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MuseScore free music notation software
In another thread, @eileen.korby asked some questions about MuseScore. It can be confusing, since “MuseScore” refers to three entirely different things.
1. MuseScore.org is the site to download the free software, which can create, import, edit, play back, and print sheet music. It requires a computer to run.
2. MuseScore.com has over a million scores that can be downloaded. However, a Pro subscription there is not free.
3. The MuseScore app, for phones or tablets, does not have the ability to edit scores.
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10 Replies
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Here are Eileen’s questions:
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I’m curious about Musescore. In order for it to transpose your music, you have to write the piece into the program first, no? Then what? With one click it will change the key for you? Wow! That’s really something.
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Answers:
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Often, you don’t need to input your music note by note into MuseScore. If you have a Pro account for the MuseScore.com site, you can search for harp or piano pieces and download them. For example, here is Rains of Castamere: https://musescore.com/user/2533861/scores/1338551 . A Pro account also has a PDF import tool, although it doesn’t work perfectly. You have to do some editing, but it’s still faster than inputting from scratch.
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If you don’t have a Pro account, you can import free ABC files from sites such as TheSession.org. It will also import free MIDI files, for example, from Hymnary.org.
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After you have opened a score in the MuseScore program on your computer, transposing it into a new key is easy. Select all the notes, then go to the top menu: Tools > Transpose. Choose the new key from the drop-down box, and then click OK. That’s all there is to it. The program shifts all the notes for the entire piece automatically and changes the key signatures.
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The software has a learning curve. There’s complete control over the layout, but it took me two weeks to figure out how to customize it for harp and format everything the way I wanted.
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If anyone has more questions about MuseScore, there are several other members here who know how to use the program and will probably be glad to jump in and help answer them.
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So, how do you transpose music in this program? Do you use an already existing piece of music? Or do you enter in a piece you’d like to transpose, and then the program will do it?
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You’re too fast, Eileen. I was still typing the reply above yours. Scroll back up the page. 😄
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LOL! Sorry. Thank you for all the information. Another thing to learn! Ok. I’ll take a look at it.
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In another thread, you had said that you’d like to learn to arrange music for the harp because a lot of the music you like isn’t available for harp. MuseScore works great for that. Another advantage of doing your own arrangements is that you can customize them to your current level.
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Yes, I would like to learn to arrange. I’m taking music theory, which I find very complicated. It would be nice to have a computer program to help. But I suspect that you still have to know what you’re doing. I will look at the program. I know there’s a learning curve with that too.
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Sylvia Woods has a good book on arranging for harp. You can input her tunes into MuseScore and then experiment with the concepts she explains. https://www.harpcenter.com/product/theory-arranging-book/harp-music-books-theory
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I have her book. I don’t think it’s great. The music theory course I’m taking is much, much better.
I’ll have to look at this program and see what it does. You rave about it. I need time to look at it.
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Thank you for starting this thread. MuseScore is an interesting program that I have been afraid to download because maybe there would be malware attached.
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Great!
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