 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: drc
Date: 2002-08-07 12:47
I am looking for some software to do simple notation. I don't wish to score a movie, just write down some simple melody lines and print them off. Do people on this list have any recommendations? Or are there some popular programs that are used more than others?
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Author: beejay
Date: 2002-08-07 13:31
Noteworthy Composer without a doubt. You can download if off the internet at <<www.noteworthysoftware.com>> to try it out. I like it because of its simplicity. Unlike other programs in which you have to fill in templates, you start off with a blank sheet in Noteworthy, just as you would with a word processor, and format when you have finished. In other words, the formatting fits the music rather than the other way around. The program has all the basics. If you want special ornamentations, you can download them for free from the Noteworthy site. You will also find a lot of music written for the program in the Noteworthy scriptorium. I use the program quite a lot to convert midi files to printer format, and for transposition. The help files are adequate for most purposes, but there is also an excellent manual with tips on how to use the program, also available free on line. Another big advantage of Noteworthy is that you can operate it almost entirely from the keyboard, avoiding wrist fatigue from too much mousing.
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Author: Michael McC.
Date: 2002-08-07 13:45
Just for simple things, Finale notepad from Coda Music Technology is good, but you can't use a (piano) keyboard. You can download it for free at www.codamusic.com
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Author: beejay
Date: 2002-08-07 15:42
I'm not hot on computer stuff. I meant to say:
http://www.noteworthysoftware.com
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Author: Steve
Date: 2002-08-07 18:58
I've had NoteWorthy Composer for a few years and didn't realize there was a printable manual. Where is it on their web site?
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Author: Steve
Date: 2002-08-07 20:07
I've had great results w/ "Nightingale Lite," a MIDI-capable, Mac and PC compatible, FREE software package available on-line from Adept Music Notation Solutions, Inc. They also offer "Nightingale," the more capable and complete version of the software for $$.
-sdr
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Author: Dee
Date: 2002-08-07 20:54
Finale Notepad will not let you change time signatures or key signatures in the middle of a piece, something that can occur even in simple pieces. If you need to do this, try the inexpensive Finale PrintMusic! for about $70.
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Author: beejay
Date: 2002-08-08 14:56
To Steve.
Go to the Noteworthy Scriptorium (www.vpmag.com/nwc) and look for something called "command summary for V1.70." Here you can down load the entire manual (171 pages) or just the sections that interest you.
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Author: Dave
Date: 2002-08-08 16:44
I've tried several and for the price Noteworthy Composer is by far the best. Simple to use and user friendly. When I bought it several years ago the price was around $40. Not sure what the current price is.
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Author: Steve
Date: 2002-08-08 18:56
Reply to beejay:
Thanks for the tip on how to get the NWC manual. I never would have guessed it was under such an arcane listing.
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Author: Ginny
Date: 2002-08-08 23:53
Noteworthy is very satisfactory, and they will actually email help to you if you have problems.
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2002-08-09 14:46
So, let's suppose you wanted to write a symphony. How would this change your choices in software? How about Voyetra Maestro? Other product?
I own Noteworthy Composer but it seems to be limited to small ensemble or individual parts.
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Author: beejay
Date: 2002-08-09 15:22
Matt
If you look at the examples in the Scriptorium (address above, you'll find plenty of orchestral pieces. I taught my clarinet teacher how to use Noteworthy, and after only a couple of months he is producing some very professional-looking scores for string orchestra. I cannot comment on Maestro. I have tried Sibelius and it seems to be able to do everything, but it is way more than I need and therefore too expensive for my purposes. Regards
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Author: beejay
Date: 2002-08-09 15:32
I looked up Maestro on the Internet, and it seems to go beyond the original question, which was "how do I write some simple melody lines and print them?" Maestro seems like a bit of a hefty program for that, and also looks as if it is oriented toward midi production. It has a simpler cousin called Music Write Plus, but like all of the other programes I've tried (Sibelius, Finale) it seems to be based on filling in a template. I like to write my music out first and THEN think about how I want it to look on the page.
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2002-08-09 19:10
Beejay:
Like I said:
"So, let's suppose you wanted to write a symphony. How would this change your choices in software?"
It still fit into the general question of "Notation software". Maybe I should have started a new thread. BTW, I agree that Maestro would seem to be more than necessary for basic writing.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: Dee
Date: 2002-08-09 20:46
Probably the only two that have the capacity to let you score a symphony would be Finale and Sibelius (although there may be others but they are rather obscure if they are out there). Lesser packages simply don't allow you enough staves for all the instruments and voices.
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Author: Patrick
Date: 2002-08-12 06:19
I agree with Dee -- I use Sibelius, having "moved up" to it from shareware Mozart. I've been scoring with Sibelius for about six months now, typically using a midi file as a starting point. I'm only using about 10% of what's there in Sibelius, but I've already produced pieces that are being rehearsed for performance right now. An example is a clarinet choir arrangement of the Debussy's Reverie for piano.
Sibelius has everything you need to score for any ensemble you might imagine, as well as read midi or printed scores for same into your own scores. Sibelius, for example, can "explode" a staff of music with three voices onto three distinct instruments -- an example might be exploding the left hand of an organ piece to the contra alto, bass, and alto clarinets. Obviously, you'll need to tweak the results, but the software certainly makes you more productive (creativity...well, thats another issue).
A big however: Sibelius will set you back about $400 (less if you're a student). Mozart (about $80, with a free trial that includes printing) is quite good, and pretty much does the same things as Sibelius, though with fewer options, less pizazz, and the longer learning curve that goes with. You can get a good feel for what scoring programs do by giving Mozart a try, as I did.
Note, I have no financial or professional connection with either of these software companies. I'm a devoted amateur clarinet player and arranger. I did quite a bit of online research, and these are the ones I wound up with.
Patrick
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Author: beejay
Date: 2002-08-12 14:07
It's the $400 that stops me. I'm not saying it's not good value if you write or rearrange a lot of music. But the original question was obviously not about high-end score-writing programs. The writer was seeking a program to write ''some simple melody lines and print them off.'' For $40, Noteworthy does that excellently, and a lot more besides.
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