Need to Know Notation with Kathy Maskell and Shana Kirk National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy August 1, 2007
Kathy Maskell Kathy Maskell is owner, artistic director and piano instructor at MusicWorks, Inc., a multiteacher studio in Tewksbury, MA. Kathy is currently immediate past president of Massachusetts Music Teachers Association and a member of the American Guild of Organists and the Tewksbury Business Association. Kathy recently retired from her position as organist at Old Cambridge Babtist Church, Harvard Square. Kathy regularly uses notation software for arranging church music and original works, as well as for preparing student materials Visit Kathy s studio website at www.musicworks-studio.com
Shana Kirk Shana Kirk got her start with music technology as the first student in her college music program to turn in theory homework using Finale (version 2.5.1 in 1990!). Shana is also active as a writer, with music and music-technology based articles appearing in such publications as Keyboard Companion and American Music Teacher. Shana has toured nationally as a performer and clinician for the Yamaha Corporation of America since 2000, and in 2002, Shana also joined the creative team at Time Warp Technologies, the makers of HomeConcert Xtreme score-following software. Shana s most recent work with notation software included creating the scores for all the theory tests in Colorado State Music Teachers Association s Achievement Day program.
What do you really NEED to do with your notation software? Create technique or exercise sheets Make worksheets and quizzes Print your or your students compositions
Getting Started Configure your studio so that everything speaks to each other: computers, keyboards, other modules. Finale: Use the MIDI Setup menu Sibelius: Preferences: Input Select
Creating a Document For whole pages of music, use a template or wizard to get the right staff, instrumentation, etc. For worksheets Sibelius also offers worksheet creator
Getting Your Music onto the Page Simple note entry (does not require MIDI keyboard) Step entry (one note or chord at a time) Best for simple compositions, exercises Requires little or no editing Real-time entry MUST be able to play to a metronome Set a split point for a Grand Staff score Often requires cleaning up (Scan to score)
Simple Note Entry (Finale) Click on note value Click note placement on the score Use arrows or mouse to advance to new measure
Step Entry (Sibelius) Select rest Type N Choose value on keypad Play until note value changes OR Alphabetical input
Speedy Entry (Finale) For single-note entry with a MIDI keyboard Play the desired note or chord on keyboard Choose numbers on QWERTY keyboard to select rhythmic value Press number key with no note for the equivalent rest
Entering Notes with Speedy Note 1=64th 2=32nd 3=16th 4=quarter 5=half 6=whole Etc
Real Time Entry (Sibelius) Flexi-time Select bar (Light blue box) Set metronome in playback Click record Play away Tap spacebar to stop
Real Time Entry (Finale) Hyperscribe Select bar (box around selected bar) Set metronome in playback Click record Play away Click the stop button to stop
Fine Tuning (Sibelius) Dynamics Ctrl+E; type mp Page breaks Layout menu Meter Changes Create Menu Key Changes Create menu
Fine Tuning (Finale) Expressive markings Choose expression tool from the toolbox Select a dynamic marking, expression, etc. Page breaks Page Layout tool allows unlimited placement of staves Meter Changes Choose Signature tool, then specify the length of the change (only for a certain range of measures, etc.) Key Changes Key Signature tool, then specify range of measures
Worksheets (Sibelius) Music tests, quizzes
Worksheets (Finale) Must use exported graphics in a word processing or other document Use the Graphics Tool for musical examples Double-click and drag for the area you want to export Choose characters from the music fonts in ordinary word processing
Applications
Resources Finale, Allegro, PrintMusic, and Notepad demos and downloads at www.makemusic.com Sibelius demos and downloads at www.sibelius.com