Finale Tutorials
Intro to Finale Notation Software

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You are asked to:

• Complete tutorials 1-7 that Finale provides
• Submit as PDF's in a compressed (zipped) folder

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•On your lab Mac, open the Applications folder.

Make sure you are in the Finder, then go Shift Command A to open the Applications folder.

•In the Applications folder, find and open the Finale application.

You may want to drag the Finale icon into your Dock for easy future access.

As Finale opens, it will generally begin by opening the Launch window.

If the Launch window does not appear, you can always access it by going File > Launch Window.

You can use the Finale Launch window for several purposes, and typically you would use it to start a new project, or open an existing one. We will use it to access the Tutorials Finale provides. You can also access these tutorials any time using the link at the top of this page.

If you want to use Finale at home, Finale provides a 30-day full-use demo. It will still work after 30 days but you won't be able to print or save.

Check their website for prices. You may able to purchase Finale fairly cheaply as a college student, and there are other upgrade and crossgrade options..

For PC only (not Mac) Finale has a light version, PrintMusic, and a free version, NotePad. If you are on PC at home you might try NotePad, however, neither of these versions is recommended as they don't provide a high level of features.

One issue with Finale is versions--older versions of Finale may not be able to open files make by newer versions. If you have an older version at home and want to work both at home and in the lab, there are a couple of workarounds--check with your instructor as to how these might work for you.

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•In the Finale Launch Window, find the Learning Center section, the click Tutorial Guide to open the tutorials.

The tutorial window will open.

Notice that these tutorials open in a browser. If you are using a Mac, it will typically open in Safari. Make sure you are aware of which application is active by checking in the upper left corner of your screen.

•Read the instructions at the top of the page, then scroll down to the tutorial section and click Next to begin the tutorials.

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•For this project, complete the first seven of the Finale tutorials:

• Tutorial 1: Beginning a new project
• Tutorial 2: Entering notes
• Tutorial 3: Auditioning your score
• Tutorial 4: Editing your music
• Tutorial 5: Lyrics, chords, and repeats
• Tutorial 6: Adding markings
• Tutorial 7: Formatting your music

•As you complete each tutorial, create a PDF version of the resulting Finale project.

PDF files of sheet music are very handy--they can be shared by email, easilty taken to a copy shop, and used on tablets.

Most apps will let you make PDF's as part of the Print process, and on Macs you would simply choose Save as PDF before hitting the Print button. However Finale requires an extra step.

•When you've completed a tutorial, and are ready to create a PDF, in Finale, go File > Print to open the Print window.

One of the great features of Finale is the ability to create parts for individual instruments within the same file as the score. However, this requires that the user specify which item needs to be printed, hence this additional dialogue.

•In the Print window, make sure Score is checked and other boxes, if any, are unchecked.

•In the lower left corner of the Print window, click the PDF menu button.

•From the resulting menu, select Save as PDF.

•In the resulting window, name the file, and locate to your project folder, then click Save to save your PDF file.

It is a good idea to check your PDF file after creating it. Since you can't edit the PDF, if you find errors, you'd need to fix them in Finale and resave the file.

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Rather than submit multiple files to D2L, we want to submit a single item.

While D2L might accept a single folder containing multiple files, in some situations it's good to have a single file that you can email or link on your website for download.

•When the tutorials are complete, copy the PDF's your tutorial files into a single folder. Name the folder "Finale Tutorial Files" along with your name in the title.

•In the Finder, highlight the folder icon, then go File > Compress "folder name".

This will create a file with the same name as the folder, but with a .zip extension. This is a "data compressed" file. It may be slightly smaller in size than the folder it was made from, but it hasn't lost any data.

On a Mac, a .zip file be "unzipped" simply by double-clicking. For more info on .zip files, and unzipping on a PC, click here.

•Once you've created your .zip file, submit it to the appropriate Assignment folder in D2L.