User Manual

7.2
With Notion, you can quickly create a new score so you can begin quickly to capture your musical
ideas. A new score always opens in Score Setup, so you can add instruments right away.
To benet rst-time users, this chapter takes you quickly through the customization of a new
le and does not explore every option available. Details on all the various options available
appear in the remainder of this guide, especially in Chapter 11, Edit Score.
NOTE: Another way to create a new le is to import the contents of les you started in other programs
or from scanner software. Details on importing MusicXML les appear in Chapter 9.
Create a New File
8 Go to the Menu bar and select File > New, or
8 Press a keyboard shortcut:
> Windows: Ctrl + N
> Mac:  + N
A new score opens in a new Notion window – in Score Setup so you can immediately
add instruments (proceed to Assign Initial Instruments).
Default Settings
Once you add at least one instrument, you see that a score receives a number of default settings, including:
8 A single page lled with empty measures
8 Time Signature of 4/4
8 Key signature of C Major/A minor
8 Metronome mark of 90, based on quarter note
8 Text areas where you can immediately double-click and type in:
> A title
> Composer name
> Date
> Copyright (bottom of page)
Of course, you are free to use, not use, use for other purposes, or delete these default text placeholders.
Details on how to edit, add, and delete text appear in Chapter 11.
8 A page size of 8.5 by 11 inch (U.S. Letter)
Although Notion creates each new score with the above defaults (for speed and convenience), this chapter
summarizes a few important changes you can make to a new le to customize it for a specic purpose and layout.
Page Size
If you will use a dierent printout sheet size than the default of 8.5 by 11 inch, we recommend you set the
nal page size soon after creating a score by clicking Page Setup under File in the Menu bar. This way you
can verify immediately that there’s room for all the instruments you want to add to the score. Also, if you
change the page size later, your editing for page turns and other reading considerations may be aected.
If you nd it’s dicult to “t” all the staves on the sheet size you selected, try reducing the font size for this score.
Create a New File