Midi Keyboard Size

[Auskiwi]

Hi - this is my first post - I have been trawling through many topics learning lots of things about Finale that is making life a bit easier, so thanks everyone!

Briefly: I am a piano teacher and have recently been required to compose music for my kids' school's use... musicals and other performance works (essentially piano & vocal, although I would like to expand into pieces for the school band/orchestras).

I enjoy the work however, I am inputting via laptop keyboard (which includes a number pad - phew!), and although this has been good, I am trying to ascertain if using a midi keyboard is a more time-efficient method.

My queries are:
- Do people use midi keyboards for input efficiency with Finale (Yes - I realise that you can't just play in real-time and have it spit out the music in a way that someone else can read it, particularly for piano works), or do they find that the computer keyboard/number pad is more efficient?
- I have limited space on our computer desk where I do this work - would a short 25 note 'board be sufficient, or would something larger (ie. 49 note) be easier, so you're note flicking through octaves. In the interest of space saving, I did look at a couple of mini-boards today (ie. Korg micro), but have written them off as being a bit too small to work comfortably, although I would love to hear if you have used/use a micro board comfortably.

Many thanks,
Auskiwi - (Finale 2014, Windows 7)

[Peter Thomsen]

Welcome to the forum!

What would work best for you, depends on the music you are going to enter.

Since we know very little about your music, we can only give some general advice.

Many users enter music with MIDI keyboard in Scroll View in the Speedy Entry Tool.
This is particularly good for entering chords (I mean written out chords, not chord symbols).
In the Speedy Entry Tool you can press the MIDI keys simultaneously, and then hit a number key to trigger the chord’s note value.
Nothing is entered until you hit the number key.
This also means that you can “play around’ on the MIDI keyboard, and experiment - without triggering note entry.
Speedy is also good for entering a percussion part with only one percussion instrument (= always the same pitch, only the rhythm varies).

However, for some types of music you may find that a different input method is faster.
If you really want to be “flying fast” in note entry, then take the time to do the tutorials, and learn all the secrets of both Simple and Speedy.

I have never used a mini keyboard.
For what it is worth, I share your feeling that a “short 25 note 'board” is too short.

[Auskiwi]

Hi Peter,

Scroll View is great for inputting!

Although the work at hand does not generally require copious amounts of chord entry (using the interval shortcuts to stack notes is pretty fast), using it for creating hymn-style music would be great, so good to know that. Opportunity to 'play-around' for the correct/better notes sounds handy also.

Your comment about the 25-is-too-short is good to know.

I think I'm doing ok with the simple entry, but haven't really ventured much into the speedy entry. Perhaps after having a fresh look at the Speedy Tutorials (I think I glossed over them when initially getting to know Finale) I'll have a better idea of whether the midi will speed things up or just clutter up the desk more!

Thanks for your suggestions.

[miker]

I use Simple Entry with the computer keyboard and numberpad. And I'm pretty darn good at it, I have to say. A MIDI keyboard would slow me down to a crawl.

If chords are an issue, I have to ask how you are entering them. Stacking the intervals is fast. I don't have to think, "is that a F sharp minor diminished 7th with a flatted 9th?" (Not that I would recognize one if it bit me on the ankle.) All I need to do is to enter the first note, and then tap the intervals.

Also, don't overlook the Repitch tool, IMHO one of the most powerful tools in the arsenal.

I can't remember the last time I used Speedy Entry!

In all fairness, I am a copyist, not a composer. If you need the ability to "noodle" before you actually enter notes, then Speedy will help.

[Auskiwi]

Hi Miker,

Thanks for your comments and your welcome.

Yes, stacking notes to build a chord is very satisfying due to its speed and ease. I find this particularly useful for copyist work (particularly the hymns-with-descants that I currently have to transcribe (is that the correct term?). I confess that my theory rather lags in the chord area (due perhaps to a classical music background rather than a jazz one), and I think in sounds or shapes rather than descriptive names

If I think about it, I guess about 50% of my Finale use thus far has been copyist work, the other 50% composing but anticipate that composing will become a greater percentage.

About the Re-pitch tool, I must confess I have never heard of it, but may have come across it and not known its name... I'll definitely have a look into that.

It's comforting to know, too, that some one else does their work purely with computer keyboard - I wondered if this was a sensible use of the program or if I had merely been late to take up a super speedy midi-input option (no pun intended).

It sounds like it is a user-preference once proficient at either/both, rather than one being vastly superior to the other.

This may be a vast generalisation, but it seems that perhaps a computer keyboard/Simple Entry is best for for copyist work, and Midi/Speedy for composing/creating.

Thanks again,
Auskiwi