notes up & down a semitone at a time

Highlight + Ctrl D will make a duplicate of the selected notes 

 

[OutrageProductions]

My preferred workflow is to select, copy (Ctrl-C), transpose (move vertically), relocate (usually drag), go back to original now time, paste (Ctrl-V).

I do this so often that it has muscle memory just like Ctrl-S.

It a little strange, but...

[John Vere]

9 minutes ago, OutrageProductions said:

My preferred workflow is to select, copy (Ctrl-C), transpose (move vertically), relocate (usually drag), go back to original now time, paste (Ctrl-V).

I do this so often that it has muscle memory just like Ctrl-S.

It a little strange, but...

You learn something new everyday. I actually didn't think it was possible to copy paste in PVR. Never tried the Windows shortcuts. Works brilliantly. Thanks . 

Of note is it works just like copy paste in Melodyne. The paste always goes on the original location you cannot point where you want it to go. But after you paste it will make a double layer so you can actually pull those off the original and move them. I see Cakewalk lets you do this for one note but not a chord. But moving the now time places the copy there. I see why you said that now.

Therefore you could progress through a song placing chords one after the other and then moving them up or down and change the intervals and, and?  and,,, o my, I think I'll stick with playing my keyboard. no matter how much I suck it's still faster..  

[Stephen Power]

52 minutes ago, OutrageProductions said:

My preferred workflow is to select, copy (Ctrl-C), transpose (move vertically), relocate (usually drag), go back to original now time, paste (Ctrl-V).

I do this so often that it has muscle memory just like Ctrl-S.

It a little strange, but...

 

Just tried it, thank you! It works a treat.

[OutrageProductions]

47 minutes ago, John Vere said:

I think I'll stick with playing my keyboard. no matter how much I suck it's still faster..  

Yeah. This is only for incidental insights of ingenuity, like "let's try a modulation next" or "I played that string run really well, let's set it up for a movement into a new section". But I'm with ya on the 'play it right' thang. 😉 

[John Vere]

3 hours ago, OutrageProductions said:

Yeah. This is only for incidental insights of ingenuity, like "let's try a modulation next" or "I played that string run really well, let's set it up for a movement into a new section". But I'm with ya on the 'play it right' thang. 😉 

Exactly. My normal song creating is Guitar and vocals sketch tracks played to a generic drum beat that seems close enough for now. Rarely I might use the metronome if I'm in a hurry to get an idea down.  Then real bass converted to midi.

Then I build keyboard parts playing my controller to match the feel of the Vocal guitar parts. I might slow the tempo down if I'm struggling.  It's pretty easy to slow the tempo down if you know how. Just activate Audio snap for the guitar and vocal tracks, clip follows project. Doesn't matter if they get trashed as they are just rough anyhow. But they actually don't get trashed.

I'll tidy up in PVR quantize and fix bloopers but I don't get fancy just yet. 

Now I'll build a good drum track following the bass etc. 

Now I'll find the correct tempo and lay down the audio tracks perfectly as possible. 

Next  I get fancy with the midi keyboard parts in PVR adding layers and adding more notes, adjusting timing so it's in perfect sync to the drums, bass and guitar. Add keyboard harmony parts for the vocals.

But now this-I like to add Little fills that I can draw easier than play -- and its these little fills and runs I like to add that this copy/paste method will now save me time. This could also be handy for drum Tom fills.  So another big thanks to @OutrageProductions

 

My chops have been steadily improving since I was sort of forced to learn keyboard back in 1986 so I could create Midi tracks... So you folks who are just starting out. Even if you've never played keyboard,, it's not that difficult to play one very badly and fix stuff with midi. Over time, like me, there will be less stuff to fix. It's actually very rewarding and I actually played my first gig as an official keyboard player last November.  So put that mouse down and order a keyboard controller right now, you'll never regret it. This is my recommendation- https://www.roland.com/au/products/a-49/  

Edited March 22, 2023 by John Vere

[Stephen Power]

1 hour ago, John Vere said:

So you folks who are just starting out. Even if you've never played keyboard,, it's not that difficult to play one very badly and fix stuff with midi. Over time, like me, there will be less stuff to fix. It's actually very rewarding and I actually played my first gig as an official keyboard player last November.  So put that mouse down and order a keyboard controller right now, you'll never regret it. This is my recommendation- https://www.roland.com/au/products/a-49/  

I play keyboard, saxophone, EWI (midi wind controller), guitar, trumpet, bouzouki, mountain harp, flute, and Irish tin whistle. My band (Bad Rabbit) has a hit track on Spotify.

I am trying to get to grips with the software, and that's why I asked a technical question.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Kerryman

[John Vere]

1 hour ago, Kerryman said:

I am trying to get to grips with the software, and that's why I asked a technical question.

Sorry if my comment seemed aimed at you it totally wasn't, I was tossing in one of my famous pep talks. A lot of new users are not even musicians at all and I like to encourage those people to try. The keyboard is the best instrument to learn about music on because it will make perfect sounds the first time you touch it.  ( well if you hit only one note) The Saxophone or a violin I don't think anybody ever got a perfect tone out of the first attempt  

[John Vere]

Talk about " There's always more than one way to do anything in Cakewalk" 

Now that's the shortcut I like. and easy to remember D= Duplicate, clever. 

Interesting it placed the copy after the last note selected but it was a hair early. I tried setting snap to grid to whole note and it was still just a hair early. I opened a new project and tried again and now it was late by a 1/64 note. Tried snap and still the same. Played around and defiantly works but seems out of my control as to what happens. No big deal you can easily drag them to correct place. Thanks for the new idea to play with.  

[Stephen Power]

14 hours ago, Mark Morgon-Shaw said:

Highlight then Ctrl - left click-  drag will make a copy of the notes that you can drag elsewhere

Thank you very much for your reply, it encouraged me to have another go. I had, in fact, used highlight/ctrl/left-click to move the notes, but when I saw the 'empty' note shape, I assumed that it was moving the notes and not copying them and decided that was the wrong shortcut.

I've just tried again and found that the original notes stayed in place (DOH!) That's my reminder about what 'assume makes out of you' done for today.

Edited March 23, 2023 by Kerryman