Sibelius (Software)

Master Sibelius music notation software step-by-step with the most complete how-to guide available! Designed for both novice and experienced musicians, composers, producers and arrangers, it contains a variety of examples, from single-line melodies to complex scores. Written by two proven experts, trainers and authors in the field of music notation software, this book will be a constant reference for all of your Sibelius questions and needs.

"A valuable book, encompassing a wide range of musical styles as notational projects. Sibelius software has always included its own excellent manual, so I was intrigued to see just how useful a separate guide could be. This book relates to the latest version, currently Sibelius 6, but much of the material will also be relevant to earlier versions. The volume runs to some 460 pages, but rather than simply cloning the user manual, the authors have constructed a whole series of notational projects introducing different aspects of the software. The writing is engaging throughout, with all points explained clearly, and there is also a companion website offering downloadable files and templates to be used with all the exercises.

The book begins with an overview explaining essential procedures, but from Chapter 2 onwards new techniques are introduced through practical tasks, which become more sophisticated throughout the book. Chapter 3, for example, is an exercise in notating Greensleeves, which involves adding lyrics, simple harmonies and chord symbols. There is a chapter explaining using a MIDI keyboard with Sibelius's flexi-time input method, and also one outlining techniques for scanning in music. Later, the book investigates writing for larger ensembles, and there is also a downloadable movie file for use in conjunction with a film scoring project. Overall this is a valuable book, encompassing a wide range of musical styles and offering helpful additional material as you work through. Anyone tackling these projects will undoubtedly achieve an excellent understanding of this vital notational software."( Tony Cliff)