Score Writer 4 and Overture 4 feature comparison
Basic Overview

Score Writer 4

Overture 4
Product Positioning Create and print sheet music fast Create Professional Notation Fast
Overview Elegantly Simple and Straightforward

Score Writer is appropriate for people new to notation and composition, and whose needs are relatively simple and straightforward. It covers lead sheet work to small ensemble scores easily.		 Flexible, Comprehensive and Easy

Overture is great for more demanding composers, arrangers, music educators, and students—those who want the flexibility to create more complex orchestral, band, choral, lead sheet, and tablature scores, and do it quickly.
Notation Elements Score Writer offers all the basic notation elements hobbyists and beginner composers need. Overture offers all of Score Writer’s basic symbols, plus a comprehensive set of all standard notation elements.
Chords Score Writer offers all the basic chords you need for simpler lead sheets, as well as some advanced voicings (over 120 in all). Overture not only offers all of Score Writer’s chords, but allows you to create any chord you wish.
Guitar Frames Score Writer offers basic guitar frames  for simpler lead sheets, as well as the ability to alter individual frames in the score. Overture not only offers all of Score Writer’s guitar frames, but allows you to create any guitar frame you wish and store it in a library.  Overture also includes guitar frames for standard guitar tunings, bass guitar, and other instruments.
Voices/Staves Score Writer allows you to use up to 4 independent voices (individually stemmed notes) in up to 16 staves. Overture allows you to use up to 8 voices on up to 64 staves
File Support Opens Score Writer (.scw), Overture (.ove), Encore (.enc), MusicTime (.Mus) documents, and MIDI files. Saves  Score Writer and MIDI files. Opens Overture (.ove), Score Writer (.scw), Encore (.enc), MusicTime (.Mus) documents, and MIDI files. Saves  Overture and MIDI files.
VST (PC Only) Limited to 4 Instruments. No VST effects Overture allows to load up to 256 VST Instruments and effects.
Customization   Overture allows you to create customize its libraries of music elements
 
Complete Feature Comparison Chart
key: a bullet ( • ) indicates that a feature is present in that product
General Features

Score Writer 4

Overture 4
Import MIDI files

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Export MIDI files

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Export Graphics (EPS & Raster) (Mac only)  

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Quantize notes for playback  

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Use 3rd party music fonts, including Jazz Font and GoldenAge  

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Max # of staves per system

16

64
Max # of Voices per staff

4

8
Comprehensive Library of Staff Instruments with playback and display settings, names, clef assignments, transpositions, and pitch ranges for orchestral, band, jazz, guitar, and choral scores

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Customizable Staff Instruments  

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Create beautifully spaced music with note spacing and measure justifying

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Cross staff-beaming  

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Cross-bar beaming (including between staff systems)  

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Create feathered beaming  

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Automatic Guitar tablature (6-string)  

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Automatic Guitar tablature (4-string bass)  

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Customizable tablature with complete set of professional tablature performance markings  

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Choral "shape" notes  

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Slash notes (rhythmic notation)

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Drum notation (displays by default on Imported MIDI Files, control over which noteheads display on which lines)

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Multiple sets of customizable drum notation styles stored in libraries  

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Dockable tool palettes (Win specific)

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Quick score navigation via status bar in window

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MIDI monitor on Task Bar (Win specific)

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Editing features Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Zoom in and out for precise control

Limited to 5-levels
(50, 75, 100, 150, 200%)

Full zoom capabilities
Expressions palette for saving text in any font size or style

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(not user-definable)

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(user-definable)
Guitar tablature markings and symbols set for professional copy work  

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Slur a group of notes automatically

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Symbols include: slurs, ties, grace notes, cue notes, tuplets, accents marks, ornaments, ottava, and dynamics markings

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Place objects anywhere on page by clicking the mouse

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Selectable regions, pages, staves, systems, and scores

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Keyboard shortcuts for durations, sharps, flats, naturals, and flipping enharmonics

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Transposition automatically affects chord symbols

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Transpose, change key signatures, meters, clefs

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Plays back repeats and endings

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Cut, copy, paste, clear, insert, delete or undo notes and selections

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Beam sub-groups  

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Adjust Beam attributes such as height and length

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Normalize stem directions and lengths after transposing

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Justify spacing for accidental collisions and timing alignment

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Ten notehead types, including rhythmic, percussion, and shape notes

6 types
(no shape notes)

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Extract parts automatically, with optional lyric and text extraction

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Enter text anywhere in any font, size, or style

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Draw graphics on score  

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Change your notation easily with "Notate As" commands:  

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Reduced Rests (creates long notes from note-rest combinations)

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Swing Eighths (creates swing from dotted 8th-16th combinations

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Triplet

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Single Note (from two tied notes)

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Two Tied Notes (from a single note)

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Cue Notes (resizes notes to 50%)

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Grace Notes

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Arpeggio (from a series of short notes)  

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Trill (from a series of short notes)  

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Turn (from a series of short notes)  

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Notation Element or Editing Item

Score Writer 4

Overture 4
Toolbars and Palettes

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Standard toolbar with access to all palettes

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Transport - Start, Stop, Start from Beginning, Record

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Transport - Punch in/out status and location points  

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MIDI Thru Device and Patch

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# of Countoff measures

(1-bar countoff setting is available in Options menu)

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Main Tools and Palettes

Score Writer 4

Overture 4
Select/Erase/Scale

•/•/

•/•/•
Transcription Quantize

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Notes

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Groups (use to edit groups of notes and change their notated  appearance)

These markings or edits:

Tie

Slur

Straight Glissando

Tuplet

Full Pedal Sign (lines)

8va (ottava alta)

8vb (ottava basso)

All of Score Writer’s, plus these extras:

Dotted Tie

Dotted Slur

Wavy Glissando

Cusstom Tuplet

Bracket

Brace

Harp Pedal

Parenthesize Notes

Half Pedal Sign (lines)
Ornaments

These markings:

Trill (tr)

Trill (wavy line)

Turn

Short Mordent

Inverted Short Mordent

Fingerings 1-5

All of Score Writer’s, plus these extras:

Trill (2nd tr style)

Natural accidental for trill sign

Flat accidental for trill sign

Sharp accidental for trill sign

Inverted Long Mordent
Articulations

These markings:

Tenuto

Staccato

Marcato

Marcato with staccato

Sforzando

Inverted Sforzando

Sforzando with staccato

Inverted Sforzando w/staccato

Heavy Attack/Full Duration

Heavier Attack/Full Duration

Plus

Tremolo 1

Tremolo 2

Tremolo 3

Tremolo 4

Down Pedal

Up Pedal

Pause (Comma)

Grand Pause (Caesura)

Fermata

Inverted Fermata

Arpeggio

All of Score Writer’s, including:

Staccatissimo

Down Bow

Inverted Down Bow

Up Bow

Inverted Up Bow

Natural Harmonic

Artificial Harmonic

Toe Pedal

Heel Pedal

Toe-to-Heel

Heel-to-Toe
Noteheads

These Noteheads:

Standard head

Rhythmic Slash

Open Rhythm

Blank

X

Circled x

All of Score Writer’s, plus these extras:

Closed Slash

Open Slash

Open Shape Notes (Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti)

Closed Shape Notes (Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti)
Tablature  

Fret numbers 0-25
Guitar (comprehensive tablature symbol set)  

All these markings:

Fingering: p I m a c T H F

String (circled #): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Continue until (dashed line)

Vibrato (7 styles)

Tremolo

Bend up (curved up arrow, w/ opt. bend number)

Bend up/release (curved up arrow, curved down arrow, w/ opt bend number)

Bend up/release over time (curved up arrow, dashed line, curve to down arrow, w/ opt. bend number)

Pre-bend (up arrow, w/ opt. bend number)

Pre-bend release (up arrow, curved down arrow, w/ opt. bend number)

Pre-bend, release over time (up arrow, dashed line, curve to down arrow, w/ opt. bend number)
Jazz Articulations

These markings:

Gliss up

Gliss down

Lift

Fall off

All of Score Writer’s, plus these extras:

Rip/Wah wah (7 styles)

Spill/Stab/Fall off (7 styles)

Wow wow, shake, grow, lip trill, wide lip trill (7 styles)

Smear

Plop

Doit

Bend

Flip
Dynamics

pppp, ppp, pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, fff, ffff, sf, fz, sfz, fp, hairpin, double-hairpin, "cresc." "decresc."

pppp, ppp, pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, fff, ffff, sf, fz, sfz, fp, hairpin, double-hairpin, "cresc." "decresc."
Text

3 types:

Rehearsal

Bar (per measure)

Page (header/footer)

All of Score Writer’s, plus:

Staff system text (applies to all staves in score and stays with each part)
Expressions (dynamic and tempo phrases)

•

All of Score Writer’s, plus the ability to customize
Graphics  

All of these:

Rectangle

Rounded rectangle

Oval

Line

Curve

Line thickness

Solid, dashed or dotted line status

Line start and end status (e.g., arrowheads)

Opaque or transparent shape

Symbol tool (use to add text)
Clefs

These types:

Treble

Bass

Modern Piccolo

Modern Baritone

Modern Tenor

Movable C

Bass (8vb)

Percussion (box)

All of Score Writer’s, including:

Percussion (double-line)
Staves
Automatically edit or insert new staff:
Insert Treble staff
Insert Bass staff
Insert Alto staff
Insert Tenor staff
Insert Percussion staff
Insert Piano grand staff
Insert Piano & Melody staff
Cross-staff barlines
Group staves with brace
Group staves with bracket
Group staves as system

All of Score Writer’s, plus:

Insert Tablature staff
Barlines

These styles:
Standard
Double
Open Repeat
Closed Repeat
Fine
Single measure repeat symbol
Double measure repeat symbol
First Ending
Final Ending (customizable for 2nd, 3rd, etc.)

All of Score Writer’s, plus:

Dotted Barline
File Menu Score Writer 4 Overture 4
New

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Opens Overture and Score Writer files

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Close

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Save

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Save As

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Revert

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Edit Library  

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Load Library  

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Import  Encore, MusicTime, MusicXML, and MIDI files (Type 0 and Type 1)

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Export (MIDI File)

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Extract Parts

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Print Preview (Win only)

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Page Setup

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Print

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Recent File List (Win Only)

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Quit/Exit

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Edit menu Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Undo/Redo

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Cut

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Copy

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Paste

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Clear

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Merge

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Paste Special  

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Select All

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Make Invisible

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Make Visible

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Mute Playback

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MIDI Data (displays new Edit MIDI Data dialog)

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Score menu Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Insert Page

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Delete Page

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Layout Page

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Page Dimensions

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Increase Systems

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Decrease Systems

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Hide/Show Staves  

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Insert Track

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Delete Track

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Setup Track

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Respace Staves

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Recalc Layout

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Redraw Page

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Allotment (spacing) tables for note spacing 

(Medium by default)

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Font Map

(Aloisen by default)

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Title Page

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Engraver 

(Factory defaults)

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Measures menu Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Insert

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Delete

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Increase Measures on System

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Decrease Measures on System

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Set Key Signature

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Set Time Signature

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Set Tempo

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Set Codas, Segnos, etc.

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Set Measures Numbers

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Rebar

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Multi Measure Rest

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Fill in Rests

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Justify

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Notes menu Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Transpose

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Modify Notes  

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Quantize  

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Delete (articulations and beams)

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Notes>Beams Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Beam

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Articulations

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Based on Meter

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Manually

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Tremolo 8ths  

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Tremolo 16ths  

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Tremolo 32ds  

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Tremolo 64ths  

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Notes>Groups Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Tie

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Slur

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Ottava  

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Tuplet  

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Triplet

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Allows multiple tuplet settings
Quintuplet

•

"
Septuplet

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"
Glissando ( - )

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Glissando ( ~ )  

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Notes>Flip Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Direction

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Enharmonic

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Sharps to Flats

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Flats to Sharps

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Notes>Stem Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Stem Up

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Stem Down

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Hide Stem  

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Show Stem  

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Set Stem Height

"Reset Stem Heights" command

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Display on Previous Staff  

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Display on Next Staff  

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Move to Prev Track

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Move to Next Track

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Notes>Notate Notes as Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Arpeggio  

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Reduced Rests

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Swing Eighths

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Trill  

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Triplet

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Turn  

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Cue Notes

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Grace Notes

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Single Note

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Two Tied Notes

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Transcribe

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Notes to Raw  

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Notes to Tablature  

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Set to Voice Score Writer 4 Overture 4
1-4

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5-8  

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Options>Show Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Beat Chart  

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Handles

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Margin

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Units in Inches

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Rulers  

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Voices in Colors  

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Invisibles

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Incorrect Rhythms

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Range Errors

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Tracks Transposed

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Filled Measure Rests

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System Separations

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Chord Positions

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Lyric Positions

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Slash Note Positions  

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Auto Beam

(on by default)

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Auto Position

(on by default)

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Auto Transcribe

(on by default)

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Keyboard Thru

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Hold Timing

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Options>Metronome Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Click in Record

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Click in Play

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Click in Countoff

(sets 1 bar countoff)

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Metronome Sound

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Options>Play Style Score Writer 4 Overture 4
As Recorded

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In Swing

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As written

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With Repeats

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Record Options

(No record filter)

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MIDI Devices

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Instruments (Win specific)

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Preferences

(fewer preference settings than Overture, but adds a Chords preferences pane to provide basic control styles and appearance)

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Windows menu Score Writer 4 Overture 4
Tool Bar

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Main Tool Bar (Win specific)

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Standard Tool Bar (Win specific)

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Transport - Punch In and Punch out.

 

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Tracks

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Graphic  

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Chords / Guitar Frames (includes over 120 voicings)

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Lyrics

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Step Input

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Help (Win specific)

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