From Denemo - Free and Open Music Notation Editor

First Steps
Author:	Nils Gey
Type:	User Interface
Level:	Very Beginner
Version:	0.7.9+
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. Choose in menu Mode -> Classic Mode.
4. Add a note by navigating up/down with the Arrow-Up/Down Keys and then press a number from 1 to 5 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... Note: Don't use the Keypad!
   1. Jump to the nearest note-position by typing in the name of the note directly. (International System: c d e f g a b)

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

1. Press G to jump to the G-position located in the middle of the staff. If it jumps to a higher or lower G you navigated too far away. Just make sure to start from the middle G.
2. Press 2. A quarter note appears.
3. Press Arrow-Up followed by a 2. An "a". See how it works?
4. Repeat three more times to enter "b", "c" and "d".
5. You see the barlines was added automatically after 4 quarter notes. It is in 4/4 after all...
6. This should be easy now: Press Arrow-Down, enter a quarter note with 2 and repeat two more times to enter a descending "c", "b" and "a".
7. One more step down (Arrowkey) and now enter a half on G with 1. Go down one more, add a half "f".
8. Finally go up one step again and add a whole note with 0 on 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 a 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. Go to File->Export PDF to save the generated pdf with a name and to a directory of your choice.
   1. Export PDF and Print Preview is exactly the same function except the name-choosing. If you want you can print directly out of your print-preview.

• 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!