Music notation – is the art of creating the graphical display musical material for its further publication or for further use for playback.
In contrast to the simple input any text in Microsoft Word, the process of reading the manuscript of the composer and then giving it the form of the finished product is a kind of art.
It is expected that notation of music from manuscripts engraver will removed all ambiguity will install all the necessary musical punctuation marks will taken into account usability – easy to read musical material. For a high quality music engraving will require some effort – insight into the musical material, and this insight into the author’s intentions. So when music engraving outstanding professional ability engraver are in demand as never before.
Originally a similar line of business look like a thread – namely, the direct cutting lines and musical objects on the metal plates, a kind of engraving. This had to do and the great Bach, who did not allow strangers to their own manuscripts. Today professional engravers prefer to call themselves “engravers» (music engraver), paying tribute to intricate craftsmanship of their distant predecessors.
But in contrast to the antiquity, which requires an engraver elegance of fine manipulation of small metal objects, the most modern engraver is designer and graphic artist in one, thanks to the wide use of the advantages of giving him the programs created specifically for this type of activity.
What is this program for notation of music?
Program for music notation is the so-called musical editors or sequencers allow you to enter, edit, play back and print the text of a wide variety of musical genres, of any degree of complexity. Music notation – whether it’s popular tunes, forcing indulge in unrestrained dance languid beauties in colorful crinolines, or mind-blowing sound freaks out the most extreme manifestations of the avant-garde – is carried out by means of an ordinary computer keyboard and mouse.
You can add to the list of mandatory additional equipment and a MIDI-keyboard, which can be used to speed up and sometimes easier to enter the note text.
Virtually all modern programs allow you to play music notation typed text through a variety of synthesizers or sound modules or software synthesizers (VST).
Earlier composers were able to show their works only in the form of music notation or playing the piano – not everyone can afford to book the orchestra for a concert or recording, and even more so on a sufficient number of repetition. Today, every composer can showcase their works for any of the orchestra at any time of the day or night. Of course, live performance – it is always lively. But… A well-prepared computer performance always will carry the main idea of works in all orchestral colors.
It is always possible to publish finished pieces of music on the Internet.
For the publication of musical works as a musical material you can use the opportunity to export the musical text as a graphic file in PDF or other image formats.
To publish musical compositions as audio series, you can use the possibility of translating the musical text in MIDI format, or translation of the works in the MP3 format. Of course, for the translation works in the MP3 format, you first need record a music. Then, if necessary, make the mix. Then needs to be done a mastering. Well then convert a brilliant creation in MP3 format.
Of course, determining the purpose of the program is still a work in musical graphics.
It all started , actually, in the late 70s of last century, when the traditional process of music engraving of pre-computer music a little fed up with it all already , and there will be new technical capabilities have helped create the program SCORE. Surprising, but a few heavy weight program is still held in high esteem. Many music publishers still use only her.
And away we go …
Today, even an ordinary person of average ability, not to mention all sorts Bach, does not require a lengthy and painstaking mastery of the ancient art of music engraving. If he is not too lazy to get acquainted with one of the special music programs, it will be able to type and print sheet music scores in any volumes and quantities.
The list of created and used programs is large enough at present.
The list includes musical and editors that allow you to make a set of notes of any complexity, edit them, and then to print.
The list includes sequencers with their main functions and has some capability music engraving, editing and printing of musical material.
The list also includes software that can scan the musical text, recognize it and turn it into a MIDI format.
The list also includes special programs, which are designed for a variety of functions – tablature editor, MIDI editors , automatic arrangers and others.
Here’s a list of some of the musical editor for music engraving and editing music on Windows and MAC:
ConcertWare
Encore
Finale plus a lightweight version – Finale Notepad, Songwriter, PrintMusic, Allegro
Forte – music notation MIDI editor plus audio sequencer
Graphire Music Press
Guitar Pro – editor of scores for guitar
MagicScore
Midisoft Recording Session and Midisoft Studio – MIDI editor plus note editor .
Musedit
Mozart
MusiCAD
Music Construction Set
MusicMaster
Music Write
Myriad Software
Notation Composer and Notation Musician
Notator – transformed into a sequencer Emagic Logic
Notion
Noteworthy Composer
Overture plus a lite version – Score Writer.
Arpege Music Software
Rhapsody
Sibelius plus light versions – Sibelius First, Sibelius Student, Sibelius Instrument Teacher Edition, G7
SmartScore Pro
There are also cloudy software.
NoteFlight – online editor.
Melod.us – Online Editor
BlankSheetMusic – Online Editor
Today, the leaders of the software for a music engraving are – Finale and Sibelius.
Music notation on the program Finale
The program Finale was developed by MakeMusic. The first version of sheet music editor appeared in 1988 – Finale 1.0. Today it released Finale 2024. The program exists for all major platforms. The program Finale is widely used in all the spectra of creating music – for publishing and education for film and television, as well as many other musical and editorial purposes.
The program Finale allows you to type and edit musical text of any complexity. Of course, it provides printing dialed musical material. With the addition of synthesizers or sound modules or built-in software synthesizers you can listen to music. The program Finale allows you to export the music data in MIDI format. The program has the ability to save the musical text in different image formats – bitmap (TIFF) and vector (EPS).
Music notation on the program Sibelius
The program Sibelius was produce in 1998 by Sibelius Software. This program like Finale is widely used in all the spectra of making music. Sibelius program make use of composers, arrangers, performers, music publishers, teachers and students. Today it released Sibelius 8+.
As the program Finale, Sibelius software allows you to type and edit musical text of any complexity. Of course, provides printing dialed musical material. With the addition of synthesizers or sound modules or built-in software synthesizers can listen to music. The program Sibelius allows you to export the music data in MIDI format.
The program’s interface is nice and simple operation. All necessary functions can be found without much effort. Sibelius program is perfect for beginning users.
Finale and Sibelius program with respect to each other are both advantages and disadvantages. In one program, some functions are more comfortable in the other – other. But still the main factor – it’s a habit.
As previously mentioned, that the music engraving with a MIDI sequencer can control the shift of musical material from another program. However most of the graphic information in this case will be lost, and the musical text itself directly detect some differences from the source material. Attempts to create a universal file format for this kind have led to the creation of Music XML format, which to some extent support the MIDI editor Finale and Sibelius.
How to choose an editor for a music notation?
To select a editor for a music notation of several worthy representatives please note the following:
What you need to do – a set of notes, editing, printing, playback
What platform will be used
What are the general requirements for the system
As far as is comfortable in the editor
What are the available methods of music engraving
What are the opportunities for play
What are the opportunities for additional sound libraries
What additional features offers program
What are the detailed background information on the program in the convenient language
What is the cost of the program, although the price does not always reflect the extent of its usefulness – the more expensive the program is not always the best for you?
Typically, today, almost all programs can playback music of any complexity; even one that is not available the most technically sophisticated virtuosos. Each instrument will sound the tone peculiar to this tool. The composition of the orchestra will be limited only by the scope of your own imagination.
Beginning users is uniquely will choose the program Sibelius, because in the program he very easy can find any function and use it.
The program Finale is not looking for easy ways to solve the current problems of a music engraving and welcomes any non-problem solving, which will please most professionals who have to work with the most extraordinary musical compositions.
Now the most meticulous user can ask the question, what prevents you from using both the strengths of each of them?
The answer – they are not compatible.
But there is good news!
In keeping with the Japanese practice of Kaizen philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement of all aspects of life, more and more companies are looking tirelessly further the development of musical editors.
First of all, all interested in the following:
Ease of use of the program
Scanning and recognition of musical material
The number of operations performed automatically
The number of options available to the user
Import and export data between programs
Connect the electronic music libraries.
Our service of a music engraving offers:
Music notation and editing any compositions, any forms (opera, ballet, symphony, quartet, sonata, song, sketch, etc.)
Extracting parties from the scores
Restoration of old manuscripts
Transpose
Print A4 to A3
We have done a music engraving for the following companies:
Amazing Music World
American Institute of Musicology
Belorusfilm
Concert Music Publications
Donemus
Encore
FibonaccI
Kalmus Music
Lenfilm
Mariinsky Theatre
Mel Bay Publication
Musica Russica
Notation
PianoStreet
Score-on-line
The St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra
Virtualsheetmusic
…and other companies.
We have done a music engraving of following authors:
Johann Sebastian Bach
Ludwig van Beethoven
Vincenzo Bellini
Hector Berlioz
Alexander Borodin
Johannes Brahms
Pavel Chesnokov
Frédéric Chopin
Arcangelo Corelli
Claude Debussy
Gaetano Donizetti
Antonín Dvořák
Edward Elgar
Mikhail Glinka
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Edvard Grieg
George Frideric Handel
Joseph Haydn
Michael Haydn
Franz Liszt
Anatoly Lyadov
Gustav Mahler
Felix Mendelssohn
Olivier Messiaen
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Modest Mussorgsky
Nikolai Myaskovsky
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Sergei Prokofiev
Giacomo Puccini
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Maurice Ravel
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Gioachino Rossini
Anton Rubinstein
Camille Saint-Saëns
Alessandro Scarlatti
Domenico Scarlatti
Franz Schubert
Robert Schumann
Dmitri Shostakovich
Jean Sibelius
Johann Strauss
Richard Strauss
Igor Stravinsky
Georgy Sviridov
Alexander Taneyev
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Georg Philipp Telemann
Giuseppe Verdi
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Antonio Vivaldi
Richard Wagner
Carl Maria von Weber
...and many other classic and contemporary composers.
Our advantages of music engraving:
Large experience in the field of music engraving
Professionalism
Ability to make large volumes in a short time (100 + pages per day)
Quality music engraving and editing
Ability to provide additional services
Competitive prices.
Our service of music engraving is not only the equivalent of copying music material – this is a multi-level performance with a high degree of craftsmanship and quality.
Music notation – professional solutions and quality service!