Does anyone have a favorite music notation software they would recommend? Preferably one that doesn’t cost about the same as two Copelands and a Burke? :roll:
I’m just looking for a basic program that will allow me to put some songs
on paper and listen to them as they’re played back. And maybe add a guitar chord or two. A bit of piano accomp…
Whatever.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
I use FinaleNotePad. It’s free, unless you get the upgrades and has a playback feature. I have some examples of it on my website.
Thanks O’Brien,
I’ll check it out.
Rod
I use Mozart Music Processor, I like the fact that you can share the music files with friends. The Mozart Viewer lets them playback, view and print the music.
It will also convert MIDI files to score and has a play-in feature,
It’s at: http://www.mozart.co.uk
Oops forgot to say the software I use is Music Master works. I had mozart years ago and it didn’t have this feaure, must be an updated version…
Hey Dan, Bill ever send that whistle to ya???
I’ve been very pleased with NoteWorthy Composer. A very good bang for the buck ($39) IMHO.
Cheers,
David
Thanks all! 
I appreciate the response and will check out each one.
Rod
I’m a Melody Assistant user.
The following is a post I made a few months ago regarding Midi conversions.
Midi files can be separated into 2 types. Computer generated and Instrument generated.
Computer generated midi are programed by a piece of software and some type of score. Instrument generated are created by someone playing an instrument (often a key board) through a midi interface.
Melody Assistant translates both. The Computer generated stuff comes out almost perfect with very little, if any, clean up neccessary. The instrument generated stuff come out a little verbose. It translate what is played almost exactly, including little pauses and rests the player may be putting into his performance.
When I converted ‘Gift of a Thistle’ it was from an instrument generated midi. It gave me 5 or 6 melody lines 2 harmony lines and 2 percussion lines. It included a lot of minor rests where the person playing the midi instrument was not exactly on beat. But it did identify 2 bag pipe lines, a flute/whistle line, and 2 string lines.
The midi file I was using passed the melody between all these voices.Clean up was easy because, after I made a change, I could alway replay the score by just pressing the play button. The play button, plays a midi (computer generated version) sound file of the score as it is now written. This feature is also good when trying to transcribe something by ear.
Another thing Myriad (makers of MA) is good at is upgrades. I’ve had my software for 3 months and gone through 2 upgrades. Each added or improved something on the product. The most recent upgrade allows you to not only print the score but you can now export the score in graphic format. It has always imported and exported in ABC format. The graphic format selection is limited to BMP but my Adobe Photoshop quickly converted the BMP to a GIF file so I could send it to a friend. Both upgrade were painless, no errors, no blow ups, not even any reboots required.
When I was looking for an inexpensive notation software package I looked at a number of software programs including Noteworthy Composer. At the time Melody Assistant was much better and gave me much more control. It’s intutive and pretty well supported through the website.
I have been suprised how persistant Myriad has been about adding needed features. it was allready more robust than Noteworthy, and Myriad just keeps making it better.
Once I get my scanner fixed I plan to get their OSR (optical score recognition) package that will let me scan standard notation into the Melody assistant. ( OSR is Like an OCR but for music notes instead of test characters.) I can then add harmony lines, custom chord acompanyments, etc. with the result of have group arrangements of some of my favorite tunes.
I keep planning on writting a full blown review of this package to send to Dale to add to the sight. But I keep putting off and generateing these little mini reviews.
Hope this answers your question about MA and its midi conversion.
And no, I am not a Myriad representative, I just really like their software, I think for 15 bucks, It can’t be beat.
Here’s a link to their site <a href=> http://www.myriad-online.com/>Myriad > - Melody Assitant
Hope this helps and …
Thanks Lee,
you went above and beyond answering my question, but
it was worth it. (To me!)
I’ve looked at the Melody Assistant site and the software
really looks good! And you sure can’t beat the price.
I think I’ll give it a go. I’ve downloaded Finale Notepad as well and will have fun comparing them.
Thanks again for your input.
Rod
Mozart is up to version 7 and (I have 6) and it has lot’s of new things.
Bill asked for my address this weekend to send out the whistle. So maybe I’ll see it this week. He’s made some nice comments on it.
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned ABC yet. It’s pretty simple, you can try it out before plonking down some money–although money (about $20) is required to unlock the print feature. It will playback the tunes with computer tones, but it’s good enough to “proof-hear” the music.
I’ve got Finale Allegro and the printed music looks great but there’s a longer learning curve and I have yet to sort out making it play back first and second endings correctly–something ABC does effortlessly.
The nice thing about ABC is all the tunes in that format available for download–more than I’ll ever sort through in this lifetime.
This page http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/ has links to software and tune collections.
M
Thanks Marguerite;
I’ll check it out too.
Thank you all for your tips.
I’v already downloaded a couple and have been
having a great time. I apprecite the input!
Rod
Hey I tried the final note pad program last night. Way cool and fairly easy to use. No problems.
Quite a website.
Is that your homepage? 
Someone mentioned they had an older version of Mozart. The Mozart website will sell upgrades to the new version to previous Mozart users at half-price.
I hope you like it… Keep in mind it’s a semi-rough prototype. The screw holding the fipple in through the bottom of the mouthpiece was what I commonly refer to as a last minute mistake. It would be more than sturdy enough to stand up to a beating without the fipple coming out. As I stated in a different thread, I did try to “yank” the outter mouthpiece from off of the carbon fiber tube to I could do some work on the fipple, Well yank as I might all I accomplished was scratching the Stainless Steel of the mouthpiece. I know i’m not king cong, but my friends nick named me “Sir Toques Alot” from all the times I have in advertantly twisted the hex-head off of many a Nut. Also the PVC whistle’s head join was a last minute addition… The original one had an “accident” and I had to fab up something guick. It will allow for a bit of tuning, but it fits so snug that pushed in all the way the whistle is just barely not-sharp I tried to make it with an Internal tuning slide in the very begining, but tha eaxtra material was through off my tuning… A LOT. I trashed 3 body’s before I gave up… D,E,F# were always flat, and G,A,B were always spot on… Sounded “ok” by ear, but my tuner said otherwise…
Make sure you put it through it’s paces and I want an Ojective review If it won’t play “a cran worth a damn” than I wanna know
Justin