What Program I Use to Write Sheet Music

Hi friends!

Today I just wanted to give you some information on what program I use to write sheet music for this website, in case that’s something you’re interested in doing yourself.

First Draft

When I do rough drafts, before I even get to the computer, I use good ol’ manuscript paper.  You can buy booklets or pads of manuscript paper inexpensively at any music store, and that’s generally what I rely on because it’s so convenient.  Alternately, you can visit a website like 8notes for printable manuscript paper.

The Program I use to write sheet music

Once I’ve got a good rough draft locked down, the program I use to write sheet music is the free computer program Musescore.  Obviously the fact that it’s completely free is a big bonus, but it’s also a really sophisticated program once you get past the learning curve.  And there are tons of tutorials, both in video and written format, so the learning curve isn’t too overwhelming.

Musescore is great because you can customize to your heart’s content, and do pretty much anything you would want to do with sheet music, including weird things like time signature or key signature changes.

Another neat feature is the “playback” – you can listen to a midi-generated version of your composition while you’re working on it, which is a good way to double-check that everything is going to sound like.  You can save the midi files too, if that’s something that interests you.

So in a nutshell, if you want to get into composition or arranging, this is the program I use to write sheet music for PianoTV, and it’s a system I intend to keep using indefinitely.

xo,
Allysia