QGrooves is a QuaverMusic Creative that allows you to create accompaniment by dragging loop tiles to the instrument grid. In this Creative, you can add loops for Keyboards, Synth, Drums, Percussion, and Bass.
Setting up your Composition #
- If you’d like to open a saved project, select MENU and OPEN.
- To start a new project, select MENU and NEW.
Control Panel #
- Playback Controls: The playback buttons include a loop, back to beginning, and play button.
- The play button can also be used as a pause button
- When you select the loop button it will deactivate the loop
- Select a measure number, at the top, to start your composition at any measure other than measure 1.
- Tempo: To change tempos, select a Tempo from the drop-down.
- Key: To change the key of the loops showing, select a piano key.
- Based off of a C Major scale
- Loop Styles: To change the loop styles, select the Style drop-down.
- Clear: Select Clear to clear your QGrooves and start over.
- Measure Navigation: Use arrows to add/view additional measures.
- You can create up to 32 measures
- Loop Tiles: Use the arrows to view additional instrument loops.
- Loops will change when you select a different instrument row
- You can preview a loop by selecting a loop
Check out the next section on the Instrument Grid for more on adding loops to create your composition.
Instrument Grid #
The Instrument Grid is the main section of QGrooves. This is where you add instrument loops to make up your composition.
- Each column (up and down) is a measure.
- There are measure numbers at the top of each measure.
- Select a measure number, at the top, to start your composition at any measure other than measure 1.
- Each row (left to right) is an instrument.
- You can preview any loop by selecting on the loop at the bottom
- Drag and drop any of the colored loops from the bottom control panel to the grid to start!
- There is a yellow box that will highlight as you select different instrument rows. This will also change the available instrument loops in the bottom control panel.
- Select the speaker icon to mute the instrument row.
- Select the headphone icon to solo the instrument row.
To remove an instrument loop from the grid, drag the selected loop off the grid/screen.
Adding a PlayAlong Track #
- Click on the blue bar below your title and composer name to add a PlayAlong Track.
- You can also click Menu > PlayAlong to add
- Click the Play button next to the title to preview any PlayAlong track.
- Select a check box next to PlayAlong you wish to add.
- Click Select to add the PlayAlong as a backing track.
After Adding PlayAlong Track #
- You can play through the PlayAlong, before adding loops.
- Once added, you will notice the chord progression of the PlayAlong Track is at the top of each column.
- Once added, a volume slider will appear next to your PlayAlong’s title, allowing you to edit the mix of the PlayAlong vs. your QGrooves.
- Click the red X to remove the PlayAlong Track.
Note: Play-Along Tracks are tempo specific; if you change the tempo of your composition, you will lose your current Play-Along Track.
Save Your Project and Download It #
- Select MENU in the top right corner of the screen and select SAVE to save your project. You will be asked to give your project a title if you have not already.
- After saving your project, you can make an mp3 to download it. Select MAKE MP3 from the menu and then DOWNLOAD the mp3 when it’s ready.
How to Assign QGrooves to Your Students #
To begin, create a folder where your assignment will live.
- With no folder selected, click Menu, New Folder, and give it a title.
Your folder will now appear on the right side of your Resource Manager.
- Search for QGrooves in Resource Manager.
- Drag the resource into your folder on the right side of the screen.
- Select the folder and hit Menu and New Assignment Template.
- Name your assignment “QGrooves Assignment.”
- Open the folder and see your named Assignment with a green “A” next to it.
How to assign the assignment template to students: #
- Click Menu > Assign to Class to choose a class or classes you would like to give the assignment to. Use the Assignment Details screen to select your class(es), student(s), assign date, due date, and more!
- Students can submit their composition by clicking Menu > Submit on their QGrooves.
- Students should Save their submission if they wish to access it at a later time.
- Completed submissions will appear in your GradeBook next to the student’s name with an orange checkmark, meaning submitted.
- Click the checkmark to open the assignment review screen and view their work.
Classic Creative Mp3 Download #
If you had QuaverMusic while on Adobe Flash, which is no longer supported, you will see a third tab ‘Classic Creatives’ tab.
Although QGrooves, QComposer, QBackBeat, and QStrum are no longer supported by Adobe Flash in their original form, you can still access any saved creations you made. Search your list, select Downloads to preview or download MP3 files you created in the past, or create an MP3 from any saved song in your My Songs tab.
