A Notation Editor that is both Free AND Easy? Yah! Sure!

2016/08/09 12:25:12

1ManMusic

I shared this in another discussion, but thought it would be more valuable to our community here.

I have used Cakewalk software since about 2000 (maybe before). I think my first product was Music Creator. I bought it as a notation editor, as it was then self-described, but found it very "cumbersome" and unfriendly. Since I have never been a keyboardist, and I was actually asking God if maybe music was something that was too "cumbersome" for His agenda for my life and that I should therefore lay down. This was after a review of all of my experiences in my then 26 years of active pursuit. I think you can guess the answer. At the time, however, I wrote maybe four pieces (I was only then starting to get original compositional ideas). The difficulty with the Cakewalk notation editor was discouraging.

Somehow, I stumbled over a discussion, maybe in the archives here, where someone posted a comment saying that Cakewalk was not (any longer) selling its products as notation editors, but as music recording and production software. This set me out to search for an alternative that I could afford. I had seen the price points for Finale and some other packages. They were just unattainable for this unknown artist. I did not know about open source software, although when I did later I tried a few different free notation editors, and found them to be aspiring clones of Finale et als, with all of the frustration and difficulty.

Then I found this $49.95 solution called Noteworthy. It came with a thirty-day fully functional, even save-able, free trial. I was awed by how fast an idea could be taken from idea to score! I had not even returned to Rutgers to finish what would be a B.A. in Music, so my reading and notation skills were "with difficulty." It is so simple to place notes, change them, add chord notes, change values, add sharps, insert rests, slurs and other diacritics. And when I get it to where I think I am ready (I write the percussion tracks as well), I can export the piece to Midi and dress it up in Sonar. I perform using the CD-quality results as my band. It is like the Continental. It does what you want it to do! I have since been able to notate hundreds of complete and partial songs.

I got in trouble with my favorite professor at Rutgers, or at least really annoyed him. He was with Finale from the floppy disk days - literally. The textbook we used included an offer for a discount on Finale that resulted in $100 off a $600 price tag, or some other barely significant discount. He encouraged students to take advantage of this. Many did. I found a free trial to the version most like Noteworthy. At the time I think the price for this version was $149. I saw how difficult and non-intuitive Finale was. To me it was no better than trying to compose in the Sonar notes editor. Needless to say, I have closed the door on the matter of which notation software I use. Where I got in trouble was when he would give us an analysis or counterpoint exercise and tell how to do it in Finale. I would with my big mouth feel compelled to say aloud something to the effect of "oh! That is so much easier in Noteworthy!" In a grad school program that I attempted, other students would sneer at me, until they heard a final project in a class in its post-Sonar version. Eventually, I started getting questions about "that software" and the price and website. Unfortunately, I could not help my IOS brethren.

The best way to describe it is to imagine being able to use Microsoft Word to compose and edit your work. There are very few Windows keyboard commands that do other things than what they do in Windows (e.g. Ctrl+A starts a new staff rather than copies all). However, even these are covered by menu commands.

For ultimate control of your work, you want to get into notation. Unlike the "elite" and "professional" software that I have seen and heard here and elsewhere, Noteworthy, at $69.95 USD makes it easy.
Don't take my word for it. Check it out. https://noteworthycomposer.com/

Oh yes. Please note that I have nothing to do with the software publisher other than being very happy with their product. I am a real artist, receiving no premiums or discounts or any other valuable consideration, sharing something that has transformed my composing experience.

2016/08/09 15:11:33

Fleer

Thanks for writing in, Leon, but I must be a dumb Ann 'cause I missed the free part.

2016/08/09 15:55:20

bapu

Fleer
Thanks for writing in, Leon, but I must be a dumb Ann 'cause I missed the free part.

'round hear we read that as 'sarcasm'.

2016/08/09 17:37:12

sharke

It looks like they haven't updated the UI since the early 2000's though. That's a red light for me.

2016/08/10 15:54:14

cityrat

Fleer
Thanks for writing in, Leon, but I must be a dumb Ann 'cause I missed the free part.

I thought this was going to be a post about MuseScore!
https://musescore.org/

2016/08/10 22:32:50

kitekrazy1

I must be one of the few people that didn't find Finale difficult.

2016/08/11 17:24:25

EyjolfurG

I used Noteworthy some years back and I still miss the super easy way it has of entering notes from the computer keyboard. Up/down arrow to select pitch, plus/minus to change length and Enter to add a note and spacebar for a rest.

2016/08/13 01:20:15

kitekrazy1

Most notation editors actually suck when you try to switch.

2016/08/13 07:06:00

Soundwise

May I suggest a notation program, that's three times ... errrhh... freeer, very easy to learn and up-to-date?
www.musicaleditor.com/magicscore-songwriter.html

A Notation Editor that is both Free AND Easy? Yah! Sure!

Use My Existing Forum Account

Use My Social Media Account