Frequently Asked Questions

This page contains some frequently asked questions and answers that may help you troubleshoot and enjoy MusicMastery. These questions pertain to MusicMastery on Macintosh and Windows-based computers. See the MusicMastery Macintosh FAQ and Windows FAQ pages for questions that are platform specific.

Q. Where can I find late-breaking information about MusicMastery?
A. The READ ME file that is on the setup disk and in the your MusicMastery folder contains late-breaking information as well as this web site. If you have any questions or concerns, e-mail them using the Support page.

Q. I cannot hear my music play. Why not?
A. Make sure your volume controls are not set too low and make sure you have a MIDI device selected:

• Check your speakers, computer system volume controls
• In MusicMastery, choose Settings-Player and make sure the volume controls are turned up as well as the velocity controls. Choose a MIDI device in the MIDI Device drop down listbox
• If you changed computers since you authored music or lesson files or you obtained files from another computer, the files may specify a different sound device (for example a MIDI device) that may not exist on your computer. You may change the order of devices displayed to fix this. See the "Sound Device Order Settings" topic in on-line help for more information.

Q. When I create a new MusicMastery document, there are notes present from a previous score. How can I create one with a blank score?
A. The reason there are notes and other symbols from a previous document is that you must have chosen the menu item Settings-Save All Settings with the previous document open. Choosing the menu item Settings-Save All Settings will save the entire open document in the template document and the template document is loaded every time a you create a new one. Perform the following steps to set up your template document just the way you want:

• Choose Edit-Select All, then Edit-Delete, to remove all notes and other symbols
• Make any other changes you would like, such as the key and time signature changes, player volume changes, etc.
• Choose Settings-Save All Settings...
• Choose File-New, and the new document appears just as you saved it.

Q. I am unfamiliar with the "click" and "double-click" terms and mouse point terms. Where can I find out about them?
A. They are common Windows and Macintosh terms that are described in the User's Guides. If they are new to you we recommend that you complete the Windows or Macintosh tutorials. Knowledge of these commands is essential to understanding and using MusicMastery.

Q. How can I make music play an octave lower than written, for example, guitar music?
A. To make music play an octave lower during play, do one of the following:

• Choose View-Composition View
• Choose Edit-Select All
• Click the Extended Symbols button
• Click the Octave Lower button
• Play your music
• Remove the octave lower symbol using the same procedure above before printing from Sheet View

OR, if you are using the Macintosh

• Consult the MIDI Manager User’s Guide

OR, if you are using Windows

• Setup a MIDI mapper to map the keys for the particular instrument to a lower key value. Consult your Microsoft Windows User's Guide, for details (Windows 3.1 only)
• Choose Settings-Player...
• Click the "Use MIDI Mapper" box
• Play your music

Q. Sometimes MusicMastery does not print the way Print Preview indicates it will. How can I make sure they are the same?
A. If you changed the printer resolution since you previewed, the printed score may not match Print Preview. If you make a change in printer resolution, choose File-Print Preview to preview the sheet music again.

Q. Can I undo with MusicMastery?
A. Yes. To undo a note you just inserted, choose Edit-Undo, press Ctrl+Z, or click the right mouse button. The last note you inserted will be removed. You can also undo a delete you just did.

Q. Can I delete a single note from a chord?
A. Yes. Choose Edit-Delete and the cursor will change to an eraser shape. Move the eraser tip to the symbol to the note you want to delete. When the eraser tip lights up, press the mouse button.

Q. How can I move notes from one location to another?
A. You can move individual notes or blocks of notes.

To move notes and symbols:

• Move the cursor close to the note or symbol you want to move.
• When the cursor changes to a hand shape, press the mouse button and drag the note or symbol to the location you desire.

To move blocks of notes up or down the scale:

• Select the notes and symbols to be moved.
• Choose Edit-Transpose.
• In the Transposition dialog choose the number of notes, half-tones, octaves, and direction to transpose.
• Press the OK button.

Q. Can I use the Open Music System (OMS) with MusicMastery ?
A. Yes, MusicMastery supports OMS on the Macintosh version but not the Windows-based version. As of this date OMS is not available for the Windows operating system.

Copyright Ó Northern Lights Technologies, 1995-2007, All rights reserved

MusicMastery is a registered trademark of Northern Lights Technologies
Windows is a Trademark of Microsoft Corporation
Macintosh is a registered trademark and QuickTime is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

Revised 02/10/07