Customer Reviews
Finale Songwriter 
2008-10-02
I've found this product easy to use and was more than worth the price I paid for it. I'm impressed with the ease of transposing my music into what ever key I wish to use.
The only problem I've had is being able to access this on my 2 computers. I have a computer in my studio that I would like to use sometime, but I would have to buy a second copy, even though I am the only user. I will buy a second copy because I believe it's worth it.
One Stop Music Transcription for Songwriters 
2008-09-02
Are you a songwriter who wants to write notes for your melody, add some lyrics, hear the song played back, print it and save it as an mp3 for easy sharing on the web? If so, with this tool your search has ended. Excellent tutorial videos and help included. Many operations are intuitive just by reading the text in the upper part of the screen.
Where are the grace notes? 
2008-08-30
For the most part Finale Songwriter was very good. The computerized instruments that allowed me to hear my music before I printed it was great. It was not completely the same as a real musician, but I know that will never be possible. The note placing on the staff was so easy and allowed me to write chords so much faster than by hand. Many of the advanced techniques that I wanted to use such as grace notes were not there. I expected all Finale products to have these features. I was severely disappointed when I found that these features were missing. It is very frustrating to me to purchase Finale Songwriter just to find out that I need to purchase the more advanced, more expensive Finale.
Easy Writer 2008-07-12
Writing music is so easy with Finale Songwriter software. I wish I'd found it sooner. Thank you Finale.
Sure beats transcribing by hand - simple to use (relatively) 2008-07-10
Speaking as an amateur musician who takes songwriting very seriously - Finale SW writes my charts flawlessly. The interface for manually editing is simple to use, albeit time consuming. I mention this not as a fault of the software but as a warning that if you play your midi device as I do, not well, there is a lot of manual editing after.
I do most of my stuff on this using the manual entry features. I get faster with practice and the charts it produces are beautiful.
I've tried many programs and this is by far the best I've used.
An additional benefit I'm sure not intended by Finale; My keyboard skills are beginning to improve as I try playing more acurately thus reducing the time spent correcting.
Software for the upcoming songwriter. 2008-05-19
Finale Songwriter 2007 makes it easier and more productive to experiment with melodies, explore new arrangements and experience your songs! Work with a full orchestra of instruments, and adjust tempos to give your songs more energy. Use the Band-in-a-Box Auto Harmonizing to create a full sound. Print professional-quality sheet music, create MP3 files, even e-mail your songs to band members, friends, and fans! Transpose to any key Type a chord name to hear how it sounds - and see its guitar fretboard Select automatic drum grooves for different styles Add automatic harmonies Experiment with over 128 professional instruments Print great-looking sheet music Save MP3 files to create audio CDs or to play on an iPod Hear your songs with a professional software synthesizer-no hardware required Use Human Playback to make songs sound like they're performed like live musicians Band-in-a-Box Auto Harmonizing Automatic lyric placement - up to six lyric verses Chord symbols, fretboard diagrams and percussion notation Automatic note spacing, dynamics, slurs, and articulations Multiple Undo
Great software 2008-04-19
The Finale Songwriter 2007 is excellent for notation and printing off lead score sheets. It is easy to learn, makes quality sheet music and has some really nice features found in the more complex types of programs. This is a must have for someone who needs to get the notes down on paper in a flash. You can even play it as you go. I give it a +10 for those who like to create & arrange your own music. The finished product looks professional. Great software.
Highest Recommendation 2008-03-23
This might be the best software I've ever owned ~ certainly, it is consuming me. I got it for Christmas for my mother, who asked me to install it for her. After I did so, I idly tried it out. Shortly thereafter I purchased my own copy. Now my only regret is that I didn't get the next higher version (I believe it's called Allegro) ~ and I will probably be upgrading. I write church music, and am finding the limitation of only 8 staves per page to be frustrating. Other than that, it's GLORIOUS! One more endorsement: I've never written a review for anything before, and probably never will again. I feel strongly about the power and wonder of the creative potential and immediate feedback of this software. P.S. I use a Macintosh; works well!
great, especially considering the price 2008-01-09
I got this product for Christmas, and, considering the prices I have seen for it, it is an extremely cost effective product. I am especially pleased with many of the midi patches. I have done some writing on it thus far, including a duet for organ and cello, and its sounds really good as far as quality goes.
Excellent Product! 2007-10-22
I just got this product today but am very pleased with it so far. I really like the video helps that are included. It helped me to learn the basics very quickly. There are some things that I have not learned yet, but I do not anticipate any difficulty in learning the more complex features either.
I was a Music Education major in college and have studied music theory and composition since I was 12 years old. I just wish there was a product like this when I was learning music theory and composition. It would have been a huge help to me. I highly recommend this product for those who need just a basic song writing software. Unless you need something to help with orchestration and really complex composition, this product should provide all you need to get your music written and printed in a professional format.
