MELODY MASTER
© 1983, GCE Vectrex

MELODY MASTER is a high performance learning tool that's easy, educational and most of all... fun! Join the electronic revolution and let your own musical creativity come to life! State-of-the-art technology now makes it possible for you to read music, recognize notes by ear and create anything you can hear. Try to compose a hit song! Play an old favorite! Watch your musical dreams take shape and sound!
You don't have to be a musical whiz to use and enjoy MELODY MASTER. All you need is a little imagination. We'll show you how to make MELODY MASTER put the music in you!
YOUR FIRST MUSIC LESSON

You can enjoy Melody Master even if you don't know anything about music. Here are all the basic definitions and the information you'll need to get started on your musical adventures with Melody Master.
What is a note?

Musical notes are symbols for particular tones or pitches created by sound vibrations For example, the note "A" above middle "C" on the piano vibrates 440 times per second. Higher tones vibrate faster than lower tones.

What is a key?

Musically a key refers to the tonal center or tonic or root note of a song, depending on the melody. The key is designated by a letter corresponding to a note. The key of "C" is the most common key.

What are musical staffs?

For the sake of convenience, music is written on staffs. The upper staff is the treble clef symbolized by the symbol at the left of the staff. In the treble clef the notes written ON the lines are E, G, B, D and F ("Every Good Boy Deserves Favor"). The notes written in the spaces between the lines are F, A, C and E ("FACE").
In the bass clef symbolized by the symbol at the left of the staff, the notes written ON the lines are G, B, D, F and A, while the notes written between the lines are A, C, E and G. You'll notice sometimes notes extend above and below the staffs. The bass clef was created to make it easier for musicians to read notes that would have been written so far below the treble clef it would have been difficult for the players to tell the notes apart.

What is the value of a note?

This refers to how LONG a particular note is played. MELODY MASTER's rhythm section is built around sixteenth notes. In other words, in the time it takes a whole note, symbolized by to be played-there are sixteen drumbeats. Half notes are equal to eight drumbeats, quarter notes to four drumbeats, eighth notes to two drumbeats and sixteenth notes are the equivalent of one drumbeat each.

What is a rest?

Musical rests symbolize periods of silence. Whole, half, quarter and eighth rests have the same values as their respective notes. What is an octave? In Melody Master an octave refers to the eight note distance between one "C" note and the next higher or lower "C". MELODY MASTER has a four octave range, corresponding to octaves 2, 3, 4 and 5 on the piano The "C" in octave 4 is commonly known as "middle C" (i.e., the middle note on a piano).
Melody Master Range/Four Octaves
Piano Range/88 Notes

What are sharps and flats?

Sharps # refer to notes a half-tone HIGHER than the nearest whole tone. Flats b refer to notes a half-tone LOWER than the nearest whole tone. (Note that "E" and "F" as well as "B" and "C" are only a half-tone apart to begin with, which is why there are no E sharps, F flats, B sharps or C flats).
As you may have noticed, the black keys on a piano border two different whole tones. So what are they sharps or flats? The answer is BOTH. The note between "C" and "D" is EITHER "C sharp", symbolized by C# or "D flat" symbolized by Db. Whether they're called "C sharp" or "D flat" is, again, a matter of musical convenience. The important thing to remember is that they are the exact same pitch. (NOTE: For convenience, Melody Master shows only sharps, not flats).

HOW TO BEGIN

Now that you know the basics of music, you're ready to begin your music adventures. After the Vectrex overture, a Menu with two selections will appear on the screen.
To make a selection, point the Light Pen at the appropriate word and your desired mode will begin. (NOTE: When pointing the Light Pen at a word, move the pen across the word slowly until your selection is registered.)

GAME MODE

This mode allows you to play two different games, both designed to help you recognize musical notes. When you select GAME, a second Menu appears:
GAME 1 is for visual note recognition.
GAME 2 is for audible note recognition.
Again, point the Light Pen at the appropriate word.
- Game 1
  The 'Select Key' screen will now appear. You can decide the key in which you wish to play the game by aiming the Light Pen at the appropriate note on the keyboard. Then press Button 1 on the control panel This enters the key and you're now ready to play.
  You will see the Songman play a single note, which will travel along the staff. When the keyboard appears at the bottom of the screen, aim the Light Pen at the same note on the keyboard that you think was just played. Keep the pen aimed at the note until the note appears on the staff. Be sure to aim the Light Pen only at the note you want. A careless aim may cause the Light Pen to pick up a stray (wrong) note.
  If you are right, the Songman will reappear and play the same first note, followed by a second note. When the keyboard reappears, aim the Light Pen at the first note until it appears on the staff then do the same for the second note. If you are again correct, the Songman will add another note and the game will continue in this manner until you make an error.
  If you make an error the Songman will tell you whether the note you selected was LOW or HIGH and will begin the game all over again. Your score, which will be shown in the upper right hand corner of the screen, is the total number of notes correctly identified in succession If you get 10 notes right in succession, you automatically get a "second chance" bonus. For example, let's say you get 12 notes right and the thirteenth note wrong. You will get a second chance at trying the same 13-note series. If you miss again, the Songman will start the game over. You get a similar bonus at 20 notes, at 30 notes and so on up to 100 notes. (100 notes is the Songman's limit).
  To exit the game at any time, press Button 4.
- Game 2
  This game is a little tougher because you will only hear the notes played by the Songman, but you will not see them travel along the staff. Otherwise, the game is played the same as GAME 1. To exit the game at any time, press Button 4.

MUSIC MODE

This mode allows you to write and play your own music in two-part harmony (called 'voices') plus a rhythm section (snare drum and cymbal). We're going to take one step at a time and walk you through some simple exercises. After you've learned the basics, the rest is entirely up to you. Ready? The world of music is at your fingertips!
When you select MUSIC, a second Menu appears:
...
Aiming the light pen at the word "EXIT" will take you back to this menu:
...
Let's start by composing a basic melody. We'll do this on VOICE 1. Point the Light Pen at 'VOICE 1' and the screen will now read:
...
This shows that VOICE 1 is turned "off." To activate this voice (i.e., turn it "on"), and to select the characteristics of the voice, aim the light pen at 'OFF' and the screen changes to:
...
Pointing the light pen at "EXIT" takes you back to:
...
By pointing the light pen at the word LOUD, you can change it to SOFT Pointing the pen at PIANO will change it to FLUTE. You can also change back to LOUD or PIANO by aiming the pen at SOFT or FLUTE, respectively.
When you have selected your desired characteristics for VOICE 1, point the Light Pen at 'COMPOSE'. The screen will change to a pair of musical staffs and a part of the keyboard.
- Compose Melody
  Now you're ready to compose! The key will automatically be in "C" (You can compose in different keys, as described later in the "SELECT KEY" section). You can select notes from four octaves. To choose your octave, move the joystick on the control panel to the left or right to scan up or down the keyboard, respectively. The number on the upper left hand side of the keyboard shows you in which of these four octaves you're playing.
  When you begin, Melody Master will automatically register a middle "C" note and notes will automatically be eighth notes. You can change that note to any other simply by aiming the pen at the note on the keyboard that you wish to be the first note of your melody. When you select a note from the keyboard, it will appear on the right side of the appropriate staff. When you are sure you have the note you want, press Button 3 to enter or "lock in" the note. Continue to add notes in this manner until your melody is complete. (Don't forget to press Button 3 after your last note to enter that note into the memory).
  For practice, try entering this simple melody (all in eighth notes) into VOICE 1:
  > Voice 1 (Octave 4)
  > ...
- Play Melody
  When you have finished entering your melody you can play it back. First press Button 4 to take you to the menu. Then point the Light Pen at the word 'PLAY'. Your melody will play through once.
- Add Harmony
  You can now add a second musical phrase on VOICE 2. Aim the Light Pen at the word 'EXIT' to get you back to the menu. Then point the Light Pen at 'VOICE 2' and follow the same steps as for VOICE 1.
  For practice, try entering this simple harmony all in eighth notes, into VOICE 2:
  > Voice 2 (Octave 3)
  > ...
  When you have entered all the notes you desire on VOICE 2, you can play back both VOICE 1 and VOICE 2 by pressing Button 4 and aiming the Light Pen at 'PLAY'.
- Add Rhythm
  Now you're ready to add rhythm. Aim the Light Pen at the word "EXIT" to get back to the menu. Then point the pen at the word 'RHYTHM'. Turn the rhythm on by aiming the Light Pen at the word 'OFF' and use the Light Pen to choose between a 'LOUD' or 'SOFT' rhythm track. Then point the pen at the word 'COMPOSE'.
  Because your rhythm track will be automatically placed in a continuous loop, it is not necessary to write a rhythm track that's the exact same length as your melody. All you have to do is enter a short rhythmic phrase (i.e., a "beat") and let the automatic Loop take over. Press Button 1 and you get a cymbal sound. Press Button 2 and you get a snare drum sound. Button 3 gives you rests. AII these actions occur as sixteenth notes. (In other words, there are 16 beats of cymbals/drums/rests for every whole note.)
  For practice, try entering the following simple beat into the RHYTHM track:
  > CYMBAL REST DRUM REST
  > (Button 1) (Button 3) (Button 2) (Button 3)
  > ...
  Once you've entered the rhythm track, press Button 4 to get to the menu. Then aim the Light Pen at the word 'PLAY' and your entire composition will play back as desired. To stop the music, press Button 4 again.
- Select Key
  You may wish to compose a song in a key other than "C" (The key will automatically be in "C" unless you wish to change it.) To change the key aim the Light Pen at the letter 'M' (for Menu) found in the middle of the screen.
  This gives you the following menu:
  ...
  Aim the Light Pen at the word 'KEY' and the 'Select Key' screen will appear Point the Light Pen at the note on the keyboard that corresponds to the key you desire and press Button 1. This enters the key and takes you back to the screen with the staffs and partial keyboard. The key will be shown in the upper left hand corner of the screen. (The 'ERASE' and 'LOOP' functions are explained later)
- Note Values & Rests
  Most songs have a variety of note values and rests rather than just eighth notes that we used in the simple example above. While you are composing your song, you can change the value of the note (i.e., how long the note plays) or make it a rest (no sound for a period of time) by aiming the Light Pen at the note sign found in the middle of the screen. The keyboard will disappear and a series of symbols will take its place.
  You will also see the word 'DOT'. Adding a dot to the note you choose increases the length of this note by half of its original value. For example, a dotted quarter note is the same length as three eighth notes. (MELODY MASTER does not allow you to dot a sixteenth note.) You can add the dot to a note by aiming the pen at the word 'DOT' You can remove the dot from the note by aiming the pen at the word "DOT" again. There is no need to dot a rest.
  Choose the value of the note or rest by aiming the Light Pen at the appropriate symbol. If you want to change the note itself to a different note, press Button 1 to return the keyboard to the bottom of the screen and then aim the pen at the new note. When you're sure you have the note or rest you want, press Button 3. This enters or "locks in" the note or rest and moves it slightly to the left on the staff.
  Note:
  After the first note of your tune is entered, you will see an eighth rest (symbol) on the staff. You can automatically enter the rest simply by pressing Button 3, or you can change the rest to any note or any other rest by following the instructions above. Continue to add notes or rests in this manner until your melody is complete. (Don't forget to press Button 3 each time to enter your notes or rests).
- Editing
  If you feel you've made a mistake while entering your composition or simply change your mind, aim the Light Pen at the word "EXIT". Then point the Light Pen at VOICE 1 or VOICE 2 - whichever you wish to change. Then aim the Light Pen at the word "EDIT" Each time you press Button 3 your composition will appear on the screen one note at a time.
  To change a note, point the Light Pen at the desired new note. You can also change the value of the note or change it to a rest by entering the mode and following the same procedure as when you entered the note-or rest-the first time through. Press Button 3 to enter the new note and move it along the staff.
  When you're in the edit mode, aiming the Light Pen at the letter "M" found in the middle of the screen will give you the "Edit" Menu:
  ...
- Erase
  This function appears in both the EDIT mode and in the COMPOSE mode.
  Aiming the Light Pen at the word "ERASE" will give you the "Erase" Menu:
  ...
  If you change your mind and decide not to erase anything, aim the pen at the word "EXIT" which takes you back to the staffs and keyboard screen. To erase everything you've entered on VOICE 1, VOICE 2 or RHYTHM, aim the pen at the appropriate word, which will take you to that particular track and show that it is "OFF". To erase all tracks, point the pen at the word "ALL" which will then disappear Then point the pen at "EXIT" to get to the menu.
- Key
  Aiming the Light Pen at the word "KEY" will produce the "Select Key" screen, which we've discussed earlier.
- Delete
  If you want to remove a note from your composition, you must first use the "Edit" mode-the staffs and keyboard screen-to arrive at the note you wish to delete. For example, say you have a five-note melody and you wish to change this to a four-note melody by removing the second note in the series.
  When this note appears at the right side of the staff point the Light Pen at the letter "M" found in the middle of the screen. This gives you the "Edit" Menu. Now aim the Light Pen at the word "DELETE" and the unwanted note will vanish. The next note in your composition will then appear at the right side of the staff and you can continue to edit.
- Insert
  If you want to add an extra note to your composition, you must first use the "Edit" mode-the staffs and keyboard screen-to arrive at the note immediately preceeding the note you wish to insert. For example, say you have a four-note melody and you wish to change this to a five-note melody by adding a new note between the second and third notes you already have.
  When the second note appears at the right side of the staff, point the Light Pen at the letter "M" found in the middle of the screen. This gives you the "Edit" Menu. Now aim the Light Pen at the word "INSERT" and a new note will appear This new note will be the same as the note which preceeded it. If you want to alter the tone or value of this new note, you can do this now in the normal manner before pressing Button 3 to enter the new note into the memory.
- Editing Rhythm
  If you make a mistake while entering your rhythm track or simply change your mind, correct the situation by point- ing the Light Pen at the word "EXIT" and return to the menu. Then aim the Light Pen at the word "RHYTHM" This gives you the "RHYTHM" Menu. Aim the Light Pen at the word "COMPOSE" and start over. Your initial rhythm track will be automatically erased as you compose over it.
- Looping
  MELODY MASTER is also capable of creating a musical loop (i e., a multi-note phrase that repeats indefinitely). For example, let's say you've entered a four-note musical phrase on VOICE 1. (Remember you must press Button 3 to enter the fourth note before going any further). Instead of pressing Button 4, aim the Light Pen at the letter "M" found in the middle of the screen. This takes you back to the "COMPOSE" Menu. Now point the Light Pen at the word "LOOP" This will cause your four-note phrase to repeat and repeat and repeat... (To stop the music, press Button 4.)
- On/Off Options
  While composing or editing, and during playback, you can select which tracks you would like to be "ON" or "OFF." You can also change the characteristics of the tracks (Loud or Soft, for example).
  For example, let's say you've composed a melody on VOICE 1 but want to turn that voice "OFF" while you compose harmony on VOICE 2. To switch VOICE 1 "Off", simply point the Light Pen at "EXIT" to get back to the menu.
  Then, aim the pen at "VOICE 1" When the screen displays VOICE 1's characteristics, turn the voice "OFF" by pointing the pen at the word "On" Then aim the pen at the word "EXIT" to get back to the Menu.
  Then aim the pen at VOICE 2 and compose as described earlier.
- Let's Try A Complete Song!
  Now that you know all the features built into Melody Master you can compose a more interesting tune! Try the following song -"She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain". It includes many different note values and rests on several octaves. It's even in the key of "F", so don't forget to follow the "SELECT KEY" instruction before you begin composing.
  Don't forget, if you make any mistakes, you can correct them in the "EDIT" mode.
  Have fun!
- A Few Things To Keep In Mind...
  * MELODY MASTER stores up to 130 commands on each track. If you attempt to enter 131, the word "OVERFLOW" will flash on the screen for few seconds. The screen will then return to the last several notes or rests you entered. If this happens, you can either press Button 4 and you'll return to VOICE 1/NOlCE 2/RHYTHM menu, or you can put your composition into a loop, as described earlier You will not lose the information you've entered.
  * MELODY MASTER does not store your compositions indefinitely. When you turn the unit off, everything in the system will be lost.
  * Most importantly DO NOT REMOVE THE MELODY MASTER CARTRIDGE FROM THE CONSOLE WHILE THE UNIT IS STILL TURNED ON! Switch the unit off first.
  * No matter how you choose to use your MELODY MASTER, have fun!

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