Introduction to MIDI Sequencing with Cubase SX

Section 6 - Creating the Electric Piano part for the Chorus

Briefing

You've already done the hard work for this part. It's just a question of picking up the rhythm for the verse and continuing it into the chorus. Since you've already created lots of two bar parts, you'll be able to use these as a starting point.

Step 1 - Setting Up The Track

You will use track 4 again, but this time starting at bar 19. Everything else is set up and the settings don't need to be changed.

What To Do

Follow these steps. Put a tick next to each one as you finish it:

• Select track 4 (Electric Piano 2)
• Drag the Left locator to bar 19 and the Right locator to bar 35

Step 2 - Making a Start on the Chorus

The basic rhythm for the chorus Electric Piano part is exactly the same as for the verse. The chord sequence (and invertions) for the chorus is:

What To Do

Follow these steps. Put a tick next to each one as you finish it:

• Find the part "EPEmEm" that you created in section 2.
• Drag and copy it to bar 19 on track 4
• Use the Score Editor to modify it so that it plays Am in the first bar.
• Exit the Score Editor and rename the part "EPAmEm".
• Drag and copy the edited part to track 12.

Note. If you put the Score editor into Page mode to make use of the Zoom facility, then you'll see a lot of empty bars at the start of each part. You must ignore these empty bars! Don't try to delete them or put notes in them.

Step 3 - Building Up the Rest of the Chorus

You now have sufficient knowledge and skill to build up the rest of the Electric Piano chorus.

What To Do

Follow these steps. Put a tick next to each one as you finish it:

• Create the following two bar parts using the techniques you've already learned. As all the parts will eventually be merged together, don't make shared/ghost copies of any parts:
  • "EPAmF", bars 21-22 (created from EPAmEm)
  • "EPAmEm", bars 23-24 (a direct copy of EPAmEm previously created)
  • "EPDmG", bars 25-26
  • "EPFDm", bars 27-28
  • "EPEmG", bars 29-30
  • "EPFG7", bars 31-32
  • "EPAmAm", bars 33-34

Step 4 - Merging All The Parts

As with the verse, you need to merge all the parts together into a single part for the chorus.

What To Do

Follow these steps. Put a tick next to each one as you finish it:

• In the Arrange window, select the Tube Of Glue tool.
• Click the first Choruspart with the Glue tool. This joins the first part to second part.
• Continue clicking with the Glue tool until you have joined all the parts together in a single part.
• Rename this single part "EPChorus".

Well done! You have now successfully created the Electric Piano part for the chorus. If you've been paying proper attention, this should have been a much simpler job than for the verse as you would be able to re-use a lot of the material you'd already created.

(Incidentally, all of this work would have taken an experienced Cubase user about 20 minutes!)

You're ready to proceed to the next section.