At 6:45 PM -0500 9/23/02, Noel Stoutenburg wrote: >Christopher BJ Smith wrote: > > > Hmm, doing the lyrics last might be an example of changing one's work >> habits to suit the computer. Often when I am composing to a given set >> of lyrics, I set the lyrics in the measures first, then the rhythms, >> then the noteheads. I can't do this in Finale, as the lyrics always >> have to come AFTER the entries. > >Sorry to be so pedantic, but the lyrics don't have to come after _THE_ >entries, just after SOME_ entries, so you could define a blank system to >have a meter signature of 1 / 1, run the "convert to real whole notes" >plug in, change the meter to 20 / 1, selecting "rebar music", and type in >your lyrics, assigning the each syllable of the lyrics to a whole rest, >then convert the rests to the rhythms you uncover in the text by >changing the duration of each rest, and finally add the pitches. > >Don't forget to save often. > >ns
Not a bad idea, and I hate to shoot down an excellent suggestion, but there are some other problems with that. First of all, it takes several more operations to accomplish what you suggest, while doing it all "Finale's way" from a pencil copy is more efficient. Changing rests to notes takes an extra keystroke for every note, which can add up over the course of a whole piece. Second of all, (and nothing anyone can do will be able to change this part) when I am working with the computer I tend to be in "editor mode", thinking about the computer and how to communicate with it, instead of thinking about the music. With a pencil I am so comfortable now after 20 or more years that the difference between the idea and the mark on the paper is as small as it is possible to be, whereas with the computer a portion of my brain's CPU is taken up with operating the computer, and I tend to think that making the music look good is the same as making it sound good. It may sound as if I am taking back my original statement; if I never have the intention of working that way, why criticize the fact that I can't? The answer is that I know others compose and arrange directly into Finale, and they probably have modified or developed their modus operandi to make writing directly into Finale as painless as possible. But they will never be able to add an articulation in Finale as easily as I do with a pencil, whenever it occurs to me. One has to change tools, select the proper marking, etc, which is several operations more than 'dot' with a pencil when I want to remember that I need that note short. Obviously, I pay for it by needing to mark each and every one manually, whereas if I wait for the editing stage in Finale I can add them all at once in every part that needs it, with much less effort. It isn't JUST the lyrics, it's everything about Finale that keeps me from arranging directly into it. It isn't like typing, where I can type without capitals, punctuation, or paying attention to grammar and spelling and clean it all up afterwards. What I enter into Finale is relatively difficult to edit if I don't enter it correctly the FIRST time, so I make sure I know exactly what I'm doing BEFORE I sit down at the computer. _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
