Finale 2014 Essential Training

Learn how to notate music in Finale, the industry recognized music notation software, and create professional lead sheets, tablature, or orchestral scores.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Using the exercise files

1. Hardware and Software Setup

• MIDI system setup on a Mac
• MIDI system setup on a PC

2. Creating and Opening Finale Scores

• The Setup Wizard
• Using score templates
• Customizing templates on a Mac
• Customizing templates on a PC
• Opening and importing files

3. Viewing and Navigating Finale Documents

• Finale window overview
• Navigating Finale scores

4. Creating Lead Sheets and Other Simple Finale Documents

• Entering and editing notes using a mouse (Simple Entry)
• Entering notes using the computer keyboard (Simple Entry)
• Entering ties and accidentals
• Making selections, and copying and pasting selections
• Transposing
• Using Speedy Entry for entering notes
• Measure basics and Music Spacing
• Adding lyrics
• Adding chord symbols
• Formatting chord symbols
• Formatting and printing a lead sheet

5. Notating Music on a Grand Staff

• Entering notes using a MIDI keyboard (Simple Entry)
• Entering triplets (tuplets)
• Entering advanced tuplets
• Entering clef, time signature, and key signature changes
• Working with measure attributes
• Entering grace notes and using Simple Entry modify commands
• Adding repeats
• Adding expressions
• Adding slurs, crescendos, and other Smart Shapes

6. Notating Choral and Other Polyphonic Music

• Using layers to notate polyphonic music
• Click-assigning lyrics
• Formatting and aligning lyrics
• Entering and editing text using the Text tool

7. Entering and Recording Notes in Real Time

• HyperScribe note entry
• Using the Repitch tool
• Recording audio

8. Working with Small Scores

• Working with staves
• Adding articulations
• Using and creating Metatools to add articulations and expressions
• Adding articulations and expressions in Simple Entry
• Creating and customizing expressions
• Score formatting: Size and spacing
• Score formatting: Expressions and Smart Shapes
• Score formatting: Measure numbers and rehearsal letters
• Editing and formatting parts
• Printing scores and parts

9. Playing Finale Scores

• Finale playback basics
• Selecting instrument sounds

10. Working with Larger Scores

• Finale percussion and drum setup
• Entering drum-set parts
• Rhythm section parts and staff styles
• Adding expressions to multiple parts
• Copy and paste using the Edit filter
• SmartFind and Paint
• Importing, editing, and exporting libraries
• Using the Change Instrument function
• Keyless scores

11. Advanced Editing and Formatting

• Using the Special Tools palette
• Using Finale plugins

12. Notating Music for Guitar and Other String Instruments: Fretboards and Tablature

• Working with guitar fretboards
• Creating and using tab staves
• Adding bends, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and other Smart Shapes for stringed instruments

13. Exporting Files

• Exporting and using graphics files
• Exporting MIDI, XML, and audio files
• Exporting PDF and EPUB files
• Exporting Finale 2014 files for use in SmartMusic and Finale 2012

14. Scanning Music and Exploring PDF and TIFF Files

• Scanning music
• Working with PDF and TIFF files

15. Importing Video and Audio

• Adding video to a Finale score
• Adding audio to a Finale Score

16. Finale 25 Update

• Finale 25 update overview
• Creating large time signatures
• Aria Player and Human Playback updates
• Use ReWire with Pro Tools
• Use ReWire with Logic
• Use ReWire with Ableton Live
• XML 3.0 export and backwards compatibility

Conclusion

• Next steps