For several years, software dedicated to musical notation has reached a level of sophistication that allows the creation of even complex scores with regard to particular indications or any type of ensemble.
This allowed composers and arrangers a decisive saving of "amanuensis" effort considering that today it is possible, to all intents and purposes, to abandon dear and nostalgic handwriting in favor of direct production of their works in digital version.
In the field of software dedicated to music notation, two giants dominate: Sibelius e Final, produced respectively by Avid e make music. Around them gravitates a constellation of related software (some free and open source) such as MuseScore, Doric, lilypond, etc. Needless to say, I will not enter the sterile controversy over which of these software mentioned is the best.
As I have previously written in other similar reviews I believe that it never exists il best software ever but the best software for the precise needs of the user. Naturally, Finale has established itself on the market for years, becoming a sort of "standard" in the sector in many environments.
It is a complex software that contemplates the possibility of generating even very “daring” scores, so much so that it can be difficult, at times, to orient oneself among the many functions. In these cases, untangling the folds of user manuals can become frustrating, so an operational guide like this written by Bornaghi is proposed as a "Swiss army knife" for each production requirement.
The author Beppe Bornaghi is national manager of Midimusic Educational and Final Italy, has held courses and masterclasses in music technologies for students and teachers in many music schools throughout the country. The book has a practical and immediate approach, divided into sections and accompanied by dozens of video examples on the topics covered, available online with restricted access. The guide brings together all the fundamental functions common to all versions of Finale. Therefore it can also be used by users of Final 2014, The final 25, The final 26 and later.
The book is really aimed at all users: students, teachers, composers, arrangers or simple enthusiasts and aims to explain the most common functions of the software with practical examples. For each function the steps to follow are explained analytically, accompanied by relative screenshots, thus making the procedures immediate. In some ways, the guide's approach is somewhat reminiscent of the famous series of manuals “for dummies” in which a pragmatic approach typical of Anglo-American teaching is used. Therefore each topic is explained schematically, exhausting itself in the space of a page. The guide can be consulted in the classic way from start to finish by scrolling through the various chapters, in which case a linear and progressive learning of the software is obtained. Another way to use the guide is to think of it as a handbook to go directly to the explanation of the desired function. With the initial visual index it is possible to quickly locate the desired element and go to the page with its explanation. Overall a book useful and practical, perhaps an introductory paragraph for each section would be desirable, but it is still a comfortable and handy guide for users of Finale.
Useful Information
Final Operation Guide: Curci Publisher
Price: € 21,00
