Real-time MIDI Keyboard Input
I want to play a regular piece on my MIDI keyboard normally and would want Musescore to convert it to sheet music. The input modes seem to be very inefficient as it looks like I have to use a computer keyboard or a mouse to change the pitch/duration to get the desired notes. Like in Scorecloud, I could record a piece and the software instantly converts it to sheet music. Is there a way to do something similar?
I have been referring to this:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/note-input-modes#realtime-auto
However, it didn't really help much though.
Comments
What went wrong when you followed the steps there?
Not sure what you mean about the regular input modes being inefficient, they are actually rather faster than trying to play in real time in many cases. But you do have to learn the commands to get good at it.
In reply to What went wrong when you… by Marc Sabatella
I don't even want to touch the computer keyboard or mouse when I am playing a musical piece on my midi keyboard. Once I am done recording I would want it to be converted to sheet music which is when I can make changes by using all the tools. Is this possible?
In reply to I don't even want to touch… by rsarkar
Yes, although you have to keep in mind that MuseScore won't try to guess which hand plays which notes or anything like that - you still have to enter the notes a staff at a time. Well, you can play them all onto one staff then try to use the automatic split function, but it's not as smart as you would be if you played the hands separately. And you have to play the rhythms very precisely, etc. All the things it describes on that page. But again, yes, it works as described, no need to press any keys on the computer.
Also, no need to press any keys on the computer even when using traditional step time input - you can program MIDI keys to select durations, etc.
So again, after you try following the steps, if you have problems, please tell us at exactly which step you are having trouble, and we can assist further.
In reply to Yes, although you have to… by Marc Sabatella
Hi Marc, how can I program the midi keyboard to select a specific rhythm? Is there a particular keyboard that you can recommend? Thank you.
In reply to Hi Marc, how can I program… by HalfDiminishedSeven
I don't really understand the question - you are asking about programmability features of your keyboard, like maybe to get it to provide automatic accompaniment? That would be a question to ask the keyboard manufacturer; it doesn't really relate to MuseScore. or maybe you mean something else?
As for particular keyboards, it shouldn't matter, all transmit the same basic MIDI information and are perfectly capable of entering notes into MuseScore one at a timer, almost as quickly as typing them :-)
In reply to What went wrong when you… by Marc Sabatella
I think I have the same question the OP had...I am using RealTime Auto and playing one finger melody on my midi keyboard. However, the score only shows quarter and half notes. Any shorter notes are omitted. With my old Music Time software, I could set a quantization value (1/8 notes for example) and the transcribed score would show the duration of all notes to the nearest 1/8. I would have to clean up some duration's but no notes were omitted. I just want to capture every note played at some approximate duration. I don't want to play in slow motion.
In reply to I think I have the same… by radionut44
Did you select the eight note as your note value on the toolbar before starting the input? If so, each click of the metronome should be and eight note.
In reply to Did you select the eight… by Marc Sabatella
Yes. In preferences, in Note Input I set delay between notes at 300ms (minimum allowed) which gave me a much faster metronome. I still got only quarter and half notes, but only a fast run of triplets had notes omitted.
In reply to Yes. In preferences, in Note… by radionut44
That’s not the right setting. You need to actually specify the note value using the toolbar. Click the eighth note button before you start if you want the metronome to give you eighth notes instead of quarters.
In reply to Yes. In preferences, in Note… by radionut44
See step 2 from https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/note-input-modes#realtime-auto
In reply to What went wrong when you… by Marc Sabatella
greetings
I am having a similar problem:
Kontact A46 keyboard is recognised, options switched on, keyboard visible in i/o & playback settings switched on, with a Rhythm selected then pressing "n" to activate note input
playing notes on the Kontact does not enter notes into a musescore I either create as new or transfer from an *.xml , but does make a noise.
Bizzarely I have been sent a saved Musescore set of parts, note input works from the misi keyboard no problem. Go figure...
Using an actual midipiano to enter notes into a composition software is standard - I can't use this software at all unless a solution is found
regards
Adrian K
In reply to greetings I am having a… by classblu
Could be your keyboard is failing to send note off messages - MuseScore relies on those to know when you have completing entering a note (and not trying to build a chord). Or some other aspect of your device driver. See if there are any updates available for it (or firmware updates for the keyboard itself).
FWIW, while it is certainly possible to enter notes via MIDI, it isn’t normally any more efficient than simply typing them normally on your computer keyboard. So I wouldn’t worry to much about it if you can’t get MIDI I out running. Millions of others successfully use the standard computer keyboard entry, and Im quite sure you would be able to learn it as well. Takes just minutes to learn the shortcuts.
In reply to Could be your keyboard is… by Marc Sabatella
ahh I see.
this is now a 'point of view' as to whether or not using a piano/midi keyboard is essential. I am just discovering several professional composers that need to use this setup & therefor can't use Musescore.
Using a keyboard is significantly faster.
Additionally there is no option to record in real time..
I am in this position - I still have a 10yr old version of Sib that one just sets a metronome, & away you go..
there does seem to be a contradiction, or bug..
the Midi input works fine on an *.mxl file..
but when I create NEW, or import an *.xml it won't work. So perhaps something is going on there.
I'm win10
regards & thank you for your quick responce
Adrian K
In reply to ahh I see. this is now a … by classblu
There is no way the file itself has any bearing on whether you can get MIDI input working. It is remotely possible there is something about the isntrument you are selecting that affects this, but more likely it’s something related to having multiple instances of MuseScore and the MIDI input being routed to the “wrong” one, or something else more system-related like that.
Anyhow, the question of whether MIDI is “essential” is definitely not one of “point of view”. it is absolutely positively not essential; that much is just a fact. Computer keyboard works in all cases. The question of whether you personally happen to find MIDI more efficient is one of point of view, and indeed, if that’s what you’re accustomed to, and you haven’t taken the time to learn other methods, it will of course seem that way for now. But I do assure you, millions of others have learned to be productive using the computer keyboard to enter notes, and I’m quite confident you are intelligent enough to do so as well. And by any objective measure (number of clicks requires, finger traveling distance, etc), it is equally efficient. it really is just a matter of learning how.
Now, if there were a robust real-time feature, then it would indeed be true that for certain types of passages, that could be measurably more efficient than step-time. But there is no such feature - the real-time feature in MuseScore is too limited to provide that kind of win. So meanwhile, I do encourage you to spend the time to learn how note input works in MuseScore so you can begin being productive today!
Other programs might capture the recording (real-time playing) better than MS. But they may have other features for producing and editing that you'd rather use Musescore for. In that case, you might try exporting the real-time recording captured by Sound Cloud or Finale or one of the other heavy duty all-in-one programs to a MIDI or MusicXML file (which I believe Sound Cloud does) and importing it into MS for editing.
Personally, I find MS more intuitive and easier to use for notation than Finale, which is a bit overkill (too much stuff) for my needs.