One of the most popular features of the CVP Clavinova is the ability to display a music score in the large LCD screen contained in the center of the CVP panel. Technically, what you see in the screen of the Clavinova is not “sheet music” – it is a momentary display of MIDI information in score notation format. So how do you capture and convert this information into a score of your composition? Learn the easy tips and techniques here.

Whenever I show this feature to Clavinova owners, they always ask two very pointed questions. The first is, “Will the Clavinova also display notes that I play on the piano keyboard?” (The answer is “Yes!”) They quickly follow with “Can you print that out?” (Which is also “Yes!”)

However, both affirmative responses need a little further explanation. Since MIDI is a recording not of audio, but instead of notes played in a certain order and with certain durations, it’s easy for a device to convert MIDI note data to a score. So, yes, the CVP will generate a score from the notes played on the keyboard when you’re recording that piece as a MIDI file. However, the timing will not make any sense unless you record that MIDI file using the Clavinova’s built-in metronome. If you don’t play in time with the metronome during recording, the Clavinova has no way to interpret the timing of the notes to match the bar lines of the music.

Also, be aware that after you record the MIDI piece with a metronome, all the notes will be crowded together on the top stave of the displayed score. This is because when you record a MIDI file in the Clavinova under default conditions, the Clavinova records all notes (both hands) to MIDI channel 1, which is normally assigned to the top stave and assumed to normally be just for the right hand. Since nothing was recorded to channel 2, there are no notes on the bottom stave, which is normally assumed to be the left hand:

To give the Clavinova “permission” to use the entire grand staff to display your performance (not just the top stave), select the “gear” in the bottom right of the score display, and change both right and left hands from AUTO to channel 1:

Immediately, the Clavinova will spread all the notes out using the entire grand staff for MIDI channel 1. It’s important to note that Middle “C” is the cutoff point between treble and bass clef, and therefore, between right and left hands:

Regarding printing the score, “Yes,” you can print the score if you save the MIDI file you recorded to a USB flash memory drive, and then open that MIDI file in any computer that has a music notation program installed. All music notation programs will open a MIDI file in the “FILE” area and display the notes as score notation, just like the Clavinova. Just be aware that the score might look different than what you see in the Clavinova screen because each music notation program interprets the timing of notes with different sensitivities. You can change the sensitivities of the display by changing what is referred to as quantization.

Quantization will correct the timing errors in your performance. For example, if you don’t play 8th notes evenly, you can quantize the piece for 8th notes, and those notes will appear as though you played them with perfect timing! Here’s an example with 16th notes non-quantized, and then the same file with 8th note quantizing:

Note that the Clavinova quantize feature does NOT change what you hear when playing back the file. In other words, the above example would sound the same either way. That’s because the Clavinova doesn’t actually move the notes in the MIDI file. It does, however, change the way your performance is displayed in the screen. You could argue that it is the best of both worlds: a quantized, clean display of notes, combined with non-quantized expression of playback for a natural sounding performance.

The score function in the Clavinova is a great way to have a “reminder score” if you want to perform without sheet music. When a score is displayed in the CVP, you can swipe your finger to the right or left to turn pages. As a bonus, rather than using your finger to turn pages, you can assign the CENTER pedal to advance pages, making page turns more seamless — like using a Bluetooth page-turning pedal:

It’s a lot of fun to make up a song and then see what the music looks like as a score. By using these two hints — recording to the Clavinova metronome, and then assigning right and left hands to channel 1 after recording — your score will look great in the CVP display.

All CVP-700 series Clavinova models have features called Piano Room and Session Mode that allow you to do just that! They enable you to enter a virtual piano “selection room” to choose a favorite piano from several options and then see where your creativity can take you.

After you select your piano in the Piano Room, you can raise or lower its lid to change the brightness of the instrument (if it’s a grand), change the venue or location where the piano is playing to alter the reverb and ambiance, and even adjust the tuning and touch responsiveness.  When you leave the Piano Room, all settings are automatically saved for the next time you return.

Session Mode allows virtual musicians to be brought into the Piano Room to accompany you as you play the piano. The name is derived from a musical term that refers to having a jam “session” with a band, where a group of musicians get together and play as they call out chords or follow chords listed in a “fake book.” A “fake book” is called this because the musicians simply “fake the left hand” as they read chords that suggest harmonies for all of them to follow, so they sound good playing together.

To access Session Mode, press the icon in the top right hand corner of the Piano Room – the one that looks like an instrument and a drum.  When you press this button, the piano you selected literally moves over in the screen to make room for the three new members of the band – a guitar player, a percussionist (or drummer), and a bass player.

When you press what looks like a very large Play button to the right of the band area, you will hear a drummer start to give you a beat. Then, if you play your entire piece on the piano keyboard, you will hear the rest of the band join in – as the virtual band members figure out what harmonies you are playing using the Style section tone generator.

The default for chord detection mode is Full Keyboard AI, which means you can play anywhere on the piano keyboard. (For more information on “Full Keyboard” mode, see the blog post entitled “Controlling Styles with Both Hands – Using Full Keyboard Mode”.)  For those who prefer an actual split in the keyboard, where you play chords in the left hand and melody in the right, you can also select “Fingered AI”, which, when selected, lights a single LED near the center of the keyboard that indicates the “Split Point,” above which you should use your right hand to play the melody, and below which you should use your left hand to play chords.

As you play your song, the backing musicians will follow the harmonies you are playing on the piano and accompany you in the style of music that you selected. On the touch screen, press the band area to select different bands. Note that when you change Styles in the screen, the musicians’ instruments change in the band area.

For more variations, turn on “Section Control” to get four variations of the style you’ve already selected, which vary in complexity from A to D.

A unique feature called Dynamic Control instructs the backing band to increase or decrease their volume depending upon how loudly or softly you are playing your selected piano. This really adds to the illusion that the band is in the same room with you as you play your piano. It is really quite uncanny when you abruptly start to play softly, and then hear the band suddenly cut their volume as if they are truly listening to your performance!

When the band has had enough practice and you feel it’s time to “lay down some tracks,” simply press the large red dot in the bottom left of the screen to activate “microphone free” recording. You can even choose between MIDI and AUDIO recording, depending on which format you want to share your music in.

Session Mode is really perfect for someone who plays “traditional piano” and wants to feel what it’s like to play with a real band.