score writing

[dungeonsound615]

I figured i would ask this here I apoligize if i have asked this before but here it goes anyway.

So lately i've been having these song ideas in my head that involve some instruments that i have no idea how to play. However i dont want to let a poaaibly good song go to waste cause i dont know how to play the instruments.

Are there any good ways to write scores, I dont have a computer with software that will do this for me. Is there something relatively cheap that can do this for me while playing the parts on a keyboard, and then it transcribes my thoughts for me.

I really want to write some some more chamber like music and dark string music(kinda like what you would hear in a horror film). Any suggestions of the best way to approach this not knowing how to play the instrument or really write music for it.

thanks Mike

[Red Rockets Glare]

I wrote a score for a client a few weeks back and it went really well. I took a Music Language class last year at the local community college, so I had a base knowledge to work with, but my best move was finding a really great string quartet to work with. I scribbled the score out on some notation paper after checking the musical ranges of the instruments and then had the leader of the quartet come over and run through the score with me. he had a LOT of great ideas and we re-wrote the score together to make it easy for the group to play.
They nailed everything the first time and even had enough time to improvise a few parts here and there that really added to the song.
Expect to pay about 500-700 dollars at the very least for a good group for a three hour session.
There is NOTHING like hearing something your wrote come to life on instruments that you don't play.
Cheers,
Raymond

[;ivlunsdystf]

Finale seems to be the standard low/mid budget score writing program. I forget the name of the parent company. Google for "finale score writing" or something.

It will play your work-in-progress through your computer's builtin MIDI rig.

The freeware version may be all you need. It's fucking great. The payware version is something like $400.

A must try. Much different from picking out melodies on a guitar or piano or whatever. Good for the brain to use a new way to write tunes.

[llmonty]

i use the built in score writing in cakewalk sonar. it is decent, but i still need to manually mark things on the printed sheets often times.

try the freeware version of finale or others. or buy some staff paper and get cracking. lots of sharp pencils and a big old eraser. i still do this time to time. as far as transcribing on a puter as you play, most of these programs would do that, though i often find they don't track that well, and you end up with really complex rhythms that are not necessarily what you intended.

Other good comments about writing within the range of an instrument. I also went back over my 4-5 part harmony text books to review the rules of composition. I find that many string players get pissed off by unconventional lines, arrangements, playing positions etc. So when you break the rules, at least it is a conscious decision. I wrote for a string quartet for my wedding and it ends on the V. They were scratching their heads and said 'you know this doesn't resolve' and i said i know, but i liked it as a metaphor for the beginning of our married life - it left you hanging - like there is more to come.

Also try to think horizontally as well as vertically. it is much more pleasing to hear and play when an indiviual's part makes sense on its own. This is especially true in a setting with insturments that have lots of overlap - like 2 violins or violin/viola.

Finding players - as RR said - is key, especially if you don't have much money.

[Winslow Leech]

You should buy a copy of The Study Of Orchestration by Adler.
It comes with a CD ROM. There are so many things you just can't guess about orchestrating. To get a good voicing, you either have to know the instruments, know the rules, or have the sound in front of you. If you have good samples to do mock-ups it will help alot. A good starter sample set up is GOP or Garritan personal orchestra. It comes with the sample player and a
complete orchestra. It sounds OK, comes with a sequencer/notater, it's cheap and will run on any PC.

[Ryan Silva]

Edirol Orchestral VSTi!!!

Changed my world, it can change yours too. About $350.

[I'm Painting Again]

could you sketch the string stuff out with a synthesizer..then you can get a "concrete" idea how things are going to sound..you can note by hand the music..

[Ryan Silva]

Here this is a rough and I mean rough mix of some Edirol Orchestral Sounds. On this mix there is: Oboe,Flute,Piano,Woodblock,Chimes,Gongs,Kick and Snare, all from this one plug-in.

Check It

http://www.thedanglers.com/Music/Mystery%20Bag11.mp3

[;ivlunsdystf]

Before you try sketching things out by hand on old-fashioned paper, give that freeware version of "finale" a try-

It is very convenient and you can even mix and match different synth voices on demand! Then you can print your lovely scores! For free!

[Zeppelin4Life]

Finale seems to be the profressional standard.

[pedalboy]

another program that competes with finale is sibelius. (http://www.sibelius.com/)

I don't really know if its any good, I use finale but finale can be a PAIN to get it to do what seems like the simplest things sometimes. Worth a shot anyway.

[I'm Painting Again]

Here this is a rough and I mean rough mix of some Edirol Orchestral Sounds. On this mix there is: Oboe,Flute,Piano,Woodblock,Chimes,Gongs,Kick and Snare, all from this one plug-in.

Check It

http://www.thedanglers.com/Music/Mystery%20Bag11.mp3

that sounds great..I like the song a lot..

[I'm Painting Again]

so those sounds are generated and scored with software? (i cant really hear it too well from the built in laptop speaker)

im confused..

what is this edirol vsti thing?

because that score is freaking awesome!

[kingquasar]

I work with print music all day at my job at a distributor. Finale is definitely the standard. Everyone at the major publishing houses use it. Sibelius is starting to give it a run for it's money, but that's basically because they've implemented the Scorch viewer (free), so printed music can be viewed on the internet (you'll be seeing the industry shift this way soon)... side note: they now make music stands that are flat panel monitors that you can load sheet music files into, turn pages with a footswitch, make notes without marring the paper, etc. Scorch also allows you, the viewer, to transpose.

Anyway, I've heard nothing but awful things about the free Finale. I believe they call it Notepad. It's basically designed for little kids to learn notating. I've never used it, but I have heard it is SERIOUSLY limited.

I would recommend using Noteworthy Composer. Do a search for it. There is a free full demo that has limited saves, but to buy it is only like $30-40. Well worth it in my opinion. They, too, have developed a free internet plugin so you can send your files to be viewed by people in remote locations. I've been using this at home for the past five years and have never longed for a more powerful program. You can record your MIDI data from an appropriate keyboard and it will show up on the staff. You can also import MIDI files from your sequencer.

Also, if you want a quick reference for note ranges, etc, go here... http://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory29.htm

-kQ[/url]

[Winslow Leech]

You should hear VSL. Mind you it's about 50 times the price, and you need to run it on stand alone DAWS, but nothing comes close. You can buy in sections. I have the solo strings and frequently explode from excitement...

prepare to explode - http://www.vsl.co.at/english/pages/prod ... _video.htm