Music Notation

TEACH MUSIC TECH.com

Teaching Music through Technology

Resources on this page are suitable for study of Viewport VI in Experiencing Music Technology, 4th Edition.

Manuals, Guides, Tutorials

+ - Scorewriter Manuals and Introductory Guides for Note Entry Click to collapse

Scorewriter Manuals and Introductory Guides/Videos Focused on Note Entry

Dorico: Manual | Intro Tutorial | Demo
Finale: Manual | Intro Tutorial | Demo
MuseScore: Manual | Intro Tutorial | Full Free Version | Semi-Realtime MIDI Demo (YouTube by Peter Jonas)
Noteflight: Manual | Intro Tutorial | Demo
Notion: ScanScore | Intro Tutorial
Sibelius: Guide

+ - Other Music Notation Applications of Interest Click to collapse

Other Music Notation Resources of Interest

Jenni Brandon’s Works in Progress YouTube tutorials for aspiring composers
History of Music Notation
- Classic FM: How Did Music Notation Actually Begin
- Mfiles.co.uk: A Short History of Musical Notation with generous links and videos to explore (by Jim Paterson)
- Wikipedia: Musical Notation
- Computer History Museum: Rediscovering “Mockingbird—A Composer’s Amanuen-sis” (by Chris Garcia)
MusicXML and Other Notation Coding Systems
- Numerous links to MusicXML score files on the internet (from MakeMusic)
- W3.org: Notation Basics in MusicXML
- The MIT Press (2001): The Virtual Score: Representation, Retrieval, Restoration. Table of Contents with links to abstracts from Computing in Musicology 12. Each abstract contains a wealth of links related to computer notation resources.
- Guido Music Notation
- The MuseData Representation of Musical Information (by Walter B Hewlett) from Beyond MIDI: The Handbook of Musical Codes
- Humdrum Toolkit
Standard Music Font Layout (SMuFL) (Steinberg Media Technologies)
List of 1000 Music Fonts (Elbsound.studio Music Solutions)
Printing Professional Quality Music
- Music Preparation Guidelines for Composers (by the Mostly Modern Festival)
- Special papers for printing scores: The Paper Mill Store and Paperworks
- Tom's Guide: Inkjet vs Laser: Which printer is right for you? (by Brian Westover)
- Chilliprinting: TrueType vs PostScript Fonts: Which is Better When it Comes to Print?

+ - Scorewriters Click to collapse

Software Applications Tutorials for Scorewriters

Dorico
- Dorico Playlist (YouTube Channel, several hours)
- Dorico Pro 3 Basics with John McKinnnon, (YouTube, 35 minutes)
- Sym.poly.mathesy: MusicXML and Percussion Notation--Digging into How Dorico and StaffPad Represent Percussion Differently (by Chris Krycho)
- What's New in Dorico 4.3 (YouTube) 11 min
Finale
- Creative Measures Finale Training (YouTube, 60 minutes)
- Finale Tutorials (written resources from Finale)
- Finale 2014 Essential Training with Rick Schmunk (LinkedIn Learning, 8 hours, 14 minutes)
- What's New in Finale 27 YouTube (44min)
MuseScore
- Tutorials and Handbook for MuseScore 3 (written resources from MuseScore)
- Basic Tutorial (YouTube)
- MuseScore 3.6 YouTube (4 min)
Noteflight
- Using Noteflight (written resources from Noteflight)
Noteflight Learn
- Noteflight Learn (YouTube, 1 hour, 4 minutes)
Notion
- Notion Tutorial for Beginners (YouTube)
- Introduction to Notion and Notion for iPad (YouTube)
- Notion 6 Review (YouTube)
- Notion by PreSonus Tutorial (series from PreSonus, YouTube, 2 hours, 15 minutes)
- Producing Sheet Music in Notion: Produce Sheet Music Fast (from PreSonus)
Notion Mobile
- Notion for iPad: Review & Tutorial (YouTube)
- How to Make Orchestral Music on and iPad: Notion for iOS Tutorial (YouTube)
- PreSonus Help Videos (videos from PreSonus about Notion for iPad)
- Notion Mobile New Features Overview YouTube (12 min)
Sibelius
- Getting Started with Sibelius (YouTube)
- Notation Software, Sibelius Basics (YouTube)
- Tutorials: Getting Started (videos from Avid)
- Sibelius Ultimate 2019 Essential Training: The Basics with Jenny Amaya (LinkedIn Learning, (8 hours, 16 minutes)
- Sibelius Ultimate 2019 Essential Training: The Beyond theBasics with Jenny Amaya (LinkedIn Learning, (7 hours, 28 minutes)
- Beginners Guide To Sibelius | Music Notation Software (with NotePerformer 3) YouTube (44 min)

+ - Handwritten Notation Recognition Click to collapse

Software Application Tutorials for Handwritten Notation Recognition

Notion fMobile
- Notion for iPad: Review & Tutorial (YouTube)
- How to Make Orchestral Music on and iPad: Notion for iOS Tutorial (YouTube)
- PreSonus Help Videos (videos from PreSonus about Notion for iPad)
StaffPad
- StaffPad and Reader for iPad review (YouTube)
- StaffPad Review (YouTube)
- StaffPad Help (written resources from StaffPad)
- An Evening with StaffPad (YouTube, 3 hours. 19 minutes
- StaffPad: Create your Symphony YouTube (3 min)
  StaffPad Reader YouTube (4 min) (also see Digital Music Readers below)
Notate Me/Notate Me Now
- NotateMe iPad App Review (YouTube)
- NotateMeNow Lesson Sequence (YouTube)
- User Manual
- NotateMe Now and GarageBand for iPad YouTube (2 min)
Symphony Pro
- Symphony Pro 5 Review (YouTube)

+ - Optical and Audio Notation Recognition Click to collapse

Software Application Tutorials for Optical and Audio Scanning

AudioScore
- AudioScore 8 Review (YouTube)
- Neuatron AudioScore Quick Start Guide
PhotoScore
- Photoscore Lite Ultimate (YouTube)
- Music Scanning Software Demystified (YouTube)
- User Manual
Smartscore
- Smartscore 64 (YouTube)
- Chorister’s Dream (YouTube)
- Convert PDF to SmartScore (YouTube)
- User Manual
ScanScore
PlayScore
- PlayScore (YouTube, collected set of videos)
- How to Use PlayScore
- PlayScore 2: Take Photos and it Plays Back! Music Learning App for Choir YouTube (32 min)

+ - Digital Music Readers Click to collapse

Software Application Tutorials for Digital Music Readers

forScore
- forScore User Guides
- iPad Pro and forScore (YouTube, 37 minutes)
- forScore Layers (YouTube)
- forScore for Singers (YouTube)
- Dan Lewis // A Pro Musicians Guide To Using forScore [In Depth Walk Through] YouTube (1hr 2min)
Newzik
- Basics of Newzik (YouTube, webinar from Newzik, 45 minutes)
- Newzik (YouTube, Newzik Channel)
- A Musical Life: Interview between Hugh Sung and Aurelia Azoulay from Newzik, (YouTube,50 minutes)
- Newzik in Education: Recording with Accompaniments YouTube (8 min)
TomPlay
- TomPlay Sheet Music App Full Walk-Through (YouTube)
- TomPlay (YouTube, TomPlay Channel)
- An app with over 40.000 charts and backing tracks? // Tomplay Review YouTube (5 min)
Others
- Piascore (iOS & iPadOS)
- nKoda (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Android, Windows)
- Orpheus (Android)
- MobileSheets Pro (Android)

SOFTWARE LINKS

+ - Exemplar Scorewriters Click to collapse

Exemplar Scorewriters

Steinberg: Dorico (macOS & Windows); Dorico Features
MakeMusic: Finale (macOS & Windows); Finale Features
MuseScore: MuseScore (macOS, Windows, Linux, and Chromebooks with Linux Virtual Machine Crostini); MuseScore Features
PreSonus Notion and Notion Mobile (macOS & Windows, iOS & iPadOS & Android for mobile); Notion Features
Avid Sibelius (macOS & Windows); Sibelius Features
Noteflight (web-based); Noteflight Features

+ - Other Scorewriters Click to collapse

Other Scorewriters for Consideration

Flat (web-based); Flat Features
Denemo (macOS/Windows/GNULinux)
DoReMIR Music Research: ScoreCloud (macOS/Windows)
Sonic Scores:Overture (macOS & Windows)
Improv-Visor (macOS/Windows/Linux)
Software Partner: Cappella (macOS & Windows)

+ - Scorewriters with Handwritten Notation Click to collapse

Scorewriters with Handwritten Notation Recognition

StaffPad (iPadOS & Windows)
Neuratron: Notate Me/Notate Me Now (iOS, iPadOS, Android)
Xeon Labs: Symphony Pro (iOS, iPadOS)
Mona Lisa Sound: MusicJOT (iOS, iPadOS)
Kawai Musical Instruments: Touch Notation (iOS, iPadOS)

+ - Optical and Audio Music Scanning Click to collapse

Optical and Audio Music Scanning Software

Neuratron: AudioScore and PhotoScore & NotateMe (macOS & Windows)
Musitek: SmartScore X2 (macOS & Windows)
ScanScore (Windows)
PlayScore 2 (iOS, iPadOS, Android)

+ - Digital Music Readers Click to collapse

Digital Music Reader Apps

forScore (iOS & iPadOS)
Newzik (iOS & iPadOS)
Tomplay (macOS, Windows, iOS/iPadOS/Android)
Piascore (iOS & iPadOS)
nKoda (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Android, Windows)
Orpheus (Android)
MobileSheets Pro (Android)
eNote (iOS, iPadOS, MacOS

+ - Other Notation Resources Click to collapse

Other Notation Resources

Sound Samples: Philharmonia: https://philharmonia.co.uk/resources/sound-samples
ScoreExchange: https://www.scoreexchange.com/
ScoreCloud: https://scorecloud.com/
Avid Link: https://avid.com/products/avid-link
Virtual Keyboards: Bome Mouse Keyboard (Windows) | Virtual MIDI Piano Keyboard (VMPK) (macOS, Windows, Linux)

HARDWARE LINKS

+ - Keyboards, Page Turners, Scanners, Printers, and More Click to collapse

Numeric Keypads: Selection of Wired and Wireless Numeric Keypads
MIDI Keyboard Controllers Top 10 Best Mini MIDI Keyboard Controllers (by Music Radar)
Footpedals: Selection of Keyboard Pedals and Footswitches
Page Turners: iRig BlueTurn | PageFlip PowerFly | AirTurn DUO 500
Tablet Holder: MANOS and iKlip Xpand | Best Tablet Holder for Mic Stand and On-Stage Performances (by Chad Smith)
Scanners: 6 Best Flatbed Scanners Under $500 in 2020 (by Cardmunch)
Printers
- Selection of Multipurpose Inkjet Printers | Laser Printers
- Multipurpose Inkjet: Brother MFCJ5945DW manuals etc.
- Laser: Canon imageCLASS LBP612CDW manuals etc.

Details: Hits: 12667

Finale RIP! (August 2024)

Finale notation software is discontinued. Please read the notice on Finalemusic.com. (dated August 2024).
Crossgrades may be available from Finale to get a reduced discount on Dorico & Sibelius software.
Save MusicXML versions of all of your Finale scores as a way to ensure some ability to transfer scores to other notation software.

Notes on Music Technology Resources

Check out the depth of website tutorials and links on this website under Music Technology Resources. The weblinks were compiled in part as research for the 4th Edition of our music technology textbook. A selection of these links is including in Modules of the e-Book version, others we share as additional resources. Many videos included that are not available in the ebook version.

The vast majority of resources noted in TEACHMUSICTECH.com are freely available online; some valuable resources require subscription, either individually or through an institution.

David Brian Williams and
Peter Richard Webster

Website Copyright © Peter R Webster & David B Williams. All Rights Reserved.
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