MuseScoreLibrary
I have just registered 3 domain names at a new website hosted at 1&1.co.uk.
These are:-
musescorelibrary.co.uk
musescorelibrary.me.uk
musescorelibrary.org.uk
The intention is for these to become a central MuseScore user resource for public domain and creative commons scores which have been transcribed into MuseScore format from the ancient composers with the intention of encouraging MuseScore users to produce and use scores on portable devices instead of traditional paper scores.
It will also be possible to embed scores hosted at www.musescore.com, and is intended to be a complement for this and not a competitor.
If you have scores that would be suitable for inclusion, and would be interested in contributing, please contact me through my contact address here.
I will post here again when the website becomes live.
Comments
Nice step! I hope your web site(s) will go live soon!
Could you elaborate a little the meaning of "scores for portable devices rather than paper"?
1) Is the difference of destination structural and/or induces structural differences on the scores themselves?
2) Do you really believe portable devices to be any near to be usable for real-time, real-world playing (and by real-world players, for instance, myopic as I am) ?
Thanks,
M.
P.S.: may I remember that any score at my web site //www.vistamaresoft.com/musica is free to upload and/or link to?
In reply to Nice step! I hope your web by Miwarre
Scores for portable devices means that they are formatted to be read on a 10 inch screen such as the iPad.
The page size is adjusted so that one system is in view vertically, and one and a half pages are visible horizontally.
This means that when you press play Musescore will turn pages for you as you play the score.
This is currently only of use for music for keyboard instruments, guitar, and small ensembles where the vertical size of the page isn't a barrier to display.
The idea was inspired by my use of a netbook to produce scores on the move, but requires a tablet device to be properly successful, and for this reason I have recently purchased an Acer Iconia Tab W500 running Windows 7.
I have successfully played one or two organ pieces this way, so yes, I believe that portable devices are ready for some real-world playing.
And thanks for the link :)
In reply to Scores for portable devices by ChurchOrganist
"This is currently only of use for music for keyboard instruments, guitar, and small ensembles where the vertical size of the page isn't a barrier to display".
I have just under 1000 folk tunes plus about 50 brass band marches that would beg to differ. 10" screen in landscape mode is fine for them (marching bands usually have the music written on very small cards - wonder if a light 7" screen might even work here?).
Many 10" screens coming to market now but most of the cheap ones are Android-based. Still, you can use .PNG or PDF format files output from MuseScore and display on them.
"Scores for portable devices means that they are formatted to be read on a 10 inch screen such as the iPad.
The page size is adjusted so that one system is in view vertically, and one and a half pages are visible horizontally."
Thanks for the answer. Do you have indicative figures for page height, page width and score scaling factor?
Do you mean that a single system fits in the page height? for a 4-or-5-staves score (say a Renaissance madrigal), this wold mean approx. 7.5 to 10 cm of page height for medium score scale (say 1.5 - 1.65 mm per space) or proportionally more for larger score scales (say 1.8 mm per space or more).
And for separate parts?
"I have successfully played one or two organ pieces this way, so yes, I believe that portable devices are ready for some real-world playing."
Oh well, I am pleasantly surprised: I often have problems reading from prints on paper, if light is not direct, or when I have to share the music stand (as it is farer away) and so on (without mentioning the poor formatting of many scores around).
Considering the much coarser resolution of a portable device (1/3 of a normal ink jet printer?), the view angle limitations and the page turning issue, I expected current portable devices to be not usable for live performing (and I am speaking of rather 'clean' Renaissance - early Baroque scores; I cannot imagine reading Chopin or Mahler from it).
So, your experience sounds promising!
Thanks,
M.
In reply to "Scores for portable devices by Miwarre
"Thanks for the answer. Do you have indicative figures for page height, page width and score scaling factor?"
I'm still experimenting with them. It seems to vary from one score to the other.
One problem is with setting the width right so you can read ahead before the page turn..
The continuous view we now have in 2.0 potentially solves this, but at the moment it scrolls when the cursor reaches the end of the page so you can't read what's coming. I'm hoping to get the dev team to implement a scroll which can be set so you get a couple of bars to read after the cursor.
The other thing that would help would be the page turning device made by hooking up Sample Sumo to MuseScore as in the Music Hack Day video, That is a very exciting concept as it would mean you would no longer have to set tempi precisely, but set that going and MuseScore would know when to turn the page for you, so slow practice would be possible without having to fiddle with the tempo slider.
"Do you mean that a single system fits in the page height?"
Yes, so a full orchestra score probably wouldn't be readable, but portable devices tend to be able to switch from portrait to landscape mode and back simply by turning the device, so you can choose what is best for that particular score.
"Considering the much coarser resolution of a portable device (1/3 of a normal ink jet printer?), the view angle limitations and the page turning issue,"
That's where the vector graphics come in, but there are advantages too - editorial ornaments and other markings can simply be displayed in a different colour :)
View angle seems to have been addressed by the device manufacturers - I have one guitar student who I work with either on his android smartphone, or on my Iconia Tablet. In both cases we can share a music stand without having to peer to see the music.
In reply to "Thanks for the answer. Do by ChurchOrganist
Another detail about which I have doubts (I never actually tried to play from a tablet, so all of this is speculative):
I do not keep me eyes always glued to the score (and I am sure most peoples don't), but on paper I (usually!) know where to look back at. With a tablet, what happens when you look back at the score and the score in the meantime has scrolled?
M.
In reply to A small detail by Miwarre
Personally I didn't find that a problem.