music notation software, initial comments

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Rudy Mueller
Posts: 603
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:33 am
Location: Grafton WI 53024 RMUELLERMKE@GMAIL.COM

music notation software, initial comments

Post by Rudy Mueller »

We out here in the hinterlands occasionally have to scramble to get music arrangements of traditional music which is compatible with the instruments we have and skills of the musicians available. For example, our small Wendlstoana group wanted to do the Lamberger Marsch, which is also a Schuhplattler.

The score for this piece, as provided by the Isargau in their compendium "Schuhplattler A-Z", is in two sections, the first being 14 measures, the second the usual 16 measures. Not ever in my 78 years having seen a plattler in 14 measures, this section was a surprise, and was re-arranged to 16 measures. The tool chosen for this was the "basic" version of Forte 8 music notation software. This tool was usable "out of the box" by this (near) computer illiterate.

Learning new software (or an instrument, for that matter) is not unlike learning how to ride a horse....you can read all the books you want, but sooner or later you have to get up on the thing and ride...

Starting simple, the first rendering was of "Staad, Staad", which was converted to a pdf file and sent out about one hour after installing the disk, with the first trial of the Lamberger March going out about 1 hour later....and then came the fine editing points, print size, ALL ON ONE PAGE, and changing keys....converting zither music for a clarinet student is laborious...but with this tool, a matter of a few key strokes....and e-mailing pdf files is easier and cheaper than going to the copy shop...(the Forte support group has been very helpful via e-mail).

These are initial impressions, but if you are in need of notation software, you might want to consider this "basic" version of Forte 8.

Rudi
velocio
Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:19 am
Location: CA 93449

Re: music notation software, initial comments

Post by velocio »

In looking it up on www.fortenotation.com, I found that it is for *Windows* only - just to clarify.
From my side, I have been happy for the last several years with MuseScore https://musescore.org/ which is cross-platform (Windows, MacOS and Unix) and FREE (opensource). It does have a learning curve, but it comes with good video tutorials and documentation. I have always been pleasantly surprised by its features. It maintains a Forum and a pretty big repertoire of sheet music created and donated by users https://musescore.com/sheetmusic .
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