Basic Step for Creating a Score

Basic Steps for Creating a Score

NoteAbility is an extremely flexible application, so there are really no rules for how you must proceed when creating a score. However, your task will be simplified if you follow the suggestions below.

The Basic Steps for Creating a Score

Create your score layout by using the File/New command. Setup the score to accommodate all the staves and instruments that will be used in the score. If desired, you can save the template for use in later scores.
Enter the basic music images (notes and rests) on the score using any of the input methods available in NoteAbility. Change the number of systems on the page, the number of measures per system and the staff spacing as needed.
Once the basic score has been entered and the layout is satisfactory, add additional images (eg. dynamic marks, crescendi/decrescendi, articulations, slurs, lyrics, text and graphics).
Hide blank staves (if desired), make final adjustments to the score layout and delete any extra pages.
If you are concerned about performance accuracy, you can alter the playback settings, and create tempo and playback maps.
Print the finished document.
Extract the instrumental parts (if needed) and edit them by adding cues, adjusting for page turns, etc.

Helpful Hints

After you have setup your score, save it with the File/Save... menu and give it a name. Save your document regularly while you are working on a it (especially before performing complex editing or formatting operations.)
It is better (and safer) to make formatting changes to the score as you go rather than waiting until you have entered all the notes. When you change meter or shift measures from one system to another, some of the adjustments you have made to images may be undone when they are shifted from one measure to another or from one system to another.
Use Paste Exact (Command-V) to paste passages that you have already edited with beams, tuplets groupings and accidentals to save yourself re-doing the same modifications on the pasted passage.
Become familiar with the Score Controls since the NoteAbility tools, score position controls, view size settings, and playback controls are are located along the top and bottom of each score document.
Become familiar with the Music Images panel and the Score Structure panel since most of the common editing and score formatting controls are located in this panel. Use the Inspector for changing the score layout, changing clefs, changing key signatures, changing time signatures, adding articulations, and for many, many other functions.
Become familiar with the keyboard alternatives and shortcuts and the Hot Button - they can all be used to make score creation and editing much more efficient.