+++
title = "Using ranges"
chapter = false
weight = 3
#pre = "<b>1. </b>"
+++

A **Range** is a selection of the Timeline that can include one or more
Tracks.

The Range tool (shortcut "*R*") is located just below the
Transport Menu in the Edit Window.

![Range Tool](en/Ardour4_Range_Tool.png) 

When you have selected the Range tool, your mouse pointer will look like a vertical line.

It can be useful to create Range selections that align with the edges of
regions on your Timeline. Selecting the "*Grid*" and "*Region bounds*"
items for Grid and Grid Point menus respectively makes this easy.

![Region Bounds](en/Ardour4_Grid_Region_Bounds.png) 

To make a Range selection, drag anywhere on the Timeline. The current
Grid and Grid Point options determine exactly how the Range selection
behaves. Once a Range has been selected, Right-Clicking on it opens a
menu with Range-specific operations.

![Range selection](en/Ardour4_Range_Selection_and_Menu.png) 

**Loop range**, for example, sets up **Loop Markers** around the current
Range and begins looped playback. The **Loop Start** and **Loop End**
points can be changed by moving the green triangles which correspond to
each point.

![Range Loop](en/Ardour4_Range_Loop.png) 

Other useful options here for editing allow you to **Duplicate** the
Range, **Select All** within the Range or **Crop** the Range.

Setting Up a Loop
-----------------

Returning to our rhythmic passage example, we will want to hear the
passage we are composing, perhaps as a loop, while we are moving the
samples around. To do that, we must create a Range to listen to within
our session, so that we can return to exactly this point in the Session
again and again.

Zoom out if needed (shortcut "*-*") to see full bars in the timeline.
Use the Range tool to select an entire bar with the help of the Grid
settings, and right-click inside that range to "*Set loop from
selection*". You will probably want to set the **Grid** so that your
actions snap to certain metric elements of the session (for example,
snapping to **Beats**). Once the one-bar loop has been set up, the
screen will look like this: 

![Bar Loop](en/Ardour4_Range_Bar_Loop.png) 

This will set up a loop range which you can play by using the **Play
Loop** button in the **Transport Menu** at the very top of the Editor
Window (shortcut: "*L*"). While the Range is looping, you can use the
**Solo** button on each track to listen to each instrument individually.

![Loop Solo](en/Ardour4_Range_One_Bar_Loop_Solo.png) 

Continuing
----------

In the next step, we will learn about **Working With Regions** to
compose a rhythm with these samples.

Next: [WORKING WITH REGIONS](../working-with-regions)