In these topics, you’ll learn how to start putting Finale to work right away. From installing the software, to entering music, to printing the score, and everything in between, we’ll cover all the basics you need to know to get up and running fast.
Learning Finale won’t be difficult. Though the program offers hundreds of features and options, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with ignoring the ones you’ll never use. Don’t have a MIDI instrument? Then skip those sections of the book. Don’t plan to use guitar fretboards? Then don’t bother learning that feature. You may need some of the other options another day—or never, depending on the kind of music you want to create; that’s perfectly OK. To help you get a jump start, we’ve divided Tutorial 1 into separate entry methods. If you don’t have a MIDI keyboard, you can skip Tutorial 1b and 1c. After reading chapter 1a, if you feel comfortable using Simple Entry as your primary entry method, skip tutorial 1b.
Be sure to look at the Read Me file, which the Finale Installer copies to your hard disk and installs in the Finale 2011 folder. This document contains important information about Finale. Also, the printed Finale 2011 Quick Reference Guide that accompanied your Finale purchase is a great way to reference the basic essentials when you don't have time to read through one of these more comprehensive and explanatory tutorials.
Throughout these tutorials, you will be asked to open accompanying Finale "Tutorial" documents. To access these documents, from the File menu, choose Open and double-click the "Tutorials" shortcut. If you have navigated away from the default "Finale Files" folder, a different folder may appear when you choose File > Open. If this is the case, access the Tutorial documents by navigating to the Finale 2011/Music Files/Tutorials folder. (To find the exact path for your operating system, see Finale Installation Details.)
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