Which example do you prefer?

Part of my work at MakeMusic involves updating Finale files we receive for use in SmartMusic.

It’s not unusual for us to receive a file that was created in Finale 2012 which looks like a file created in an ancient version of Finale. When this happens, I might peek in the ScoreManager’s File Info tab, and see something like this, suggesting the file in question wasn’t really started in Finale 2012 after all:

The solution to this mystery is that someone created the piece from a template (or other re-used file) that originated in a much earlier version of Finale.

Why is this a problem?

Finale has seen incredible improvements over the years. The way Finale draws slurs, spaces music, creates beams, and displays notes have improved dramatically in just the last few years (just to mention a few of the changes).

However, when you open an older file in Finale, we assume you want it to look the same as it did the last time you saved it. We make every effort to not change the way older files look, which is good if all you want to do is change the copyright information and print an identical copy. The downside is that you don’t automatically get the benefit of all of the advances made in the interim.

Let’s take a look at a specific file. Here’s a few things that I feel could be improved in this example:

• Slurs look flat and collide with accidentals, as they do in bar 24.
• The music font is Petrucci, identified by narrow noteheads, which I find hard to read.
• Check out the nearly illegible tiny tie ends at the beginning of bar 199.
• How about the unsightly beaming around the rests in bar 80?

Again, while these problems are common in old files, none of these issues will occur for folks who create new files in Finale 2012, unless they start from an old template or file.

The solution?  Simply recreate all your old files from scratch.

Actually, I’m kidding.

Moving forward, I’d suggest that if you like to use templates, create a new one. But it’s pretty easy to covert these old files (and genuine old files) to modern settings after-the-fact, without having to tweak each individual item. I’ll share my solutions below.

Before you start, if you liked the layout of the original file, lock your systems. To do so, choose the Selection tool, select all, and from the Utilities menu specify “Lock Systems.” Then follow these steps:

1. From the file menu choose Load Library > Miscellaneous then select Maestro Font Default.LIB
2. Go to Utilities > Music Spacing and apply a music spacing (I prefer Note Spacing).

That’s changed every issue mentioned above, except the slurs. If you’re comfortable losing any previous SmartShape tweaks, here’s a quick way to update all your slurs.

1. Select the SmartShape tool
2. Select All
3. Hit the clear (Mac) or backspace key (Windows)

Check out the resulting file, which I think looks much better.

Try this out on some of your older files (or those created with old templates) and let us know what you think by clicking on “Comments” below.

Like to read manuals? Neither do I. I learn much better when I watch something done in context.

One great way for people like me to learn how to get more out of Finale is to attend a live demonstration by Finale product specialist Tom Johnson. Tom brings great enthusiasm, humor, and energy to the subject while sharing only the essentials. Unfortunately, it hasn’t always been possible to have Tom come to your house on your schedule.

Until now.

During his recent visit to Minnesota we captured Tom on video, demonstrating some of the “Eight Great Finale Tips” that have been so popular in his live demonstrations. Today the first four of these are available for you to view at your convenience.

Click on Tom above to check them out, and let us know what you think by clicking on “Comments” below.

Today’s blog post is admittedly a lot like an ad, but it does answer a commonly-asked question.

Q: I own Finale 2012, which contains some great Garritan sounds. Why would I buy Garritan Personal Orchestra or one of the other additional Garritan Libraries?

A: While Finale 2012 includes sounds from many Garritan libraries including Jazz & Big Band, Concert and Marching Band and World, it borrows most heavily from Garritan Personal Orchestra 4 (GPO4). That said, Finale includes only a subset of GPO4’s “greatest hits.”

To get a sense of what GPO4 offers Finale users, take a look at the difference in the flute section alone:

Finale includes: Flute Player 1, Flute Player 2, Flute Player 3, Flute Solo, Flute Section, and Piccolo Solo.

GPO4 includes: Alto Flute Solo, Alto Flute Player 1, Alto Flute Player 2, Alto Flute Player 3, Bass Flute Solo w/vibrato, Bass Flute solo no vibrato, Bass Flute Player 1, Bass Flute Player 2, Bass Flute Player 3, Flute Solo w/vibrato, Flute solo no vibrato, Flute Solo Keyswitch (allows user to switch between vibrato, non-vibrato and flutter), Flute Solo Flutter, Flute Player 1, Flute Player 2, Flute Player 3, Piccolo Solo w/vibrato, Piccolo Solo no vibrato, Piccolo Solo Keyswitch, and Piccolo Flutter.

In short, if all you need is a couple examples of the most commonly used instruments, Finale has you covered. If you want a wider selection of instruments and performance techniques, GPO 4 (and the other full Garritan Products) are for you. Interested? Finale owners can download GPO4 for $129 today.

Additional resources:

• See a list of all the Garritan sounds in Finale
• The best list of all the sounds in GPO 4 begins on page 104 of the GPO 4 Manual
• Here's an abbreviated GPO4 list
• Learn more about Instant Orchestra, and all the other Garritan Libraries

What do you think? Too much like an ad? Helpful? Please let me know what you'd like to see in future blog posts by clicking on "Comments" below.

Much has been said about how much time and effort is saved by using Finale’s Linked Parts feature, which dynamically links your score and parts (so changes made to one appear in the other). This week I’d like to highlight one specific aspect of Linked Parts, named Generate Parts. I’m constantly amazed at the enormous power it offers.

As an example, I have many scores created with older versions of Finale (before Finale 2007) which did not have Linked Parts. When I revisit one of these scores in Finale 2012, I want to take advantage of Linked Parts. To do so, I simply:

1. Open the old file
2. Select Document > Edit Part > Generate Parts

Done! My parts are now linked to my score. But this is just one of the benefits Generate Parts offers.

Ever create a new score from the Setup Wizard, enter notes in the score, and then look at the parts only to wonder why Finale didn’t automatically generate some multi-measure rests? Well, if you think about it, when the parts were created, there weren’t any notes in the score. Again one solution is to simply click on “Generate Parts” and multi-measure rests will automatically appear.

This explanation sometimes produces furrowed eyebrows, but it makes sense when you realize that we don’t want Finale constantly updating multi-measure rests each time we enter notes.

For another example, I typically want the page size and orientation of my parts to be different from that of my score. I might want the score to be 8.5” x 11” (in portrait orientation), with part to be 7” x 5” (landscape). To make this happen, I:

1. Go to Document > Page Format > Parts.
2. Change the Width to “7” and the Height to “5”. (I might also want to select a smaller percentage for “Scale Page To” as well.)
3. Click OK.

However, when I do this, nothing changes—until I click “Generate Parts,” for similar reasons. Once I got a handle on this, I felt like I became the master of Linked Parts, for which I am eternally grateful.

Happy notating!

Need to have a sax player switch, mid-song, to clarinet?

The Change Instrument Utility in Finale 2012 makes instrument doubling fast and easy. Simply select the region where the doubling occurs, go to the Utilities menu and select Change Instrument... Once you specify what instrument will play in the selected region, Finale will automatically change the playback sound, transposition, and key signature.

But what if you don't use key signatures in your scores (a practice popular in film and atonal music)?

Finale 2012’s ScoreManager has you covered! Follow the same steps above, then open the ScoreManager from the Window Menu and expand the instrument so you can see the change.

Click on the new instrument and, from the Transposition drop down menu, choose Other:

Then specify Chromatic Transposition, choose the correct instrument transposition, and click OK.

If you’re not already using the keystroke shortcuts to access the ScoreManager, you might want to try them. For Windows users, it’s Control+K, for Mac users, it’s Command+K.

Please let us know how ScoreManager and the Change Instrument Utility are working for you by clicking on “Comments” below.

Working with beginning music students? Would it help to add notenames to the noteheads in an example like this?

Finale 2012 makes it easier than ever:

1. Choose the Selection tool and indicate the music you wish to change.
2. Navigate to Plug-ins menu > Note, Beam and Rest Editing > AlphaNotes.

As simple as that, the noteheads now have note names:

Let me know how Finale 2012 is working for you by clicking on "Comments" below. Don't have Finale yet? Download the free 30 day trial version today.

Before Finale 2012, changing instruments mid-score was a bit of a process. For example, if I wanted a saxophonist to switch to a flute halfway through a piece, I had to add a Staff Style for the notation to appear correctly, and an Expression to make playback work right. In addition, when using the Garritan sounds I'd have to manually load the new sound into the Aria Player.

In Finale 2012, it’s as simple as click and play:

1. Choose the Selection tool, then highlight the measure where you want the change to occur.
2. Navigate to Utilities menu > Change Instrument.



3. Select the instrument you wish to change to and click OK.

Finale 2012 automatically sets the proper staff attributes AND configures the playback change. Want to go to another instrument or switch back? Just repeat the steps above.

Please let me know how Finale 2012 is working for you by clicking on "Comments" below. Don't have Finale 2012 yet? Download the free 30-day trial version!

I like the recent additions to the Finale website that invite a direct comparison between Finale and Sibelius sounds, playback, and support.

Of course there are many other reasons to choose one notation product over the other. Today I’d like to share one that’s pretty near the top of my “Could-Never-Switch-to-Sibelius” reasons for piano players like me.

Imagine you are playing in a two-handed piece like this:

Because the split point (the point at which notes are distributed to one or the other staff) was manually set at the “B” below middle “C,” the notes are correctly distributed in the first four bars. However, in measure 5, the middle Cs should appear in the bottom staff, not the top staff.

Correcting these changing split points is just one more area where Finale shines.

Here’s the first way I might fix this:

1. Select the Note Mover Tool.
2. From the Note Mover menu select “Delete After Merge.”
3. Click and drag around the middle C’s in measure 5 and drag them down to the bottom staff.
   As you do this, the notes magically merge into the lower staff giving you perfect notation.

Another solution is to use the Plug-in called “Split Point:”

1. From the Selection Tool, select the area you want to edit.
2. From the Plug-ins menu select Scoring and Arranging>Split Point.
3. Set the Split Point you want for that region and click “OK”.

The first solution lets you move individual notes, while the second lets you move multiple measures at a time.  The beauty is that you can choose, and quickly notate, any music that appears on two staves, including harp, organ, harpsichord, celeste, piano, marimba, etc.

Let me know how you’re getting along with Finale’s split point features, or ask any question, by clicking on “Comments” below.

I recently visited Celina, Texas, to provide an all-day, hands-on Finale training for a group of music educators. These are great sessions because everyone can apply my suggestions and ask questions immediately.

I was in the process of outlining my “Eight Great Tips” and had just described Tip #7, how to add multiple articulations. My example was to put in a fermata on every staff of the score. To do so I selected the Articulation tool, held down the “f” key (a shortcut for “fermata”), and then drag-selected all staves in the score. Voilà! In one quick action every staff had a fermata on it:

Then one participant asked: “What if I want the fermata to appear ONLY on the top staff of the score, but to appear on all the linked parts?”

It’s easy. With the Selection tool, just drag-select all the fermata handles, then right-click on any of these handles and select “Unlink in all parts.” This indicates that you want something to be different between your score and your parts. Then drag-select all the fermata handles you’d like to hide in the score, right-click one of these handles, and de-select “Show”:

As a result, all but the top fermata in the score appear in gray on-screen (letting you know they’re hidden), and they will not print in the score. They do, however, appear and print perfectly in the parts.

Should you do this? My engraver friends might suggest that a fermata should appear on every staff, but hey, this is Finale – you can always have it your way! 

Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Share them with us when we have a workshop near you, or let us know by clicking on “Comments” below.

Excited about Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, the new Macintosh operating system? Rest assured that we’ll be supporting Finale 2010 and 2011 notation products on Apple’s new big cat. Here are some compatibility info and tips that may help.

Compatibility

During our testing process, we found only a few minor problems running Finale on Lion, none of which should impact most users’ workflow. Here are two examples:

• Lion no longer includes a pre-installed version of Java, so you may receive an error that Java Runtime is not installed when you first launch Finale. Simply click “Install” on the error message and Java Runtime will be automatically downloaded for you. Re-launch Finale and Finale will open correctly.
• The Check for Updates dialog may display every time you open Finale, regardless of your previously chosen preference. Just click OK or Cancel and the dialog will go away.

More in-depth information can be found in our official Lion compatibility Knowledge Base article.

Tips

Apple has made some changes in Lion which may cause some confusion:

• Mouse scrolling is reversed from previous versions of OS X. Mouse scrolling now functions similar to iOS devices, like the iPad or iPhone. For example, scrolling up moves the page down and scrolling left moves the page right. This should be fairly comfortable on a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, but if using a standard PC or older Mac Mouse, you may want to change this setting by going to System Preferences > Mouse > Un-check Scroll with finger direction.
• The User and Root Library folders are now hidden by default in Finder. To access Finale’s support files in Finder look in the Go menu for “Go to Folder” and type in the folder location (Tip: use the ~ key to designate the User directory). In addition, holding the Option key and clicking on the Go menu will display the User Library. More information about this can be found in the 10.7 compatibility article.

Upgrading

If you’re thinking about upgrading to Lion, here are some tips to keep in mind before you do:

• Ensure that all of your essential applications are supported. While some applications like Finale transition fairly smoothly, others may not at all. For example, older “PowerPC” applications will no longer work on Lion, unlike previous versions of Mac OS X. Check support web pages of your software regarding Lion support.
• Make sure your hardware is supported under Lion as well. It’s possible that your MIDI keyboard could function fine in Snow Leopard while its driver doesn’t work in Lion. Again, check with your device manufacturer to see if they have Lion drivers or Lion support before taking the plunge.
• Before installing Lion, run Software Update to make sure you have the latest Mac OS X updates.
• Lastly, back up your files! If something goes awry during the upgrade, you wouldn’t want to lose years of Finale or other documents. I would suggest backing up at least your Documents folder (or whatever folder you store your files in) to an external hard drive before upgrading to Lion. If you want to be extra cautious, check out this great MacWorld article.

Already upgraded to Lion? Please click “Comments” below to share your thoughts and experiences!