Scoring Notes

Listeners responded to our "call for calls" with some terrific questions about music notation software, related technology, the business of music preparation, and more. On this episode, Philip Rothman and David MacDonald celebrate the beginning of the academic year by answering questions about the music notation software, tools, and services best suited for education. Whether you're a student, educator, amateur, or professional musician, you'll learn something about the wide variety of products we cover in response to the many terrific inquiries submitted by the Scoring Notes audience. The third of a multi-part episode — because we got so many questions that we didn't have enough time to fit them all into one sitting. More from Scoring Notes: Asked and answered, part 1Asked and answered, part 2: In awe of the DAWHigh fidelity audio comes to ZoomBetter music experiences come to Zoom with high fidelity audioShare video and audio of music notation software via ZoomNoteflight, education, innovation, and inspirationPaperless composition lessons with iPad Pro and Apple PencilTeaching and teaming up with tablets and techStaffPad acquired by Muse Group; audio support plannedDaniel Ray “muses” about Audacity and StaffPadDorico and Sibelius come to the iPad

For the first time ever, MOLA, An Association of Performance Librarians, devoted an entire day to technology that featured vendor exhibits, presentations, discussions, and meetings. Bookending the day were two panel discussions; one moderated by David MacDonald on the subject of music reader tablet experiences, and one moderated by Philip Rothman with representatives from the music notation software platforms. The concluding discussion, heard here, is entitled “Music Notation Platforms: An Industry Perspective”. It brought together the representatives of a cross-section of notation software solutions: Adrian Holovaty of Soundslice; Bradley Kunda of MuseScore; Daniel Spreadbury of Steinberg (Dorico); and Chris Swaffer of PreSonus (Notion). These “ABCD”s of the music notation software field engaged in a lively back-and-forth interchange about the philosophy behind their product development, their relationships with their user bases, and how their programs co-exist in a crowded space. More from Scoring Notes: The tech trek to the 2023 MOLA conferenceHalf Notes: A comparison of tablet music reader technology experiences

If there is one book that anyone working with music notation needs to have, either on their desk, or on their device — or at least in a library within walking distance of their home — it's Behind Bars: The Definitive Guide to Music Notation. Published in 2011 by Faber Music, Elaine Gould's 700-page volume quickly became the preeminent reference for music engravers, providing an exhaustive collection of rules, traditions, suggestions, and conventions for how to set music in the clearest way possible. It's those "general" conventions that take up first third of the book — starting from what Elaine calls the "ground rules" such as the appearance of the staff, clefs, noteheads, and more — and continues on for another 200 pages or so, before the book moves onto the areas of instrumentation and layout. Elaine joins Philip Rothman and David MacDonald to tell us about the new publication of that first section, Behind Bars: General Conventions, as a stand-alone edition suitable for slipping into your bookbag, where it won't break the bank, or your back. In this wide-ranging conversation, Elaine talks with us about her early background and how she came to the profession of music preparation and editing. We uncover the seeds that eventually became Behind Bars, and the decades-long journey from meticulous refinements to its eventual publication and virtually overnight success. Elaine gives us her practical tips for working with composers, performers, and publishers, the realities of time pressures and budget restrictions, and the inevitable revisions that occur with new music, and tells us how she's navigated the often-conflicting goals of the engraving ideal and the necessity of deadline-driven production. She also has advice for those that are just starting out in the field, and naturally, given our focus on music notation software and technology, she opines on what the computer's strengths and weaknesses, the crucial differences between looking at music on a screen and on a page, and the progress made since Behind Bars was first published in 2011.

For the first time ever, MOLA, An Association of Performance Librarians, devoted an entire day to technology that featured vendor exhibits, presentations, discussions, and meetings. Bookending the day were two panel discussions; one moderated by David MacDonald on the subject of music reader tablet experiences, and one moderated by Philip Rothman with representatives from the music notation software platforms. We’ll bring Philip's discussion to you later this summer, but first, we hope you enjoy the discussion that David had to kick off the tech fair, about the real-world challenges and benefits of using tablet readers in orchestral performances. His co-moderator was none other than Mark Fabulich, assistant librarian of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the co-chair of MOLA’s Technology Committee. The distinguished panelists they spoke with were three librarians, each of whom primarily use different reader apps: Julia Pestke of the West German Radio Orchestra, who uses dimusco; Luke Speedy-Hutton of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, who uses Newzik; and Signe Marie Steensland of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, who uses forScore. More from Scoring Notes: The tech trek to the 2023 MOLA conferenceThe best iPad score reader for most people [2023 update]Justin Bianco, forScore, and more

Listeners responded to our "call for calls" with some terrific questions about music notation software, related technology, the business of music preparation, and more. On this episode, Philip Rothman and David MacDonald take a variety of questions and dispense solicited (and unsolicited) advice. The topic at hand for this part: Using music notation software with — or as — a digital audio workstation (DAW). The second of a multi-part episode — because we got so many questions that we didn't have enough time to fit them all into one sitting. More from Scoring Notes: Asked and answered, part 1NotePerformer 4 connects your favorite notation software to your favorite sample librariesGraphical MIDI Tools 2.1 for Sibelius updated to add transport, more editing featuresGraphical MIDI Tools 2 is a major upgrade to the DAW-like plug-in for SibeliusGraphical MIDI Tools plug-in brings sequencer-like capabilities to SibeliusDorico 5 review: Moving the music forwardDorico 4.2 adds percussion to the Key Editor and improves linked modeStaffPad audio update, Graphical MIDI Tools, and software licensingStaffPad acquired by Muse Group; audio support planned"Playing" with notation software, part 1 of 2"Playing" with notation software, part 2 of 2Long-awaited MuseScore 4 release brings major improvements to engraving and audio

Listeners responded to our "call for calls" with some terrific questions about music notation software, related technology, the business of music preparation, and more. On this episode, Philip Rothman and David MacDonald take a variety of questions and dispense solicited (and unsolicited) advice. Among the topics: the best way to switch among different platforms, how to set up condensed scores, what makes a good portfolio, what printer to use and where to get paper, and much more. The first of a multi-part episode — because we got so many questions that we didn't have enough time to fit them all into one sitting. More from Scoring Notes: Getting the notes inDon’t extract partsGet organized with music notation filesPrint perfectChronology of a perfect music printing job

Have you ever listened to an episode of the Scoring Notes podcast and wished you could ask a question directly on the show? No?! Never had that desire? But now that I've mentioned the possibility, it sounds like something you'd want to do, right…? Right? Seriously, we actually do get a lot of questions and suggestions for the podcast, and many of those have made it onto the show in one way or another. But for our next episode, we thought we'd open up the phone lines directly, so to speak. So, now's your chance to ask a question about anything in the world of music notation software and related technology — or really, any one of the adjacent subjects we've covered on the Scoring Notes podcast or web site, and we may feature it on our next episode. Just record your question as a voice memo and drop it directly here, or send it as an email attachment or as a file-sharing link to podcast@scoringnotes.com. We'd love it if you provide your name (first name only is OK), where in the world you're calling from, and what music notation software you use — or if you don't use it at all (yes, we have quite a few listeners in that camp). If you're shy, you can alternatively write your question in an email and send it to us, and we may read it on the show. Send us your question no later than Wednesday, April 19, 2023, so that we have time to consider it and do the many hours of scholarly research that will no doubt be required, and to formulate a worthy reply in time for our next podcast episode.

It’s fair to say that the concept of music notation software is easy to understand. You write music on a computer, it shows up on your display, and you print it out. What could be so difficult about that? Well, as we all know, plenty. Philip Rothman and David MacDonald remember beginning with zero knowledge about programs like Finale, Sibelius, and Dorico, and eventually progressing to the point where we can actually teach those programs to others trying to learn them. Along the way, we’ve discovered and refined approaches to learning that we share with each other, and with you, in the course of our discussion. We revisit our original discussion on the topic, and add a postscript — what we've learned about learning in the intervening years. No, we won’t be reciting all 892 pages of the Sibelius reference or 1,605 pages of the Dorico manual, but we will relay some key philosophies so that you have more confidence when you work with the software you use to create music. More on Scoring Notes: Documenting the documenter: Lillie HarrisConquering Finale with Jason LoffredoAn interview with Sibelius expert Robin WalkerRead the friendly manual

Sometimes music notation software is perfect for the job, but other times, it's the related technology that's better suited to the task. Fortunately, we cover both sides of the equation on Scoring Notes — and it's the latter part that Philip Rothman and David MacDonald discuss on this podcast episode. When creating scores and parts, music notation software is clearly the choice. But what about front matter — the pages of text and sometimes other markings and symbols that preface the music? For that, better options may exist. We look at the pros and cons of making that material directly in music notation software, and suggest apps for when it's helpful to split the job. We talk about some of our favorite apps specifically for working with PDFs and the surprising number of ways that you can edit a file using those apps — and may need to do so — without actually having access to the music notation files or the software. What about when you need to make music notation outside of notation software? For that, there is a whole suite of fonts designed to create music notation within non-music apps. They're called MusFonts, and Dan Kreider created them to fill this niche. For many users, creating audio is an essential component of music notation software, and we outline ways to complement the built-in process of making MIDI mockups with other software without getting too complicated. Finally, we give a shout-out to our favorite piece of related technology. More from Scoring Notes: Export PDF to true black in Finale, and a macro for all partsFix printing problems with Sibelius, PDFs, and AcrobatQuickly scale many PDFs with PDF-BatchScaleMake booklets and 2-ups with PDF-BatchBookletPDF-MusicBinder and PDF-BatchStitch utilities for music printingFile renaming and PDF batch utilitiesMusGlyphs, an advanced music text fontMusGlyphs updated to 2.1; text version addedMusAnalysis, an advanced font for musical analysisMusFrets, a font for chord diagramsIntroducing Ambitus, a new font for pitch incipits, scales, and range diagramsPreparing teaching materials in music notation software“Playing” with notation software, part 1 of 2“Playing” with notation software, part 2 of 2 Apps and fonts we talk about: Microsoft WordApple PagesAffinityAdobe AcrobatPDF-BatchScalePDF-BatchStitchPDF-BatchBookletPDF-MusicBinderPDF SqueezerPDF ExpertMusGlyphsMusAnalysisMusFretsAmbitus

forScore, the sheet music reader, is the no. 1-ranked music app on the Apple Store with good reason. Justin Bianco, its creator and developer, relentlessly refines the vision that he had when the iPad was first introduced: to make a simple yet powerful music reader for Apple's revolutionary platform. Used in all music genres, in live performance, score study, and in countless other ways, forScore is one of the first apps that musicians download after getting an iPad, and is often the reason for purchasing the device in the first place. Philip Rothman and David MacDonald talk with Justin about the tech, his philosophy, his background — and why his mom is his target user. We also learn what the future might hold for forScore in terms of new features, interoperability with other apps, and whether or not it will ever appear on other platforms. More on Scoring Notes: The best iPad score reader for most people

The release of MuseScore 4 is a major update and quite possibly the most significant one in the open-source application’s history since the release of MuseScore 1.0 in 2011. It includes major improvements to the user interface, layout, engraving, and playback features. Not coincidentally, this is also the first major version of of MuseScore to be released under the product leadership of Martin Keary, Muse Group's vice president of software. Coming nearly two years after the last MuseScore update (3.6) and nearly four years after the release of MuseScore 3, Martin said, "I've worked on a lot of complex creation software and this is the largest release I've ever put out," including the launch of Paint 3D and a variety of PS3 games. Martin returns to the Scoring Notes podcast along with Simon Smith, Muse Group's head of engraving, to talk with Philip Rothman and David MacDonald for a thorough discussion about MuseScore 4's design and engraving improvements. We go behind the scenes to hear about the decisions, roadblocks, and good fortune that happened along the road to the release of this version of the software. They discuss their philosophies about creating tools for musicians and how they approached the challenges of modernizing an existing application, all the while keeping both existing and new users in mind. We cover the details of engraving, including ties, beams, note spacing and more. Martin and Simon tell us their favorite "under-the-radar" features in MuseScore 4 and highlight some items that users might not be aware of. Finally, we learn what's missing in MuseScore and what to expect as they continue to develop the product for MuseScore 5 and beyond. More on Scoring Notes: Long-awaited MuseScore 4 release brings major improvements to engraving and audioMuseScore 3.6 focuses on engraving upgrades, new fontsDaniel Ray "muses" about Audacity and StaffPadStaffPad acquired by Muse Group; audio support plannedMuse Group formed to support MuseScore, Ultimate Guitar; acquires AudacityDaniel Ray, Martin Keary, and Musescore

Philip Rothman and David MacDonald review significant themes and product releases, reflect on our favorite podcast episodes, recall fun times, spread holiday cheer, and refresh ourselves for the year ahead in the world of music notation software and related technology. More from Scoring Notes: Scoring Notes product guide Podcast highlights from 2022: From “zero to slice”: Soundslice takes on optical music recognition with AIMelissa Smey’s commission missionSetting the scene with Joshua LutyTim Davies takes the macro viewMOLA 2022: Advancements in music notation softwareCleo Huggins, the designer of the first music fontThe rights stuff

Soundslice syncs audio, video and music notation into a single web-based interface that can be used on virtually any piece of music. A favorite tool for musicians that want to learn how to play music by interacting with both the sheet music and a recording, it's at the cutting edge of some developments in the more general field of music applications. As it has rolled out more robust features over time, Soundslice's goal has been to get from "zero to slice" as quickly as possible. A "slice", in Soundslice parlance, is any piece of music notation, large or small. One crucial way of getting to that slice is from existing music that may not exist as a recording or a music notation format that can be easily converted to MusicXML. So that's where music scanning comes into play. Although music scanning, or optical music recognition (OMR) technology has been around for decades, it's now possible to marry music-notation know-how with advancements in machine learning, or "artificial intelligence". Soundslice's latest feature aims to harness that technology to learn as it goes, and get better at interpreting the music with every scan it processes. Soundslice's founder, Adrian Holovaty, returns to Scoring Notes to talk all about how Soundslice works in this regard and helps us understand its potential to revolutionize this important step in music preparation. More reading and listening: Adrian Holovaty: Thoughts on my first machine learning projectSoundslice: State-of-the-art music scanningScoring Notes: Soundslice’s Adrian HolovatyScoring Notes: Marie Chupeau and the human side of Newzik’s artificial intelligence

It's here! Black Friday, the time when retailers and consumers meet in the happy place of sales and specials. This time can be about more just getting a few dollars off, though — it can be an opportunity to acquire new skills using products and services that will benefit you all year round. To that end, Philip Rothman and David MacDonald run through all the deals we know about for music notation software, and recap some of the latest new features that could entice you to open your wallet. We break down the ways to save while spending, including stacking discounts and taking advantage of competitive crossgrade offers, which can yield significant reductions on the overall cost of acquiring many of the products we cover on a regular basis. We also talk about the offers for some related technology, like web apps, sound libraries, graphic design software, and more, making this episode holiday music to anyone's ears.

On the Scoring Notes podcast, we have spoken before about music preparation and the technology we all use to create musical compositions and get them in front of players and an audience. But how do those compositions begin in the first place? We're not talking about the magical moment when a composer wakes up and decides that they are going to create their magnum opus. It's when the phone rings (or maybe these days it’s a text message or an email), and when the composer picks up, on the other end of the line there is someone inviting them — commissioning them — to write a new piece of music. Melissa Smey is the person who has been on the other end of that line many times. She tells us all about what that process is like. Melissa is the Associate Dean and Executive Director at Columbia University School of the Arts, where she leads the Arts Initiative, Miller Theatre, and oversees the Lenfest Center for the Arts. Melissa has commissioned over 40 new works from leading international composers and is the co-creator and host of the acclaimed podcast Mission: Commission, which demystifies the process of how classical music gets made. We talk about the particular role a university arts presenter has in campus life and the larger community, and how Miller Theatre's Composer Portraits have been particularly successful in building an audience that will come out to hear a wide variety of music. We also discuss the "road trip" of commissioning a new work and the nature of music preparation in bringing a piece to life, with special attention on the performers who will ultimately be tasked with interpreting the music, whether it's notated on paper spanning three music stands or is beamed from the latest music tablet devices.

To celebrate Halloween, we're looking at scary things we see in the music notation software and score preparation process, and see if we can sweeten the experience with some tricks and treats. Philip Rothman and David MacDonald discuss the spookiness of using the mouse and how you can better become a jack-o-lantern of all trades by focusing more on keyboard commands and other shortcuts in Sibelius, Finale, and Dorico. We also look at a frightening situation that happens when laying out your music and investigate how to fix it. So don’t be afraid — we won’t ghost you as we lead you unscathed out of the haunted house of software skeletons and onto the pumpkin patch to score some tricks and treats. More on Scoring Notes: Finale: Quick tip: Dismiss all open dialog boxes in FinaleSupercharge your Finale workflow on Mac with Keyboard MaestroFinaleScripts for faster scoring in FinaleArticulation metatools in Finale Sibelius: Sibelius from A to ZUse keyboard shortcuts to apply text expressions in SibeliusQuick keyboard access to your Sibelius plug-insAdd custom shortcuts for Keypad features in Sibelius Dorico: Dorico from A to ZCustomize keyboard shortcuts in Sibelius and DoricoAssigning MIDI commands Notation Express: Stream Deck profile for Zoom; Notation Express updated for Dorico 3.5Notation Express released for Musescore; updates to Sibelius and DoricoNotation Express for Dorico 3Notation Express XL is available for Sibelius and DoricoNotation Express demo availableNotation Express is now on iOS with Stream Deck Mobile

When Aaron Copland thought of the Far West, he probably didn’t have Wisconsin in mind, but Milwaukee was the perfect location to “road test” the new edition of Rodeo. That’s where Philip Rothman went for the first rehearsals of a new edition of Copland’s masterpiece that I prepared. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of music director Ken-David Masur, agreed to play from a brand new set of score and parts to Rodeo. You might wonder, what was wrong with the old edition? Certainly, it’s been played from thousands and thousands of times. When the piece was first published in the 1940s, a number of errors and inconsistencies crept into the parts. Although they’ve been corrected by intrepid orchestra librarians, it was time to get them straightened out once and for all. One reason for the inconsistencies was that the "Four Dance Episodes" from Rodeo, which is the version that most everyone is familiar with, is extracted from the full ballet. That version left a lot to be desired in the engraving department, so, with the support of The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, and in coordination with Boosey & Hawkes, the team at NYC Music Services put it all into modern software and made brand new materials for both the ballet and the Four Dance Episodes, with the goal of clarifying any discrepancies and making everything nice and easy to read. The Milwaukee players were great, and you can read more about it on the Scoring Notes web site. It must have been fate to go there, because in researching this piece, we stumbled across a fascinating interview that Copland gave in 1970 while visiting the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. It’s thanks to the library archives of that university that we’re pleased to bring you that interview here as a Scoring Notes extra. Copland talks with professor John Downey about the iconic ballets like Rodeo, the various people and musical trends which influenced him, and the divergent aspects of his own work throughout his career. You’ll also hear him talk about what was current at the time and discuss the future of music. This episode is co-produced with The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, with material kindly provided from the Archives Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries. More from Scoring Notes: Road report: Copland’s Rodeo in Milwaukee

We’ve spoken about opera occasionally on a few Scoring Notes episodes — like in the 2-parter we did on lyrics, for instance. But a genre as big and complex as opera deserves our uninterrupted focus. Around for centuries as an art form, opera continues its appeal through the present day, with many contemporary composers working in this area, including a few that have made it their specialty. Due to its length, large forces and form, multiple movements, revisions, vocal elements, piano reductions, and more, if you’re working with opera, you stand to benefit from a strong knowledge of different areas of music notation software. Joshua Luty joins Philip Rothman and David MacDonald to talk all about the intersection of the timeless art form of opera and the use of technology to help prepare it. Joshua is the music librarian for the Houston Grand Opera and serves with Philip on the MOLA Technology Committee. You won’t have to search too hard to find his expert advice on the some of the Dorico and engraving forums on the socials. In addition to those credentials, Joshua’s the editor and rental librarian for the composer Joel Thompson, and the Former Lead Editorial Assistant for the George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition at the University of Michigan’s Gershwin Initiative, and has had other notable positions in the music field. Joshua takes us behind the curtain and into the dungeon of the opera music library, preparing a new opera from conception to workshop to revisions and finally performance. We discuss the mix of old-fashioned and new technology that Joshua and his colleagues use to make it all happen, and learn some surprising facts about the process. We also get essential advice about the importance of vocal scores, preparing parts, how to label inserts, cueing, and printing. Whether or not you work on opera, this podcast episode “sets the scene” with practical advice that you can “act” on when using music notation software and related technology to produce your next creation. More from Scoring Notes: Lyrics and vocal music, part 1Lyrics and vocal music, part 2Working with page numbers in Sibelius

Garrett Breeze's podcast, called Selling Sheet Music, features practical advice about the art and the business of getting scores from your head to the music stand. Garrett invited Scoring Notes co-host Philip Rothman to be a guest on his show, and it was fun having someone ask Philip the questions for a change instead of the other way around. We discussed thoughts on preparing music and the tech that's used in everyday work. Philip talks about his business, NYC Music Services, how he got started, and how the tasks have evolved over time in response to changing needs and technological progress. We also talk about some essential elements of preparing your music for publication and how to go about choosing software that fits your workflow. Garrett even got into the Scoring Notes spirit and titled this episode “Setting a High Bar” — that definitely ‘measures’ up to our standard of making terrible musical puns around here. Enjoy this episode, courtesy of Garrett Breeze and Selling Sheet Music.

If you're not up to date, then you're missing out on the latest features. That's always been true, but perhaps never more so than now, with regular updates being the norm for music notation software. Philip Rothman and David MacDonald review the latest updates to Dorico, Sibelius, Finale, and MuseScore, and highlight the most useful new features — and what's in those updates that may portend well for the future. More from Scoring Notes: Dorico 4.2 adds percussion to the Key Editor and improves linked modeDorico 4.1.10 update is availableDorico 4.1 review: a better Key Editor; improvements to lyrics, interface and moreGuitar tab can be fun in the Sibelius 2022.7 updateSibelius 2022.5 brings multi-section headers, other workflow boostsSibelius for Mobile adds transpose featureFinale version 27.2 adds new jazz template, native Apple silicon supportFinale to include and support eight JW plug-ins in next updateDaniel Ray “muses” about Audacity and StaffPadDaniel Ray, Martin Keary, and MusescoreMuseScore 3.6 focuses on engraving upgrades, new fonts