SmartMusic^®

SmartMusic is an interactive, computer-based practice tool for musicians. Challenging exercises, instant feedback tools, and more than 30,000 accompaniments make SmartMusic an essential part of your practice sessions.

A SmartMusic subscription provides free access to the world's largest accompaniment library. Hundreds of new ensemble titles are being added every year, each with pre-authored assignments for every part. You can also create custom assignments from skill-building exercises, method books, jazz improvisation studies, musicals, or from a vast library of solo accompaniments.

For more information about SmartMusic, or to acquire a SmartMusic subscription, visit www.smartmusic.com.

Creating SmartMusic Accompaniments

Finale allows you to create your own assessment files to be graded for accuracy with SmartMusic’s Assessment feature. Finale also allows you to create solos with accompaniment, exercises, and warm-ups. You can save any Finale Notation File or MIDI file as a SmartMusic Public Accompaniment (.SMP file) and even include the solo notation file to be displayed in the SmartMusic interface during the performance.

Finale is capable of creating several different types of SmartMusic files. It is important to decide which type of SmartMusic file you would like to create. Your options are:

• Solo assessment file without accompaniment: Solo notation files can be saved for use with SmartMusic’s assessment feature. This is the most straightforward type of assessment file, and does not include accompaniment. In order to grade the solo performance, all assessment files include the solo notation file for display in SmartMusic. See To create a solo assessment file without accompaniment.
• Solo assessment file with accompaniment: This is the same as a solo assessment file (described above) with the addition of an accompaniment file. Although SmartMusic will play the accompaniment during the assessment, Intelligent Accompaniment is not available for any assessment file. See To create a solo assessment file with accompaniment.
• Ensemble: The purpose of the ensemble file is to give the instrumentalist a canvas of parts that can be turned on or off individually. For example, a trombone player might mute the piano and drums in a big band chart in order to better hear how his part fits with the other horns. Intelligent Accompaniment is not available for use with ensemble files, and notation cannot be included. To create a SmartMusic ensemble file, see To create a new SmartMusic ensemble file.
• Solo with accompaniment: This is the format of the classic SmartMusic accompaniment file. It includes a solo line and any number of accompaniment staves. Intelligent accompaniment follows the soloist during the SmartMusic performance and the solo notation can be included for display in the SmartMusic interface. To create a Solo with Accompaniment, see To create a new SmartMusic Solo with Accompaniment.
• Solo assessment file generated from a Finale exercise: This is the same as a solo assessment file (described above), but generated from Finale’s Exercise Wizard. See To create a solo assessment file from a Finale exercise.

To create a solo assessment file without accompaniment 

1. Enter/edit the notation for the solo staff. There should be only one staff in the document. Some notation elements are not compatible with SmartMusic. In order to ensure compatibility, you can consult the SmartMusic Compatibility Guidelines. However, if there are any compatibility issues, Finale will check the file automatically and list conflicts as part of every SmartMusic Export procedure.
2. Add the Appropriate SmartMusic Performance Markers. SmartMusic Performance Markers such as pauses for fermatas are indicators used by SmartMusic to allow the soloist more control over the performance. They can also be used to display useful information to the soloist in the SmartMusic interface, such as a rehearsal letter. For information on adding SmartMusic Markers, see SmartMusic Performance Markers.
3. From the File Menu, choose Export to SmartMusic. The Export SmartMusic Accompaniment - Select File Type dialog box appears.
4. ChooseSolo and click Next. The Select Solo Staff dialog box appears. The instrument staff from the document already appears in the Solo Staff drop-down menu.
5. Click the drop-down menu for Corresponding Instrument (or closest match) in SmartMusic and choose the instrument that most closely resembles that of the solo part. SmartMusic uses advanced pitch recognition technology to follow the solo performance. Since each instrument produces its own signature wave form, SmartMusic must know what type of instrument it will be following in order to ensure the most accurate response.
6. Click Next. The File Information dialog box appears.
7. Confirm the Title, Composer, and Copyright and click Finish. Finale automatically populates this dialog box with information from the File Info dialog box. After you click Finish, Finale checks the file for compatibility with SmartMusic. If there are any notation elements that SmartMusic does not accommodate, you will see the SmartMusic File Compatibility dialog box. If not, you will see the Save SmartMusic Export File As dialog box (and can skip the next step).

Changes to the title, composer, and copyright made here do not apply to the Finale file in any way. This information is stored for the SmartMusic Accompaniment separately.

8. Click each conflict to view a description on the right side of this dialog box. Click Edit to restore focus to the document where you can resolve these conflicts on the fly. Then click Check Again to confirm they have been resolved. See SmartMusic File Compatibility dialog box. When you have resolved the conflicts, click Done to return to the score. Then, from the File Menu, choose Export to SmartMusic to complete the saving process.

Finale allows you to save the SmartMusic Accompaniment without resolving all conflicts. Review the SmartMusic Compatibility Guidelines or the description on the right side of this dialog box for details regarding the effects of each conflict.

9. Name the file, choose a location, and click Save to save the SmartMusic Accompaniment. You can now open SmartMusic and open the ensemble accompaniment file you've just saved.

To create a solo assessment file with accompaniment

If you want to take advantage of SmartMusic’s assessment feature (which is capable of evaluating a live performance for accuracy) and wish to include accompaniment during SmartMusic’s assessment, do the following.

1. Enter/edit the notation for the solo and accompaniment staves. Some notation elements are not compatible with SmartMusic. In order to ensure compatibility, you can consult the SmartMusic Compatibility Guidelines. However, if there are any compatibility issues, Finale will check the file automatically and list conflicts as part of every SmartMusic Export procedure.
2. Add the Appropriate SmartMusic Performance Markers. SmartMusic Performance Markers such as pauses for fermatas are indicators used by SmartMusic to allow the soloist more control over the performance. They can also be used to display useful information to the soloist in the SmartMusic interface, such as a rehearsal letter. For information on adding SmartMusic Markers, see SmartMusic Performance Markers.
3. When you are ready to save the accompaniment, from the File Menu, choose Export to SmartMusic. The Export SmartMusic Accompaniment - Select File Type dialog box appears.
4. Choose Assessment, and click Next. The Select Staves page appears. This page displays all of the parts in the document.
5. Check all the parts you wish to assess. Then, ensure the appropriate corresponding instrument is selected for each part in the drop-down menu below. Choose as many parts as you like. You can select which one you would like to assess in SmartMusic later.  

Use the drop-down menu to make sure the Finale Part is assigned to the appropriate SmartMusic instrument. Finale draws information for SmartMusic Accompaniments from the linked part definition. To change the properties of a part, such as the name or staff assignment, click the Manage Parts button. See Manage Parts dialog box.

6. Click Next. The Select Accompaniment Staves page appears.
7. Check all parts you wish to include in the accompaniment. SmartMusic will mute the solo staff automatically during the performance.
8. Click Next. The File Information Page appears.
9. Confirm the Title, Composer, and Copyright and click Finish. Finale automatically populates this dialog box with information from theFile Info dialog box. After you click Finish, Finale checks the file for compatibility with SmartMusic. If there are any notation elements that SmartMusic does not accommodate, you will see the SmartMusic File Compatibility dialog box. If not, you will see the Save SmartMusic Export File As dialog box (and can skip the next step).

Changes to the title, composer, and copyright made here do not apply to the Finale file in any way. This information is stored for the SmartMusic Accompaniment separately.

10. Click each conflict to view a description on the right side of this dialog box. Click Edit to restore focus to the document where you can resolve these conflicts on the fly. Then click Check Again to confirm they have been resolved. See SmartMusic File Compatibility dialog box. When you have resolved all conflicts, click Done to return to the score. Then, from the File Menu, choose Export to SmartMusic to complete the saving process.

Finale allows you to save the SmartMusic Accompaniment without resolving all conflicts. Review the SmartMusic Compatibility Guidelines or the description on the right side of this dialog box for details regarding the effects of each conflict.

11. Name the file, choose a location, and click Save to save the SmartMusic Accompaniment. You can now open SmartMusic and open the assessable .SMP accompaniment file you've just saved.

To create a new SmartMusic ensemble file

The steps in this section explain how to create an ensemble file for use with SmartMusic. Ensemble files are not capable of utilizing SmartMusic’s Intelligent Accompaniment feature. However, you will be able to mute instruments from playback during the SmartMusic Performance. For example, a trombone player might mute the piano and drums in a big band chart in order to better hear how his part fits with the other horns.

1. Enter/edit the notation for the ensemble staves.

Note that you can also save a single-staff exercise as an assessable SmartMusic accompaniment. To create an exercise, see Exercise Wizard.

2. Add the Appropriate SmartMusic Performance Markers. SmartMusic Performance Markers such as pauses for fermatas are indicators used by SmartMusic to allow the soloist more control over the performance. They can also be used to display useful information to the soloist in the SmartMusic interface, such as a rehearsal letter. For information on adding SmartMusic Markers, see SmartMusic Performance Markers.
3. From the File Menu, choose Export to SmartMusic. The Select File Type page appears.
4. Choose Ensemble and click Next. The Select Accompaniment Staves dialog box appears.
5. Check all the staves you wish to include in the accompaniment. This is the music you will be playing along with in SmartMusic, and the parts you will be able to turn on and off in SmartMusic.

6. Click Next. The File Information dialog box appears.
7. Confirm the Title, Composer, and Copyright and click Finish. Finale automatically populates this dialog box with information from theFile Info dialog box.

Changes to the title, composer, and copyright made here do not apply to the Finale file in any way. This information is stored for the SmartMusic Accompaniment separately.

8. Name the file, choose a location, and click Save to save the SmartMusic Accompaniment. You can now open SmartMusic and open the ensemble accompaniment file you've just saved.

To create a new SmartMusic solo with accompaniment

The steps in this section explain how to create a SmartMusic solo with accompaniment capable of taking advantage of SmartMusic’s Intelligent Accompaniment feature. Alternative steps are required if you would like to create a solo with accompaniment that can be assessed and graded for accuracy by SmartMusic (see To create a solo assessment file with accompaniment). To create a standard SmartMusic solo with accompaniment, do the following:

1. Enter/edit the notation for the solo and accompaniment staves. Some notation elements are not compatible with SmartMusic. In order to ensure compatibility, you can consult the SmartMusic Compatibility Guidelines. However, if there are any compatibility issues, Finale will check the file automatically and list conflicts as part of every SmartMusic Export procedure.
2. Add the Appropriate SmartMusic Performance Markers. SmartMusic Performance Markers such as pauses for fermatas are indicators used by SmartMusic to allow the soloist more control over the performance. They can also be used to display useful information to the soloist in the SmartMusic interface, such as a rehearsal letter. For information on adding SmartMusic Markers, see SmartMusic Performance Markers.
3. When you are ready to save the accompaniment, from the File Menu, choose Export to SmartMusic. The Export SmartMusic Accompaniment - Select File Type dialog box appears.
4. Choose Solo. If you want to display the solo notation on-screen in SmartMusic, check Display Solo Notation.



5. Click Next. The Select Solo Staff page appears.
6. Click the drop-down menu under Solo Part and choose the instrument that will be performing this solo. Finale uses information from the linked part to generate the solo. Only single-staff parts can be used as solo parts. To change the properties of a part, click the Manage Parts button. See Manage Parts dialog box.
7. Click the drop-down menu for Corresponding Instrument (or closest match) in SmartMusic and choose the instrument that most closely resembles that of the solo part. SmartMusic uses advanced pitch recognition technology to follow the solo performance. Since each instrument produces its own signature wave form, SmartMusic must know what type of instrument it will be following in order to ensure the most accurate response.



8. Click Next. The Select Accompaniment Staves dialog box appears.
9. Check all the staves you wish to include in the accompaniment. This is the music you will be playing along with in SmartMusic.



10. Click next. The File Information page appears.
11. Confirm the Title, Composer, and Copyright and click Finish. Finale automatically populates this dialog box with information from the File Info dialog box. After you click Finish, Finale checks the file for compatibility with SmartMusic. If there are any notation elements that SmartMusic does not accommodate, you will see the SmartMusic File Compatibility dialog box. If not, you will see the Save SmartMusic Export File As dialog box (and can skip the next step).

Changes to the title, composer, and copyright made here do not apply to the Finale file in any way. This information is stored for the SmartMusic Accompaniment separately.

12. Click each conflict to view a description on the right side of this dialog box. Click Edit to restore focus to the document where you can resolve these conflicts on the fly. Then click Check Again to confirm they have been resolved. See SmartMusic File Compatibility dialog box. When you have resolved all conflicts, click Done to return to the score. Then, from the File Menu, choose Export to SmartMusic to complete the saving process.

Finale allows you to save the SmartMusic Accompaniment without resolving all conflicts. Review the SmartMusic Compatibility Guideline or the description on the right side of this dialog box for details regarding the effects of each conflict.

13. Name the file, choose a location, and click Save to save the SmartMusic Accompaniment. You can now open SmartMusic and open the .SMP accompaniment file you've just saved.

To create a solo assessment file from a Finale exercise

Use the Exercise Wizard to create a single-staff exercise. Then, follow the instructions under To create a solo assessment file without accompaniment to create the assessable Smartmusic Accompaniment.

To prepare a file for SmartMusic

A SmartMusic accompaniment file is essentially an enhanced MIDI file. Some of the tips below can help you prepare the best possible MIDI playback (in Finale or SmartMusic) as you notate the score. Other tips address the unique issues of the SmartMusic enhancements and limitations.

Tips for SmartMusic files

• Double-check the playback of the file. To hear how the music will sound in SmartMusic, playback the file using Finale’s SmartMusic SoundFont playback.
• Check the Instrument List to make sure none of the tracks are muted. See Instrument List.
• Remove extra or empty measures at the end of the file.
• Tempos should remain within a range of 20-240 beats per minute for best following.
• Ritards and accelerandos applied to the file will help the SmartMusic following create a smoother tempo change.
• Keep tempo changes conservative to allow the musician to create their own interpretation and provide a smoother following of tempo nuances for the Intelligent Accompanist.
• No Controllers except Volume (#7), Sustain (#64), Room Select (#12), Reverb (#91) and Pitch Bend are allowed. See Continuous data.
• Finale and SmartMusic understand transposing instruments and will adjust accordingly. If you wish to double-check the sounding or concert pitch, use Display in Concert Pitch in the Document Menu.
• If you intend to use Intelligent Accompaniment, you must have at least 2 staves when saving a SmartMusic Public file from Finale: one staff for the solo or melody line and one staff for the accompaniment.

General tips for MIDI Files

• You may want to record all tracks by performing them into Finale using HyperScribe or a sequencer and avoid step-entering notes. Performing tracks adds human variation to velocities, durations and note placement which creates a more natural sounding accompaniment. To achieve a similar effect, enable Human Playback (available in the Playback Settings dialog box).
• If you’re importing a MIDI file into Finale, make sure you save it as MIDI Type 1 (tracks become staves), so that all of the channels or tracks are separate.
• When importing a MIDI file, preserve as much of the MIDI information as possible by checking Include Tempo Changes and Continuous Data. See also To import a MIDI file.
• Check your Playback/Record Options. Make sure the four Play Recorded checkboxes are checked. If you enable Human Playback, set up the HP Preferences to incorporate all of the User MIDI Data. See Playback/Record Options dialog box.
• Check the tempo playback. Many things can affect the tempo in Finale. Start with the base tempo in the expanded. See Playback Settings dialog box, Expression Designer dialog box and Tempo Tool.

Assigning Instruments for SmartMusic Accompaniments

To assign playback instruments (that will playback using SoundFonts), SmartMusic looks to the instrument assigned to each staff. It is particularly important to review the instrument assigned to each staff if you are generating a SmartMusic Accompaniment from an existing Finale file, and if the file was setup for playback with a MIDI device other than Finale’s SmartMusic SoftSynth. Remember, Finale playback with SmartMusic Softsynth chosen as the MIDI Out device in the MIDI Setup dialog box will match playback of the .SMP accompaniment file when performed by SmartMusic.

1. From the Window Menu, choose Instrument List.
2. Under the Instrument column, click the drop-down menu for a staff and choose New Instrument (at the top of the list). The Instrument Definition dialog box appears. Note the channels that are currently defined.
3. In the Instrument Name text box, enter an instrument name. This is the name that will appear in SmartMusic.
4. Ensure the channel is set to one not used by any other staff.
5. Click OK. You return to the Instrument List.
6. Assign a new instrument for each of the remaining staves. Make sure to choose New Instrument from the drop-down menu for each staff to enter each part name and set a unique channel for each.

When you have finished assigning instruments, be sure to play the file to review your changes before saving.