2008 Summer NAMM Show: Sibelius announced Sibelius First, a new notation and composition tool for singer/songwriters, keyboard players and guitarists. 

“Sibelius First is that great first step into the world of professional score writing for aspiring composers,” said Jeremy Silver, Sibelius Software’s managing director. “If you’re more comfortable composing while playing a guitar or a keyboard, then Sibelius First is for you.”

Sibelius First features:

• Friendly user interface;
• Composing and arranging tools for up to 12 staves of music;
• Easy input via MIDI keyboard, MIDI guitar, computer keyboard or mouse;
• Dynamic Scoring for instrumental parts that automatically update as you work on the full score;
• Ability to switch from guitar tab to notation and back again with ease;
• Built-in general MIDI sounds, with 128 high-quality instruments for realistic playback of your music;
• Exporting of your score ready to burn to CD;
• Support for scanning in printed music for editing or transposition; and
• Scorch technology to publish, post and share scores on the web so your fans can see and hear your music.

Sibelius First is available beginning June 25 for $129 (MSRP).