Written Music Using The Computer

[spindizzy]

I use Noteworthy Composer and I find it remarkably powerful for the price. You can do a surprising amount with it, yet it is very easy to learn. I know of people who have notated entire symphonies using it. Look here www.keyboard-creations.co.uk/ to see what can be done.

 

There is a new version in development. I don't know when it will become available, but I imagine it will be fairly soon but it will not be a free upgrade. There is a free viewer and a free browser plugin both of which enable you to view, playback and print noteworthy files.

 

The new version seems to have been in development for ages!

If you buy now, I think you will get upgraded to new version when it comes out finally - otherwise everyone would hold off buying! (If you have an older version - maybe not).

 

The new versions Beta release is also available if you've paid for the most recent version and I'm currently using that, with no problems (though you need to remember to save in the older format if you want to be able to exchange files with older version users)

 

All that being said, I've heard good things about Finale Notepad as well.

 

I also seem to remember that the Noteworthy trial version may have a few more limitations as well as the time limit (eg no saving) but I'm not sure of that, and things may have changed!

 

Chris

[Dirge]

Thanks Mike; the set length is obviously beatable. Good news.

 

I certainly think it'll do me fine for now, at my basic level.

[Howard Mitchell]

[What doesn't Noteworthy do that Sibelius does? I've been using Noteworthy for over a decade and found very few limitations. ...

 

-- Rich --

 

Without wishing to start a "this program does this, yes it does, no it doesn't conversation", Sibelius has some features which I use when preparing notation for publication and when arranging for a large ensemble.

 

Particularly, automatic part extraction, automatic transposing scores for brass instruments, export to graphics for inserting in documents, style sheets, batch processing (e.g. convert a folder of tunes to a given style, convert a folder to graphics), MusicXML (an open standard for interchange between notation program), scanning input (useful when another program doesn't produce MusciXML), video integration (I'm just beginning to experiement with writing a score to sync with video of a couple of musicians), choice of music fonts and detailed choice of sizes and positions for all elements.

 

But going back to the original question, Sibelius, in common with a number of other programs, has drag and drop editing of the notation on screen. Much as I understand the usage of ABC as a file format for simple music notation, I have yet to find a notation application which uses ABC as its file format and has on-screen notation editing. For me ABC's unique feature is the inclusion of multiple tunes in one file and the ability of some application to use this to extract and print tune sheets. I don't know of any of the professional programs which can do this without extracting a list of tunes to graphics and then assembling them on a single page.

 

Howard Mitchell

[spindizzy]

Particularly, automatic part extraction, automatic transposing scores for brass instruments, export to graphics for inserting in documents, style sheets, batch processing (e.g. convert a folder of tunes to a given style, convert a folder to graphics), MusicXML (an open standard for interchange between notation program), scanning input (useful when another program doesn't produce MusciXML), video integration (I'm just beginning to experiement with writing a score to sync with video of a couple of musicians), choice of music fonts and detailed choice of sizes and positions for all elements.

 

Howard Mitchell

 

Wow!

So that what the price tag gets you (currently a breath under £300)

 

I must admit I thought it cost more - maybe I was looking at the pro version (anyprice between £400 and £550) - fortunately I don't need any as extensive as these.....

 

Chris

[David Barnert]

Much as I understand the usage of ABC as a file format for simple music notation, I have yet to find a notation application which uses ABC as its file format and has on-screen notation editing.

BarFly for Macintosh. You can't place notes on the staff with a mouse, but it does display the staff notation in one window as you're typing the ascii code in another. Clicking on a note in the staff window selects the relevant characters of code in the ascii window.