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Scorewriter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A scorewriter, or notation software or music notation

processor, is software used with a computer for creating, editing
and printing sheet music. A scorewriter is to music notation what a
word processor is to word text, in that they both allow fast
corrections (undo), flexible editing, easy sharing of electronic
documents (via the Internet or compact storage media), and clean,
uniform layout. In addition, most scorewriters, especially those
from the 2000s, are able to sound out the notes using synthesizer
Screenshot from Musink Lite
instrument sounds or virtual instruments and record the notes
Version 1.0
(sound). This playback and recording feature is especially useful
for novice composers or music students or when no musicians
(particularly the very costly full orchestra) are readily available or affordable. The playback and
recording features, by the same analogy, makes 2000s-era scorewriters equivalent to both word
processors and previsualization software.

Contents
1 Comparison with multitrack sequencer software
2 History
3 Functionality
4 File formats
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Comparison with multitrack sequencer software

Multitrack sequencer software and scorewriters typically employ different methods for the input
and display of music notation.

Scorewriters are based on traditional music notation, using a staff lines and round note heads. This
music notation originates from European classical music. Scorewriters use graphical symbols
representing durations in sound and silence, along with symbols for dynamics, articulations and
tempo. Some even allow the user to import or create their own symbols for use in scoring.
Multitrack sequencer software typically uses a multi-track recorder metaphor as the main interface,
consisting of multiple tracks and track segments. Individual tracks can be edited using a graphic
notation in the form of a piano-roll guided input for the control of MIDI-based hardware or

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software instruments.

In addition to these two approaches, a third approach has emerged that combines the above two
methods of score input into a digital audio workstation. This allows the user to score parts using
traditional notation, using the graphic notation of the piano roll and to record acoustic or electronic
instruments in real time alongside the existing scores. In all three cases it is possible to use the
computer keyboard and mouse for input control or to use a MIDI musical keyboard for data entry
that is later edited using traditional notation or piano-roll based notation.

Some scorewriter critics argue that the implementation of traditional notation in multitrack
sequencer software and digital audio workstations is limited and inferior in contrast to professional
engraving-quality programs such as 2016-era versions of Finale, Sibelius, LilyPond and
MuseScore.

History
The rapid growth of desktop computers in the 1980s caused the creation of dozens of early
scorewriters during that decade (see List of scorewriters). These early scorewriter programs were a
boon to young composers, music educators and composition students, as they provided a much less
expensive way to create scores and parts for orchestral music and other works. However, 1980s
scorewriters were hard to use, as entering music could be slow, and the end printed results were
amateur-looking. While 1980s scorewriter scores were readable, they did not look like
professionally engraved scores or parts. During the 1990s many of these early programs fell into
disuse because they were less sophisticated or harder to use than newer programs, principally
Finale and Sibelius, which both offered a wide range of sophisticated features, making them
suitable for almost all kinds of music applications and for professional publishing.

By 2000 the market was dominated by Finale (particularly in the US) and Sibelius (which had
dominated the UK since 1993, and had expanded worldwide since its Windows release in 1998).
Inexpensive programs such as capella gained a significant share of the market in some countries,
but in later years free and often open-source software such as Musescore and ScoreCloud have
become popular worldwide. Sibelius and Finale still dominated the market as of 2012.[1]

In February 2013, Steinberg announced that it had hired the former core development team for
Sibelius (who had been dismissed by Avid in 2012) to build a new scorewriter from the ground
up.[2] Dorico, the resulting program, was released in October 2016.[3]

Functionality
All scorewriters allow the user to input, edit and print music notation, to varying degrees of
sophistication. They range from programs which can write a simple song, piano piece or guitar tab,
to those that can handle the complexities of orchestral music, specialist notations (from early music
to avant garde), and high-quality music engraving.

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Music can usually be input using the mouse, computer keyboard, and/or a MIDI keyboard. Also a
few will allow input by scanning scores using musical OCR, or by playing or singing into a
microphone.

Most scorewriters also allow the music to be played back via MIDI or, in some cases, using virtual
instruments, e.g. VST instruments or similar. In a virtual piano in the screen, can show the score
and the key played in the keyboard (i.e. changing the colour) at the same time. Scorewriters are
somewhat similar to sequencers (many of which can also write music notation up to a point),
though scorewriters are used primarily for writing notation and sequencers primarily for recording
and playing music.

Some scorewriters allow the printed output to be customized and fine-tuned to a considerable
degree, as is required by publishers to produce high-quality music engraving and to suit their
individual house style.

A few scorewriters allow users to publish scores on the Internet, where they can be (for example)
played back, transposed, and printed out, perhaps for a fee.

Most scorewriters provide other musical functions such as transposing, or producing separate
instrumental parts from a full score, or applying music transformations such as retrograde. Some
can automatically create instrumental exercises and student worksheets. Some support plug-ins,
often developed by users or other companies. Various features found in other types of program are
also found in some scorewriters; these include version control (similar to a word processor's 'track
changes' feature), importing and exporting graphics, Post-It-like sticky notes, etc.

File formats
Almost all scorewriters use their own file formats for saving files. Hence, in order to move notation
between different scorewriters (or to/from other kinds of music software such as sequencers), most
scorewriters can also import or export one or more standard interchange file formats, such as:

Standard MIDI File is supported by almost all scorewriters. However, as this format was
designed for playback (e.g. by sequencers) rather than notation, it only produces approximate
results and much notational information is lost in the process. If the score is to be presented a
WAV file (rather than MIDI) may be made from the score to give a much more natural (and
accurate) rendition of the written score.
MusicXML has in recent years become the standard interchange format for accurate
notation.[4]
NIFF is a now-obsolete file format that was supported by a few scorewriters.[5]

Some can import and export to pdf, text (ascii), picture (png, svg) and sound (ogg).

There are also human-readable text-based formats such as ABC notation, LilyPond (.ly file
extension) and ASCII tab. These are easily rendered as speech by screen reading software. The

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Score extension to MediaWiki can render, and generate an audio preview, of the first two formats.

See also
Comparison of scorewriters
International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
Player piano and piano roll
Scorereader
Virtual piano
List of music software

References
1. Richard Sussman, Michael Abene, Mike Abene (2012) Jazz Composition and Arranging in the Digital
Age p.xlviii (https://books.google.com/books?id=jFYWbdWmCQYC&pg=PR48-IA16)
2. Kirn, Peter (20 February 2013). "FEB 20 2013 Sibelius Core Team Now at Steinberg, Building New
Notation Tool". Create Digital Music. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
3. Arblaster, Simon (20 October 2017). "Steinberg's Dorico software promises to be the most flexible
scoring application there is". musicradar. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
4. "MusicXML Software". MakeMusic, Inc. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
5. Belkin, Alan (NIFF coordinator). (February 1992). "The Current Status of NIFF". Archived from the
original on 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2007-11-06. "Niff has now been superseded by MusicXML."

External links
Musical notation codes (http://www.music-notation.info/en/compmus/notationformats.html) –
information on most known musical notation file formats.
Music Notation Software with MusicXML Features (http://www.makemusic.com/musicxml
/community/software)
IMSLP:Typeset Music formats (http://imslp.org/wiki/IMSLP:Typeset_Music_formats)

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Categories: Scorewriters Music software

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