OpenScore: Join the transcription effort!
Exactly one month ago we introduced OpenScore to the MuseScore community, and one week ago we announced it to the world at FOSDEM, Europe’s largest open source software conference. OpenScore is a new initiative to digitise public domain music, including the works of the great classical composers like Mozart, Beethoven and Bach.
Introducing OpenScore at FOSDEM 2017
Getting involved
OpenScore is only possible with your help. We would be extremely grateful if as many people as possible could back the Kickstarter campaign when it goes live in a month or two, or work with us to produce the OpenScore transcriptions. We really want OpenScore to be a success, so to help galvanise the community we will be offering rewards to those who choose to take part. Kickstarter backers will be able to have a say in which pieces get transcribed, and transcribers will be rewarded with PRO membership of MuseScore.com.
If you are interested in taking part then you can sign-up to register your interest here:
- Kickstarter backers: https://musescore.org/openscore
- Transcribers: https://musescore.org/openscore-transcribe
Answers to questions
The first blog post generated a huge number of comments and questions about OpenScore, and so I will try my best to respond to them here.
Which pieces will be transcribed for OpenScore?
The initial transcription effort will concentrate on a specific set of pieces selected by the Kickstarter backers, with a few additional pieces that we think will be of greatest interest to the general public and the wider music community. At some point we would like to expand OpenScore to all public domain music, but this depends on the success of the initial campaign.
When can we start transcribing?
The transcription effort will begin in earnest once the Kickstarter has been successfully funded and the pieces selected. However, we are currently in the process of creating demonstration scores to show to potential backers, so if you sign up now then there might be something for you to do before the Kickstarter.
How can I submit transcriptions to OpenScore?
Many of you were keen to know about the process for submitting transcriptions. We don’t currently have the resources to check all scores being uploaded to MuseScore.com, so for the time being we will be approaching individual users with pages for them to transcribe.
Can I submit transcriptions I have already done?
You can tell us about any existing transcriptions when you sign up, but we can’t promise to be able to check all of them immediately. We will contact you individually if we think your existing transcription will be of interest to the Kickstarter backers. Other transcriptions may be considered at a later date.
What is the goal for OpenScore transcriptions?
The goal of OpenScore is not to produce the ultimate critical (or “urtext”) editions, nor is it to produce a beautiful engraving. Instead, the goal for OpenScore is to produce digital editions that are semantically accurate transcriptions of the original public domain editions, which will be fine for the vast majority of users. Furthermore, the OpenScore editions will provide a starting point for creators and arrangers to produce ultimate editions of their own. We will refresh the OpenScore editions with each MuseScore release to take advantage of improvements to MuseScore’s layout rules.
How will the Braille scores be produced?
We are partnering with RNIB to get advice about Braille and MSN notation, and we invite Braille readers in the community to offer their feedback on the Braille we produce. (Our advisors at RNIB mentioned that reading the Braille can even be a valuable way of spotting mistakes in the MusicXML that would otherwise go unnoticed.)
The conversion from MusicXML to Braille will be done with the open source Music21 toolkit. The Music21 developer assures us that, with the exception of piano scores (for which Braille conversion is notoriously difficult) the output will be correct and perfectly readable, though it may not take advantage of all the repeat markings and abbreviations that are available in Braille notation. We expect that the mere existence of OpenScore’s Braille and MSN scores will raise awareness of accessibility needs and create demand for better conversion tools, thereby driving their open-source development. Again, we will be sure to refresh the OpenScore Braille files to take advantage of these improvements as they arrive.
Read on OpenScore blog: https://www.openscore.cc/blog/join-the-transcription-effort
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Comments
Related to "Can I submit transcriptions I have already done?", will transcriptions that others have already done (with no expectation of personal gain) and shared freely on MuseScore.com be eligible for nomination to the OpenScore library?
In reply to Related to "Can I submit by Isaac Weiss
The short answer is "no", but you could contact the user yourself and suggest they sign up for OpenScore.
The reason is that the focus for the Kickstarter will be on making new scores available that were not available before, or that were not available under an open license, or where the quality of the available scores was not high enough. We may decide to include a very small number of existing transcriptions with the Kickstarter, or use them as example scores to show to potential backers. Where we find a suitable existing transcription we will approach the user directly.
This policy may change in the future, but in the short term at least, OpenScore is meant to contain new content. It is not meant to be a showcase of existing content.
In reply to The short answer is "no", but by shoogle
I have so far avoided commenting on this but here goes:
Isn't this initiative trying to kick open doors that are already open? It seems to me that this initiative duplicates part of what IMSLP is already doing and I do not see any need for it. Also the focus on Musescore (among a large set of available screenwriters) is hardly helpful to the larger musical community.
On thing I learned in college is this: Never try to re-invent the wheel!
I recommend volunteers work for IMSLP instead!
In reply to I have so far avoided by azumbrunn
Hi azumbrunn,
Thanks for your comments. Please allow me to address your points in turn.
In reply to Hi azumbrunn, Thanks for your by shoogle
At one time I did try submitting MuseScore files to IMSLP but they wouldnt have them. So I tried adding them to the PDF and uploading but they deleted them too - saying they were duplicates!
In reply to The short answer is "no", but by shoogle
What do you mean by "new content?"
You say "including the masterworks by Mozart etc". Those are certainly not new content; they are available commercially in countless editions and are almost completely represented on IMSLP.
There seems to be a small contradiction here...
In reply to What do you mean by "new by azumbrunn
By "new content" I meant "not already available on MuseScore.com". Clearly it is possible to get hold of those works in paper or PDF formats, on IMSLP and elsewhere, but OpenScore will make them available in MSCZ and MusicXML format for the first time.
In reply to By "new content" I meant "not by shoogle
Thanks for this more detailed information. Since this is coordinated with IMSLP I am ready to join in--provided the works you will choose interest me.
Personally I still think we should focus away from the great classics. They are really easy to access as it is. And .pdf--the standard format on IMSLP--is even more universal than .xml.*
I have presently 19 scores (and parts too in most cases) on IMSLP (here: http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Zumbrunn,_Albrecht). They are all of lesser known but IMO worthy pieces with no commercial access (at least at the time I did the typeset), typeset off sources that are in most cases already on IMSLP but are in various ways not well suited to serve players of the present age (bad quality print of first editions from the early 19th century; no score available--only parts; handwritten sources). Check them out if you want. If you want any of them for OpenScore let me know; I'll revise, re-proofread and reformat the earlier ones that were made with version 1.x.
*There will be a time when everybody has a "music-Kindle" to play from and music on paper will rarely or never be used. At this time though I am not convinced that tablets are superior to paper for players (e.g. I believe pencil notes are still more efficient than notes in the tablet) not to mention the steep prices for suitable tablets. (Also I don't want to play from backlit screens and even less be the audience of an orchestra with hundred backlit screens all over the stage such that the players have brightly lit blue or green faces!). But when the technology is mature and affordable we will prefer something like .mscz over .pdf. For now I believe IMSLP is correct to insist on .pdf format.
In reply to Thanks for this more detailed by azumbrunn
You are correct to say that most people still use PDF, but that is simply because they are not aware that a better alternative exists, and even if they do know, MSCZ and MusicXML scores are much harder to find than PDF files. OpenScore will solve both of these issues by raising awareness of the alternative formats and by creating lots of scores in those formats.
But the point is we don't have to choose between MSCZ or PDF, you can have both! MSCZ can be easily converted into all these other formats:
So in other words, if we make the scores available as PDFs available then we just get PDFs, but if we make the MSCZ files available we get all those other formats for free, including PDF!
If you have a look at any score on MuseScore.com and click "Download", you will see that you can choose whether to download in PDF or MSCZ.
I suggest you take a closer look at the presentation video.
In reply to You are correct to say that by shoogle
Is there any effort going on to export MEI files?
In reply to Is there any effort going on by tvaz
@tvaz for MEI, see https://musescore.org/en/user/57401/blog/2017/01/11/introducing-opensco…
In reply to @tvaz for MEI, see by Thomas
Thanks Thomas, good to know you're open to that :) I hope to have some time soon-ish to give my contribution to this.
In reply to By "new content" I meant "not by shoogle
Also as an incentive to participate, part of the reason in the initial blog post included "The aim is to digitise and liberate the works of Mozart, Beethoven and other famous classical composers by making their scores freely available in MuseScore’s MSCZ format. This enables convenient sharing, adaptation and playback across a range of devices, including computers, phones and tablets." The music XML format allows for this much easier than PDF.
In reply to Also as an incentive to by mike320
Here is the problem with XML: You export your score to XML, then re-import it into Musescore. You'll have to redo the entire formatting, page turns and all. This is by no means a small task. The only downside of pdf is the fact that it requires paper. But the formatting is firm and will never change.
I am not at all a fan of playback (except fur purposes of checking a score). Human musicians are so much superior, especially when it comes to classical music. But if people like it then XML is a good choice of format.
But as long as you want singers and instrumentalists to use the scores pdf is a good choice for the above reason--until the day we have good and affordable tablets.
In reply to Here is the problem with XML: by azumbrunn
We make the original MuseScore MSCZ files available as well as MusicXML. MSCZ preserves all information, including formatting information, so we suggest that all MuseScore users keep to this format. The MusicXML files are mainly there for users of other notation programs.
There should never be cause for exporting MusicXML from MuseScore and then re-importing it back into MuseScore, any more than there would be with MIDI, as long as the MSCZ files are still available.
In reply to We make the original by shoogle
I am sorry; I did not mean that there is any reason to do an export - import sequence. I just wanted to point out that in the export all formatting is lost and hence not available to users of scorewriters other than MuseScore. I have formatted quite a few scores (and parts!) for IMSLP and it is not a small task. And without that task the music is practically useless for human players. Hence my preference for Pdf (especially as some formatting information is still not entirely stable in MuseScore: Hairpins, voltas, pedal lines and other markings walk away from their locations under some as yet not precisely defined but quite common circumstances).
In the planned cooperation with IMSLP: Have they agreed to host works with no PDF files? That would be a major policy change on their part.
BTW another problem: As MS issues new versions it is anticipated that files produced with older versions won't open in the new version any more. Is there a plan to deal with this issue?
In reply to I am sorry; I did not mean by azumbrunn
Newer versions of MuseScore will be able to open (MSCZ) files created with older versions, just the opposite is not possible (i.e. older version of MuseScore won't open MSCZ files produced with newer versions). The problem with wandering hairpins is not with the current 2.x, or is it?
Once a score is stored in MuseScore.com, you can get the PDF from there (along with XML, MIDI MP3, and MSCZ), build at the time of the upload, hence not subject to change any time later.
In reply to I am sorry; I did not mean by azumbrunn
We are making PDFs available, so if you just want to read the music you will be fine. The scores will be hosted on MuseScore.com and available to download in every format that is currently supported on MuseScore.com (MSCZ, MusicXML, PDF, PDF + parts, MIDI, MP3) and also in Braille, so you won't need to download them and convert them yourself.
It's up to IMSLP to decide which files they want to mirror on their site, but they will most certainly want the PDF files, and probably the MusicXML and MIDI files too.
Please remember, the files are freely available under CC-BY, so anyone is free to take them and upload them to any website, in any format.
In reply to I am sorry; I did not mean by azumbrunn
Regarding future versions of MuseScore, the current plan is that each version of MuseScore will open files created by the previous version, but not the version before that. So MuseScore 3 should be able to open files created by MuseScore 2, but not files created by MuseScore 1.
In any case, we will keep the OpenScore files up-to-date with the latest version of MuseScore, to allow us to take advantage of improvements to MuseScore's layout engine, audio rendering, etc.
In reply to Regarding future versions of by shoogle
That might have been plan, but master (which is supposed to become 3.0 one day) currently does have all the compatibility code needed to read 1.x files, along with other compatibility code needed to read 2.0 files.
In reply to That might have been plan, by Jojo-Schmitz
Phew wipes sweat from forehead so please keep this intact…
In reply to Regarding future versions of by shoogle
Not being able to open MuseScore 1.x files will be supremely annoying once operating systems have progressed enough for people to be unable to even run MuseScore 2.x to do the initial conversion.
Please re-think this and keep the ability to open any old MuseScore format files!
(What to do otherwise? I can’t just use MusicXML as storage/archive format because that loses information, and my own decision on a storage/archive format won’t change other people sending me (old) files to load. So, no other way.)
In reply to Not being able to open by mirabilos
No worries, this is still working. And if one day in the far distance there are OSs that are not capable of running MuseScore 1.x or 2.x, there's always VMs that should be able to do that, and These far futrur systste will be powerfull enough to handle this easily
In reply to Here is the problem with XML: by azumbrunn
There's another huge benefit of having scores in XML: music analysis. Music21 examples give you an idea about the possibilities. This is precious for musicologists.
In reply to Here is the problem with XML: by azumbrunn
PDF - it really is Pointless Document Format. The problem is not with XML - some things import quite happily into musescore but it seems some programs make a (possibly deliberate) effort to screw with the XML. You may not bee a fan of playback but I can use musescore for playback and as mentioned above amny other functions as well. I can use Musescore and XML to take a whole composition and produce individual parts with ease.
Its a shame audiveris has gone off as then PDF might have been some use but PDFs dont fit on my computer screen, my phone screen or just about anything other than my printer so they are pretty useless in the 21st C.
In reply to PDF - it really is Pointless by madtom1999
There are a small number of small advantages still to Pdf: the format is are universally used and works an every platform. It is very good to print. And so long as we don't have affordable tablets most people will continue to play from paper music, especially since pencil notes are likely to be faster than any alternative on tablets (just like paying cash is faster than check, credit card or Apple Pay).
This means for purposes like IMSLP Pdf is still the best to use at this time.
BTW: If you say you can generate parts with ease you have likely never done it. To get good usable parts (or a decent conducting score) of a serious piece of music you can do it with ease maybe but not fast. It requires time and care and attention to detail, at least with the software we have now.
In reply to There are a small number of by azumbrunn
PDF is only as good as the printer its printed on if the ink is good for the paper etc etc. As for affordable tablets my daughter uses one that is cheaper than a printer and seems to work well with musescore
As for parts I've not had trouble generating parts from decent XML. Have you tried Music21?
In reply to PDF is only as good as the by madtom1999
Parts: I have no "trouble" extracting parts (from Musescore, the only one I use; it would of course e foolish to re-import from XML). What I say is: the parts are not finished at this point. They need a careful look (and manual fixes) for collisions (this will be easier, but still necessary with version 3). They further need manageable page turns (we are talking classical music here; the vast majority of pieces are longer than a page) and clues (especially orchestral scores). I also like to expand the stretch if possible; it makes difficult passages much easier to play. All of this is not trouble, but it is work, quite a bit of work (work that a publisher does for you when you buy paper sheet music).
Tablet: What sort of printer is your comparison here? I have a printer that cost me somewhat below US$100. Looking up tablets of approximately A4 screen size on a Google search I found prices are $600 and up and very few choices. $600 buys you a serviceable violin bow or decent strings for at least five years or I think a serviceable flute. Or quite a stack of paper sheet music. And the substitute for the good old pencil is to my mind still a problem. So as somebody who wants to play music (live as it were) I prefer the good old Pdf.
Pdf: One thing to consider here: Pdf has become a standard. It is not only the default on IMSLP, it is also used for scans of old documents / manuscripts. Are there better formats out there? Likely, but this one is the one that is established. Using it will likely mean a certain life time for your (herculean) undertaking. Picking something better that may be short-lived and never widely accepted could become a way of shooting oneself in the foot.
In reply to Parts: I have no "trouble" by azumbrunn
This project is not intended to replace PDF as a standard for transmitting documents for the purpose of printing. It is a very good format which doesn't care what program it was made from or what printer it is destined for. This project is for those who will benefit from the raw data that will be put online. It will be able to be used for research into the history of classical music and how chords and usage of notes changed over time or any other project that would benefit from data mining. It will also make it possible to make applications that will make it easier to put music in a format that the blind can use. Any program that can handle music XML format will be able to import this music, possibly making it easier to transcribe it for different instruments.
This is in no wise an attempt to replace PDF but to increase the number of tools available for future use.
In reply to Parts: I have no "trouble" by azumbrunn
The problem with PDF is that, if you have ONLY the PDF (and don’t embed e.g. MusicXML into it, like OpenOffice does that with embedding ODT in PDF), it’s basically as analog a medium as a printed sheet is.
I only used printed music, no tablet or something, when performing as well, including the pencil, but I need the digital form for, at the very least, being able to change things around (e.g. we often change voices around, e.g. Alto 2 sings Tenor 1 because they’re ~60 and we’re ~7 people), add the pencil-on-paper marks into the score to persist them, and ideally to train singing while MuseScore accompanies me.
If I only have an IMSLP PDF, I start from scratch and have to re-type everything. If IMSLP/CPDL only have .ly, it’s the same situation, but other formats can often be imported (although ETF is also no longer legible by anything around).
If I only have a MuseScore file (for a version ≤ the one I run) or a MusicXML file, I can generate beautiful PDFs from there.
So there’s a difference in requirements for actually performing the music as opposed to doing other cool things with it.
Hello.
I think the community of music, except old and established works, need for modern compositions and contemporary composers. Should there be a "reward" for free pro account for those composers deposit their works in the MuseScore community.
In reply to Hello. I think the community by George Hatzimi…
I think you are suggesting that contemporary composers who share their works via MuseScore.com should be rewarded with a free PRO account. If you know of any established composers that would be interested in this then please let us know! Smaller composers and hobbyists are welcome to earn a free PRO account by transcribing for OpenScore.
In reply to I think you are suggesting by shoogle
Thanks for the reply.
About the term "established composer":
Each country has a well-established Union of Composers, which is a member of the international ISCM http://www.iscm.org/. For example, in Greece we have the Greek Composers Union (member of ISCM) http://music.ee.auth.gr/default.asp. Any Composers Union accepts members by setting strict criteria. You could try to make an open invitation to members of these associations and provide free accounts to these composers-members who wish to offer their works. I think that contemporary composers will be more useful for their works than as copyists. But .... this is my own oppinion :)
In addition, an authentic original modern composition, filed by the composer himself, is an accurate score, which does not need to be inspected by supervisors for errors or omissions.
Anyway, I think we should be thankful for the existence of MuseScore and much more grateful for its prospects.
In reply to Thanks for the reply. About by George Hatzimi…
Thank you for this suggestion, but having discussed it internally, we have decided to keep OpenScore purely for public domain content.
In reply to Thank you for this by shoogle
Thanks again for your reply. Your decision is respected.
In reply to Thank you for this by shoogle
From what I understand, OpenScore scores will be published under the CC-BY licence, so I don’t see a reason why contemporary scores under CC-BY should not also be added.
This needs more critical review, of course — but then, so does Public Domain…
In reply to From what I understand, by mirabilos
It would be CC0, not CC-BY, I believe. It was Public Domain before, so you just can't restrict copyright down any step, which CC-BY would do?
In reply to It would be CC0, not CC-BY, I by Jojo-Schmitz
No, it was CC-BY:
https://musescore.org/en/user/57401/blog/2017/01/11/introducing-opensco…
And yes, you can apply a new licence iff you add enough new creativity to pass the threshold of originality (“Schaffenshöhe”). If not, it’s PD no matter what’s attached to the text, so it’s safer to put a formal licence on anything newly created anyway.
(As for me, I put stuff under MirOS anyway, which is more permissive and easier to read than CC-BY (which, in my eyes, could be read as weak copyleft), but I’d be happy to dual-licence… whatever small contributions I’d have in OpenScore anyway besides the original scores.)
Edit: actually, the “engraving” usually does count, so yes, we (transcribers) would have copyright-relevant material in the stuff published on OpenScore.
In reply to No, it was by mirabilos
Ah, I see. It is not any 'personal' BY though, but the MuseScore community
In reply to Ah, I see. It is not any by Jojo-Schmitz
Without any personal, the MuseScore community cannot be credited either ;-)
In reply to Without any personal, the by mirabilos
personal != personell
In reply to I think you are suggesting by shoogle
I've tweeted about this (with MuseScore in CC) last year in June: https://twitter.com/KoenTanghe/status/745910801907716096
Kronos Quartet are running a very interesting project "Fifty for the Future":
"Kronos’ Fifty for the Future is commissioning a collection of 50 new works – 10 per year for five years – devoted to the most contemporary approaches to the string quartet, designed expressly for the training of students and emerging professionals. The works will be commissioned from an eclectic group of composers – 25 men and 25 women – and the collection will represent the truly globe-spanning state of the art of the string quartet in the 21st century. Scores & parts, audio recordings, and many more resources are currently available for Fifty for the Future works by Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, Ken Benshoof, Fodé Lassana Diabaté, Garth Knox, Nicole Lizée, Kala Ramnath, Tanya Tagaq, Merlijn Twaalfhoven, Aleksandra Vrebalov, and Wu Man."
http://kronosquartet.org/fifty-for-the-future/composers
They responded: "Thanks for the recommendation, we'll look into it."
A lot will depend on the difficulty of the score notation for these works and possibly the rights, but it would be really good to get into contact with them, I think.
Hello! Congratulations for the excellent work and the spirit of making open access to musical knowledge! I'm already a fan of MuseScore, and made it the official music editor program in my classroom since 2010. May I make some comments about the "OpenScore" project?
First, I suggest that this project may focus on the open access to "traditional music" rather than the "great composers". There is an actual discussion in Musicology that we must improve the focused ("canonical") repertoire estalished in Western music. It would be very great if this project also helps to allow other composers less known from 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries to have their works accessed easily through the project. And also note that the "great composers" are also included in this new approach. If so, this will be another important characteristic that differentiates the OpenScore from other similar projects already in the internet.
Second, I suggest that the project should focus only on the MSCZ format. There is no need to mention MusicXML or PDF format, since there are already excellent projects based on these formats (this also lets some people think that OpenAccess is a "concurrent" from Petrucci Music Library and others, which of course is not). However, the compatibility should be reinforced, so the MuseScore user is able to work with any of these formats. Then, I suggest that OpenScore should focus on the special characteristics of MuseScore: 1) the possibility to preserve the formatting and aesthetics of the score, also allowing the user to change it freely (and, possibly, publishing his own edition); 2) the possibility of modify easily the score formatting (such as defining new page turns) and create parts as desired for a specific performance, filling better the multiple purposes of music editing for each context; 3) the possibility to add fingering, bow attacks and other instrumental and idiomatic indications in the score, such as in the revised editions - we could also think about a database of various revised editions of the same work, and it will be very helpful for interpreters and a great differential of OpenScore; 4) and the possibility of export these scores to MusicXML, PDF and other important formats such as Music Braille - a specific objective of the project, since there are already other projects based on these formats.
Third, I suggest that OpenScore should have some information about the scores it receives: from what specific edition (or editions) the digital score took as reference; what is the purpose of the digital edition (practical, musicological study, etc.); if it's a transcription, adaptation or arrangement; what are the instruments of the score; who made the fingering and other idiomatic aspects reviews (if done), and so on. These informations should be available on the download page of the MSCZ file. If we have these worries in mind, the project would be much more useful both to the general public and the specialists. Also, it will be interesting to think about making references to the scores based on the RISM catalog, the international standard for musical archiving (http://www.rism.info/en/service/help.html). Also, MuseScore have another special characteristic: it allows to play the theme of the score through a plugin, making the database much more interesting. However, looks that you'll need some musicologists in the working staff.
So, I hope these suggestions may be of any help. Feel free to contact me anytime: dal_lemos@yahoo.com.br. Thanks again for the excellent work with MuseScore!
In reply to Hello! Congratulations for by Daniel Lemos
OpenScore will only feature verbatim transcriptions, no arrangements etc. but they will be liberally-ish enough licenced (CC-BY) for others to make their own arrangements from it. (Marking the source is, however, a good idea.)
From what I understand, interoperability is a core focus of the project, as it goes much further than MuseScore. I’m loathe to recommend watching videos to others, but really do look at the https://fosdem.org/2017/schedule/event/openscore/ FOSDEM presentation, they had impressive references to e.g. visualisation and video synchronisation.
In reply to OpenScore will only feature by mirabilos
Just a reminder: If you make an arrangement you can publish it on IMSLP; they accept them. Provided you want to do it under a CC license.
In reply to OpenScore will only feature by mirabilos
Hi!
Honestly, I don't see too much difference between transcriptions and arrangements. The transcription seeks fidelity to the original text; however, the editor always make modifications according to his musical knowledge. This may also be interpreted as a type of arrangement. What I believe is that are different levels of arrangements, from the closest to the original source text to the most changing editions.
About the "Music Encoding Initiative", it would be great to also get closer to this type of registration. However, since the RISM is the actual official standard for Musicology, it is also important to this standart too - since it is inside the Music academic area.
I'm working with piano repertoire from Maranhão, Brazil. So far, I've edited about 170 pieces with MuseScore. I also want to donate this work for a database, and it would be great if Open Score could receive it. However, if the focus is maintained in the "Great Composers", I'll disagree to donate, because I don't believe in this old-fashioned German Musicology that keeps focusing only on the same musicians. I believe we need to improve our knowledge of repertoire and, naturally, composers.
In reply to Hello! Congratulations for by Daniel Lemos
Regarding the musical archiving, I think MEI could serve quite well here. See this Comment from one member of MEI community. It's a matter of mapping (and adding to the current MuseScore version) score properties to actual MEI Header specs. And then having a plugin or a native export tool. I know it migh be not that simple :) But still, I'd like to hear from MuseScore folks what they think about it.
Does the transcribing process also include making parts (eg. flute, oboe, horn, etc.) from an orchestral score and/or transposing parts (such as providing Bb trumpet parts for a score that originally called for C trumpets)?
In reply to Does the transcribing process by Fluteman72
This is a really good question. One can argue this both ways.
A. Everybody who has Musescore or another scorewriter can make parts or transpose them for B flat rather than C trumpets. Hence no need for parts.
B. We want to provide music ready for use; parts included.
I am voting for B. Producing parts is not quick and easy. They need to be individually formatted and arranged for good page turns. Titles or title pages need to be added to each part. If properly edited parts are included the music is then available to every musician regardless of proficiency with the software (especially regarding transposing instruments).
What is the official position on this (if any)?
In reply to This is a really good by azumbrunn
As with all scores on MuseScore.com, parts will be provided for all instruments in the main score, but not for any other other instruments/transpositions.
As for the layout, in most cases MuseScore's default layout will be used, with no forced line breaks or page turns. However, MuseScore 3 will offer improved layout by default, so the OpenScore scores will be refreshed with MuseScore 3 when it is released.
The purpose of OpenScore is not to offer ultimate critical editions or beautiful engravings. The purpose is to take music from an inconvenient format (PDF/paper) and convert it to a more convenient format (MSCZ). However, once this is done it will serve as a starting point for others to take the OpenScore scores and adapt them to create beautiful engravings and ultimate critical editions.
Just wondering if anyone knows of a tuxguitar (TG) to musescore (MS) translator? I have many classical guitar compositions in TG format (from before MS supported chords and tab) and I'd like to convert them.
Or if anyone knows what the TG format is I can probably write something to import them into MS.
In reply to Just wondering if anyone by madtom1999
TuxGuitar can export to MusicXML, which MuseScore can import.
EDIT: Also, TuxGuitar can save to Guitar Pro format, which MuseScore can import.
This is a question about public domain
So does that mean you can post ANYTHING to a public domain site? For instance, I transcribed Night on Fire by John Mackey for solo piano and this was posted on to Openscore. If the company OstiMusic found the transcribtion, they can it down becuase it is "technicaly" thier property or does pd protect it from that.
Not saying I did the piece or it has hapened to me but it is a question i have on public domain
Thx
In reply to This is a question about by Aerohunter27
“Public Domain” means the absence of the need for a copyright licence.
That is true for all works where all authors, arrangers, lyricists, etc. have been dead for seventy (70) years (depending on your legislation, 100 years in Mexico is the world-wide longest) before the first of January of the current year.
In some countries, people can relinquish their rights to the work to place it into the Public Domain (which is what CC0 §2 does). This does not work for all legislations though (for example, Germans are not permitted to waive their rights; the law’s background here is to prevent artists from being exploited by big companies), and (because, per the Berne convention, the law of the country in which the work is being used is relevant) does not cross country boundaries. This is why CC0 has a §3 that gives a maximal-encompassing public licence for such cases; for anything else, chances are if a US american citizen puts something into the PD, he won’t sue you for using it in another country even if he technically could.
It’s also common for certain works created by governments or government officials in their capacity as such to automatically be in the Public Domain, but, again, this varies between countries.
In short: the only thing guaranteed to be in the Public Domain (in the vast majority of the world — all Berne convention signatories) is when all authors were dead for 100 years already on 31st of December of the preceding year, a second before midnight. (However, in most countries, 70 years is safe, in some few even 50 years).
That also means that, if you post something where someone else has the rights to and appropriate it to yourself or claim it’s in the PD, you are committing a violation of (your local, and international) copyright law.
In reply to This is a question about by Aerohunter27
To answer your specific question: No, you can't post it without permission from the owner of the original work.
In reply to To answer your specific by azumbrunn
That applies in general; the OpenScore project specifically will also be carefully curated to prevent that from happening.
For some reason, I cannot sign up. When I finish the "I am not a robot test," the computer freezes, I can't press the submit button, and the site closes every single time. What do I do?
In reply to For some reason, I cannot by ClassicalMusician
If you're using FireFox with NoScript make sure the latter has the necessary permissions
In reply to If you're using FireFox with by Shoichi
got it!!
Hi everybody!
I am quite enthusiastic about this project, and just couldn't wait to start transcribing, so I started transcribing Bach's Brandenburg Concert No. 1., as this is on the high-priority-list :
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/au0np6l5c3nsaw0/AACXFj4Ia5ejcN66MBU049ORa?dl…
No 3 is finished by now ( I hope ), and ready for review, and I am working on the rest.
I have a program called Smartscore Midi Edition, which I find very useful for this project, and I can recommend it for others. The price is 49$ as far as I remember, The user-interface is a bit tricky, but once you have learned to use it, it speeds up the process a lot.
I am looking forward to contributing more and I am eager to help, and eager to learn more.
Best
Børge Krog
Denmark
I could not be more excited about this project! I am an amateur violist (Now hold back on the jokes about all violists being amateurs...). The repertoire for viola being not so large I like to transcribe some pieces on occasion. So purely for this personal reason I am already in love with Openscore. But when I think about what smarter people than me will be able to do with this I want to go as far as thinking this could breathe new life into classical music. I am imagining clever apps for teaching, games and arrangement, interesting new arrangements since half the work is done already, and with some more programming I'm sure more analytically minded students will find interesting applications for their studies
I applied to be a transcriber and selected Mendelssohn and his third symphony as my preference, but I am willing to transcribe anything that is wanted/needed. Can I send in multiple applications with various composers and pieces to see if Kickstarter backers want any of them transcribed, or will I be contacted with pieces that are available for me to transcribe?