by Justin Webb

Created on: January 10, 2007   Last Updated: April 08, 2007

There are many alternatives out there when selecting a music notation program to use, from Sibelius to Finale, and they all vary with levels of complexity.

My personal choice is Finale. While it is not the most complex notation software available, it is nonetheless incredibly reliable and its capabilities are adequate for most students and professional songwriters and composers alike. One of the best features on the newest versions of finale is the real instrument database-when you notate a score, the playback features REAL instrument sounds (as opposed to a MIDI generated sound). This was made possible by recording every note in real life, and then generating it to the soundboard; the result is a remarkable quality, one that gives each piece of music put into the program new life. It is much more satisfying to hear the real instrumentation, I think.

They also have a basic, watered down program that first-time users or many high-school theory students use, called Finale Notepad. It can be acquired through Finale's website for FREE! (The regular version costs 300-400 dollars.)

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