User guide

Manual

All of Maestro, chapter by chapter: from the first note to the printed score.

Shortcuts are shown for the Mac. On Windows ⌘ becomes Ctrl and ⌥ becomes Alt.

  1. 01

    Getting started

    The Maestro window, the Main Tool Palette, creating a new score, views, zoom, the Inspector and the main settings on Mac and Windows.

    The window · The Main Tool Palette · New score · Views and zoom · Inspector
  2. 02

    Entering notes

    How to enter music in Maestro with Simple Entry and Speedy Entry: durations, accidentals, chords, rests, dots, ties, tuplets, grace notes and layers.

    Durations · Simple Entry · Speedy Entry · Accidentals · Chords
  3. 03

    MIDI keyboard

    Using a MIDI keyboard with Maestro: notes and chords in Speedy Entry and Simple Entry, real-time recording with quantization, and the MIDI settings.

    Connecting the keyboard · In Speedy Entry · In Simple Entry · Pitch spelling and percussion · Real-time recording
  4. 04

    Editing

    Select notes and measures, copy, paste and transpose, delete, move dynamics and text by hand, use the Inspector, and undo your changes.

    The Selection tool · Selecting notes and measures · Changing the selected notes · Copy, cut and paste · Transpose
  5. 05

    Markings and text

    Articulations, dynamics, hairpins, slurs, glissandos, octave lines, trills and tremolos, text, rehearsal marks, lyrics, repeats and jumps.

    How markings are added · Articulations · Trills, breath marks and caesuras · Tremolos · Arpeggios
  6. 06

    Chords and arranging

    Enter and analyze chord symbols, show guitar fretboards, harmonize a melody for a section, add cue notes to parts and check instrument ranges.

    Chord symbols · Analyze Chords · Guitar fretboards · Harmonize Section · Cue notes
  7. 07

    Instruments and staves

    Adding and removing instruments, transposing instruments, key and time signatures, clefs, measures, percussion, tablature, instrument changes and staff size.

    The staff menu · Adding and removing instruments · Brackets, braces and names · Transposing instruments and concert pitch · Key, time and clef
  8. 08

    Layout and printing

    Page format, automatic and manual layout, staff distances, hiding empty staves, linked parts, multimeasure rests, printing and PDF export.

    Page View and Scroll View · Page format · Automatic layout · Manual layout · Scores opened from Finale
  9. 09

    Playback and audio

    Listening to your score in Maestro: the playback bar, speed, swing, chord accompaniment, sounds, mixer, metronome, audio export and the tuner.

    The playback bar · Listening to the score · Speed and tempo · Swing · Accompaniment from chord symbols
  10. 10

    Files

    Opening and saving scores in Maestro, importing Finale, MusicXML and MIDI files, exporting PDF and audio, backups, recent files and setlists.

    Opening a score · Formats · Saving · Exporting · Autosave and backups
  11. 11

    Keyboard shortcuts

    Every Maestro keyboard shortcut for Mac and Windows, grouped by topic: files, editing, note entry, markings, view and playback.

    Files and windows · Editing and selection · Tools and layers · Speedy Entry · Simple Entry