The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Posts 1 to 25 of 53
  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    I'm looking for something to give me greater flexibility with how I get tunes on paper. I've used things like BIAB to create lead sheets but that limits the style and what you can actually do with a tune.

    I don't need anything that's really fully featured [at least I don't think so at this point] so spending several hundred dollars for the full versions of Finale or Sibelius seems a bit much. Is there some program that gives the flexibility to write in different styles, tempos, feels, etc but is relatively cheap? And, if there is the possibility to input midi or add tracks such as a drum loop, that would be great.

    I need to be able to enter parts for a small group: saxes [me], guitar and/or piano, bass and drums - maybe an additional horn at times but mostly just the quartet/trio sized band.

    Dug up my old copy of Finale Printmusic but I'm wondering what you use.


    45north band

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

    User Info Menu

    Musescore is a free, open-source program that I use and like.
    MuseScore | Free music composition and notation software

  4. #3

    User Info Menu

    I use sibelius 6 which is pretty good. The two main programs people use are sibelius and finale. I downloaded musescore before, not the best but good for a free program.

  5. #4

    User Info Menu

    Sibelius has a "starter" version of it flagship software which likely is more than adequate for most needs. I use the now legacy Sibelius G7 version I bought for $60 on sale at GC some years ago. Best money I ever spent in terms of bang for the buck. I will never go back to pen and paper. There is a 'learning curve', but worth the effort.

    Jay

  6. #5

    User Info Menu

    Had not heard of Musescore so thanks for that suggestion and I'll certainly check it out.

    The Printmusic software that I have is a down scale version of Finale as I understand it but my copy is from 2008 and I'm not too sure it will fully work on my new Win7 since I had to change computers. I know lots of folks use either Sibelius or Finale but for what I want to do both of those programs have way more features than I will ever need. I'll check out the 'starter' Sibelius as well since if I'm going to buy something I might as well look around.

    I'm sure I'll be posting some actual 'composition' questions as time goes along but I need to get sorted with some kind of software to get some of my ideas written out.

    Thanks
    Ralph

  7. #6

    User Info Menu

    I've been using MuseScore, and it more than adequately meets my needs. Quite remarkable for a free download.

  8. #7

    User Info Menu

    Score Writer, $49, is exceptional both in ease of use and quality of output. At Sonic Scores Music Software. Quotes from the website:

    "We use your programs to write all of our charts."



    Alan Chez - Trumpet
    
Late Show with David Letterman

    "Most of us in the industry use Overture for our charts."

    Jerry Williams
    Donnie and Marie Show Orchestra

  9. #8

    User Info Menu

    Noteflight - Online Music Notation Software

    10 songs for free. After that there is a annual charge.

  10. #9

    User Info Menu

    Long time Sibelius user.

  11. #10

    User Info Menu

    Tuxguitar
    Musescore

  12. #11
    destinytot Guest
    Sibelius and Musescore.

  13. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by jazzereh
    Is there some program that gives the flexibility to write in different styles, tempos, feels, etc but is relatively cheap? And, if there is the possibility to input midi or add tracks such as a drum loop, that would be great.
    Not sure what you're looking for in terms of "feels" or "styles". Are you talking about fonts etc?

    I like muse score it's got traditional and the real book style music fonts and texts . Super flexible in terms of how many measures per system etc.

    Are you talking about playback when you talk about style?

  14. #13

    User Info Menu

    Musescore is excellent FOSS software and has versions for Linux, Mac, and Windows.

    As for Styles and Feel, notation is notation no matter what kind of music. Style is something you put an annotation on the chart for. Feel is something you hire good musicians for.

  15. #14

    User Info Menu

    Best 'paid' software is Sibelius. Best free software, as others have said, is MuseScore. It's basics are very like Sibelius, so if you later decide to go down the 'paid' route, a familiarity with MuseScore would make learning Sibelius a lot easier.

  16. #15

    User Info Menu

    I used Encore till it no longer worked on the computer upgrades.
    These days, I use Finale. Although it can be frustrating and non intuitive
    at times, it is quite flexible.

  17. #16

    User Info Menu

    I recommend LilyPond together with Frescobaldi. It takes a little time to get used to typing your scores in a text file, but it becomes a very natural process after a while. The result is way better than what I've ever seen from Sibelius.

  18. #17

    User Info Menu

    Hello.
    I use Mozart Music...
    mozart - music notation software | home page




    Music is the key that can open strange rooms in the house of memory.
    Llewelyn Wyn Griffith



  19. #18

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by stompertje
    I recommend LilyPond together with Frescobaldi. It takes a little time to get used to typing your scores in a text file, but it becomes a very natural process after a while. The result is way better than what I've ever seen from Sibelius.

    I've been using Lilypond for about 5-6 years for lead sheets. The printed output is highly readable- vastly better than what I see com out of Finale or Sibelius. But there is a steep learning curve, this is not a point and click situation. It also does transposition in seconds, which is really handy when writing for horns. If I have a manuscript in front of me to work from I can do a lead sheet of a 32 bar tune for guitar, bass, tenor sax & trumpet, and alto sax in under 30 minutes.

    I started using Frescobaldi- now that it's easily available as a Mac application- as the front end and that made things simpler.

    LilyPond ? Music notation for everyone: LilyPond... music notation for everyone

    Frescobaldi: Edit LilyPond sheet music with ease!

  20. #19

    User Info Menu

    I use to use Sibelius, the full featured version. Now I use MuseScore.

    Sibelius is better but costs about $600.

    MuseScore is great and it's free.

  21. #20

    User Info Menu

    Finale

  22. #21

    User Info Menu

    Check out Presonus Progression. $50. Seems quite full featured, even with "backing band" sample playback and also some mixing and plug-in capability if you wanted to also go in that direction. Records MIDI too if you have such a guitar.

    PreSonus | Progression

    "If you compose for guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, or vocals you need Progression™ for Mac and Windows. Enter parts and create guitar and bass tab, drum tab, lead sheets, and standard sheet music with ease. Apply effects, mix, and hear your composition played back with superb samples by famous artists. Compose on a computer and continue editing with Progression for iPador vice versa.... It’s thrilling to hear your compositions played with instrument samples by great players. Progression delivers samples by world-class musicians, recorded in top professional studios."
    Last edited by ooglybong; 06-29-2015 at 01:35 PM. Reason: Added Presonus copy for clarity.

  23. #22

    User Info Menu

    Finale as well.

  24. #23

    User Info Menu

    For sketching and working out tunes, IMO nothing beats pencil and paper. Not hi-tech, but still good "technology" that's simple to use, infinitely adaptable to the situation, inexpensive, and never needs charging.

    For creating scores and parts for publication or performance, Sibelius, Finale, or other software are terrific.

  25. #24

    User Info Menu

    GarageBand for me.

    I'd love to be able to write things out on paper the old fashioned way but I just don't trust my ability to do it right. I can read at a very, very, basic level though.

  26. #25

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by cmajor9
    For sketching and working out tunes, IMO nothing beats pencil and paper. Not hi-tech, but still good "technology" that's simple to use, infinitely adaptable to the situation, inexpensive, and never needs charging.

    For creating scores and parts for publication or performance, Sibelius, Finale, or other software are terrific.
    I've just completed setting one of GK Chesterton's poems to music, guitar on my knee, pencil and paper in my hand: "Thou Shalt Not Kill" if you want to know. Nothing beats the guitar in your hands for getting the phrasing right, and I'll still have to rework it, I know.

    I used MuseScore to write the preliminary version down: now I'll be working on the best chords and voicings. That'll be guitar in hand as well, but I'll be using MuseScore to get it all down. I've got TuxGuitar as well, and the free version of GuitarPro 6, but I think I'll be sticking with MuseScore for the foreseeable future. If I ever get my hands on a Lute, I'll probably add that free Lute program: what's its name, can someone remind me?