quick, free, compact music sftwr

Subject: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: GUEST,Susan-Marie, on the cape
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 08:46 PM

I'm visiting my folks on Cape Cod and a song just popped into my head. I want to write it down before I lose it, but I have no instrument to use to work out the notes. AT home I use Noteworthy Composer (I bought a copy) so I thought I'd just download the freeware version onto my folks computer, but they no longer offer a free version.

So, I'm looking for a free music program that will play the music back so I can make sure it's right, and that isn't too big so it won't muck up my folks computer. Any suggestions?

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: Ed.
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 09:01 PM

Sorry,

I don't really understand your question.

For "playback" you just need a midi player. Every OS that I know of includes one.

Or am I missing the point?

Ed

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: GUEST,Susan-Marie
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 09:09 PM

Ed - I thought there might be music software out there that lets you create the music notation but doesn't play it back, so I just wanted to clarify that I need to be able to play it back so I can hear if the notes I input are the right ones.

I have only worked with Noteworthy and ABC programs, so I really don't know what else there is.

Let me re-phrase this: I need a program I can download for free (either freeware or a free trial version) that I can use to create standard music notation that can be played back without any fancy plug-ins. Does that help?

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: GUEST,Try this link
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 09:44 PM

You might try www.noteworthysoftware.com You can try it free, and decide if you want to purchase. Personally, I use Musictime Deluxe, but I hear that noteworthy is quite good.

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: GUEST,Susan-Marie
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 09:55 PM

Guest, I went to the Noteworthy site before I wrote this thread (as I said in my first message, that's what I use at home) but I couldn't find the free trial version download. I know they used to have one, but not now apparently. If you can find it, please send me the exact URL.

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: Uncle Jaque
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 10:15 PM

The one I use the most is called "Melody Assistant" by MYRIAD in France. You can download a free trial version with most of the bells and whistles disabled, but it will give you the idea, and it's only $15 US to register it, with free upgrades. Some folks say that it will do nearly everything that the big professional programs costing several hundred $ will do; I don't know as I hae never used the big - time ones, but it will do about everything I need to do and then some.
I'm no good at HTML code to create a blicky, but here's the URL for MYRIAD:

http://www.myriad-online.com/

here is a "freebie" which I have downloaded but not fooled around with much - but you can compose with it and I think it will play your score back for you as well:
"Finale Note Pad"

http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/programs/FinaleNotePad/

It is an interesting little utility and seems to have potential.

Enjoy your inspiration and I hope that it's a big hit!

Uncle Jaque up heah in Maine

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: GUEST,Susan-Marie
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 10:27 PM

Thanks very much Uncle Jaque. I do love coming home to the New England accent every ye-ah.

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: GUEST,pavane
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 03:07 AM

You could try my program 'HARMONY'which will do what you want for free (And has had some excellent reviews from catters).

You can create tunes directly or import from abc (I find it quicker towrite in abc first), and play them back.

(It will also transpose, add chords, etc)

Download it from www.greenhedges.com

It is a 3mb download (mostly Windows DLL's!)

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: MMario
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 08:39 AM

The evaluation copy is still available (time limited to 30 days (but I think with just a nag screen after that) and a 10 save limit on your file - but otherwise fully functional)

noteworthy download

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: DaveJ
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 11:33 AM

Gracenote has a simple freeware Player available.

DaveJ

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: GUEST,Susan-Marie
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 09:52 PM

Thanks MMario, I thought the "evaulation" download was an evaluation form, not the trial version. That's exactly what I was looking for, since I already know that program. Thanks for the great suggestions, everyone else.

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From:
Date: 10 Aug 02 - 07:51 PM

"Mozart" is quite a powerful program, & has a 30 day trial period. Expensive to buy, but it does the lot - multi staves, transpose, export to midi files, and - I like this bit - import midi files & convert them to sheet music! But it's maybe too big if you want something simple, in which case I'd agree that Finale Notepad is a good, basic option.

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: Kaleea
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 01:38 AM

I've seen a few programs, but I guess I'm too illiterate, cause I find it much faster to get a piece of staff paper, and write down what I want in printed music. Then I put on copier, and it has the look of printed music! But,there are so many symbols & things musical for various instruments, including choral music, that are in my brain & not on the software, that I have not been willing to spend the big $$ on the big whoopie programs. Then, the ones I have seen that you play the tune on a midi keyboard do not have the ability to correctly notate the exact tune in a precise manner. Seems like there are always mistakes--at least in the ones I've seen. Since I have been writing down music for many years since music school, it seems easier to me. Kinda like I can dice one carrot faster than another person can get out their vegetable slicer, dicer, chopper, shredder, prepare the carrott, shove it through, take it apart, dump out the sorta chopped carrot pieces, wash the appliance, put it away--all that for just one carrot! But sometimes, I wish that there was a program which could be learned really quickly by a person who does not understand what they are talking about in the "help screens!" Especially when the old arthritis makes my fingers & hands hurt, not to mention the carpal tunnel!! But then I would need for it to immediately transpose one tab to another, like say, I write out a melody, or even play a melody on a midi, keyboard, and then I can "click here" and the program immediately shows me the melody tabbed out above the correct notes in the notation form, say for banjo, or mandolin, or Mountain Dulcimer, or bowed psaltry, or Hammer Dulcimer, or Guitar, or penny whistle, or bass . . .you get the idea. I guess I'm expecting too much. Music is an aural thing, and putting an aural thing on paper never quite conveys that which is heard with our ears, whether written by hand, or by computer. But, I can dream, can't I! (a song I recall sung by the Andrews Sisters, and the Mills Bros, and . . . i can hear the sound of the singer(s) in my brain, but can't put it on paper, or describe it to you--that's sad)

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: pavane
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 06:07 AM

Yes you are DEFINITELY asking too much for a free program!. It has taken YEARS to write HARMONY, with its 50,000 or so lines of code, and there are still so many things it COULD do if I had time to write them (And if it didn't blow the limits of VB).

Just to create tablature for a single instrument takes a great deal of work, and there are so many different instruments out there. Also, there are already specialist programs for guitar, banjo and other forms of tablauture which do the job much better than I could.

Writing a music program which can do EVERYTHING is as much work as writing a major word processor like WORD, needing large teams to create and maintain it.

HARMONY can import MIDI files, provided there are no polyphonic tracks, and display the notes, but as I do not myself use a MIDI keyboard, I have no idea how accurate the conversion is. It cannot import directly from a MIDI instrument - that is a whole project in itself.

It does provide onscreen editing though, for corrections.

The professional programs cost $hundreds, but if you had to pay the entire development cost yourself, they would cost $millions. The only reason they are so cheap (!) is that the cost is spread over thousands of users.

When I first started in the software business, 30 years ago, almost all software was bespoke, and it cost a fortune to develop what would now be regarded as primitive and limited systems. Even now, much mainframe software is in this state, simply because there are fewer users to share the development costs.

Unlike most music software, HARMONY was originally intended to 'add value' to existing tunes, by automatically transposing, adding chords and harmony voices (3rds, 5ths, etc). Also by converting tunes to be used as rounds, converting reels to hornpipes, and so on.

All of the other facilities have been added to support these 'core' functions (except the Melodeon/concertina tablature, which was for my own benefit).

It had to have a score display to support verification and editing of the tune, and it had to have a 'play' facility for a similar reason.

Then I added 'fun' processes such as creating random tunes and playing tunes backwards, for my own amusement.

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: RichM
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 07:25 PM

Try "Muse". I have used it for several years. It's what I use to compose and transcribe tunes and songs.

There is a 30 day free trial version available here.
It's a powerful program, with a bit of a learning curve. I've tried others since, but I always come back to Muse.

Rich McCarthy

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: Genie
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 07:51 PM

Susan-Marie, I have used the freeware "Finale Notepad," and it does play back the tunes you enter, complete with time signatures, rests, tempi, etc. You can even specify different instruments (guitar, piano, flute, etc.). And after creating your sheet music, you can easily change keys, and you can add lyrics, too.

It's a bit cumbersome to use--you have to enter the music note by note using your keyboard, but it's not bad for making melody line sheet music for a simple tune. Pretty useful little program, especially for the price. And it doesn't take a lot of space on your hard drive or use a ton of RAM.

Genie

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: hesperis
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 08:51 PM

Kaleea - that "inability" of midi-recording to notate the music "properly" is because most human beings play an interpretation of the written music, not the exact written music.

Since humans aren't robots, and since notation is itself inexact, it's rather difficult to create a program that will understand what non-exact (live human) playing means. Cakewalk does have a "quantize" button, which will hide the sloppy playing for printing purposes, but you still have to play rather close to the timing needed or the program will show your mistakes.

Playing to a metronome is really difficult for me, I go all over the place where timing is concerned. This is why when I want to record something close to in time, I create a rhythm track at the tempo I want in Fruity Loops first. Then I export that to audio and put it in Cakewalk, then record the midi track along to the rhythm. It works pretty well.

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: Robin2
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 08:52 PM

I downloaded Harmony after reading this post, and I can't get enough of it! After playing with some of the features, I about died laughing creating rounds (with harmony) of some Irish reels I imported.

What a wonderful program...Thanks!

Robin

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: GUEST,pavane
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 07:12 AM

Thanks for the feedback, Robin! Tried playing any backwards yet?

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: Robin2
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 09:34 PM

Oops, just came off the harmony program, where I played the Blarney Pilgrim backwards, with a 4th harmony below added.

Scary!

Having too much fun.....

Robin

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: pavane
Date: 13 Aug 02 - 11:25 AM

Any other functions, processes or tricks you can think of, let me know and I will try and add them.

You could try the 'reel to hornpipe' converter. The main reason for this was that lots of hornpipes have been uploaded in abc as reels (also, O'Neills notates many in straight rather than broken rhythm).

Boys of Blue Hill sounds rather strange as a reel!

(I like the Blarney Pilgrim, and will probably be playing it with Manitas, Micca, Joe Offer and others tomorrow.)

Subject: RE: quick, free, compact music sftwr
From: pavane
Date: 13 Aug 02 - 11:25 AM

Any other functions, processes or tricks you can think of, let me know and I will try and add them.

You could try the 'reel to hornpipe' converter. The main reason for this was that lots of hornpipes have been uploaded in abc as reels (also, O'Neills notates many in straight rather than broken rhythm).

Boys of Blue Hill sounds rather strange as a reel!

(I like the Blarney Pilgrim, and will probably be playing it with Manitas, Micca, Joe Offer and others tomorrow.)