HomeAboutContactArchivesLinksPrivacyNYC Music ServicesSubscribeCreate lead sheets in “The Real Book” style in Finale and Sibeliusby Philip Rothman on February 11, 2014 · 6 commentsin TipsA common convention in jazz and standard lead sheets produced in the style of The Real Book is to display the clef and key signature only at the beginning of the first system of the chart:This style likely was a result of a shortcut to eliminate the laborious task of hand-copying these markings onto each and every line. Even though modern scorewriters automate this task, some still prefer the style of the hand-copied charts. Indeed, even the authorized sixth edition of The Real Book, for which the music was set on computer, replicates this style.The wisdom of setting music in a way that arguably increases the likelihood of error is debatable, but should you wish to do so, here’s how in the two most common notation programs.Read the full article →{ 6 comments }A few bargains for the savvy Sibelius shopperby Philip Rothman on February 8, 2014 · 6 commentsin NewsThose contemplating upgrading to Sibelius 7.5 from Sibelius 6 or earlier, whether for its new features or for more practical reasons like file compatibility with others, might do well to look into some bargains being offered online at the moment.If you are currently using Sibelius 6 or earlier, you can buy Sibelius 7 now and receive a complimentary upgrade to version 7.5 when it’s available.Buying the Sibelius 7 upgrade directly from Avid will cost $150, whether as a download or shippable box. The Sibelius 7.5 upgrade, when available, will also cost $150.But a quick check of four US authorized resellers revealed pricing in the $120 range:Amazon: $117B&H: $113Sweetwater: $120Tiger Direct: $119Who doesn’t like 20% off? You’ll have the added benefit of having both Sibelius 7 and Sibelius 7.5, should you need one or the other for a particular project.If you already have Sibelius 7, the upgrade to 7.5 will cost $50, presumably available as a download from Avid when the software is available later this month (Avid hasn’t yet given a precise date).I didn’t check other countries’ sites to see if similar pricing was available, but if you’re outside the US, feel free to post your findings in the comments.Disclosure: The links to Amazon.com are affiliated links. To learn more about that, please see our privacy policy, section 4(b).{ 6 comments }New Sibelius 7.5 video tutorial series availableby Philip Rothman on February 7, 2014 · 0 commentsin TutorialsAvid is creating a new video tutorial series to help users start working with Sibelius 7.5. Entitled, appropriately enough, “Get Started Fast with Avid Sibelius 7.5”, the five-part series is designed mostly for those new to Sibelius.Lesson 2 of the series, “Score setup and navigation”, was posted online yesterday. It includes a look at Sibelius 7.5’s new Timeline feature as well as more