Entering notation from sheet music to create accompaniment tracks

Question

I just accepted a junior high/high school vocal music teaching position for the upcoming school year. The school does not have a full time accompanist so I had planned on using Finale Print Music to put sheet music into the program and save the files to use during my rehearsals. This works well for rehearsals but I'm wanting something better (more instruments) for performances - especially for the school musical as I will not have an orchestra (it's a small school). I got to thinking today that Garage Band might sound better than Finale. My husband recommended using Logic Express (which we have) instead because it has more features that Garage Band.
Anyway...I've been trying to figure out Logic today (I'm pretty good with computers) and have been struggling with the best way to input notes. I have a Roland digital keyboard but struggle with just recording because my piano skills aren't great.
When I try to use Score Editor the problem I keep getting is that even though I click on an eighth note (using the pencil tool), it shows up in the staff as a different type of note (quarter note, sixteenth note). I would like to be able to enter chord by chord as well (for entering piano notation).
I have tried to search these discussion boards but have not been able to find a solution. I guess the main question is: will this program (Logic Express) do what I want it to do (create background accompaniments) or am I wasting my time trying to learn something new (or could you recommend something better/easier). I have a lot of music to create accompaniments for before the school year starts and could use any advice you could give me.
Thanks!
Christina

Answer 1

Logic Express 7 can certainly do everything you need, although upgrading would help (but I don't want to suggest you spend money unnecessarily).
I have manuals for Logic Pro 7 & 8, but not for Express 7, so I can't say exactly what will be in there, but I would guess there will be a great deal of information regarding using scores, since this is a big area with a huge number of options.
The main issue is that Logic is primarily a music performance & recording application, so although it has excellent scoring facilities, the object of the exercise from Logic's point of view is to allow the score to look right without affecting the recorded performance. The performance comes first; then the score can be tidied up to look right.
This is exactly the other way round from Scoring applications such as Finale.
The advantage is that you're right; Logic will provide better sounds than Finale. The disadvantage is that it isn't so easy just to put score in & have it sound good; although you can input the score directly, it's easier in the long run to perform the parts & then adjust the scoring.
With regard to inputting the wrong note values: there are lots of options that govern what gets put in when you input notes directly, including Quantise & Rest Quantise values. You will need to go through all these options, preferably with the manual; but it should be quite straight forward once you've got started.
If any of this sounds at all off-putting, it isn't meant to! Getting started is always the hardest part. Once you're underway, it will start to get more fun & more productive. Good software always has a learning curve, & a learning curve is always steepest at the bottom.
Good luck, & if you have any other specific questions, just ask.
P.S.: if you have work already done in Finale, then if you export it as SMFs (Standard MIDI Files) you can open these in Logic. Don't Import them, though; opening them preserves more information. You can easily copy Regions between Arrangements once you've got them into Logic.
Message was edited by: Caramby