Klarinet Archive - Posting 000230.txt from 2002/01

From: Michael Cuthbert <cuthbert@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Music notation software and transposition
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 15:39:47 -0500

jpreed@-----.net wrote on Jan 8:
> I'm looking for something I can afford, to help me tranpose music, if
> I'm not oversimplifying what I think music software can do for me. A
> cursory search of Sneezy's files doesn't lead me where I think I want to
> go. And, I'm willing to conceed I might not have searched properly.

Jim, since others have talked a lot about the software aspects of the
transposing on computer, I thought a little should be said about
timesaving via xposing on computer.

If you're just looking to take a piece and xpose it for your own quick
and dirty use, I would recommend purchasing a $40-60 midi keyboard to
let you enter in notes quickly--otherwise even the best mouse and
computer keyboard technique will slow you down. On Finale (any level
I think, maybe not notepad), Encore (a good deal if you can find a
cheap older copy), and I believe Sibelius, there is a mode where you
enter pitches with the keyboard and durations with the number key.
You'll quickly get the hang of it and soon be entering music as fast
as you can sing it to yourself in your head.

When you're done with that, have the program transpose it, fix stem
directions, fix measure widths and multimeasure rests, and then save
and print the thing. Then add everything else by hand (slurs,
dynamics, rehearsal marks, etc.). Since you're not going to be
publishing it, whatever is legible and fast is most useful to you. I
have yet to find notation software that can do this faster than a
pencil. Neater, yes. More professional, of course.

If you already have a scanner, you're going to do this often, and the
source pieces are clean enough, some of the music scanning programs
are getting good enough that they'll save a lot of time for doing this.

Just my experience for xposing for others,
Myke

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