There are a variety of resources available for your notation product. In order to get the best results in your search, it is important to keep in mind the strengths of each of these resources.
The User Manual
Finale's primary help resource
You can access the User Manual within the program from any Help button from the Help menu or from the learning center of our website’s Help Center. Consult the "How do I..." and "What is..." sections for a description of Finale's many functions. Consult the "Show me..." portion for an extensive list of step-by-step instructions that explain how to accomplish specific tasks. Use the Search feature to quickly find the content you are looking for.
Note that as of the Finale v26 release (October 10, 2018), the in-app Help menu option for the User Manual will take you to the newest version of the manual which will contain information on Finale v26. So, there will be some discrepancies in the information within here in regards to how certain features and tools relate to v25. The v25 version of the User Manual is still available and can be downloaded locally for reference.
To download the Finale v25 manual for offline access, please use the link below that applies to your operating system:
Finale v25 Manual Download for Mac
Finale v25 Manual Download for Windows
Here are the instructions for downloading and opening the offline manual:
Download and run offline manual - Mac
- The Finale User Manual download starts immediately after clicking the link above.
- Open your Downloads folder and double-click FinaleMac.zip. Archive Utility automatically opens to expand the file.
- In your Downloads folder, double-click FinaleMac > Finale.htm. The landing page of the Finale User Manual appears.
Download and run offline manual - Windows
- The Finale User Manual download starts immediately after clicking the link above.
- Open your Downloads folder, right-click FinaleWin.zip, and select Extract All. The Select a Destination and Extract Files dialog box appears.
- Click Browse to specify a new location for your Finale User Manual, if needed, and click Extract.
- Navigate to your selected location and double-click FinaleWin > FinaleWin > Finale.htm. The landing page of the Finale User Manual appears.
The Knowledge Base
Finale's primary troubleshooting resource
Connect to the Knowledge Base via the website’s Help Center. Search the Knowledge Base using keywords like "no sound," or "MIDI Setup" to display a list of possible solutions and troubleshooting steps to fix the most common problems customers encounter while using Finale.
The Quick Reference Guide
An overview of essential Finale functions
Consult this guide to learn how to accomplish basic tasks, or to reference keyboard shortcuts and other efficiency tricks that can speed up your workflow. The Quick Reference Guide can be accessed from the Help menu within the program and downloaded using the links at the bottom of this article.
Please note that the Quick Reference Guide is not available for NotePad.
Finale Tutorials
A project-oriented approach to learn Finale
The tutorials are available from within the program under the Help menu, or from the Online User Manuals via the website's Help Center. Step-by-step instructions guide you through every step of the score creation process, from starting a new document to printing the score. The tutorials are especially useful for new users who are just beginning to learn the software.
The QuickStart Videos
Instructional how-to videos
QuickStart Videos are available with the program under the Help menu. These videos demonstrate how-to content in an audio visual medium.
Please note that the QuickStart Videos are not available for NotePad.
The Finale Community
A user-to-user community that allows you to interact with other Finale users.
This resource can be accessed from the Community section of the online Help Center. Search the forums to see if someone else has already asked the same questions you have, submit your own questions, or share your own solutions to help out other Finale users.
The Finale Quick Reference Card
A printable resource for easy viewing of keyboard shortcuts for Finale.
This resource can be accessed by downloading the PDF file "Finale Quick Reference Card.pdf" from the bottom of this article. Use this printable resources as an easy way to familiarize or remind yourself of many of the keyboard shortcuts in Finale. There are also printer-friendly versions of the Quick Reference Card for Windows and Mac attached below. Not to be confused with the Quick Reference Guide mentioned above.