Finale Forum

Hi all,

I'm considering a purchase of Finale songwriter as it seems to have almost everything I need. My only concern is if this version of Finale allows me to color code notes? I play mostly by ear and would like a way to notate this. I'm not fastest sight reader. I think the option of color coding the notes (and printing them that way) would be really handy. Does anyone know if Songwriter allows this? If not what version is the next cheapest that allows this feature?

Best Regards,

Only the "full Finale" has the option to "Print Display Colors".

However, the option to "Print Display Colors" is not even close to the feature you seek.

Instead, I suggest this solution:
No matter what program you decide to purchase (SongWriter, PrintMusic, Finale or whatever), "print" the document to a PDF file*).

Open the PDF file in a vector based drawing program**), and color the individual elements there.



*) I don't know whether you are fairly proficient with PDF creating?
Are you using Windows or Mac OS X?


**) I don't know whether you are fairly proficient with drawing programs?
A well known, professional drawing program is Adobe Illustrator.
If you need a free drawing program, take a look at e. g. Inkscape.

And, of course, there is always the time-honored method of practicing, until you can read the music. In the long run, much more efficient than looking for shortcuts.

Yes I have the full Adobe CS5 so that's an option for me. Seems time consuming. When you say the print display colours is not sufficient for what I'm seeking in the full Finale version, can you elaborate?

Thanks also for actually answering my question

The full Finale can do this. Is this what you're looking for?
And I'm not being snarky. I honestly don't understand how this is faster than learning to read music. Are you going to color code the keys on your piano? Can you differentiate between 12 different colors (when you include the accidentals) and play the notes, that quickly? When you see a stack of red, yellow, and teal, do you know that it's a C major chord? Or that it's even a triad? This might be effective for pre-literate youngsters, but once you know the alphabet, I don't see an advantage. Just my opinion...

TheHermit wrote:…When you say the print display colours is not sufficient for what I'm seeking in the full Finale version, can you elaborate?…

If I understand you correctly, you are seeking a way to, freely color code anything:
* use as many colors as you like to color stems, beams, flags, noteheads, rests &c. independently so that you can e. g. color only rhythms, rests, noteheads that you tend to get wrong, while other passages (that you always get right) still remain black.

The so called "Display Colors" are Finale's way of showing where the various notational elements are created:
- Each of Finale's 4 layers has a color. By default Layer 1 notes/rests are black, Layer 2 notes/rets are red, Layer 3 is green, and Layer 4 is blue.
- All items created in a specific tool/sub-tool have a specific color. By default Measure attached expressions are green, note attached expressions are red. Smart shapes are red. And so on.
- You can customize these Display Colors, but you can not color individual beams, stems, noteheads &c.

- The "full Finale" example Mike is showing is an option to color noteheads (but not stems, beams, flags, rests) after their note names: All G noteheads in all octaves get the same, specific color. All F noteheads in all octaves get the same, specific color.
- You can customize these "Note Name Colors", but you can not color one specific E notehead different from the other E noteheads.