Music Notation Software - Win & Mac

Subject: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From:
Date: 01 Dec 00 - 07:20 PM

Hey, Coda Music Technology has a FREE! software package for Windows and Macintosh users.

http://www.codamusic.com/coda/np.asp

Finale NotePad(TM) - Millennium Edition is a great first taste of music notation software and the perfect introduction to The Finale Product Family, the world's most-used and best-selling notation software. Finale NotePad makes it easy (and fun) to create high quality scores and lead sheets up to eight staves.

See the above link to get your copy.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From:
Date: 01 Dec 00 - 07:26 PM

Oh, there is something about web-publishing the music as well.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From:
Date: 01 Dec 00 - 07:33 PM

This is neat. You can put lyrics into the file as well, and they automatically line up with the notes! This is awesome. Lots of capability and FREE!!!!!

Check this out!

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: Bill D
Date: 01 Dec 00 - 08:22 PM

Do be warned...this site sets cookies like crazy...and I will be looking to see if the program itself is 'spyware'...that is, reports on what you do with it. It looks interesting, but their stated purpose is to get you to buy their fancier products, so beware.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From:
Date: 01 Dec 00 - 09:08 PM

Well. I'm safe. My system doesn't allow it to dial out.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: MMario
Date: 01 Dec 00 - 09:59 PM

I looked at Finale notepad, but it doesn't hold a candle to Noteworthy Composer - which is only 40 bucks. and the demo is less crippled then finale.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: pict
Date: 02 Dec 00 - 12:40 AM

Sibelius is far superior to Finale imo and for the price Noteworthy is also better.For quick day to day notation Noteworthy is great but for top quality it has to be Sibelius.I found the Finale interface to be cluttered and unintuitive and basically a horrible program to work with.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: georgeward
Date: 02 Dec 00 - 03:51 AM

Old Finale versions had a learning curve like Everest, to be sure. But the recent ones are MUCH better. Thing is, the full app is much more than most folks need or want (though it will also do more). Unless you are publishing or scoring, its more than you need to spend.

But what about Finale Allegro ? Any one have thoughts ?

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: Brendy
Date: 02 Dec 00 - 04:23 AM

I've just recently bought Sibelius 1.4 and Neuratron PhotoScore.
It's my first attempt at scoring music 'electronically', and although being one of the 'un-initiated', I think I will get on with the programmes.

I have no experience at all with the likes of Noteworthy, but I do see that Sibelius has plug-ins to accept Finale 2000 scores.

Still trying to figure it all out, though.

B.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From:
Date: 16 Nov 02 - 12:29 PM

Finale Notepad Plus at $24.95

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: Genie
Date: 16 Nov 02 - 01:02 PM

Problem with Noteworthy, IMO, is that it's Windows only. Even if you have Windows, you may want to share your files with Mac users. Finale Notepad supports both.

I DO find FinaleNotepad tedious, since you have to enter notes one at a time and some aspects of editing are cumbersome. But the Notepad Plus sounds like a nice, inexpensive step up.
Also Coda has a $69.00 program which will, I think, do everything Noteworthy does, and maybe more.

If I didn't already have Band-In-A-Box, which I think will let me do sheet music and MIDIs if I ever learn how to use it, I'd go for the Coda $69 program, which will let you compose sheet music by playing the notes on a piano keyboard.

Genie

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: pavane
Date: 16 Nov 02 - 06:45 PM

George: What is so amazing about words aligned to the notes? I admit my HARMONY program is not a cutting edge scoring program, but it has been able to do that for years. You can also apply words to a tune (from a text file) in about 4 mouse clicks, provided that each word aligns to one note. Otherwise, just one click per word is enough.

However, a scoring package, to me, is just the equivalent of a typewriter for music. My own offering is intended to be more than like a word processor, providing added value to tunes, assisting in composition and manipulation of tunes.

Who else provides a 'Reel to Hornpipe' converter, or a button to turn a melody into a round? Just to name a few of the functions available.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From:
Date: 16 Nov 02 - 06:50 PM

I know you have a great program. Just they sent me this nice notice, and I thought I'd pass it along.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: pavane
Date: 16 Nov 02 - 06:56 PM

OK. Thanks for the recommendation! Just thought I would put in a plug.

I have great things lined up for the next version, including note styles, which will let you apply any MIDI controls to each note (and any number of them).

Also score options which let you see 'Implied' accidentals, notes which are affected by previous accidentals within the same bar (Is this useful? Let me know) and see where MIDI events have been inserted.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 12:42 AM

I haven't checked recently, but the last time I looked the "freeby" version from Coda would not save as midi. This is - for my uses - a "fatal flaw." For anyone just wanting to "break into" scoring, it might be an ok "throwaway" as a starter, but you're sure to want something better.

I've thought that Sibelius would be a great package - although the old one I've looked at does have a steep learning curve. Unfortunately I don't qualify for a "student discount" so it was almost $700 US - last time I looked.

John

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: Genie
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 04:50 AM

You're right, John, Finale Notepad (the freeby) can't save a file as a MIDI.

I've found it somewhat acceptable while I do the research to decide which expensive program to buy.

I've used both Quick Time (with Windows) and Overture (Mac) in the past, but neither one was really easy to master, and with both I had the very frustrating experience of working my a** off for hours and getting a score half done and then accidentally hitting the wrong key, screwing it up, and not being able to figure out how to fix it.

Genie

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 05:09 AM

Genie -

I'm still using a program called "Rhapsody" for my main input. It's easy from the keyboard, or from the $1.98 keyboard I've got hooked in, although I still can't figure out how to really use all the midi features. My main concern is to be able to print a clean and decent looking score, and I use midi just as a check on my input.

Unfortunately - that program is so user friendly that Coda bought them out and discontinued it several years ago.

I've considered Sibelius, but the price is just too high, and I have the feeling it has so many bells and whistles on it that you can't actually drive it anywhere - you just sit in the parking lot and "honk" it.

We've found that you really need more than one program - to satisfy the need to communicate (especially with mudcat), but there's a lot to be said for starting simple - and cheap - until you figure out which way(s) you want to go.

John

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: pavane
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 01:34 PM

The best solution may be a set of co-operating programs, for example use abc to input the tune, a separate scoring program and a separate abc to MIDI program.

Of course, I realise that it may not be that simple, as each may have different restrictions. It is EXTREMELY difficult to manage the notation and performance using the same representation, as they have very different requirements. For example, the notation software does not need to know anything about implied accidentals, but for playback they are essential.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: sed
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 03:06 PM

Every year Finale notepad seems to come out with a different version which is incompatible with the next year's version. I have the 2000 version which I like even though it took a while for this computer to adapt to it. It now works well, basically, and came to me with a computer that was broken which Autoharpist/singer/songwriter Carol Stober gave me to try and repair. I had this hopefully idea that if everyone had the same version of a music writing software program we could write songs together. So far this hasn't happened.

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 04:33 PM

Pavane, your program sounds interesting. How much is it and how do we get it? Is there a free trial version? If you're gonna plug, then plug!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: Genie
Date: 17 Nov 02 - 05:31 PM

John, I'm with you re having both a 'full-service' program (for really serious composing and scoring and MIDI-making) and a simplified program for doing quick-and-dirty sheet music to share with folks on line. (I think Band-In-A-Box will do a lot of the fancier stuff I need, but it's a complicated program to learn. Notepad is too cumbersome for the simple stuff, so I think I need to upgrade a step or two.)

I think I'll spring for the $24.95 Finale Notepad Plus, and, probably from there upgrade to Coda's $70 program, which allows electronic keyboard entry of music and also makes MIDIs.

I hate the idea of buying more software when I've already got software that, theoretically, can do what I need. On the other hand, the additional time it has taken me to do the sheet music on a few of my songs recently using Notepad was worth a lot more than $70 to me!

----------

A lot of you folks like Noteworthy. I wish they'd make a Mac version.
(Even if I composed using Windows -- which I sometimes have the chance to do --, I'd still like to be able to share the output with both platforms.)

Genie

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: sed
Date: 18 Nov 02 - 05:27 PM

I'd like to send one of the .mus (song) files I made with Finale Notepad 2000 version to someone with a newer version and see if it can be read and heard on the newer version. If not I'm concerned that if I upgrade I won't be able to read my older files. Any volunteers? Might I send it as an attachment to email?
My platform is Windows 98 if that matters.
Steve

Subject: RE: Music Notation Software - Win & Mac
From: pavane
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 08:12 AM

Mark,
I have plugged my program HARMONY here in the past,and don't want to overdo things!

You can pick up the current version (shareware) at my web site
www.greenhedges.com or maybe even volunteer as a beta tester for the new version.

Registration is cheap (a suggested donation) and enables printing.

The main intention is as a 'value-added' program, to apply functions to enhance existing tunes. So, for example, it can add chords to a melody, or add a voice containing parallel 3rds, 5ths, 6ths etc.
It can turn a tune into a round, or a reel into a hornpipe.


The next version will have
a) an MDI interface allowing several tunes to be loaded at once
b) Note Styles, letting you apply any MIDI effects to each note
c) Improved abc import and export
d) More comprehensive editing of the score
(Oh yes, and lots of minor bug fixes)

Feel free to try it out, and if you like it, give it a plug!