Finale Blog: The Way You Look Tonight

by Tom Johnson 26. April 2011 06:55
 



The above, my esteemed blog readers, is Finale 1.0, from 1988. Folks trying to sell other music notation software would like you to remember Finale 1.0 when comparing benefits with their 2011 offerings.

While even the earliest versions of Finale were extremely flexible and capable of producing incredible results, they were admittedly more than a little cryptic at times. Can you name the tool icons pictured above? Whoever can correctly identify the most – before the end of April – wins a Finale t-shirt. But here’s the catch: it’s a closed book test – you can only use your memory – and you’re on your honor! (In the event of a tie, we'll randomly select a winner.)

Finale has come a long way since 1988. In regard to tools specifically, there are fewer tools, the need to switch tools has been greatly reduced, and the tool icons are quite a bit more intuitive.

Here’s what Finale 2011’s tool palette looks like on my Windows laptop:

While this looks like home to most of you, did you know you can easily change the look of your tool palette? You can customize the appearance of Finale by choosing from several palette styles, including one, “Traditional,” that mimics the “vintage” look of Finale 1.0.

Here’s where you go to do so:

Windows: Edit > Program Options > Palettes and Backgrounds
Macintosh:  Finale 2011 > Preferences > Program Options > Palettes and Backgrounds

Enter our contest, share a Finale story, or ask a Finale question by clicking on “Comments” below.

Tags: , , , ,

Finale History | General | Tom Johnson

Comments

4/23/2011 9:21:19 AM #

Dafydd

Oh man, that image takes me back! I could name (or describe the function of) maybe 18 of those tools off the top of my head.

Dafydd United States

4/23/2011 9:55:45 AM #

Kenton Lanier

Well, I'll take a stab at it. I certainly don't remember Finale 1.0 (I wasn't quite born yet by 1988), but I'll go from memory of the current version, and take a few guesses at the ones I don't know.

Staff Tool - Instrument Tool
Measure Tool - Ossia Tool
Key Signature Tool - Time Signature Tool
Simple Entry Tool - Speedy Entry Tool
Hyperscribe Tool - ?
Repeat Tool - Expression Tool
Text Tool - Articulation Tool
Chord Tool - Tuplet Tool
Page Layout Tool - Special Tools
? - ?
Playback - Tempo Tool
Lyric Tool - Resize Tool

Kenton Lanier United States

4/23/2011 11:27:29 AM #

Scott Yoho

Come on Dafydd, take a stab at it! <g>

Scott at MakeMusic

Scott Yoho

4/23/2011 11:28:59 AM #

Scott Yoho

Hi Kenton,

Nice job!

Scott at MakeMusic

Scott Yoho

4/23/2011 12:46:28 PM #

Derrek

Here goes:
Staff Tool - Instrument Tool
Measure Tool - Add Measures
Key Signature Tool - Time Signature Tool
Hyperscribe - MIDI Setup
Repeat Tool - Measure Expressions
Note Expressions - Articulations
Chords - Tuplet Tool (from Kenton)
Mirror Tool - Special Tools
Audition Tool - Tempo Tool
Lyric Tool - Percent Tool

Derrek United States

4/23/2011 12:49:11 PM #

Derrek

Forgot
Notemover tool - Measure mover Tool
between the special Tools row and the Tempo Tool row

Derrek United States

4/23/2011 2:12:36 PM #

Scott Yoho

Hi Derrek,

Well done!

Thanks for crediting Kenton on the Tuplet tool. I'm not sure I would have gotten that with the closed book rule, and I go back to Finale 2.6.3 days.

Scott at MakeMusic

Scott Yoho

4/26/2011 11:32:49 PM #

Chris Opperman

Staff Tool - Instrument Tool
Measure Tool - ?
Key Signature - Time Signature
Simple Entry - Speedy Entry
Hyperscribe - ?
Repeats - Measure Expressions
Note Expressions - Accents
Chord Tool - Tuplet Tool
? - ?
Note Mover - Mass Mover
Listen - Tempo
Lyrics - Resize Tool

Chris Opperman United States

4/26/2011 11:33:17 PM #

Chris Opperman

Ohhhh, SPECIAL tools. Can't believe I missed that one.

Chris Opperman United States

4/26/2011 11:40:04 PM #

Jari Williamsson

Staff, Playback
Measure, Page Layout
Key, Time Sig
Simple Entry, Speedy Entry
Hyperscribe, MIDI
Repeat, Staff Expression
Note Expression, Articulation
Chord, Tuplet
Mirror, Special
Note Mover, Mass Mover
Playback, Tempo
Lyrics, Resize

Add "tool" to each.
Guessing on quite a few. Putting Playback on two of them, because I really don't know.

Jari Williamsson Sweden

4/26/2011 11:42:46 PM #

Greg Bagby

WOW!!! Back to theory 101...
What about the Mass mover tool. It was my weapon of choice in composition. Smile

Greg Bagby United States

4/27/2011 5:18:38 AM #

Rob R

The truck icon was called the "mass mover" tool.

Rob R United States

4/27/2011 2:27:50 PM #

Dianna

I don't know if I can give the technical names, but I remember what most of them do: from the top, left to right:
Staff - adds new staves to manuscript.
Instrument - assigns instruments
Measure - adjusts and defines barlines
Dotted measure - adds measures to end of staff
Key Signature - defines key signatures
Clef - defines clefs
Simple Entry - simple (without keyboard) note entry
Speedy Entry - note entry with keyboard
Hyperscribe - play into Finale with keyboard with both hands...
Keyboard - keyboard setup for simple entry with keyboard
Repeat sign - create repeats in manuscript
MF - Text tied to manuscript
Dynamic - lettered (dynamic) markings on notes
> - articulation markings
Chords -
Triplets and other duple markings
don't remember
Tool box - all sorts of little specific things that can be used to change and fix the manuscript (I am lost without this one!)
Note mover - moves individual notes
Crunchy mover - grabs sections of manuscript to move/change at once (chuggs along...)
Ear - playback (the first time I used this for one of my own pieces I sat and cried...)
Metronome - set time
Lyric tool - write in lyrics
% - change the size of the staffs/manuscript so it all fits on the page and/or so individual staffs can be re-sized (for example) the accompaniment can be smaller than the vocal line.

Now that I know I can change the look back, I am happy!! :lol: Of course, if the darned thing would only STOP asking for authorization every time I open it (not quite every time, but close), I'd be even happier!! :lol:

Cheers!

Dianna United States

4/27/2011 7:45:17 PM #

Matthew Hindson

I came in at Finale 2.0.1 (1991) but I believe the tool next to Hyperscribe is the Transcription Tool, not the MIDI tool.
(I never could work that tool out - talk about arcane!)
The Midi tool was the 2nd bottom on the left, I do believe?
I still organize my tool palette  icons in 2 columns, all these years later.

Matthew Hindson Australia

4/30/2011 6:08:36 AM #

Scott Yoho

Here are the correct answers. I put quotes around those terms that no one named correctly:

Staff, “Staff Attributes”
“Measure Attributes,” Measure Add
Key Signature, Time Signature
Simple “Note” Entry, Speedy “Note” Entry
HyperScribe, “Transcription”
Repeat, “Score Expression”
“Staff Expression,” “Note Expression”
Chord, Tuplet
Mirror, Special Tools
Note Mover, Mass Mover
Playback, “Time Dilation”
Lyrics, “Reduce/Enlarge”

That WAS difficult! Is “Percentage” or “Resize” close enough to “Reduce/Enlarge”? I dunno. The image didn’t even show ALL the tools, including the real stumper: The Arbitrary Tool (I swear I’m not making this up).

In the end it was too close to call. Rather than decide we’ll send t-shirts to all top five finishers, including Kenton, Derrek, Chris, Jari, and Diana (all have whom should have received an email from me by now).

Thanks again to everyone who commented,

Scott at MakeMusic

Scott Yoho United States

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