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Finale 2012 Tutorials

Finale is an incredibly flexible 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 world-class audio 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.

In the following chapters, you’ll learn how to start putting Finale to work right away. From starting the score, to entering music, to printing, and everything in between, we’ll cover all the basics you need to know to get up and running fast. These tutorials elaborate on the Finale 2012 Quick Reference Guide, which accompanied your Finale purchase. As you get acquainted with Finale, use both of these resources to reference the basics. Then, after you develop a general understanding of Finale's framework, expand your knowledge as needed by referencing the comprehensive Finale User Manual.

These tutorials guide you through the production of a single score from start-to-finish in the order we recommend for most projects. We have provided accompanying Finale "Tutorial" score documents that have been prepared for each chapter in case you would like to review at a specific point. To access these documents, choose File > 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 2012/Music Files/Tutorials folder. (To find the exact path for your operating system, see Finale Installation Details.)

By the time you have completed these tutorials you will be prepared to tackle most simple projects and begin exploring Finale's vast collection of powerful features that make creating music fast, easy, and fun.

Thank you for choosing Finale, and best wishes with your music!

-Your friends at MakeMusic

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Tutorial 1: Getting started

Using the Setup Wizard

Finale Screen View

Navigating Your Music

Tutorial 2: Entering notes

Path 1 - Simple Entry without a MIDI keyboard

Path 2 - Playing-in music with HyperScribe

Making changes - editing with Simple Entry

Multiple voices - Layers

Tutorial 3: Auditioning your score

Tutorial 4: Editing your music

Working with instrument staves

The Selection tool

Key signatures, time Signatures, and clefs

Tutorial 5: Lyrics, chords, and repeats

Adding lyrics

Adding chord symbols

Adding repeats

Tutorial 6: Adding markings

Adding tempo markings and dynamics

Adding articulations

Adding slurs, hairpins and other shapes

Shortcuts

Tutorial 7: Formatting your music

Music spacing and measure layout

Working with staves and systems

Parts

Printing

Tutorial 8: Playback

Human Playback

The Garritan Sounds

Mixing

Tutorial 9: Percussion

Percussion basics

Percussion entry with MIDI

Using Percussion MIDI Maps

Tutorial 10: Guitar

Tablature

Guitar markings

Tutorial 11:Making the Most of Finale

Order of entry

Document Styles

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

 

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