As professional music copyists, we are
always trying to find ways to improve our performance. Our
performance is mostly indicated by two major features - Accuracy &
Speed! Express Music has developed an extraction process that works
very well for both.
This process was originally developed
for use with Finale 97 and even though Finale has improved its automated
extraction process in Finale 2000 & 2001, we still use ours. I
have remarked in past articles that you just can't quantify a good layout,
there are just too many variables, and if you can't quantify then you
can't program. Too much of a good layout depends on a copyist eye
combined with the constraints of what you are copying for. How I lay
something out for a recording session can be greatly different than how I
would lay out something for a publisher.
Ashley Wells initiated this process
within our group, I have no idea where he got it from. He is
constantly visiting Finale sites and is a member of several list-serves so
perhaps he got a hint of it there and then put in his own
modifications. I do it slightly different but the principle is still
the same.
The process that I will describe below
is the bare bones basic process. You can use this as long as the
part doesn't have any peculiar anomalies, such as clef changes or if you
have checked any of the independent boxes in your staff attributes (key
signature, time signature, independent note font).
In addition, it is critical how you
enter the information into the score prior to extraction. The most
important thing is that you understand the logic behind Staff Expressions
(note attached expressions and Score Expressions (measure attached
expressions). You must also understand when you should and should
not use the Text tool.
Score Expressions
You should only use Score expressions
when you are entering something that applies to every part in the score
(hence the name). Tempo changes, style information, anything
relative to meter, etc...
You should NOT use it for
dynamics! This is very important. It is very tempting when you
are creating a score to just use the score expression to deliver the
dynamics to a whole group (Finale even has its fancy little group
assignment programming) but the problem with this is that you will not
then be able to adjust the impressions individually (important for
cleaning up the score) nor will you be able to paste them using the Control
C, Control V ( <ctrl+c> <ctrl+v> ) method.
A note about the Text Tool - you
should avoid using it for anything but page title information. If
you use it in page view it is attached to the page, regardless of how you
adjust your layout and if you use it in scroll view it attaches to the
measure but it can't be adjusted in page view - therefore you have to
constantly go back and forth between page & scroll views to tweak the
placement of the text in page view.
Staff Expressions
Staff Expressions should be used for
everything particular to a part - dynamics, text notes (instrument
changes, solo or soli indications, etc...). It is important to know
that to do a paste using the Control C,
Control V ( <ctrl+c> <ctrl+v> ) method that only information
contained in the measure goes to the clipboard. This is critical to
understand for our extraction process.
Dynamics can easily be assigned a
quick key (macro) which will give you the application speed you need.
Once
you have set up your score properly you are ready to use our
process. Once you have extracted the first part it is basically a 10
step process that you must follow exactly every time you do
it. |