Slash Notation in place of melody

[babryanton]

Hello,
I've read some posts about how to add slash notation. I have no problem adding the slash notation, but when I add it, PrintMusic still plays the melody exactly as it was. I want the slash notation to replace the melody.

To provide some background, I have a jazz lead sheet with one staff, one layer containing a melody line and the chords are attached to the melody line. This is perfect for learning a tune or printing it for jams, but when I want to practice improvising, I want to switch this lead sheet to a 'comping' chart.

So I changed the whole staff to slash notation and then was going to add some extra chords for the comping, but before doing that, I did a playback & it still plays the melody even though I've changed it to slashes in the same layer. That is, the melody notation should no longer exist - in my estimation, but it's still being played...

Can someone please help me with this? I'd really prefer to use my already-owned PrintMusic software to do this on any of my lead sheets rather than buying a CD(s) with comping.

Thanks!

[miker]

Open the Instrument List (in the Windows menu.) Click the arrow to the left of Staff 1 (or whatever it says.) You will get a drop sown showing the layers, chords, etc. Click in the M column next to layer one to mute playback. The chords will continue to play back, but the melody, won't.

[babryanton]

Hi Miker,

I use the Instrument list quite often to mute/solo things so I had tried that already & it does not work either. Or maybe it's that my expectation of what the slash notation should do is not correct...

I expected that the slash notation would put 4 slashes in each measure (it does - based on my 4/4 time signature) and then it would only play single beats. So in my case I have a measure with 2 chords & I've converted the melody to slashes. - I figured it would play the Eb chord for beat 1 & beat 2, and then play Ab for beat 3 & 4. What it is doing is playing the chords as indicated but it seems it is only DISPLAYING slashes - that the slashes have nothing to do with playback. As it is still PLAYING the melody.

I could mute the melody as you suggest & just hear the chords, but I was hoping to hear a chord on each beat rather than just where they are written. Maybe that's not possible....

Any more feedback you have or comments on what I've said here, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks again!

[miker]

If you want a chord on each beat, you have to enter them on each beat.

Slashes have nothing to do with playback. They're just graphic placeholders in the score. How would you play a slash?

It sounds like you're trying to get one file to do the work of two. Go ahead and set up one file for print, and another for playback. In the long run (even in the short run!) it will be easier.

[babryanton]

Thanks miker - I was coming to that conclusion too but was hoping there was a quick fix to tackle both at the same time. Oh well - thanks for helping me out!