You are here: Finale Tutorials

Finale 2011 Installation and Tutorials

Thank you for choosing Finale! Finale is a powerful integrated program for music transcription, notation, playback, and publishing. Incorporating elements of a word processor, a graphics designer, a sequencer, and a page-layout program, Finale has all the power you need to create beautiful looking sheet music and a quality MIDI performance. Easier than ever to learn and use, this program has the potential to help you produce more music—both printed and played—faster and better than ever before.

Take a moment to look over the contents of your Finale package. It should include:

Installation and MIDI Setup for Macintosh

Skip Installation and MIDI Setup 

Next

 

About these tutorials

Authorizing/getting help

Installation for Macintosh

Preparing for Printing

Setting up your MIDI system

Configuring MIDI in OS X

Starting Finale

The MIDI Setup dialog box

How to learn Finale

Terminology

Simplified order of entry

Tutorial 1a: Simple Entry

Creating a new document with the Setup Wizard

Entering music with the Simple Entry Tool

Accidentals

Chords

Tuplets

Changing the key signature, time signature, and clef

Adding measures

Changing views

Saving your work

When you're ready to continue

Tutorial 1b: Speedy Entry

A word about MIDI

Creating a new document from a template

Speedy Entry

Editing with Speedy Entry

Working with chords

Accidentals

Tuplets

Inserting notes or rests

Entering music

Selecting several measures by shift-clicking

Copying music to off-screen

Deleting measures

Erasing music

More on Speedy Entry

Playback

Setting the initial tempo

When you're ready to continue

Tutorial 1c: HyperScribe

Introduction to HyperScribe

Creating a new Document Style

Click and countoff

Transcribing a scale (with a click)

Transcribing a melody (with a tap)

Recording audio

Setting the time signature and beaming patterns

Two-handed HyperScribing

When you're ready to continue

Tutorial 2: Adding Details

Changing the key

Changing the time signature

Entering lyrics: Type Into Score

Entering lyrics: Click Assignment

Assigning lyrics

Adding a second verse

The Repeat Tool

Chord symbols

Working with inner voices: Layers

When you're ready to continue

Tutorial 3: Articulations and Expressions

Basic articulations and expressions

Adding a slur

Selection Tool

Metatools: Putting in many articulations

Expressions: Creating your own expressions

Working with expression categories

The "Nudge" keys

Markings that play back

Score Lists

Copying and pasting expressions

Using libraries

When you're ready to continue

Tutorial 4: Layout and Printing

Measure layout

Pickup measures

Spacing the music

Beat charts

The Page Layout Tool

Page breaks

Inserting or deleting systems

The Resize Tool

The Text Tool

The Graphics Tool

Printing basics

When you're ready to continue

Tutorial 5: Working with Scores and Parts

Setting clefs and staff names

Selecting partial measures; transposing a region

Hiding staves (Staff Sets)

Inserting staves

Transposing instruments

Staff Styles

Hiding empty staves

Linked parts

When you're ready to continue

Tutorial 6: Playback

Assigning MIDI channels and instruments

Using the Aria Player with Garritan instruments

Configuring Percussion Playback

The Mixer

Human Playback

Tapping a Tempo

The MIDI Tool

Creating a decrescendo

Editing key velocities

Editing note durations (start and stop times)

More uses for key velocities and note duration commands

Editing MIDI continuous data

Removing and copying MIDI tool data

Expressions: Defining playback

Creating an intelligent tempo marking

Creating swing playback

Syncing Finale to video

When you're ready to continue

Tutorial 7: Guitar Tab and Fretted Instruments

Creating guitar tablature

Copying music to and from a tab staff

Changing the string and fret number

Entering directly into a tab staff

Entering slides, bends, and tremolos

Hammer-ons, pull-offs, and other markings

Entry using a MIDI guitar

Hints and tips for tablature

Tutorial 8: Other Notation Topics

Special Tools Tool: Fancy beaming and stemming

The Shape Designer

Scanning music

Entering Percussion

When you're ready to continue

Making the Most of Finale

Document Styles

Working with templates

Saving new templates

Order of entry

Speed tip:Minimizing screen redraws

Using keyboard shortcuts

Macros

Links to the rest of the world

The next Finale

Garritan and HP Tutorial

Garritan Instrument Setup

Human Playback Preferences

Human Playback Style

Keyswitches

MIDI Channels, Garritan Instruments, and the Aria Player

Controllers

GPO, the Mixer, and Studio View

Ambience Reverb

Player Variations

Drums and Percussion

AU/VST Playback vs. MIDI Playback

Performance Tips

Jazz and Big Band

 

User Manual Home