Love Musescore but overwhelming
Hello,
I started using musescore when it was still 4.1. I have grown to love it, but sometimes, it can be overwhelming to try and pick every single instrument you want and try to write notes one staff at a time. It would be nice if you could select staves that has the same part, like three trumbones, and enter the notes at the same time so you do not have to finish one part and have to go all the way to the beginning and do it again with another part but the same notes. Copying and pasting is one thing, but sometimes it jumps pages when I'm trying to go back or forward. If you are going to enter the same notes on the same instrument part but on different staves, isn't that a little tedious and time consuming. Of course, I strugle with getting myself to do those things that are jard, time consuming, tedious, whatever.
Comments
Are you using the scrollbars to go forward and back?
In reply to Are you using the scrollbars… by bobjp
I’m just too finger swiping to move along the screen, but I’m also using the arrow. Key is to move forward and back measures or notes if there are any. I do not necessarily know what you mean by scrollbars because of my stupid eyesight. I am visually impaired. You might be thinking, or how is a blind person going to use a notation software, but I make it work, but it’s with constant face to the screen, and constant zooming in and out. Oh my goodness.
In reply to I’m just too finger swiping… by trevorvholt
Is this a mobile device?
In reply to I’m just too finger swiping… by trevorvholt
So the scrollbars are hard to see, unfortunately. And they don't even show up until you have move the mouse at the bottom of the screen. So that may not be much help. I can see swipe might be a problem. I have a mouse hooked up to my laptop because I'm so fumble fingered that if I use a trackpad, who knows what country I'll end up in.
In reply to So the scrollbars are hard… by bobjp
What kind of computer do you have, may I ask?
In reply to What kind of computer do you… by trevorvholt
I have a new 14 inch HP.
But I use a mouse on my older 17 inch laptop, also
It's a trackball mouse. My thumb controls movement of the pointer. It's pretty fast to use.
In reply to I have a new 14 inch HP. But… by bobjp
I have a MacBook Pro, and I also have a magic mouse
In reply to I have a MacBook Pro, and I… by trevorvholt
I don’t know how you guys can create amazing, orchestral pieces, and I’m talking about, full orchestra pieces. I realize that there is so much to it and I’m still in the beginning stages of learning how to use a MuseScore, and now I’m at this point were, I am impatient to get songs done but it just never works
How do people create full orchestra pieces on MuseScore?
In reply to I don’t know how you guys… by trevorvholt
With the templates, of course. Unless you are talking about the technique of composition and orchestration, which is not the point of this forum haha
In reply to With the templates, of… by hamsandwichnow
Sorry.
What do you like to do in MuseScore? What music have you created?
In reply to Sorry. What do you like to… by trevorvholt
Mostly composition, orchestration, and some arrangements. You can hear them on my musescore.com profile.
In reply to I don’t know how you guys… by trevorvholt
Writing for full orchestra in notation software is not quite what what you may be thinking. I see from your first post that you want to write three trombone parts. All playing the same notes. Is that because you are writing for a real orchestra that has three trombone players, and you want them to play the same part? Or because you want the sound of three trombones playing the same notes. Think about it. Three players vs the sound of three players. If you just want the sound of more than one player, then choose "Trombones a3" in the mixer. As far as playback goes, three trombones playing the same part will not sound like three players. It will sound like one player, only louder.
I don't think I'd jump it and write for full orchestra right off the bat. I mostly write for small orchestra. A few woodwinds, some brass, maybe some percussion, and a full string section. You'd be surprised how big a sound that can give you.
What kind of things aren't working?
In reply to Writing for full orchestra… by bobjp
So I want the sound of three trombone players. Because that's typically what you find in an orchestra.
So you could just choose the number of players in the mixer? Because that would make it so much easier, but at the same time, it would be nice to have three trombone parts if they are not playing the same note
In reply to So I want the sound of three… by trevorvholt
I tend, when writing, to not care about playback elements such as these. When I write a2. on a pair of flutes, this doesn’t affect playback. I can change this later if there is a way. There are complex workarounds for this trombone situation, having them on multiple staff configurations, playing back differently, or changing names. But I do this all later if I need to.
In reply to I tend, when writing, to not… by hamsandwichnow
OK. Thank you. Now my next question is, whenever you are in the scores set up window, I don't see a crate from template button. Is it in that window, because if it is, that would be so good for me, so I don't have to pick every single instrument. And also I tried to do a full orchestra thing, and that's the part that's overwhelming is the amount of staves that you have. The orchestral pieces that I hear are so good and it's overwhelming. If you are doing a full orchestra piece, what instrument staff do you start on and do you keep working on that one staff all the way through, or do you go all over the place like I do?
In reply to OK. Thank you. Now my next… by trevorvholt
Yes, it is in the score setup screen. At the top of the smaller window, there is an option to create from template instead of selecting all the instruments yourself. Yet I usually write for winds in pairs with varying instrumentation, so I create the score from the instruments tab.
Would an image work?…
My procedure is pretty complex. When I orchestrate from a piano score, I just figure out what should play what and copy it out where it needs to be. When I write directly on the score without a reduction first, (ex. music focused primarily on texture) I, again, don’t write out each part individually.
Remember, not every instrument needs to be playing all the time.
In reply to Yes, it is in the score… by hamsandwichnow
Oh, so you figure out the notes on the piano, and then you copy and paste some to all the other instruments?
In reply to Oh, so you figure out the… by trevorvholt
Yep, so I can think about the orchestration separately. There is still some strategy. Not just plain copy and paste.
In reply to Yep, so I can think about… by hamsandwichnow
I know all about orchestration, and what the ranges are for instruments and stuff like that.
In reply to I know all about… by trevorvholt
I don’t, by memory, know all of them, but musescore is helpful like that :)
In reply to I don’t, by memory, know all… by hamsandwichnow
I write directly to the score. I don't wait for an idea (some call it "inspiration") to come to me. If I did that, I'd never write anything. I sit down, open a blank score and start entering notes. I know the kind of sound I want. I know that sounds odd. But I tend to let the music go where it needs to go. I get to tag along and as kind of an overseer. Maybe. I write for the fun of it. For playback only, really. Sometime for videos I make.
I'm not really interested in posting on the .com site. But here is one of two things I have there.
https://musescore.com/user/32282582/scores/11567596
It is a bit different from what I normally write.
In reply to I write directly to the… by bobjp
Cool!
Okay, I want to ask you this. Doesn't Musesounds sound amazing and realistic. I does hope that they expand it and put more sounds in to Musehub. I'm mainly talking about world and early music because I am a big fan of those kinds of instruments, however, I am patient and can wait for as long as needed because I have not found particular use for them yet.
In reply to Cool! Okay, I want to ask… by trevorvholt
I think Muse sounds are pretty good. Much better than MU3 sounds. I will say this. I also have Sibelius. In some ways Muse sounds are better. But MU4 doesn't have as extensive an interface as Sibelius does. Sibelius can interact with a score much deeper. Hard to explain. It's an old copy of Sibelius. I started using MuseScore 2 because I was sure that someday Sibelius would no longer run on a future version of Windows. 10 years later, it's running on W11. So why am I using MU4? I wrote a piece in Sibelius. It had a soft beginning that exploded at the climax. I was pretty happy with it. I tried it in MU3 and was not impressed. Over a year ago when the MU4 beta came out I downloaded it and the HUB. Mind you this was not quite the same quality we have today. I loaded my piece into it. And hit play. The first part was OK. And then the climax section exploded into my headphones. This was the excitement I had been looking for. For this one piece MU4 is better. However, I have an arrangement of Despacito that Sibelius does better because it has good mariachi trumpet and fiddle sound.
Start a new score. When it comes to the part where you add instruments, Hit the arrow next to where it says "common" and choose "All instruments". You will find listed a host of early wind, brass, and percussion instruments And a number of world types. There may not be quite the sounds for all of them. Yet they should be usable. I played in a Renaissance group for a while. We had gambas, recorders, cornettos, and the like. Not my favorite music, but It was a good experience.
In reply to Cool! Okay, I want to ask… by trevorvholt
Agreed, I would like to write for fortepiano : ’ )
In reply to Agreed, I would like to… by hamsandwichnow
Do you know what they sounded like?
In reply to Do you know what they… by bobjp
I’ve heard a few recordings, and they are 70% pianoforte sound, 20% clavichord sound, and 10% amazing classical sound.
In reply to I’ve heard a few recordings,… by hamsandwichnow
Might be fun to hear what they originally sounded like. Since they probably don't have all the original strings or hammers. Bach and early classical compositions sound much different on period instruments. Playing styles have changed a great deal, also.
In reply to Might be fun to hear what… by bobjp
OK, I have one more question. I don't see, anywhere, music, guitars, volume one. It's literally not even there. It's literally not even where you create a new score. There is only acoustic guitar, classical guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, that's it. There's no acoustic nylon, acoustic, steel string, Pechter plucked, there's none of that. I don't know if I'm Reading it wrong and it is there, I don't know. My stupid blindness.
In reply to OK, I have one more question… by trevorvholt
Classical guitars have nylon strings. Therefore...
Classical guitar=acoustic nylon
Acoustic guitar=acoustic steel string
No idea what the other thing is.
In reply to Classical guitars have nylon… by bobjp
I am so dumb, thank you.
In reply to OK, I have one more question… by trevorvholt
You need to download it in the hub.
In reply to You need to download it in… by hamsandwichnow
THAT'S WHAT I DID, AND IT'S STILL THE SAME. THERE IS NO, ELECTRIC GUITAR. LP, THERE IS NO HEAVY ELECTRIC GUITAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THERe is only acoustic guitar and acoustic guitar, tablature, and there is electric guitar, and electric guitar tablature. There is no acoustic guitar picked, there is no acoustic guitar plucked, there is no acoustic nylon, there is nothing like that. It's still the same like it was during Mia scored 4.1. I don't hear any difference in sounds.
In reply to Might be fun to hear what… by bobjp
https://musescore.com/user/30131038/scores/8939986#
But you can find any recordings on YouTube or smth
An expensive vst 🙄
In reply to https://musescore.com/user… by hamsandwichnow
OK. Let's back up a tad. Forgive me if I start at the beginning.
You downloaded the new guitar sounds.
Starte a new score and go to Strings Plucked.
Select Classical Guitar.
Select "Done", You don't care about the other stuff for this test.
Open the mixer.
The header for the guitar channel should say Acoustic Nylon. If it doesn't, there are two possibilities.
1. Muse sounds aren't activated for the score. Or..
2. The guitar sounds didn't download to the proper place.
View>Playback setup to check sounds activation.
Otherwise, check to see if the Muse guitars are in the mixer.
In reply to OK. Let's back up a tad… by bobjp
This is why I hate being blind because I don't know how to fix the stuff that's visual like this. Forgive me if I was a little rude and not understanding very well.
In reply to This is why I hate being… by trevorvholt
No problem. Some of this stuff doesn't always work the way we think it should. Happy to help.
In reply to No problem. Some of this… by bobjp
There is a Braille setting. I don't know anything about it.
In reply to There is a Braille setting… by bobjp
Believe me, I know about that. I tried it, and doesn’t work for my Mac.
In reply to Believe me, I know about… by trevorvholt
I see it is mostly for print out. In Windows, there is a line Braille under the score. No idea what it says.
In reply to I see it is mostly for print… by bobjp
The braille on a MAC does not show the notes in braille. A braille display does not even work either on a MAC. It only works on Windows for me.
In reply to The braille on a MAC does… by trevorvholt
It’s the absolute dumbest thing ever and I really need to fax but I didn’t fix it in MuseScore 4.2.1.