From Denemo - Free and Open Music Notation Editor

THIS TUTORIAL IS FOR VERSIONS 0.8.18 OR HIGHER!

First Steps
Author:	Nils Gey and Richard Shann
Type:	User Interface
Level:	Very Beginner
Version:	0.8.18+
Example

This tutorial will show you how to create a simple piece of music in Denemo from start to exporting a PDF.

• Starting and Navigation

1. Download and install Denemo. After that, simply start it as it's done in your operating-system.
2. When you start a new, mostly blank window awaits you, showing a single staff, empty but a treble-clef and a 4/4 time-signature.
3. Add a note by pressing a number from 1 to 7 or 0 to enter the note with a specific length. 0 is whole note, 1 is a half, 2 is a quarter and so on... A Pale Yellow note-duration appears.
   1. Type the name of the note. (International System: c d e f g a b). The note turns into a proper black note.
   2. Type in more note names, or change note length as before

• Task 1: Enter four measures of music with two different note-lengths

1. Use the up and down arrow keys to move the Denemo cursor near the G-position located in the middle of the staff.
2. Press 2. A quarter note duration appears.
3. Press an "a". See how it works? It gets blacked-in, it is now a real note.
4. Enter "b", "c" "d" and "e".
5. You see a measure was added automatically after 4 quarter notes. It is in 4/4 after all...
6. Enter "c", "b" and "a". The nearest note to the cursor is chosen, so in this case a descending sequence
7. Now enter a half-note duration with 1' key. Then "g" and "f".
8. Finally add a whole note with 0 and "g"

• Save and View

1. We have to save this masterpiece. Press Ctrl+s and a save dialog will appear.
   1. Just enter a name, for example "tutorial". The .denemo extension will be added automatically.
   2. Press Save and this piece is secured and we are back.
2. Press Space to be sure to deselect everything before doing the next step. Otherwise a popup-window will appear with "A range of music is selected...Print whole file?".
3. Now press Ctrl+Shift+p to view the final output in a new window, a rendered pdf by lilypond. This is nearly the one linked as example in the Infobox here.
   1. If you get a error message that xpdf is not found you either have to install xpdf or you have to tell denemo which pdf-viewer you want to use by editing Edit->Change Preferences->Externals->Pdf Viewer".
4. Look at the generated pdf. You can close that window now.

• One more detail

1. We want to make the only f an f-sharp, aka Fis.
2. Navigate with the Arrow Keys Left and Right until you meet the half f. You don't have to hit it vertically, horizontally is enough.
   1. You can just click the f with your mouse, if you want.
3. Press the + key to sharpen the note. (Guess what - does.)

• Export

1. Save and rejoice! You have done the whole first steps!
2. To export a pdf you use the Save A Copy function of your PDF viewer.

• Next steps

1. Visit the other Tutorials to learn what's possible next.
2. Your piece needs a name and author-information. Try to figure out how to set them with the Score menu located in the third or fourth row of Denemo's menus.
3. Add a second staff with Staffs/Voices->Insert Staff->Add Staff after and write a beautiful second voice!