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SIBELIUS 6 for Beginners 

 

            Sibelius 6 is a quick and easy way to compose music and to produce professional looking scores and parts. To get the best out of it follow the instructions below.

            A double-click on the Sibelius 6 Icon  starts off the program. You will hear a brief burst of music, you may see a handy tip screen, which you can cancel. You may possibly also see a screen entitled “Devices”, if this happens ask for help. The Sibelius 6 interface is simple to use and in large part operates like most Windows based software. The picture below shows the Sibelius 6 main screen and what all the buttons do:

The New Project, Open Existing Project, Save, Print, Undo, Redo and Reference buttons work in exactly the same way as all other Windows software. The Save A Version button enables you to experiment with a different version of the same project without damaging the original. The Zoom In/Out button changes the size of your project on the screen and will become operational once you have an open project. If you write for transposing instruments such as the clarinet, saxophone, trumpet or French horn Sibelius will produce the parts in the correct pitch by pushing the Transpose Parts button. 

Tool Windows

In addition to the functions mentioned above there are a number of other windows that you can call up from the Tool Windows bar:  

Keypad 

The keypad is where most of the choices are made during composition. The keypad corresponds directly to the number pad on your computer keyboard. With a little practice it should be possible to input music into Sibelius using just one hand on the piano keys and one hand on the number pad, the less use of the mouse the better.

Playback

The playback window is similar to the transport controls on all audio devices (CD player, iPod etc.)

In addition to the usual play, stop, record, rewind and fast forward buttons there are tools for conducting your piece (using a key on the keyboard to produce the beats, see Sibelius manual for details) and providing a metronome click to record to. The bottom line shows the point that the play line is at in time and in bars and beats.

Properties

The properties window contains many advanced editing functions. General editing, text formatting, playback and note heads can all be configured from this window.

Navigator 

By using your mouse on the Navigator window you can quickly move from page to page of your composition. 

In addition to these there are a number of other windows: The Keyboard tab brings up a small on-screen keyboard. The Fretboard tab brings up a small guitar or bass fret board. The Mixer tab allows you to change the relative volumes of the instruments and even select the tone or playing style of certain instruments. The Ideas tab opens a window that contains a large assortment of one or two bar ideas in varying styles. The Parts tab opens a window that allows you to combine parts, and edit various parameters as well as deciding which parts are to be printed. The Compare tab allows you to switch from one version to another of the same piece to compare any alterations you might have made. The Video tab is for composing music to picture. The last tab closes all the other tabs. 

There are many other functions hidden in the menus above the buttons, but now you know all you need to start you first composition.

  1. Click on the Open New Project button.
  1. A “New Score” window opens and asks you to select the manuscript paper you would like to use. If you scroll down this you will find templates for orchestras, choirs, bands and chamber ensembles. For the purposes of learning the program we are going to select a blank manuscript.
  1. The “Choose Instruments” button opens a further window. The “Sections” area gives you the choice of the usual orchestral sections plus guitars and keyboards. The “Instrument” area gives you the choice of the individual instruments within each section. The instruments are selected for your composition by means of the “Add to Score” button. If you cannot find the instrument you are looking for, try selecting the “Common Instruments” menu. For the purposes of this tutorial add “Clarinet in Bb” from the Woodwind Section and “Piano” from the keyboards section to the “Instruments to create” area and then click on the OK button.
  1. You are now back to the “New Score” window and you should see your three staves on the left hand side. Click “Next” to continue.
  1. The next window allows you to change the font of the score, leave it unchanged and click “Next” to continue.
  1. The Time Signature and Tempo window allows you to select the time signature and tempo. Leave the time signature unchanged and check the metronome mark box. Then changed the default 100 to 84. Click the “Next Button”.

Note: Sibelius will play everything at 120 beats per minute unless you tell it otherwise.

  1. The Key signature window next. Here you can choose any key, we are going to write a small piece in C major which should already be selected. Click “Next” to continue.
  1. The last screen gives you a chance to select a title and add composer, lyricist and copyright details. Leave these blank on this occasion. Click “Finish” to continue.
  1. You should now see a blank manuscript as below:

  1. Before we go any further it is time to save the manuscript. Click on the “Save button”. Choose a title and OK.

Golden Rule 1: Always save your work at regular intervals.

  1. Now we have an idea what everything does, it is time to input our first notes. There are a number of ways to do this in Sibelius, but the easiest and most accurate method is as follows:
    • Click on the rest in the first bar of the treble clef piano part to turn it blue.
    • Select crotchet duration by pushing number 4 on the computer number pad.
    • Play a chord of C Major on the Piano keyboard and it should appear in Sibelius like so:

                        Note: When the notes have the blue line after them it means that they are armed ready for you to play another note directly after. If they are all black and you wish to continue the phrase, click on the last note that you have played so it becomes blue then push the space bar and the blue cursor will appear. When you have finished your phrase push Esc to disarm the notes.

·         Play it a further 3 times and you should have a complete bar of 4 C Major crotchet chords.

·         Now play F Major in a first inversion four times and you should see this:

 

  1. Now listen to what you have done so far. Push the “Play” button in the “Playback” window or just hit the Space Bar.
  1. The next thing to do is to add a bass line to the piano part.

·         On the Number Pad push 5 then . (the point button, as in 0.5) to select a dotted minim.

·         Play a bottom C on the Piano keyboard.

·         Push Enter on the Number Pad to add a tie (this is a tie NOT a slur).

·         Push 3 on the Number Pad to select quavers.

·         Play bottom C on the Piano Keyboard twice.

·         Repeat this again in the next bar, but instead of a C play the F above it. 

You should now be looking at this:

  1. We now want to repeat this 2 bar phrase in bars 3 & 4 but rather than inputting it all again we are going to Copy and Paste it. Cut, Copy and Paste works pretty much the same way in Sibelius as it does in any other Windows program.

·         Select the first bar of the Treble Clef Piano part by clicking anywhere within the stave that doesn’t have a note or a rest.

·         You should now have a blue box around that bar.

·         Hold down the Shift button and click anywhere within bar 2 of the Bass Clef Piano part.

·         You should now have a blue box around the first two bars of both piano parts.

                 

·         Select Ctrl+C on your computer keyboard. Or right-click and select copy with the mouse.

·         Select the rest in bar 3 of the Treble Clef Piano part, so that it is blue.

·         Select Ctrl+V on your computer keyboard. Or right-click and select paste with the mouse.

·         You should now see 4 bars of piano music. Play then Save.

Golden Rule 2: NEVER, however tempting it may be, use the delete function or button with Sibelius. It causes things to be hidden rather than deleted and can take hours to un-pick later.

If you make a mistake use the Undo and Redo buttons   ONLY.

  1. Our introduction is nearly finished apart from a bit of musical tidying up. We have a four bar piano intro, but we haven’t told the pianist (or Sibelius) how to play it.

·         Select the first chord of the piano introduction, and then holding down the shift key, select the last chord of bar 4. There should be a blue box around the whole of the Treble Clef Piano part.

·         Push – (minus) on the number pad. Tenuto marks will now appear under each chord.

·         Select the first chord again.

·         Push Ctrl+E and then right-click the mouse. Select  from the box and push the Esc key.

Note: Sibelius will automatically play everything back at mf unless you tell it otherwise.

·         Select the four chords in bar 2 (blue box) then press H on the computer keyboard to add a crescendo. Once again use the cursor keys or mouse to move it clear of the notes and tenuto marks.

·         Use Ctrl+E again to put a f marking at the beginning of bar 3 and then drag it down.

·         Select the four chords in bar 4 but this time hold down the shift button and press H to insert a diminuendo across bar 4 and then drag it down.

Note: It is not necessary to repeat these dynamics under the bass clef line. A pianist will apply the dynamic markings to both lines of music unless told otherwise.

·         Select the barline at the end of bar 4.

·         Right-click and select Barline > Double then Esc. You can also insert Repeat Bars this way.

·         You should now have something like this:

Play it then Save it.

  1.  Now using what we have discovered so far, input the following notes at bar 5 in the Treble Clef Piano Part.

Note: If you follow the procedure in No.9 bars new bars will appear at the end of the score as you need them. You can also insert a blank bar at the end of the piece by selecting Ctrl+B (B for Bar). Do not be tempted to insert hundreds of blank bars in your score as they are really tricky to remove later.

  1. And the following notes at bar 5 of the Bass Clef Piano Part.

  1. Mark the Piano part mp at bar 5.
  1. Add Tenuto marks to the last two chords of bar 8 in the treble clef piano part.

Play it then Save it.

  1. Next we are going to add our melody line in the clarinet part at bar 5. This involves the same techniques as before and a few new ones.

 

  1. The first note of the clarinet part is a semi-quaver E and is inputted by pushing 2 on the number pad and then E on the piano keyboard.
  1. The third note is a semi-quaver D tied to a dotted quaver D. This you would input by pushing 2 on the number pad, D on the piano keyboard, then 3 then . (point) on the number pad, D on the piano keyboard.
  1. In bar 6 we have a quaver rest. Rests are produced in a similar way to notes. To obtain a quaver rest push 3 on the number pad then the space bar. To obtain the crotchet and semi-quaver rests in bar 7, push 4 then space bar, 2 then space bar and so on.
  1. To make the part easier to read for the clarinettist, separate the rhythm in the 3rd and 4th beats of bar 6 and 7. This is done with the properties box. Click on the centre option of the tabs in the box  and the number pad buttons change. Select the last E in bar 6 and then push 7  on the number pad. The clarinet part at bar 6 should now look like this:

  1. Repeat this sequence for the last beat of bar 7 in the clarinet part. To look like this:

                 

Note: The procedure followed in No.22 & 23 makes no difference to Sibelius’ playback at all. However a real live instrumentalist will thank you for doing this, as it makes the four beats of the bar obvious and therefore easier to work out the syncopated rhythm.

  1. Insert a mf marking at the start of bar 5 in the clarinet part. This will enable the melody to dominate the accompaniment (mp).
  1. Slurs – The next thing to add are some slurs. The slur is to run between the last note of bar 5 (clarinet) and the 3rd note of bar 6. Select the last note of bar 5 (D) then hold down the Shift button and select the 3rd note of bar 6 (A). A blue box appears. Press S (for Slur) on the computer keyboard. If you wanted the slur to be underneath the notes then you would press Shift+S.

Golden Rule 3: Do not use ties instead of slurs or vice versa. They are different and affect the Sibelius playback in very different ways. 

  1. Repeat the procedure for No.25 at the end of bar 6 and 7.

Play it then Save it.

  1. Now we have finished entering our notes it is time to configure the settings for the page.

·         Right-click at the top of the page, above the clarinet part. Select Text > Title and then the left-click the blue arrow mouse point at the top of the page again. A blue flashing cursor will appear. Type “Don’t Look Back In Anger” then push Esc.

·         Repeat the procedure for the composer. Select Text > Composer and type “Words & Music by Noel Gallagher”

            We now have the first page of Oasis’ 1995 Britpop hit “Don’t Look Back In Anger” arranged for Clarinet and Piano.

 

            If you were to print this page and give it to a clarinettist and pianist to be played, it would sound terrible! Why?

            Remember what we said about transposing instruments back on page 1. The clarinet in Bb is a transposing instrument and therefore sounds a tone lower than written. Don’t worry though, you haven’t got to re-type the whole clarinet part as Sibelius has this covered. Push the transpose button  and the clarinet part is automatically transposed into D Major for the clarinet, whilst the piano part stays in C. 

            The tutorial that you have completed only really scratches the surface of what can be done with Sibelius2. If you require any more information about specific functions, the manual is very clear to read. There are also comprehensive instructions in the help files accessed by pushing the help button.

 


Copyright © 2008 Chris Pettitt
Last modified: 06/10/10