Prefered Notation Software?

[ThePhoenixEffect]

I noticed that some of the teachers on this board, like Bernhard, give their students a rewritten version of the music so that te voices are seperated/motifs only/etc...for learning purposes.

I imagine you would pay for top of the line notation software to be able to do this.

Do you use Sibelius, Finale, or other? Do you play it on the keyboard connected to the computer to input the music  or do you do it with the mouse?

[bernhard]

I actually use “Personal Composer”. I input both from a keyboard and through the mouse. It actually takes less time to do it through the mouse, since the program which does the keyboard-score transfer is unreliable, and you spend more time correcting the input than when using the mouse (a bit like these type-voice programs).

I heard wonders about Sibelius, but the price is pretty scary, and I have been told by several people that “Music Publisher” is as good or better at a 10th of the price. You can get more details at www.muspub.com

Besides being useful for students, rewriting a score has several beneficial side effects: it teaches you a lot about theory, harmony, the architecture of the piece, it improves sight reading, analysis, you name it.

In fact these days when I want to learn a piece myself, I never do it from the original score. My first step is always to rewrite it. By the time I go to the piano I already “know” the piece just from writing it (of course as I rewrite it I am very aware of everything – I am not just copying in a mechanical way).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[ThePhoenixEffect]

Heh, well to me any kind of notation software is better than writing it out, seeing Bach's handwritten work gives me shudders.  How in the world does anyone have the patience now a days to decipher it without getting a headache?

[thierry13]

I personally think that they HAVE headaches

[Terry-Piano]

lol


More info on this post... i want to get a notation program
One that you can play and notes appear would be great

[pianojems]

I have been using Encore for many years now. I don't believe it is on sale anymore, but it seems to be doing a good job. Very easy and clear. I think that it still can be found on ebay for lower price than it used to cost.

[BajoranD]

In college I had to use both Finale and Sibelius, and I MUCH prefer Sibelius. It seemed to me to be a much more intuitive program. That's not to say it's perfect, but I think it's pretty good. I used it for my final project, which was orchestrating Gershwin's second prelude for band, and that gave the program quite the work out. I also used it a couple of times to transpose an accompaniment; I played it in on my keyboard, corrected a few things, clicked on the transpose button, and there it was. And they do give teachers and students (of an accredited institution, not sure about private teachers) a fairly decent break on the price.

[MikeLauwrie]

Use Siblelius

[alvaro_galvez]

I prefer Finale Notepad 2004.
Damm its good, and better yet, its free!

[athio]

My THUMBS UP for Sibelius  

I began with Finale a long time back - and loved it. When I had enough bucks to invest in Sibelius, I did - and I've never turned back.

Both notation programs do wonderfully in real-time transcribing (ie. play it on MIDI keyboard and SHAZAM, you see the notes appear on the staves), provided you pay careful attention to setting up your MIDI connections correctly.

That's my 4-cents worth.