“My student has chosen a great solo/contest piece that’s not in SmartMusic – help!”

Besides requesting that we add the title here, there’s also an immediate solution. If you own Finale, you can create a SmartMusic file for any piece.

First, enter the notes of the piece into Finale in any way you wish. If you choose to scan an existing piece of sheet music there’s even a great QuickStart Video that walks you through the scanning and editing process.

Once the piece is complete, go to Finale’s File menu and choose “Export to SmartMusic,” then follow the quick on-screen instructions. You can show the music on-screen and assess your piece, or you can set it up as an accompaniment-only file if you’d like to use Intelligent Accompaniment so SmartMusic will follow the ebb and flow of the performer. Be sure to note where you save the new accompaniment.

Then, back in SmartMusic 2010, click “My Accompaniments” (on the left side of the screen) then “Import” to choose your new accompaniment.

Enjoy!