#MUSIC NOTATION SOFTWARE REVIEWS FULL#
You can print entire scores, share your scores publicly and import MIDI.ĭon’t get me wrong, these are great and very useful features but when you see that the paid option includes features like separating a full score into individual parts (vitally important for band rehearsals!), transposing parts and being able to share your compositions and scores both publicly and privately then you can see why it could be hard to be totally satisfied with the free option. With the free option you can still do a lot. Yes, there is a free option but it only offers limited features which, when compared to Musescore, is frustrating. Noteflight could be thought of as a “semi-free” notation software. in fact, they’re pretty terrible.īut remember, you usually get what you pay for – and as Musescore is free, you can’t complain too much! Musescore is a great option for students or anyone on a budget but as we’ll see later on, it does lack some of the hugely useful, time saving and powerful features that the paid options provide. Whilst Musescore can import MIDI from other popular recording softwares like Logic, Cubase or Ableton, it struggles to make these MIDI files sound realistic because the samples that Musescore uses to play your music back aren’t great.
Many of these are built to imitate the note entry system that has been part of the market-leading notation software, Sibelius, for years (which we’ll discuss later) and once you get used to these key commands you may well find that you ditch the virtual keyboard all together in favour of this much quicker option. A huge pro of Musescore’s key command system when compared to Sibelius is that it can be used completely with the standard keyboard that comes with a laptop, whereas Sibelius requires an additional alphanumeric keypad. Musescore also comes with a list of handy key-command shortcuts which help you add notes, articulations and detail to your score quickly. If you don’t have a MIDI keyboard then you can also use the virtual piano that is built into Musescore as a means of note entry.
#MUSIC NOTATION SOFTWARE REVIEWS HOW TO#
Having Musescore convert their playing into notation also helps them to learn how to read too. Musescore is a free music notation software that allows you to write ‘professional quality’ scores for instruments including guitar, piano, bass, drums, keyboard, singers, orchestral instruments and much more.Īside from being actually free (rather than offering a free trial with limited features) notable good features include the option to link a MIDI keyboard which you can use to input notes.įor many younger students this is a great way to write their music out because they will often learn to play before they can read.