Other techniques

• Sequencers
• Sampling
• Basic midi devices in music

Musical Information Digital Interface connections:

• MIDI IN (the socket that receives information from a controller, i.e. MIDI keyboard)
• MIDI OUT (the socket that sends information from a controller, i.e. MIDI keyboard)
• MIDI THRU (the socket on a slave unit that sends information to the MIDI in of the next MIDI device in a chain)

Other MIDI connections (eg USB, Soundcard, Firewire) Channels (16)
Notes (note on i.e. when a key is pressed, note off, when a key is released)
Continuous controllers (Pitch and modulation wheels, peddles and switches that control functions like vibrato, portamento, effects, etc)
Program change (a MIDI message that changes an instrument or an effect patch at a point in a song)
Keyboards (a MIDI keyboard is one type of MIDI controller, others are drum pads, MIDI guitars and wind synths, etc)
Modules/soft synths (a MIDI module is a sound generating devices with no integral keyboard) Sequencers (a device used for recording and playing back MIDI information) (Reason and Cubase are multi-track sequencers)
General MIDI (a manufacturers protocol where all MIDI devices or software have a minimum level of compatibility, i.e. piano’s on MIDI channel 1, etc) This is the basic configuration of a sequencer relating to midi. The multi-timbral synthesizer is normally apart of a soundcard which is quite often internal. Herbie Hancock is a fantastic jazz musician who has used alot of midi in his recordings

• Features expected in a midi sequencer
• the ability to assign midi channels to individual tracks
• the ability to assign individual instruments to each track
• facilities for at least 16 tracks
• a piano a role editor, individual note adjustments
• the ability to use a real-time MIDI controller
• playback facility, the ability to playback MIDI events or sequence
• the ability to record MIDI events while other MIDI events are being playback
• editing tools from MIDI data (events).  Cut, paste, transpose and possibly timeshift
• the ability to store MIDI events (sequences).  Saving and reloading of MIDI events.
• The ability to dynamically affect MIDI events.  Loudness, could spend, Pan etc
• the ability to quantise events
• the ability to humanise a sequence (randomise, shuffle)
• additional features the MIDI sequencer might have
• notation editor, this could be in the form of the score (manuscript)
• the ability to manipulate MIDI commands.  The ability to enter formatted MIDI system exclusive messages.
• Record, stop, play and other associated transport and location tools; looping; drop-in and drop-out; quantisation; overdubbing and track replace recording; tempo; count in; click track, time-line, play marker.
• Quantization is assigning time values to played notes in a Sequencer. One can select note values (quarter, eighth, sixteenth) and the MIDI Sequencer will snap the note to the closest time multiple interval. Becareful not to over use this as it can take away from your live record jazz and even can have that effect with hip hop

Key elements of music are Melody, Harmony, rhythm and dynamics these are key to establish the essence of music. All these concepts are evident to differing amounts in hip and jazz music
The essence of music lies in its melody, harmony, rhythm and dynamics. Melody gives music spirit, rhythm blends the expression of harmony and dynamics with the tempo of the piece.
All are needed for a recognizable pattern known as a "song."
Melody is the succession of single tones perceived as a unity. This manifested itself in a musical form the characteristics of the melody are range shape and movement. Rhythm is basically musical time. In real terms it can be viewed as tying the flow. It is analogous to how metre regulates a poem.
With modern computers that can be an automated approach to producing music.
The basic structure of a modern-day song.
Drums, bass line, lead sounds and chords these are the basic layers of the song. These layers are normally manufactured with the use of a selection of sounds often controlled by MIDI devices all made by samplers.
These layers are used as the foundation of the overall song arrangement. The song is arranged in intro, verses, chorus, Bridge, outro and breakdowns (crescendos, solos and dropouts).
Whenever using computers, you must be sure to have regular breaks from the computer. Never have liquids near computers and be sure to have a suitable seat to reduce the amout of sloaching. Screen flicker is another potential danger, it does depend on the user of the system. There are common MIDI sequence are editing facilities.

• Copy the ability to duplicate tracks.  Also the ability to duplicate MIDI note said events
• Paste after copying either a block, MIDI events or a selection of MIDI events paste gives you the opportunity to lay the note sequence onto the same track or possibly a new track.
  
• Adjoin/block most sequences would give you the ability to group MIDI events. When grouping the sequencer normally groups to a designated timing.  The timing is made relative to a bar.
  
• Split this gives you the opportunity to break blocks into individual events.
  
• Repeat when playing back a sequence of MIDI events this is the opportunity to repeat that
• sequence. Move
  blocks and MIDI events can normally be moved over to other tracks or to other points on the same track.
• Erase in the event of MIDI events being wrong for whatever reason.  The ability to delete an event or a block is normally fooled by the sequencer.

There are normally three modes of editing MIDI events The editor normally gives you the opportunity to adjust the rhythm of the MIDI events and notes. As well as editing the rhythm of the sequence he could also change the notice in the piano roll editor. At this point you normally have the opportunity to quantised or add MIDI events as the form of notes. the notation editor were given the opportunity to make the same changes of the piano roll editor. But the interface is normally a score (manuscript). Examples of where you can find a notation editor are cakewalk and sibelius. this is MIDI event editing at its lowest form. This gives you an opportunity to edit events in its initial form.