Making the Most of Notation Software

When writing a score in notation software, I do most of the work on the computer. A few years ago one of my grad. Students at the University of the Arts asked how I composed. I told him I sketched the piece on manuscript paper and then created the score in notation software. He said, really? Why not do it all in the software so you can take advantage of copy and paste? That was good advice. Ever since then, I create several scratch staves at the top of the score, often just a treble and bass staff. Then I compose the melody, bass line, counterlines and some of the harmonies and chord symbols. I then can copy and paste these ideas into the score and save time.

BTW, be sure to use the instant copy command that is used in both Finale and Sibelius. Select the source material, hold down CTRL (Win) or Command (Mac) and click the mouse in the destination bar. It saves a lot of time. The highlighted portion is not lost so you can do this multiple times throughout the score.

Scketch Staves

So, when I am creating my sketch and there is going to be harmony in a section of the entire score, I place the chords in one voice of the sketch score. Then, use Explode to push them into the specific part of the arrangement. Here are the steps:

1. Enter the block chords in the sketch part.
2. Select them with the Selection Tool.
3. Press the shortcut the number 2 or choose Utilities > Explode Music.

4. Make the appropriate settings in the Explode Window – how many staves, and where to place the notes. Finale does the rest.

Band-in-a-Box Plug-ins
The second time saver that I find very Helpful in Finale is the Band-in-a-Box plug-ins. These are borrowed from the www.pgmusic.com program Band-in-a-Box and work best as follows:

1. Enter a melody in the Sketch part
2. Add the chord symbols
3. Select the source material
4. Copy it to the first part, in this case the 1st trumpet.
5. Select the source material.
6. Choose Plug-ins > Scoring and Arranging > Band-in-a-Box Auto Harmonizing. I often use the Drop 2 when scoring for a group of instruments. For more information on drop 2 voicings check out:
http://www.outsideshore.com/school/music/almanac/html/Music_Theory/Jazz_Voicings/Drop_2_Voicings.htm

7. Create the settings to place the three new voices in the parts starting with trumpet

The screen shots in this post are in trasposed view in Finale. You can also view a transposed score in concert pitch by selecting it from the Document menu.

Also, if you own Band-in-a-Box, the program has many more options that can be experimented with for auto-harmonizing. If you like one, in band in a box, save it as a MIDI file and import it into Finale.

Use Sparingly
Use these tools sparingly. They are not going to make your arrangements instant masterpieces. You still have to develop the ideas, orchestration, unison passages, etc. However, if you want to harmonize a section, Explode and Band-in-a-Box auto harmonizing are great time-saving tools. You can also experiment with different voicings and choose the best one for a particular passage.

What time saving scoring and arranging tools do you find most helpful in Finale?

Many teachers have found that notation software is an excellent medium to encourage composition and to reinforce theory and other concepts. Are you and interested in finding ways to integrate music notation software in the curriculum? There are some articles, lesson plans and books that are available to help.

Lesson Plans and Web Resources
Some excellent notation lesson plans are located on the http://www.soundtree.com/lesson-plans site. All of the articles here are written by practicing music educators. I have several articles on notation software on this site and there are others. Each article includes the necessary resource materials for the lesson.

The Vermont MIDI site, www.vtmidi.org is the longest running site that has been dedicated to student composition. I have been following this site for years. There are some archives of student work and some lesson plans by educators located at http://www.vtmidi.org/AtoC.html

If you are looking for elementary/middle school notation lessons, than check out Karen Garrett’s site at http://www.musictechteacher.com/lessons001.htm. Karen has posted her lesson plans and materials that can be downloaded on a variety of curricular areas including using Sibelius notation software.

By the way, If you are an elementary teacher and interested in technology, check out Amy Burns blog http://amymburns.musiced.net/

Both Finale 2010 and Sibelius 6 have worksheets that can be used to enhance the teaching of music notation software.

TI:ME, Technology for Music Education www.ti-me.org has more than 500 lesson plans on music notation software. The database is only open to members and is located in the “Members Only” section of the website. The annual membership cost is $40 per year. This is rich resource of lesson plans on all software applications in general and music notation in particular.

Method Book
I am one of the co-authors of a new series by Alfred Publishing, the MusicTech series. There are currently three books in the series and one is dedicated to music notation software entitled Composing Music with Notation. The book comes with a CD that contains all of the lesson files and it is a turn-key solution for integration notation into the curriculum. It I available from all of the typical music book resellers.
http://www.alfred.com/alfredweb/front/ProductDetail.aspx?itemnum=%20%20%20%20%2025565&pubnum=0

Are there other resources that you use when working with students and music notation software?

This is my first post in 10 months. I have had some personal and physical challenges, but I am back close to 100%. I plan to post a couple of times each month with information on notation software.

There is a lot to discuss in the world of notation software. Both Finale and Sibelius have new versions since my last post. This post will focus on the Sibelius 6 upgrade.

Sibelius 6 upgrade

I have been using Sibelius 6 since it came out and I find it to be an excellent upgrade, well worth the price. I am often asked if it is worth the price to upgrade to a new Sibelius version. The answer is YES. BTW, you can download a fully functioning demo of Sibelius 6 from the www.sibelius.com website.

Magnetic Layout

The most significant new feature is the Magnetic Layout feature. Sibelius will automatically move objects to avoid collisions. And it does an excellent job of automatic page layout. I have been using the feature with my scores and worksheets and find it most helpful. I still do find myself using Engraving Rules to set the staff and system spacing, but overall this is a huge new feature.

New Kaypad: Jazz Articulations

The other new feature I really find helpful is the new Keypad layout, Jazz Articulations, which includes repeat bars and other features. This works amazingly well. For example, if you place a repeat mark from the Keypad (not the symbols menu) it will automatically play back the previous bar (or bars if you are using the 2-bar repeat). This is a great feature for any part in a score, jazz or not. No more copying the notation to a voice and hiding.

Chord Symbols

The biggest change that I have found is in the chord symbols. At first, I was not impressed. I liked using the right-click to access the chord suffixes. This feature has been removed. However, after spending a few months entering chords, I am getting much more comfortable with the feature. Sibelius does an excellent job interpreting what you enter as a chord and there are many options that you can adjust in the Engraving Rules > Chords.

The chord symbols still do not playback (one of my requests) unless you run the Realize Plug-ins feature. Hopefully, this will appear in the next upgrade.

Other new Features

Comments – There is a comment feature that is most helpful for sharing comments. However, it can not be sared with pre-Sib. 6 users.

Live Tempo allows you to enter tempo changes and ritards by taping a computer key.

The tutorial videos no longer are part of the program. They are located at http://www.sibelius.com/products/sibelius/movies/index.html

The versions feature is helpful. I have not gotten into this feature other than revert back to previous versions.

Scanning – The free version of the scanning software that ships with Sibelius works much better. It recognizes triplets. I’ll discuss scanning in a future post.

Audio Score – Sibelius 6 ships with a free application called Audio Score. I will review this is a future post.

More information

Check out the Sibelius website for more information on Sibelius 6 check out at http://www.sibelius.com/products/sibelius/6/demo_movie.html

Subscribe to the Sibelius blog www.sibeliusblog.com

What new Sib. 6 features do you find most helpful?

The best way to get emersed into a notation program is to take some formal training. Many teachers, church musicians, private teachers, composers and arrangers find time in the summer to take courses in music technology. There are many options for training in music notation software in general and Sibelius and Finale in particular.

Consider the following course options:

1. Berklee Online Courses. Join more than 6,000 students who have experienced the top rated Berklee Music Online courses. There is an offering for Sibelius and Finale. Courses run 4 times per year. The next course starts in April and a summer section begins in July.

Music Notation Using Sibelius

Music Notation Using Finale

Their are many other online courses that Berklee offers in addition to courses on music notation.

2. Review the list of summer courses that TI:ME has to offer. Most of these courses are face-to-face courses, and a few are online.
http://www.ti-me.org/sites.html

3. Here is a list of summer workshops I am teaching this spring, summer and fall. Some are face-to-face and others are online:
http://www.tomrudolph.com/workshops.htm

4. Check out the Sibelius site listing of training sessions

Do you know of other locations for notation training that you have found helpful?

I am often asked what time saving techniques I use to speed the note entry process in notation software. One key tip is to create your own custom templates and reuse them as needed. This saves time for note entry in Finale or Sibelius. When you are ready to create an exercise, just select the custom template and begin. Let’s cover this in both Finale and Sibelius.

Sibelius Manuscript Paper
In Sibelius, there are pre-made templates called manuscript paper. To access these pre-made templates, go to File > New Score or select “Start a New Score” from the Quickstart Window. When the first New Score window appears, on the left you will see the templates, called manuscript paper, that are available. These load when you install Sibelius for the first time.

Click on any item in the left side of the New Score screen and you will get a preview of it on the right. When you find the closest match, click the Change Instruments option to customize the score. Take your time during this step. If you get the score looking correct and the instruments (staves) in the correct order, it will save time during note entry.

SIBELIUS TIP: Save your custom score set-up as Manuscript paper so it shows up in the list every time you create a new score.
I have several ensembles that I write for. For each one I create a custom manuscript paper and name it accordingly. Then, when I want to create a warm-up exercise or score a piece for the group, I select it from the Manuscript Window.

To save your custom score as manuscript paper:
1. Create just the blank score. Don’t include a time signature, key signature or title, as you will add those for every individual project.
2. After completing the first page of the Score Setup window in Sibelius, Save the file with a memorable name.
3. Choose file (File > Save). This is an important step because the Manuscript paper items are in alphabetical order.
4. Then, export the file as manuscript paper: File > Export > Manuscript paper.

Now, start a new score. When you get the Manuscript paper screen you will see the new custom paper you just added. This is a huge time saver. See the list below. Notice my custom manuscript paper: Band Hav 2008.

Finale Templates
One of the improvements that was introduced in Finale 2008, is an easy way to access and edit Templates. Finale now refers to these as Ensembles.

FINALE TIP: save your custom setup in Finale 2008 or later as a New Ensemble

1. First, choose the Set-up Wizard from the launch window or select it from the file menu.
2. You will see several ensembles (templates) on the left side of the window. You can select one of the existing ensembles or click the Create New Ensemble button.
3. After you create or edit an ensemble, on the second page of the Set-up Wizard, “Add or Delete Instruments,” there is a button at the bottom of the window: “Save As New Ensemble.” Be careful to name it with a memorable name.
4. After you save a new Ensemble, it will appear at the bottom of the Ensemble list the next time you create a score.

I spend time creating templates for marching band parts, specialized instrumentation, certain types of custom page layout, customized drum maps, and more. I had a student in a summer workshop a few summers back who spent two straight days creating a template for his percussion ensemble. He edited the drum maps, page layout and other aspects. Then, he saved it for future use as Manuscript paper (Sibelius) or an Ensemble (Finale). Creating and saving custom templates will save you a huge amount of time in the note entry process.

TIP: You can edit the custom list of Manuscript Paper or Ensembles in both Finale and Sibelius. For example, you may to re-name or delete items from the list. Consult the software documentation for specific steps.

There are lots of templates and files that you can download for free. They are on the companion websites for my books on Finale and Sibelius. You can download these files and templates for free and you don’t need to own a copy of either book. Check them out at:
Finalebook.com and click on Downloads.

Sibeliusbook.com and click on Chapter Files/Downloads

Do you have any other sources of templates that you find helpful when working with notation software?

This week I presented two sessions at the TI:ME/TMEA conference in San Antonio on Sibelius Worksheets. My handout is posted at www.tomrudolph.com/handouts.htm. Many people I meet in Sibelius workshops have no idea that these Worksheets are lurking on their hard drive. If you are a Finale user, you might want to purchase a copy of Sibelius just to have access to these worksheets. Finale has a few helpful worksheets, but I think Sibelius has enough to make it worth the cost of the software for the worksheets alone.

Sibelius 4 or 5 Required
If you own Sibelius 4 or 5 then you have access to more than 1700 worksheets and templates. Here is how to get there: open Sibelius. From the File menu, choose Worksheet Creator. There are two options:
Teaching and Learning Materials and Templates

The Teaching and learning materials have a host of options that include, and go far beyond, teaching and learning materials.

Loading Worksheets
The first time you go access the Worksheets it may take as long as 5 minutes to load. Subsequently, the search will take a minute or less. Choose File > Worksheet Creator.

How Worksheets are Organized
Worksheets are organized into six major categories

Each category has many sub categories. Some of my favorite worksheets include:

1. Circle of 5ths:
01 Elements of Music > 06 Scales and Key Signatures > 02 Key Signatures >
02 Complete Circle of Fifths

2. Composition Exercises: 02 Writing and Creating Music (117 files)

3. United Kingdom curriculum materials are available. Check it out at 06 UK KS3 and GCSE Projects (33 of 33)

Repertoire
Check out the materials in the repertoire section. It includes an amazing number of compete compositions. Included are works by Bach, piano and instrumental pieces and even poetry to use for composition.

The 265 songs for teaching are complete with melody and lyrics. Of course, the files can be transposed in Sibelius and manipulated as you would any other file or used as a basis for an arrangement. Open a song, press the letter I to add new staves. Then, compose your own arrangement of the piece. All the repertoire is in public domain and free to use, print and manipulate.

Reference
The reference section is chock full of useful materials.

There are some excellent materials on orchestration. These include 04 Reference > Instrumental and Vocal ranges.

Worksheets are Sibelius Files
The cool thing is every one of these worksheets is a Sibelius file so it can be edited and adjusted as needed. You can save your customized worksheets by choosing File > Add to Worksheet Creator.

For more information on worksheets, check out:

1. The Sibelius 5 Tutorial Video #15 Worksheets (Help > Tutorial Videos)

2. Read about Worksheets in the Sibelius Reference (Help > Reference)

3. My lesson plan at www.soundtree.com – click on lesson plans and then search for “Composing with Sibelius Worksheets.”

4. Visit: www.sibeliuseducation.com for more free worksheets that users have uploaded to the Sibelius site.

5. Chapter 15 Worksheets, from the book Mastering Sibelius 5 by Marc Schonbrun

6. Worksheets for purchase are available from Mary Elizabeth at http://stores.lulu.com/patternsforlearning

So, do check out Sibelius worksheets. What Worksheets do you find most useful?

MIDI controllers for Note Entry in Notation Software

In one of my previous posts, Step Entry Note Entry Tips, I mentioned that the fastest way to enter notation in Sibelius and Finale is using a MIDI keyboard or controller, assuming that you have some facility on the piano keyboard. This post deals with some of the ways you can get connected to use a MIDI keyboard controller for note entry.

MIDI Interfaces
Do you own or have access to a MIDI keyboard? Most MIDI keyboards made in the last 25 years are MIDI capable. The older models have MIDI IN, MIDI OUT and MIDI THRU on the back panel. The newer ones have the MIDI ports and a USB port to connect to the Mac or windows computer via a USB cable. If you have an older keyboard without a USB port, you will need to purchase a MIDI interface. They come in many different versions. An inexpensive interface is the M-Audio Uno for around $35.00 dollars.

Latency
If you have an older Mac or Windows PC, you might find that there is latency or a slight delay when you play into your computer. There are settings that can address latency in Finale or Sibelius. Go to the help menu and open the Reference and do a search for latency. One way to address this is to purchase a FireWire interface. FireWire interfaces have a faster data transfer than USB. Your computer will need a FireWire port. Macs have FireWire built-in. Some Windows Computers have FireWire. In Windows, FireWire is called IEEE 1394. The M-Audio FireWire 410 has both MIDI and audio inputs and works great for entering MIDI with no delay or latency.

USB MIDI Controllers
The other option is to purchase a MIDI controller that has a MIDI interface built-in. Some MIDI keyboards also include a USB MIDI interface so check the specs before purchasing. Controllers typically do not produce sound of their own. Rather, the only enter MIDI information. Therefore, they must be used with a computer software program such as Finale or Sibelius. A good entry-level controller is the M-Audio Keystation.

Drivers
With USB MIDI keyboards, you just plug them directly to the computer USB port. Sometimes drivers need to be installed. If they do, the Keyboard will come with an installation CD. I usually check the manufacturer’s website for the most recent drivers. These can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website for free.

Other MIDI Controllers
Three are a host of controllers on the market. I have been using an M-Audio Oxygen 8 for years. The Oxygen 8 is no longer produced by M-Audio. It is compact and fits in my brief case. I have even used it on plane flights in coach! Bring down the food tray and put the computer on it and place the controller on your lap. You can also get controllers in various sizes.

M-Audio is not the only company that makes quality controllers, Others include Roland , Novation and Korg. Remember, Sibelius 5 and Finale 2009 do not take advantage of the knobs and sliders that come with the more expensive controllers, so only purchase these keyboards if you have use for them with your DAW software such as Pro Tools, Logic, Sonar and the like. Below, is a compact, powerful, M-Audio Axiom 25.

The Korg nanoKEY
At the NAMM show this month, Korg introduced a revolutionary new keyboard for under $50 street price ($62.00 retail) with full size keys and velocity sensing called the Korg Nano Key.

Check out a performance of the Korg nanoKey on YouTube

This is going to be my constant companion when I travel as it easily fits in my carry on bag. It actually fits in the inside pocket of my suit jacket! If you are not entering your notation in Finale or Sibelius using a MIDI controller, you now have no excuse.

What MIDI keyboards/controllers do you find useful for notation entry?

If you use notation software to notate scores, consider using the re-input pitch option available in both Finale and Sibelius to save time. In my courses and workshops, I find that one of the most under used features of Sibelius and Finale is the re-pitch or re-input pitch option. This feature appeared on an early version of Sibelius and was then introduced later in Finale. It is a great time saver when notating parts especially when writing for band, jazz, string and choral scores where two or more instruments or voices have the same rhythm but different pitches.

Here is how re-pitch works. It allows you to change the pitches of a passage without changing the rhythmic values. For example, when notating a band score where there are similar first and second parts such as the clarinets and trumpets or when notating a string score with a similar passage in the first and second violin. I spend a lot of time getting the first part to be as complete as possible. I enter the notes and rhythms and the articulations, common expressions, markings and so forth. Then, when the first part or passage is complete, I copy it to the second part and then re-pitch it. When the first part is complete, I use the shortcut to copy it to the second part:

Finale shortcut copy steps:

1. Select the source material (what you want to copy) and then drag a box around the measures or use click and shift-click.
2. To copy:
Windows: Hold down Ctrl and click in the destination bar.
Mac: Hold down Option and click in the destination bar.

Sibelius shortcut copy steps:

1. Select the source measures clicking in the first bar and the holding down Shift and clicking in the last bar.
2. To copy:
Windows: Hold down Alt and click in the destination bar.
Mac: Hold down Option and click in the destination bar

After the music is copied to the 2nd part, next, re-pitch the part to the correct pitches since this is a harmony part. Using a MIDI keyboard or controller is the fastest option, but you can re-input pitches with the computer typewriter keyboard as well. The changes are made in step time so you can move as slow or fast as you like without needing to worry about a metronome click.

To Re-Pitch the new part after it has been copied:

Finale Reinput steps:

1. Click he Re-input pitch icon in the Simple Note Entry palette

2. Hold down CTRL (Windows) or Option (Mac) and click the first note of the passage you want to re-input. .
3. Play the new pitches on the MIDI keyboard (or, type the letter names on the computer keyboard if you don’t own a MIDI keyboard). The pitches will change, but not the rhythmic values.

You can watch the tutorial video on this topic in Finale. In Finale, from the Help menu, select QuickStart Videos. Then click on “Getting Started,” and then “Entering Notes” and then “Re-inputing Pitches.”

Sibelius Re-input Steps:

1. Select the first note of the passage so the notehead is blue (highlighted).
2. Choose Note > Re-input Pitches or use the shortcut Shift+CTRL+I (Windows) or Shift+Command+I (Mac).

4. Play the new pitches on the MIDI keyboard (or type the letter names on the computer keyboard if that is your only option.

Click here to watch a video on re-inputting pitches from my Berklee Music online course, Music Notation Using Sibelius, from lesson 7.

Another use of re-pitching parts:

If you want to add the rhythm of a melodic part to the guitar or other rhythm section part:

1. Copy the melody from the original part
2. Re-pitch it so the notes are all on third line B
3. Change the part to rhythmic notation:

Finale: Select the Staff Tool and from the Staff menu, choose Apply Staff Styles and then select Rhythmic notation

Sibelius: Select the notes and open the Properties menu and choose notehead 4 to change to rhythmic notation.

Take some time to check the re-input pitch option. This can save you huge amounts of time when you are writing scores and parts.

With the holidays fast approaching, there are some new Sibelius products that might be of interested to you. Marc Schonbrun has written a fabulous book, Mastering Sibelius 5. I just finished reading it cover to cover and it is excellent.

There are two new DVD tutorials on Sibelius 5 published by Hal Leonard. I did the Sibelius 5 Beginner Level DVD and Marc Schonbrun recorded the Intermediate level . Both have a ton of tips for using Sibelius 5 and are hot off the press.

The Sibelius company is offering a generous sale for upgrades that they are calling the Sibelius Sale of the Season. From Monday, December 8th through Friday, December 12 registered Sibelius users can upgrade to Sibelius 5 for $85/Professional Version and $65/Education Version. Sibelius 5 Lab Pack Upgrades are just $215. That’s 50% off regular price. www.sibelius.com/upgrade

In my previous post on free notation software, I listed Finale NotePad as free music notation software. This is no longer the case.

MakeMusic announced in August, 2008 that beginning with Finale NotePad 2009, which is the current version, it will not be free and will cost $9.95 per copy. The price is certainly reasonable, but it is no longer free. NotePad 2009 can import/export MusicXML files so it can save files that can be opened in earlier versions of Finale. I also means that Finale NotePad files, when exported in XML format, can be opened by other applications that read Music XML such as Sibelius. See my post on Music XML

Also, MakeMusic is no longer making earlier versions of Finale NotePad available. They are now shipping a new product, Finale Reader. Finale Reader can open, play, and print (but not edit) any Finale family file – as well as MusicXML files – and it is a free download.

So, if you have an install disk for Finale NotePad 2008 or earlier, hold on to it. But you will need to find a new source for free notation software, or go with one of the light, student editions such as Finale NotePad, Finale PrintMusic, or Sibelius Student. Do be aware that there are liberal education discounts for students, church musicians and educators. I usually purchase these from resellers such as www.soundtree.com or www.lentines.com.

Since Finale NotePad is no longer free (it costs $9.95 per copy), there are two options I know of for a totally free music notation solution. For Windows and Linux users consider Musescore from www.musescore.org. You can read a comparison of Musescore and Finale NotePad at: http://www.musescore.org/en/node/111. There is no Mac version of this software available.

There is also a new offering that is web based notation software called noteflight. This is a web based music notation application. You may remember back in 2000 when the GVOX Company introduced Notation Station, a similar web based notation solution. The company when bankrupt back in 2001 and Notation Station went down with it. GVOX is still selling Encore notation software, however, Noteflight is a new offering that certainly looks promising.

I have experimented with this web-based application and find that it uses many of the same commands and keystrokes as Sibelius. You can enter notes by typing in the letter names, shift octaves using CTRL and the up and down arrows, add voices, articulations, and much more. As of the current version, you can input ties, but no slurs, there is no lyric option nor is MIDI input supported. I am sure these features will be integrated as this web based application progresses. The latest release notes are available at
http://www.noteflight.com/info/release_notes. Noteflight looks like a good starting place for students and people who want to dabble in music notation and price is a main concern.