Finale SongWriter

by MakeMusic!

Product Features

• Click notes onto the staff and hear the pitches -- drag them up and down to find the pitches you want
• Play a MIDI keyboard and see the music appear instantly -- or import and export MIDI files, adding your own lyrics and verses
• Type a chord name to hear how it sounds and see its guitar fretboard - Try any tempo, transpose to any key and add automatic harmonies
• Print great-looking sheet music - Add chord symbols and fretboard diagrams, with up to 6 lyric verses; Add dynamics, slurs, articulations & transpose to any key

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0009RENAW
• Item model number: MM0010
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 20, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,079 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #41 in Software > Video & Music > Software > Notation & Composition

Product Description

While Finale SongWriter makes it easy to create great sheet music at an affordable price, that's just the beginning. Finale SongWriter allows you to enter notes from a mouse, computer keyboard, or midi keyboard. You can add chord symbols, fretboard diagrams, and multiple verses of lyrics. Finale SongWriter can automatically add two and three voice harmony to your melodies and instantly add a drum part. The music you create sounds great through your computer's speakers thanks to Human Playback and 128 professional sounds. You can import and export MIDI files, create MP3 files, and save your work as a standard Finale file which can also be shared with users of Finale Notepad (a free download). If getting music on the printed page is part of your songwriting project, Finale SongWriter is the perfect collaborator.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mozart had this software..., May 1, 2006

By 

J. Gale (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Finale SongWriter (CD-ROM)

...in his head! (Well actually he probably had the several hundred dollar professional version of Finale). This is fantastic software, perfect for the beginner or amateur songwriter or arranger. The only drawback for me is the limit of 8 staves, but that would not be a problem for your typical band, only if you want to try orchestral composition and arranging (you would need the professional version). The Human Playback feature is great, it truly sounds realistic, not like MIDI. I cannot recommend this software enough!

48 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning to read and write music, September 11, 2005

By 

Howard R. Ingold "HRINGOLD" (Pittsburgh PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Finale SongWriter (CD-ROM)

I purchased SongWriter without knowing how effective it would be in teaching how to read and write music. It turns out that it is excellent... especially when you have a piano keyboard connected by MIDI to the computer. Very user friendly.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, January 1, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Finale SongWriter (CD-ROM)

This software isn't actually your excellent version of notation software, but what I mean is this: There is nothing out there that you can get this cheaply that works this well. If you are composing for an orchestra, you will need to pay a few hundred dollars and get the real thing, because Finale SongWriter can't notate for orchestra, but if you are just trying to write down some basic music for your own enjoyment or if you are trying to make your band's music look more official, this is the software for you.

As a kid, this is something that I can buy with my own money easily compared to the hundreds of dollars that I would have to save to get the real deal, and this provides about everything I need to write band songs or duets to do with friends. It's easy to use, and it does not require one to study the manual for hours to understand. Even friends of mine who do not know how to read music have had a fair amount of luck creating what they want on it.