Tips Archives - Scoring Notes

Asked and answered, part 1

You asked, we answered! The first of a multi-part episode in which we respond to listener questions and dispense solicited (and unsolicited) advice about music notation software and related technology.

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People

The rights stuff, with Jim Kendrick

April 18, 2023April 29, 2023

You may know all about writing music. But what about your rights and music? Attorney and music publisher Jim Kendrick expertly steers us through the intersection of creativity, copyright, and technology. A transcript of one of our most informative podcast episodes.

News

Pedals, Pitches, and Pixels: MOLA harp notation webinar

April 14, 2023April 19, 2023

MOLA presented a webinar called Pedals, Pitches, and Pixels: An Introduction to Harp Notation. This session was jam-packed with resources about writing for the harp and how to get results in the software, with information from top players, librarians, and music preparers.

Podcast

(Re)learning how to use music notation software

April 1, 2023April 6, 2023

The concept of music notation software is easy to understand, but the devil is in the details. We revisit our original discussion about some key learning philosophies. along with an update about what we’ve learned about learning since then.

Tips

RGP Lua is a powerful plug-in for Finale

March 9, 2023March 16, 2023

Finale has long been at its most powerful when combined with third-party tools. If you have basic coding skills and have ever wished you could automate Finale yourself, check out RGP Lua, a free plug-in that uses Lua scripts to interact with Finale documents.

Podcast

How we don’t use music notation software (but do use related technology)

March 4, 2023March 9, 2023

Sometimes music notation software is perfect for the job, but other times, it’s the related technology that’s better suited to the task. Fortunately, we cover both sides of the equation on Scoring Notes.

Tips

An easy upgrade: Using a portable display with a laptop

February 8, 2023February 15, 2023

Real estate is valuable, and that’s true with digital real estate. Adding a second portable display is easier and cheaper than you might think, and is a good investment in your productivity when working with music notation, or any software.

Tips

Heads up: Page numbers and headers

January 31, 2023February 4, 2023

In music scores and parts, page numbers and headers are some of the most underappreciated and overlooked elements of what appears on the page. When you stop to think about it, it’s no mystery why that’s the case.

Tips

Using Dorico’s flows and condensing features to prepare Handel’s Messiah

January 5, 2023January 11, 2023

How many versions of Handel’s Messiah are there? It’s hard to say, but by using Dorico’s flows and condensing features, it’s possible to prepare a version to suit your particular performance.

Tips

Create a part with an alternate transposition in Dorico

November 2, 2022November 10, 2022

Need to make a clarinet part in a different transposition than the original part? Or a treble clef baritone part linked to the bass clef euphonium part? Here are the step-by-step instructions to set it all up in Dorico.

Podcast

Tricks and treats [encore]

October 29, 2022November 2, 2022

To celebrate Halloween, we’re looking at scary things we see in the music notation software and score preparation process, and see if we can sweeten the experience with some tricks and treats.