How to Use Quick Note Entry on Finale
With the advent of the computer and the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) keyboard, the work of composing music has been made much easier and more productive than ever before. Coda Music Technology Inc.’s software program, Finale, is the one most composers, arrangers and copyists use to produce not only a good-sounding product, but also one that is print ready. One of the easiest and quickest methods for entering notes into Finale is the Speedy Entry Feature.
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Things You'll Need
- Finale software
- MIDI keyboard
- MIDI interface (most new keyboards are USB-compatible)
Instructions
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1
Open your Finale program by double-clicking on the Finale icon in your Applications folder.
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2
Click on “File” in your menu bar, scroll to “New document” and select the method you wish to use to set up your document.
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3
Select the Speedy Entry icon in the main tool palette. The Speedy note looks like an eighth note with racing stripes.
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Play the first note you wish to enter on your keyboard, and press the computer number that corresponds to the type of note you wish to enter. The numeral 7 key equals a whole note, 6 is a half note, 5 is a quarter note, 4 is an eighth note, 3 is a sixteenth note, 2 is a thirty-second note and 1 is a sixty-fourth note.
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5
Use the Number 9 key to change a note to its enharmonic equivalent, and use the “equal” key to make a tied note.
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6
Flip note stems by using the letter “L” key, and connect or disconnect flags by using the “/” key.
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Form chords by playing multiple notes on the keyboard and clicking the correct number key for the note's duration.
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8
Enter rests by pressing the number key that represents that note value.
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Tips & Warnings
If you need to enter many notes of a particular duration, press the “cap lock” key on your computer keyboard and then press the number key that corresponds to the duration of the notes you wish to enter. Then play the notes on your MIDI keyboard, and they will appear in your score.
Make sure the “Jump to next measure” feature is checked under “Speedy” in your Finale menu bar.
