There are some reasons why a student and non-composer like me might find this type of SW useful.

I use it more and more to prepare piano, cello and second flute parts for playing my flute with a synthesized accompaniment (sp?). I enjoy this, but also I have found it helps me a lot in my learning.

For this, a very useful feature is the possibility of changing tempo and sometimes tonality.

I use Finale, but I still find it too complex and time consuming.

What other SW do you use and what are your comments on them?








<Added>

I forgot to mention that piano parts are increasingly important for my sing training too. And they are very difficult to obtain, unless one has a helpful pianist friend at hand. Not may case...
:)

I use Voyetra Musicwrite. I like it a lot. I don't have any qualms with it.

hi Jose,
I use Finale also.
The level that I use it for is generally for creating midi accompaniments so the actual visual notation isn't as important as getting the correct rhythm and pitches.
I can also do the notation on a printable leve with it.
I agree that the learning curve is steep with Finale but if one has a MIDI input device, the Speedy notation becomes much easier. ....Sometimes even speedy, depending upon the note values.

An Example:
http://baggins.150m.com/MIDI/Bason5m3.mid

Bilbo, the link provided does not work; it reports that a hot-linking (whatever it is),is not available for non-members.

I use Finale Printmusic as an affordable method. Being a student, I can get educational discount. I am actually going to be switching to Sibelius in the beginning of the new year. However, I do a lot of writing onto it. I am not familiar enough to get it to playback humanly...butI print everything out and take it to school and get others to play it with me. It's fun that way! good luck...Although, if you get Sibelius I highly recommend the Garritan Personal Orchestra! It makes it sound like an orchestra compared to a midi file! I think the educational discount makes Sibelius around a couple hundred dollars...and then the personal orchesttra is just over another couple hundred. Good luck again!

-Dennis

I use an older program called Musicease. I have the professional version, which does a good bit more than the demo, but the free demo is even very useful. And price-wise, it can't be beat. Instead of $500 for some of the major names, it costs about $180.

Jose,
hmmm...
Try right clicking on that link and doing a Save link target as....
http://baggins.150m.com/MIDI/Bason5m3.mid
It's just a MIDI file and not a web page.
Download to your computer and play the MIDI file.

If that doesn't work, I'll reactivate the old web page that I had associated with it. Should work then...

I input the notation in Finale and then I Export the file as MIDI. Then I may do some minor modification in Cakewalk to adjust a few things that Finale can't do very easily.

~Bilbo
N.E. Ohio

OK, I could make it work. Sorry for not having found it before...

The trick is not to use the link from the post. It is necessary to copy the link and paste it on the browser window and OK! it works OK Windows Media Player and canbe open with Finale too.

I have just finished my first Finale version of Faure's Berceuse Op. 16 for piano and flute. There a few minor problems (such as wrong slurs playback), I hope I will solve them soon.

I could upload the midi file somewhere, what do you suggest as a public site?

i use www.putfile.com

that is where i post all of my recordings, and they allow each file to be up to 25Mb and i think you can store 250 Mb on your site.

-Dennis

Thanks Dennis.

I have just opened an account at putfile.com and have uploaded the .mp3 result of a midi file I am using to study the flute part:

http://media.putfile.com/Berceuse-Op-16

The piece is obviously the Berceuse Op.16 from Gabriel Fauré.

This mp3 was made with Finale and is the first one I complete.

The music conversion from midi to mp3 was made by the sound card I have in the PC, an old Creative SB audioPCI (nothing spectacular) but the result IMO is acceptable.

It took me many hours to do it, as I was learning how to do things as I was entering the music.

If anybody is interested in the midi file (or the Finale file), please email me.


<Added>

For those not familiar with midi files, the voices can be shut off as desired, provided one has a suitable editor. like Finale. If anybody is interested in the file without the Flute or with a very low flute (to play along), just let me know.

Nice file Jose

Here's some that should work too:

http://www.putfile.com/bilbo1405/media

Thanks, Bilbo, in case you could be interested in the midi file so that you can change Tempo and expressions/articulations (such as breathing signs) for your students, just let me know and I will email it to you. For example, I made 3 versions, 90bpm, 100 bpm and 110 bpm for my own practice. 100 and 110 bpm are piano solo.

I could also upload the file(s)to the 8.notes site (together with the resulting midi and pdf files), but I am not sure concerning the copyright issues. I sent a mail to Admin on this subject but have received no answer so far. In doubt, I decided not to upload it, until this issue could be clarified.

If Admin reads this, I would like to know whether it would be in accord with the site rules to upload a midi + mp3 + pdf file, that was manually made with a music notation software.

The author (Faure) died in 1924 an the work is most probably well before 1923 as it is his Op 16. But there is a copyrighted edition of the score and I read the notes and other details from that score. I did minor expression modifications, mostly to improve the dynamics on the mp3 version and also added several additional breath signs, as it was too difficult for me to play as indicated in the original. You probably noted that all articulations are taken into account when the midi plays and are included in the mp3.

However, it is not my own playing (i.e it is machine playing) as required by the rules, as I understand them.

Thanks Admin. I had replied to your mail on the emoticons problem and added my questions there.

But it is OK and quite clear now. I will upload those files as soon I have a moment.

<Added>

Just to have it 100% clear, mp3 generated from the midi and a pdf score generated by the Music Notation SW are also OK for uploading?

Erm...I am using the evaluate version of "Mozart"-it is quite good(for me)...I used "Musette" before but I prefer "Mozart".

Anyway, is there any SW that can compose itself? I mean, the pianist can play on a keyboard and just plug in some hardware and the notes are composed exactly as the pianist played?

Yes, several different programs offer that option. You may have to spring for more expensive versions to be able to plug a midi keyboard or something in and have the program notate what you play, but if you're big into composition, and prefer to just do things by ear, it could be a good option.