Displaying a song and tools – LiveSet - Support center

When you choose a song, from the song library or from a setlist, LiveSet opens the song full screen, in an interface rich in features and tools.

At the top of the screen, you will find the following elements:

On the left, you can return to the library or to editing the current setlist.
On the right, the button lets you edit the current song.
At the very top right, the menu button (on Android/web, or on iOS) gives access to exporting the current song as a PDF, opening Preferences, or returning to the app home screen.

At the bottom of the screen, the following eight elements/tools are available (some may be disabled depending on several factors, such as the type of song, or the information LiveSet has for the current song).

Volume control

By pressing the button , you can adjust the volume in the app, and enable or disable metronome sounds, as well as chord playback.

When chord playback is enabled, simply tap a chord in the score to hear it played by the instrument selected in the instrument view (see below).

Note that chord playback does not work for a score imported as a PDF or image.

Metronome

The button lets you enable the visual and, optionally, audio metronome. LiveSet includes several types of metronome, and you can change the type in Preferences. The following options are available:

A flash for each pulse (at the top, the bottom, or across the whole screen)
An oscillating ball from left to right, like a pendulum metronome (at the top or bottom of the screen)
The beats according to the time signature of the current song, in a bar (at the top or bottom of the screen):

The associated sound is enabled or disabled in the volume control (see above).

This button is naturally only active if a tempo has been configured in the song’s general information.

Media player

The button displays the media player. This toolbar lets you play and interact with audio media. The supported media are:

A YouTube URL configured in the song’s general information.
A WAV file or an MP3 file.

The player is made up of the following elements:

On the far left, the selector lets you choose between the YouTube URL or an audio file attached to the song. It also lets you attach or delete associated audio files (see below).
The three standard navigation buttons let you start/pause playback, and skip backwards or forwards by 5 seconds if needed.
The transposition button () is active only if the score itself is transposed (see Transposition). It lets you apply the same transposition to the audio song (pitch shifting).
The locator button () lets you jump directly to a precise position, if locators have been recorded in the song. See the documentation on synchronising a song with audio media for more information.
In edit mode, the locators recording button () lets you record audio timings. See the documentation on synchronising a song with audio media for more information.
Finally, if the display size allows, the button lets you enlarge the player to display a thumbnail of the associated video.

Media management

Each song can have several media files attached. The YouTube link can be configured in edit mode from the song’s general information. Audio files, however, can be attached freely without needing to edit the score, by clicking the selector on the left:

To attach an audio file to the current score, choose the option Add audio file.

By long-pressing one of the audio files, you can give it a new name (press the save icon to confirm).

Finally, to delete an audio file, swipe it to the left. A confirmation message is displayed.

Notes:

Audio transposition (pitch shifting) is only possible on an audio file, not on YouTube media.
Audio transposition is an operation that requires a certain amount of performance from the device you are using. By default, LiveSet tries to use an algorithm optimised for better quality, but if performance issues are encountered, it switches to a lighter algorithm. You can also set the algorithm used from Preferences.
Playing a song from YouTube naturally requires an active internet connection. MP3/WAV audio files, however, can be played offline.
Files larger than 45 MB are not accepted. To optimise performance — especially cloud synchronisation — we recommend using MP3 files rather than WAV files where possible.

Recorder

During rehearsals, it is quite common to need to record a small piece of a song, an ending, or an excerpt, so you can refer to it later or refresh your memory. LiveSet therefore lets you record audio excerpts associated with each song for these purposes.

To do this, press the button . A mini recorder then appears:

Here you will naturally find a record button and a button to play the recorded excerpt. Note that the first time you use this feature, iOS, Android or the web browser (depending on the platform) may ask for permission for LiveSet to access the microphone — permission that must of course be granted, otherwise LiveSet will not be able to record anything.

The recorded excerpts then appear above the recorder, named by date and time by default.

By long-pressing one of the recordings, you can give it a new name (press the save icon to confirm).

To delete a recording, swipe it to the left. A confirmation message is displayed.

The "music" palette

The button displays the "music" palette. This palette brings together the instrument display (keyboard or guitar) and the grooves player in one place.

By pressing the button on the right (), you activate the instrument display. Instruments let you display chords: simply tap a chord to see how to play it on a keyboard / on a guitar. Of course, there are multiple possibilities for inversions and voicings for these instruments... In guitar mode, LiveSet lets you explore several possibilities (with the up/down buttons) for playing the chord in question. The first suggestion is generally the most common, lower down the neck, but we have integrated several other possibilities based in particular on classic "CAGED" techniques.
The grooves player lets you listen to all or part of the current score with a basic arrangement, in a style of your choice — or even create your own mini-arrangement using the groove editor. More information on this page.

To play the current score, simply press the button . You can also play the score from a specific position by dragging and dropping the play button to that location.

To play part of the current score in a loop, press the button , then select the desired bars in the score (by dragging from the desired start to end). Playback then plays the selection in a loop.

To adjust the tempo, touch the current tempo, then drag left or right in the window that appears to slow down or speed up playback.

To select a groove style, press the style selector to select a new one from the list. Note that the displayed styles are only the styles compatible with the time signature of the current song. So you will probably find fewer suggestions for a song in 7/8 than for one in 4/4. However, you will always find at least the "(Minimalistic)" style, which adapts to all signatures, is generated automatically for any tempo, and simply plays the chords with a basic rhythm.

In the style selector, you can sort grooves by name, by musical style, or by "fit". This fit is a calculated value used to identify whether a groove is suitable for the current song, taking into account, in particular, its tempo and chord profile.

By choosing the "(custom)" style, the groove editor opens so you can create your own musical style.

Note: We regularly make new groove styles available for advanced users. If you have a BASIC or PRO plan, and if your device is connected to the internet, when you press the style selector, LiveSet attempts to download the latest available styles.

The three instrument switches let you enable or disable the sound of the drums, bass, or other instruments respectively during song playback. Below is the case where the bass is disabled:

Note: The grooves player, or the display of chords by instruments, can only be used for a standard LiveSet score, not for a score imported as a PDF or image.

"Free drawing" mode

Using the button displays the free drawing palette, allowing you to freely annotate the current song. In free drawing mode, you can use a stylus (or your finger/mouse) to write, highlight, or add predefined symbols to the song. It is a bit like scribbling on your paper score.

The palette is naturally positioned by default at the bottom or on the right of the screen (depending on the display orientation). However, you can move it to the other side (to the top, or to the left respectively) using the button (respectively ).

The following tools are then available:

temporarily prevents drawing, and re-enables zoom and page navigation features — by dragging/moving, or by using several fingers (or the mouse wheel) to zoom.
activates pencil mode, for writing or a fine line.
activates highlight mode, to highlight elements semi-transparently.
activates the eraser, allowing you to erase pencil or highlight strokes. If stamp mode is enabled, it lets you erase stamps.
activates stamps mode, allowing you to drag symbols onto the score or add slightly more complex components, such as a piece of staff, guitar or bass tabs, or even text. When you enable stamps, mode, a small additional palette is added:

Use the selector at the top or on the left to choose a category.

To add a stamp to the score, you can either drag it directly to the right location, or select it and press the desired location in the score. Once on the score, you can move, resize, or rotate it using the small handles around it.

For more complex stamps, such as staves, you can edit certain details simply by tapping it. An editing window then opens (for example for a staff):

Note: After making settings on a stamp (rotation, resizing, customisations...), applying the same stamp again in another place copies the same settings. This makes it easy to keep a consistent look. To start again with the default values, simply close the stamps toolbar and reopen it.

Note: "Free drawing" mode can only be enabled when the song is not currently in edit mode. It is also incompatible with the instrument display.

Note: When you export a score as a PDF or in LiveSet format, you can choose whether or not to include annotations made in free drawing.

Transposition

The button lets you instantly transpose the chords of the current song visually into another key.

LiveSet lets you choose the base key (the original key is highlighted in orange). The major or minor mode cannot be changed, because it remains the same as what was defined for the song. Depending on the key and mode, LiveSet will naturally choose to use sharps or flats, according to standard music theory (for example, flats in F major, or sharps in G major). However, you can force LiveSet to use one or the other using the buttons at the top of the window.

By default, LiveSet also chooses to simplify "uncomfortable" chords (for example, avoiding B#, Cb, E# or Fb). However, via Preferences, you can allow LiveSet to use these types of chords if they make harmonic sense, in line with strict music theory.

The chosen key remains selected for the current song, even if you open another song and come back to it later.

Note that if the song is displayed in the context of a setlist, the transposed key is stored only for that setlist. This allows you to play the same song in several contexts, and not always in the same key. However, if it is opened from the main library, all setlists that have not redefined a transposition for this song will be affected by the change.

Note: This feature is not available if the current song is an imported PDF or image.

Mode prompter

The button lets you activate prompter mode. For more information, see this page.