Finale (R)

[Zevy]

Finale, the well known notation software, has announced its imminent demise. I have used this program for many accordion arrangements as well as for lead sheets.
I am waiting to see what my fellow Finale users will do. Does anyone else on this forum use this program?

 

[Alan Sharkis]

I never used Finale because I found it awkward. I did use Sibelius until Musescore 4 (Now Musescore Studio) was released. Musescore handles anything I throw at it, and unlike most notation software, it's free. Finale's president recommends Dorico, but it's my feeling that many musicians are going to Musescore instead.

 

[Jibberin]

I’ve always found Finale ok to use but it’s just a case of learning a new system. I presume it will carry on ok until your pc gives up the ghost. Not sure how to access the stored music if there is a problem with the computer or the software. It would be disappointing if all the work in writing out tunes were lost.

 

[JeffJetton]

I started out on Finale ages ago, but wound up switching to the Sibelius.

That lasted until I discovered MuseScore back in 2012 or so, and I've been using it ever since.

 

[murathan]

I have worked on Finale before. Musescore became my favorite. Easy to use and now have much abilities. Its free too.
https://musescore.org/

 

[Jibberin]

Is it possible to transfer finale files into musescore?

 

[murathan]

Is it possible to transfer finale files into musescore?

No

 

[Rosie C]

Is it possible to transfer finale files into musescore?

Not directly, but if you can export from Finale as music XML or MIDI then you can import with MuseScore.

I used to use Finale, then changed to MuseScore 3. For my university course they made us use Dorico which I thought was awful. But for my own work I use Musescore 4 and find it very good - all my music is in MuseScore, including orchestral arrangements for our community orchestra.

 

[debra]

Never used Finale. I started out with Score (on PC with MS-DOS, anyone remember that?), then moved on to Capella, then to Musescore.
I started out with Musescore 2, then moved to Musescore 3 without too much effort. I have tried Musescore 4 a few times already and each time I gave up because there are still too many things it simply does wrong. So I am still making arrangements using Musescore 3.

 

[Siegmund]

My first experience with Finale was so bad I haven't touched it again since.

I personally used first Mozart and then Lilypond, and am quite happy with Lilypond, except for the sound mockups; only the Big Three interface with NotePerformer. Musescore and Lilypond people are stuck finding their own soundfonts, and either spending a lot of time editing mockups in a DAW or living with subpar mockups. (I do the latter. I want to write and play, not sit with the software forever.)

Now, as it happens, Dorico is half price for the next month. Sibelius and Dorico have always been out of my budget... but I am very tempted by half-price Dorico. ($300 instead of $600, for a permanent, or at least "until the company goes bankrupt", license.)

Anybody have firsthand experience with trying accordion music in Dorico? As of 2020 it wasn't supported but they've rolled out two new versions since then.

 

[Zevy]

My first experience with Finale was so bad I haven't touched it again since.

I personally used first Mozart and then Lilypond, and am quite happy with Lilypond, except for the sound mockups; only the Big Three interface with NotePerformer. Musescore and Lilypond people are stuck finding their own soundfonts, and either spending a lot of time editing mockups in a DAW or living with subpar mockups. (I do the latter. I want to write and play, not sit with the software forever.)

Now, as it happens, Dorico is half price for the next month. Sibelius and Dorico have always been out of my budget... but I am very tempted by half-price Dorico. ($300 instead of $600, for a permanent, or at least "until the company goes bankrupt", license.)

Anybody have firsthand experience with trying accordion music in Dorico? As of 2020 it wasn't supported but they've rolled out two new versions since then.

I cannot say that I am an expert in Finale; I’m far from it. However, I have made many accordion arrangements and transcriptions with it. No program has special features for accordion. There are a few things that one must tweak for accordion music. The most obvious is the creation of accordion register switch symbols.
I just downloaded MuseScore (free) and loaded an existing accordion arrangement into it. The initial result was horrible.
There is an offer to buy Dorico for existing Finale users for a reduced price of $149. I am tempted to buy it.

 

[JeffJetton]

The most obvious is the creation of accordion register switch symbols.

FWIW, MuseScore has common register switch symbols built-in. They're not on the Palettes section by default (unsurprisingly), but it's just a few clicks to have them show up there.

 

[ColoRodney]

Finale has a "batch convert to XML" feature that I expect I'll be getting very good at one of these months. Point it to a folder full of Finale files, and it will create an XML version of every Finale file in that folder. One of the many things I like about Finale is the way it transposes chords when you transpose a piece, which is why I expect LilyPond is not going to do it for me. I'll check MuseScore and Dorico.

 

[Alan Sharkis]

No

If Finale exports files as XML files, then Musescore can import them. But, that’s where the work begins. Importing XML means that a lot of editing lies ahead. Some elements, typically dynamic markings, may be lost or misplaced, and a lot of reformatting will have to be done. But that’s typical any time an XML transfer from one notation program to another is done.

What about a MIDI file export-import? That could be even worse.

So, while Murathan says, “No,” to the question, I’m going to say that it’s a very qualified no.

 

[Alan Sharkis]

Finale has a "batch convert to XML" feature that I expect I'll be getting very good at one of these months. Point it to a folder full of Finale files, and it will create an XML version of every Finale file in that folder. One of the many things I like about Finale is the way it transposes chords when you transpose a piece, which is why I expect LilyPond is not going to do it for me. I'll check MuseScore and Dorico.

Many people on FB have expressed a desire for Dorico to provide a facility in Dorico to open Finale files. So far, no comment from Steinberg.

Others have expressed a wish for Finale to become open source. I can’t understand how that will help in the short run. Finale’s code by now must be crazy-long and spaghetti-like. And, of course, as a commercial product, it’s unlikely that releasing the product as open source will occur.

 

[Alan Sharkis]

FWIW, MuseScore has common register switch symbols built-in. They're not on the Palettes section by default (unsurprisingly), but it's just a few clicks to have them show up there.

I’m glad you pointed that out, Jeff. There’s so much to Musescore 4 that’s not immediately obvious.

For example, fingering notation is in a small, fixed font. Compared to notation on the staff, it can be hard to read. But there’s a plug-in that allows any fixed-font text in Musescore to be converted to text that can be re-sized as needed.

Mark Sabatella has created a video-based course on Musescore 4 that, for $70 American, is a great asset. I have no connection to it other than that I’ve used it. Considering that Musescore itself is free, I have no reservations about mentioning his course.

I cannot say that I am an expert in Finale; I’m far from it. However, I have made many accordion arrangements and transcriptions with it. No program has special features for accordion. There are a few things that one must tweak for accordion music. The most obvious is the creation of accordion register switch symbols.
I just downloaded MuseScore (free) and loaded an existing accordion arrangement into it. The initial result was horrible.
There is an offer to buy Dorico for existing Finale users for a reduced price of $149. I am tempted to buy it.

 

[Zevy]

FWIW, MuseScore has common register switch symbols built-in. They're not on the Palettes section by default (unsurprisingly), but it's just a few clicks to have them show up there.

Nice!

 

[debra]

Finale has a "batch convert to XML" feature that I expect I'll be getting very good at one of these months. Point it to a folder full of Finale files, and it will create an XML version of every Finale file in that folder. One of the many things I like about Finale is the way it transposes chords when you transpose a piece, which is why I expect LilyPond is not going to do it for me. I'll check MuseScore and Dorico.

Careful with MuseScore if you want to transpose songs. Works find if you only have a score, but if you have a score and parts then in some cases a few notes in the parts are not transposed correctly. (When you do playback they play correctly, but when you look at the written notes they are wrong. At least that's with MuseScore 3...

 

[JeffJetton]

I’m glad you pointed that out, Jeff. There’s so much to Musescore 4 that’s not immediately obvious.

You're welcome! Although, like Paul, I'm still on MuseScore 3.

For example, fingering notation is in a small, fixed font. Compared to notation on the staff, it can be hard to read.

Not sure if they changed this in 4, but in 3, you can go to Format -> Style... -> Text Styles -> Fingering to adjust it.

Similar process for changing any of the default sizes and/or positions. For example, I use Text Styles -> Chord Symbol sometimes to bring the chords closer to the staff, when the RH part doesn't go up that high in the piece and it winds up looking like there's too much space.

 

[Alan Sharkis]

Musescore is lacking in accordion sounds. It has a built-in soundfont that’s barely OK for accordion sounds on playback. It does, however, accept some virtual sounds.

Musescore now comes with Muse Hub, a facility which gets downloaded first, if you wish, but contains many sound packages that have a decent quality. Some are free. Once you download and install Muse Hub, you can download and install Musescore, Audacity, and other sound apps and packages from within Muse Hub. Unfortunately, there isn’t a sound package for accordion or other free reed instruments — yet.

Once inside Musescore, each staff becomes a ‘track’ in the mixer, and each track can be assigned to a sound from Musescore’s built-in soundfont, or from one of Muse Hub’s instrument packages (assuming you’ve downloaded it,) or another virtual instrument (again, assuming you’ve downloaded that.)

I’ve found a few things that might help. One of the problems with using that built-in accordion soundfont is that treble and bass play back at the same volume. That problem has been solved in version 4.4. It’s now possible to select separate dynamic markings in each staff of a grand staff: for example, mf in the treble and p in the bass, and it will play back that way. Or, you could use the mixer. Or, if you spell out the chords, you could put staccato marks under them and hide the marks. (By the way, if you use a Roland accordion as an input device, there’s a method to get AAA bass notation and have it play back correctly, but that’s too complicated to post here.)

In the meantime, I’m going to lobby the Muse Hub people to create a free sound package for free reed instruments.