2 Music Lessons Using Finale Notepad

Here are two lessons I use with middle school music technology students:

Lesson 1- Using the free Finale Notepad, have students input music. Call them "scribes for the digital age". Talk about how scribes used to re-write the works of the Masters prior to the printing press. I usually create PDF versions of simple folks songs/compositions for them to "copy" into Finale Notepad.

Students simultaneously learn about key signature, time signature, note values, clefs, and instrumentation. I do this after an extended examination of MIDI vs. MP3. I have students input 5 different compositions of increasing difficulty (the most difficult compositions have ties, rests and dotted rhythms). As a variation, have students change the instrumentation.

Lesson 2- Create a Finale file which contains the rhythm for the song Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star all written on the note "C". Write out a Bass line as well. Have students drag the remaining notes (of the melodic line) to their proper place on the staff. Listening, analyzing, problem solving are all outcomes of this lesson. There is a tremendous source of pride in students once they get it right.