Pinnacle Systems Sibelius - 5.0 Quick-Start Guide

Sibelius 5 Quick-Start Guide

Setting up Sibelius………………………………………………………… 2

On-screen Icons & Floating Windows in Sibelius………………………. 3

Starting a Score in Sibelius .......................................................................... 4

Entering Notes ............................................................................................... 5

Adding Text & Markings ............................................................................. 6

Using Dynamic Parts…………………………………………………….…8

Altering the Layout of Your Score............................................................. 9

Introduction to the Arrange Feature………………………………………11

Formatting for Worksheets, Hand-Outs and Tests……………………....12

Making the most of plug-ins…………………………………………….…14

Music Scanning Tips and Hints……………………………………………15

Downloading MIDI Files from the Web……………………………….….17

Basic Shortcuts……………………………………………………………...19

Creating Scores for the Internet Using Scorch…………………………....21

Playback of scores, using the sounds library, and burning CDs………..…23

Adding Video/MP3 files into your scores……………………………….….25

New features in version 5………………………………..……………….….26

Robin Hodson, Eastern Region Manager, Sibelius USA [e-mail], or 201 370 0936

This edition: July 2007

Setting up Sibelius

In this section, you’ll ensure that the program is set up the way you like to use it.

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. You can
also switch on the Sibelius Essentials library from here, and you can make more
advanced choices about playback. Please read additional documentation on using sounds
with Sibelius, or turn to the final page of this quick start guide for more information.

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 don’t have a MIDI keyboard, don’t
worry: you can still enter notes and playback your songs.

3. Screen layout once you start creating a song (see page 4) 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 your 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
computer’s hard drive (NB the free demo of Sibelius does not save files). On windows
they are typically saved in My Documents>Scores on your computer, but you can choose
instead to create your own folder, perhaps on the DESKTOP, where you typically save
your scores. 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, type Command + F once you
have hidden Sibelius: this launches the “Find” feature to allow you to search for files on
your Mac.

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 you’re 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: you’ll find these in the Quick Start
Dialog box that should open whenever you launch 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.

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On-screen icons

Familiarize yourself with what the different icons at the top of the Sibelius screen will do:
Reading from left to right:
Start a new score, open an existing score, scan music, save music
Export Audio (the CD icon), print your score, undo, redo, zoom (and zoom percentage box)
Panorama view, Focus on staves, switch to a transposing score view, Full Score or Parts view,
and help (the question mark icon).
The final icons to the right of the question mark are all the floating windows in version 5.

Pressing these buttons will turn off or on the floating windows.

Floating windows in Sibelius

See picture above:
The 8 icons in the top right of your screen represent floating windows that can be turned off or
on by clicking on each icon. These are (from left to right):
Navigator, Keypad, Playback, Mixer, Ideas, Parts, Video and Properties. They each have a
shortcut to turn them off and on also – these are listed in the WINDOW menu of Sibelius.
The final icon (to the far right) turns off/on any floating windows you might be displaying.

Navigator Keypad Playback Mixer

Ideas Parts Video Properties

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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 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.

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
computer’s 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)

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. Press escape key (ESC)

2. Select empty measure with mouse

3. Type n, then choose note value on keypad (box in bottom right of screen)

4. Type a, b, c, d, e, f or g on computer keyboard (or 0 on the number pad for rests)

5. Use Control (Command) + arrow up or down to change octave of note

6. 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. Check/change your recording options first: go to Notes>Flexitime options

2. Press escape key (ESC)

3. Select empty measure with mouse

4. Touch the round red Record button or Control-Shift F (Command-Shift F)

5. Play live, but listen carefully to the metronome

6. Press ESC to stop recording

7. 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 computer’s 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. Don’t forget that the keypad on the screen can also be accessed from the NUMERIC

KEYPAD on your computer’s 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 they’re hard to read clearly in a score!!

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Adding Text & Markings using Sibelius

Mac shortcuts are given in italics on this sheet. For ALL steps, press the ESCAPE key (ESC) on
the computer’s keyboard before and after every action.

1. Slurs: Select a note where you want to add a slur, then type s. Use the spacebar to extend

the slur. Use shift-spacebar to reduce the length of the slur. Type x to flip a selected slur
(also works for notes). You can also drag the slur manually with your mouse to
reposition the arc.

2. Crescendos & Decrescendos (Hairpins): Select a note where you want the crescendo

(hairpin) to start, and type h. Use the spacebar to extend the hairpin, and shift-spacebar if
you go too far. For decrescendos, use Shift-h as the shortcut instead. Use your mouse or
arrow keys to reposition the hairpin. They have “handles” on either end which can also
be adjusted. You can also adjust the “aperture” of hairpins by typing Control-Shift E
(Command-Shift E), choosing the “Lines” tab and changing the options on the screen.

3. Accents, Staccatos and Tenutos: If you need to mark these into your score, select the

note (or notes) where you want them, and add them using the first keypad layout screen
(the keypad usually lives in the bottom right of your computer screen). They play back.
Marcatos and other markings are on page 4 of the keypad’s five screens.

4. Ties: Don’t confuse them with slurs! To add them, select a note or notes, and use the tie

on the first keypad layout screen. Triplets: add these by first adding an eighth note in the
score, then typing Control-3 (near the “w” key) or Command-3. Then click or type/play
in the remaining notes. For other tuplets like quintuplets, type Control-5 etc (Command-

5). For complex tuplets, (like 15 in the time of 16), go to Create>Tuplet, and specify
what you want there.

5. Re-beaming notes: Use the third keypad layout screen to change the beaming of notes.

Don’t forget to select the notes you wish to rebeam first.

6. String markings/Pauses/Fermatas: These can be found on the fourth keypad layout

screen. Follow the same steps as in 3, 4 or 5 above.

7. Trills: Select a note where you want a trill to appear, then type L (Lines menu in

Sibelius). Choose a trill from the list on the left hand side that appears, then type OK.
Use the spacebar to extend the length of the trill if you need. Use the properties box in
Sibelius to alter the playback of trills.

8. Ottavas, Glissandi and Pedal Markings, etc: These can all be found and added using

exactly the same method as in step 7 above.

9. Rits, Ralls, Accelerandos, etc: type ESC, then type L (lines menu) and choose what you

need from the right hand column. Draw them into your score by pressing and holding
your mouse from left to right. Note that these markings appear at the top of systems, not
on individual staffs in your score (but they will appear in the parts).

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10. Repeat Bars, First & Second Time Bars and Rehearsal Marks: For repeat bars, select

barline, then go to Create>Barline and choose what you want. For first and second time
bars (as with step 9 above), use the Lines menu and draw the first/second time bars into
your score. For rehearsal marks, select a barline, then use Control-R (Command-R).
These can be copied in the normal way by Alt-Clicking them (Option-click). You can
adjust the style of rehearsal marks (letters or numbers etc), by going to Control-Shift E
(Command-Shift E) and choosing the Rehearsal Marks tab.

11. Coloring part of your score: Sibelius allows you to do this. Type ESC, then select an

object, note or anything in the score; type Control-J (Command-J), and choose what color
you’d like for your objects. To delete the coloring, select the colored object, and choose
Layout>Reset Design (Control-Shift D or Command-Shift D).

12. Symbols & Pictures: you can also insert pictures of anything in your score. Type z for

the symbols menu, and choose/add them, or go to Create>Graphic, and insert a TIFF file
of any other image in your score. TIFFs are resizable once on the screen, and we provide
users with a folder called “Graphic Files” with many images already created. Import
your own TIFF files into Sibelius if you wish.

13. Dynamic markings and copying them: Select a note where you want the dynamic, and

type Control-E (Command-E). Type Control (Command) + m, f, pp etc. Right click
(Control-Click) to get a sub-menu if you prefer. Once on the screen, dynamics can be
moved and copied into their perfect position by using Shift–Alt-click (shift-option-click).
You can also copy a dynamic marking to multiple locations by selecting the dynamic to
copy (it turns purple), typing Control-C (Command-C), then selecting all the notes where
you want the dynamic copied. Finally type Control-V (Command-V) to multi-copy.

14. Regular Text: Select note and type Control-T (Command-T). Start typing when you see

the flashing cursor (using Enter or Return for a second line of text like a hymn verse).
There is a sub menu also available (see step 13 above).

15. Lyrics: Select note and type Control-L (Command-L). Start typing when you see the

flashing cursor. Use the hyphen key (minus key) to hyphenate words, and type the
spacebar at the end of every word. If you want lots of notes on one syllable in the middle
of a word, type the hyphen key multiple times. If you want lots of notes at the end of a
word, type the spacebar multiple times. To edit lyrics, double click on them.

16. Second verses of Lyrics, copying and editing lyrics: for second verses, select note, type

Control-Alt L (Command-Opt L) and follow steps as in 15 above. To copy lyrics from
one staff to another, triple-click on the staff with lyrics in it, then click on
Edit>Filter>Lyrics. Lyrics will all be highlighted. Copy lyrics by Alt-Clicking (Option-
click), as you would with notes. To edit the position of lyrics on a staff, select the
passage with lyrics in it (Hint: triple click selects the whole staff), then use
Edit>Filter>Lyrics to find the lyrics (they should turn blue), and use the up or down
arrows to adjust their position. To alter the font or size of lyrics (either individually or
globally) follow step 20 below.

17. Chord symbols: Select a note and type Control-K (Command-K). Right-click (Control-

click) for a sub-menu if you need it. Type the chord you need, then use the spacebar to

advance to the next note, and repeat the steps. There is also a plug-in in Sibelius (Plug-

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ins>Text) that will automatically calculate chord symbols in your score, as long as there
are chords or multiple notes on the score itself. Use shift -k to add Chord diagrams
(Guitar frames) too.

18. Title, Composer Name, Lyricist Name etc: these can all be obtained by going to

Create>Text and choosing the appropriate text style.

19. Fingering Markings, Figured Bass etc: Go to Create>Text>Other Staff Text to find

what you need. There is a sub-menu for each of these too. See step 13 above.

20. Editing text, lines and symbols etc: There are various places where this is done. To

edit an individual piece of regular text, select it, then go to the Properties box
(Window>Properties) and choose the tab that says TEXT to edit it. To alter the
positioning of ALL text and lines in your score, (like lyrics), go to House Style>Default
Positions, and make changes you need. To alter the look of ALL text in your score, go to
House Style>Edit Text Styles. To alter the look of any LINE in your score (Trills, slurs,
crescendos etc), go to House Style>Edit Lines. Use House Style>Edit Symbols to edit
symbols etc. Finally, you can also alter your whole score and change it to a hand-
written look, by going to House Style>Edit All Fonts, and following the steps you see
there.

Using Dynamic Parts

1. This is a new feature, and should remove virtually all the time you spend on creating

individual parts, since much of the process is now automated. When you create a new
score, the parts (empty of course) should be present immediately. Go to the window at
the top of the screen that says “Full Score”, and click to see the parts listed. You can also
click on a measure of ANY instrument, and type the W key to switch between a part and
the full score. Or (once you’re looking at a part), use Control-Alt Tab key (Command-
Option tab key) to scroll through all the parts in the score.

2. Once you start adding notes (either in the part or the full score), notes are updated in both

places (parts and score), and formatting should be instantaneous. If you go back later and
edit the notes in the part, the full score will change too, but you can change layout and
positioning in the PART without affecting the layout of the full score.

3. If you prefer to create notes in the individual parts, rather than full score, remember to

turn off the multirests first (and various other settings), by going to Layout>Auto
Layout, and changing the settings there: you can always switch them back later.

4. The Parts floating window (Control-Alt R or Command-Option R) also gives you more

choices about printing your parts, and joining staves together into one part, like organ
staves when they have a third staff for pedals. Please refer to the handbook.

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