Ending songs

[Shadoninja]

After the document is created, you cannot change the time signature in Notepad, but that doesn't matter anyway since you're switching to 12/8. With that change of time signature, you'd have to rewrite from scratch in ANY version of Finale, because you have to multiply all your rhythms by a factor of 1.5.

Or you could use something like FLStudio to stretch and realign the midi data like I have:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/36661985/Pokemon%20Colosseum%20-%20Es%20Cade%27s%20Theme.mus

[Bubbles]

AHHH Thanks so much That saved me alot of time

[Bubbles]

So I don't end up doing this again, how can I tell the time signature of a song before I write out the entire thing?

[Bespinben]

Oh, ok. So you change the time signature in the beginning? And you said that all the rhythms get multiplied by 1.5.... Does that mean that a quarter note would become a dotted quarter note?

So I don't end up doing this again, how can I tell the time signature of a song before I write out the entire thing?

Research "compound time signature". It'll help you alot.

Quarter notes would become dotted quarter notes, yes, but it is because the beat no longer is 1 quarter note, rather the beat is changed to 1 dotted quarter note. Think math - 12/8 is equal to 4 time 3/8. In music, 3/8 means 3 eighth notes, but 3 eighth notes form a dotted quarter. Therefore, 12/8 is 4 dotted quarter notes, each dotted quarter note consisting of 3 eighths, or subdivisions, thereby eliminating triplets that would be in the music if it were written in 4/4.

[Shadoninja]

So I don't end up doing this again, how can I tell the time signature of a song before I write out the entire thing?

First, listen to the beat. That will help with figuring out how many beats are in a measure. The bass is usually easiest for identifying the beats.
If there are a lot of triplets and if the piece sounds "swung" but doesn't sound jazzy, it's most likely in some kind of /8 time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoWkiOGGH94
If the piece sounds "swung" and sounds jazzy, it's most likely in /4 time with swing eighths. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLmGVlAVUzM

[Bubbles]

Ok, I think I get post of it, or at least enough to blame myself if I mess up again

I forgot how much I loved that Pokemon song 

[Winter]

I think jazzy is just a fancy term for 12/8

Swing works too, but only for more lenience on the timing of the swing beat, I suppose.

[Bubbles]

More of a simpler term for people who don't understand music but have ears.

[Shadoninja]

I think jazzy is just a fancy term for 12/8

Swing works too, but only for more lenience on the timing of the swing beat, I suppose.

Jazzy is a very abstract term that's hard to really describe.

[JDMEK5]

I saw this written on the sidewalk when I went to music camp.

"If you need someone to explain what jazz is, you'll never know.

(Or, something along those lines)

[FSM-Reapr]

"If you need someone to explain what is jazz, you will never know."

Old saying.

[Bubbles]

Ok, then what about this song? I picked it because it seemed far from swinging notes or any jazzy tune, but the ending is still half a beat too long 

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/96664701/Ending%20A%20%28Pokemon%20Colosseum%29.mus

Oops. Forgot the actual song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btjL1Gr0U8U

[Bespinben]

Ok, then what about this song? I picked it because it seemed far from swinging notes or any jazzy tune, but the ending is still half a beat too long 

The song is in 3/4, not 4/4. The guitar part plays consecutive eighth notes.

[Bubbles]

Ugh I knew it was something like that. I can tell the difference between simple and complex time signatures, but what about the individual time signatures themselves?

[Uraziel]

couldnt you also put that in 6/8?