Sibelius /Sibelius Student Brief Guide

Setting up Sibelius
1. Sound/playback settings when you first run Sibelius, these will most likely appear. If you want to check what device is playing your sounds, go to Play>Playback Devices, and you can choose a playback configuration. This includes whether you will use Sibelius onboard sounds (not available in the demo version). There is a Default configuration chosen when you start using Sibelius, and this may be the easiest choice at first. Sibelius Student uses your sound card to play back scores. 2. MIDI settings (if you have a MIDI keyboard) these settings are controlled from the Preferences window (Windows users go to: File>Preferences>Input Devices, or Mac users, go to: Sibelius>Preferences>Input Devices). Check that Sibelius can see your MIDI keyboard before you create a song. If you dont have a MIDI keyboard, dont worry: you can still enter notes and playback your songs. MIDI keyboard controllers are optional for all lessons in the book. 3. Screen layout once you start creating a song, there will be choices of how you want the screen to look. You can turn on or off any of the floating windows on the screen, and you can zoom in and out of the score, or turn on PANORAMIC view. See the next page of this guide. 4. Saving scores Please be careful to remember WHERE you save scores in your computers hard drive. You can also SEARCH for a score you might have lost in your hard drive by going to START>Search (windows users), and typing *.sib in the search box that finds ALL the Sibelius files on your hard drive. Mac users, use the Spotlight feature in the top right of your Mac screen to locate files. 5. Windows, Menus and shortcuts Sibelius is just like any other software program: you can open several files at once, just like you can in MS Word or Excel: go to the window menu to see which score youre looking at or working on. Sibelius menus are along the top of the screen. The most important menu is the CREATE menu. Sibelius also uses shortcuts if you prefer not to use your mouse to do things: please refer to later on in this guide, where all the main shortcuts are listed. Common shortcuts (used by every other program) are usually supported by Sibelius, like Control P to print (on Mac this is Apple P or Command P), as well as Control S to save, and so on. Throughout this guide, important shortcuts worth using will be detailed. 6. Tutorial Videos Purchased versions of Sibelius v5 have excellent quick start videos that you can watch before trying anything: youll find these in the Quick Start Dialog box that should open whenever you launch Sibelius, or from the Help Menu in Sibelius. 7. Chat Page/Tech support Go to www.sibelius.com/community to join our chat page and post questions (free, and open 24/7). Technical support is available by calling 925 280 2101. 8. Extra help resources This quick start guide and other helpful guides can be downloaded for free by visiting www.sibelius.com/helpcenter/hintsandtips. 9. Training Sibelius USA offers a lot of different training courses to users and prospective users: contact us for more details: 925 280 0600.

Starting a Score in Sibelius v5 (Mac shortcuts in italics)

1. Launch Sibelius, and click NEW to start a new score - follow the various steps in the set up wizard to create a score 2. Choose a template score from the list. You can add, remove or re-order INSTRUMENTS in your score by pressing the button that says Change Instruments. Then select the family, then the instrument, and then click ADD. Keep choosing instruments until you have what you need, then click OK. Follow the remaining pages to complete the score setup wizard. 3. Once your score appears, you can add more blank MEASURES at the end of a score if you need, by typing Control+B (Command B). Use Control+Shift B (Command-Shift B) to insert measures in the middle of a score. To DELETE measures, Control (Command) click on the first one you wish to delete, shift click on the final one, and then type DELETE. 4. If you need to change or add a TIME signature, press ESC, then type t to choose a time signature (4/4 is the default already chosen). Click on the first measure of your score to add the time signature. 5. If you need to change or add a KEY signature, press ESC, then type k to add a key signature. You can see your score as a transposing score by clicking the ICON at the top of the screen with two flats on it. Click the same icon again to revert to a C score. 6. To add a Title or other TEXT, you can find these in the CREATE menu. Add a tempo marking by selecting the first measure of the score, typing Control+Alt T (Command-Option T), then right clicking (Control-click on Mac) to get a sub-menu of all you need. 7. MOVE around the score around by pressing and holding the mouse inside the NAVIGATOR (the gray floating window). Also press and hold the mouse on any white space on the score itself to drag the paper around. Also use the PAGE UP/PAGE DOWN/HOME/END keys on your computer. 8. ZOOM in or out of your score at any time by typing Control and the + key a few times (+ key is found near the P key) or Control and the key (Command and + key or key). With a scroll wheel on your mouse, Control-scroll wheel zooms. 9. Add/delete or re-order the instruments in your existing score by typing the letter i on your computers keyboard, and following the steps in the dialog box that appears 10. Adjust the volume levels of each staff by typing m (the Mixer). Each staff has its own slider for volume. Type m to close the mixer again. 11. To PLAY back your score, press ESC twice, then type p to play your score from the beginning and ESC to stop. A green cursor will follow the score you can also use the SPACEBAR to start and stop. The playback floating window shows where you are in the score. There is a timeline there, which you can click and drag with your mouse to advance through the score. The shorter horizontal line controls TEMPO. To playback your score from a specific point, press ESC, select a note and type p. To solo an instrument and play it, select a measure (so it goes blue entirely), then type p.
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Basic Note entry A (Click notes into your score with a mouse)
1. Press escape key (ESC). Make sure the keypad is on your screen: turn it on by clicking on the small keypad icon in the top right of the screen. 2. Choose note value on keypad (box in bottom right of screen) with mouse 3. Click anywhere on any measure with mouse keep clicking to add lots of notes 4. Use arrow keys to change pitches of any blue notes just added 5. Type Control + z (Command + z) if you make a mistake 6. Press ESC when done

Basic Note entry B (Type notes into your score using computer keys)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Press escape key (ESC). Select empty measure with mouse Type n, then choose note value on keypad (box in bottom right of screen) Type a, b, c, d, e, f or g on computer keyboard (or 0 on the number pad for rests) Use Control (Command) + arrow up or down to change octave of note Press ESC when done

Basic Note entry C (Step time entry with a MIDI keyboard)

1. Press escape key (ESC) 2. Select empty measure with mouse 3. Type n, then choose note value (on keypad on screen) with mouse or use numeric keypad on right of computer keyboard to select note value on screen 4. Play pitches on MIDI keyboard type zero on number pad for rests also 5. Press ESC when done

Basic Note entry D (Live recording with a MIDI keyboard)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Check/change your recording options first: go to Notes>Flexitime options Press escape key (ESC) Select empty measure with mouse Touch the round red Record button or Control+Shift F (Command-Shift F) Play live, but listen carefully to the metronome Press ESC to stop recording Type Control+Z (Command Z) to undo recording

Extra hints
1. Use the r key to repeat selected notes/measures/passages 2. Use the numbers along the top of the computers keyboard to add pitches to selected notes/measures/passages. Shift + a number adds pitches BELOW existing notes 3. To paste anything, select an object, note, measure or passage, move your mouse to a destination place, then Press Alt (option) + click with mouse to paste (windows users can click both sides of mouse button SIMULTANEOUSLY to paste anything) 4. To change length of selected note(s), choose a different note value on the keypad 5. Dont forget that the keypad on the screen can also be accessed from the NUMERIC KEYPAD on your computers keyboard: laptop users, type Function J K L U I or O 6. For Voice 2 notes, type n and choose a note value on keypad, then press the 2 at the bottom of the keypad on screen (or use shortcut Alt-2 on main computer keyboard), then enter notes: they will be GREEN. You can also select an existing note or notes and change its voice the same way. All voices are color coded. Rarely use voices 3 and 4, since theyre hard to read clearly in a score!!
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SOME BASIC SHORTCUTS IN SIBELIUS 5 (Mac shortcuts in italics)

Escape key (ESC): stops Sibelius doing anything, and cancels the cursor from being active Single click: select something (note, measure, text etc) Double click on a staff: selects a line of music for one instrument Triple click on a staff: selects a staff/instrument for the whole score Enter (return) key (in middle of computer keyboard): respells enharmonically (if a note is selected), edits text (if text is selected), or forces a system break (if a barline is selected) A the note a (shift + a to add an a to an existing selected note) B the note b (shift + b to add a b to an existing selected note) C the note c (shift + c to add a c to an existing selected note) D the note d (shift + d to add a d to an existing selected note) E the note e (shift + e to add an e to an existing selected note) F the note f (shift + f to add an f to an existing selected note) G the note g (shift + g to add a g to an existing selected note) H crescendo (shift + h for a decrescendo) - use spacebar to extend them I instruments menu add instruments to your score K key signatures add a key signature to your score L lines menu (includes trills, first/second time bars, rits, accels) M mixer (type m again to close Mixer) adjust volume levels and sounds N Begin note entry (if a measure, note or rest is selected) P Play your score also use the SPACEBAR (ESC or the spacebar to stop playing a score) Q clefs change clefs of existing staffs, or insert clef changes R repeat something selected (single notes or passages/pages of notes) S slurs use space bar to extend them (shift + spacebar if the slur extends too far) T time signature add a time signature to your score W flip between full score and part (if a measure is selected) X flip a selected note or slur Z symbols menu (includes pictures of lots of things but symbols do NOT play back) 0 on keypad enters a rest of whatever note value is selected 1 on keypad thirty-second note 2 on keypad sixteenth note 3 on keypad eighth note 4 on keypad quarter note 5 on keypad half note 6 on keypad whole note 7 on keypad adds a natural to a selected note 8 on keypad adds a sharp to a selected note 9 on keypad adds a flat to a selected note 3 on main computer keyboard add third above selected note 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 on main computer keyboard add fourth, fifth, sixth etc above selected note Shift +3 on main computer keyboard add third below selected note Shift +4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 on main computer keyboard add fourth, fifth, sixth etc below selected note Alt (option) + click pastes whatever is selected (or click both sides of mouse) Alt (option)+ 2,3,4 (above W key, not on keypad) changes voice of note to voice 2, 3 or 4 Control + Shift + Alt (Command + Shift + Option) 1, 2, 3 or 4 select voice 1,2, 3 or 4

Control (command) A select everything in your score Control (command) B add blank measure to the end of score Control (command) C copy to clipboard (for arrange feature primarily) Control (command) D document setup screen for resizing music/changing margins etc Control (command) E add a dynamic to a selected note (right click or Ctrl Click for sub-menu) Control (command) K add chord symbol above a selected note (theres a plug-in to do this also) Control (command) L add lyrics to a selected note (right click or Ctrl Click for sub-menu) Control (command) N start a new score Control (command) O open an existing score Control (command) P print Control (command) Q close down Sibelius entirely Control (command) R add rehearsal mark above selected note/measure Control (command) S save Control (command) T add text to a selected note (right click or Ctrl Click for sub-menu) Control (command) W close your score Control (command) Y redo last action (if youve undone it) Control (command) Z undo last action (type multiple times to undo lots!) Shift-I add selected measure(s) to IDEAS library Shift-P switch to PANORAMA view Shift-K chord diagram (guitar frame) Up arrow key moves a selected note up in pitch (or moves text) Down arrow key moves a selected note down in pitch (or moves text) Control (command) + up arrow moves selected note(s) up an octave Control (command) + down arrow moves selected note(s) down an octave Left arrow key moves to previous note if note is selected (or moves text) Right arrow key moves to next note if note is selected (or moves text) TAB key select the first note or rest in a score HOME/END keys go back/forward a page or display screen PAGE UP/PAGE DOWN keys go up/down the page of music To transpose music Control (command)-A (select score), then Shift-T (transpose) To arrange music Control (command)-A (select score), then Control (command)-C (copy score), then Control (command)-N (start new score), then Control (command)-click on first measure of new score, then Control (command)-Shift V (activate the arrange feature) Shift+Alt (option) + right arrow make a selected note or measure get wider Shift+Alt (option) + left arrow make a selected note or measure get narrower Shift+Alt (option) + up arrow move an individual staff up Shift+Alt (option) + down arrow move an individual staff down Control+Alt (command-option) + down arrow moves selected staff and rest of score down