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<h2 id="comparison-with-multitrack-sequencer-software">Comparison with multitrack sequencer software</h2> <p><a href="/facts/Music_sequencer/VhLzSPhr">Multitrack sequencer software</a> and scorewriters typically employ different methods for notation input and display. </p><p>Scorewriters are based on traditional music notation, using <a href="/facts/Staff_(music)/PldhTGvE">staff lines</a> and round <a href="/facts/Notehead/H13qwzxD">note heads</a>, which originates from European <a href="/facts/Classical_music/oglVXmSb">classical music</a>. They use symbols representing durations in <a href="/facts/Sound/DlKXlPuF">sound</a> and <a href="/facts/Silence/dDQlMYN7">silence</a>, <a href="/facts/Dynamics_(music)/o2FTe5LC">dynamics</a>, <a href="/facts/Articulation_(music)/5SoWzI6X">articulations</a> and <a href="/facts/Tempo/P5PfkpTb">tempo</a>. Some also allow users to import and/or create their own symbols. Multitrack sequencer software typically uses a multitrack recorder metaphor as the main interface, with multiple tracks and track segments. Individual tracks can be edited using <a href="/facts/Graphic_notation_(music)/jumH5UJK">graphic notation</a> in the form of a "<a href="/facts/Piano_roll/RqlURVLy">piano roll</a>"-guided input for the control of <a href="/facts/MIDI/tblhmeFV">MIDI</a>-based hardware and software instruments. </p><p>A third approach has also emerged that combines the first two input methods into a <a href="/facts/Digital_audio_workstation/suXVXzKT">digital audio workstation</a>, allowing users to score parts using traditional notation, the graphic notation of the piano roll, and recording <a href="/facts/Acoustic_music/DK2gYoTt">acoustic</a> or <a href="/facts/Electronic_musical_instrument/dQSuuYtF">electronic instruments</a> in <a href="/facts/Real-time_computing/p9HxgL4L">real time</a> alongside the existing scores. With all three methods, the <a href="/facts/Computer_keyboard/MczF9LIS">computer keyboard</a>, <a href="/facts/Computer_mouse/fJpa1tUE">mouse</a>, and a <a href="/facts/MIDI/tblhmeFV">MIDI</a> <a href="/facts/Musical_keyboard/Mz0FGAe4">musical keyboard</a> can be used to enter music that can then be edited with traditional or piano-roll-based notation. </p> <h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>The rapid growth of <a href="/facts/Desktop_computer/edFPINdK">desktop computers</a> in the 1980s saw the creation of dozens of early scorewriters (see <a href="/facts/List_of_scorewriters/oCKl4cFs">list of scorewriters</a>). They were a boon to young composers, music educators and composition students, providing a much less expensive way to create scores and parts for orchestral music and other works. However, they were hard to use; and while scores were readable, they did not look like professionally engraved scores or parts. An exception was <a href="/facts/SCORE_(software)/kdyzV1Ar">SCORE</a> notation software. Developed in the late '80s, it was used mostly by commercial publishers, as its price put it out of the reach of most non-professional composers/copyists.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> During the 1990s, many of these early programs, such as the <a href="/facts/Mosaic_notation_program/UwPJoKYv">Mosaic notation program</a>, fell into disuse, as newer programs surpassed them in ease of use and output quality. <a href="/facts/Finale_(software)/lQV9IxoK">Finale</a> and <a href="/facts/Sibelius_(scorewriter)/EJIscIwA">Sibelius</a> were released, with high-quality output and a wide range of sophisticated features that made them suitable for almost all kinds of music applications. </p><p>By 2000, the market was dominated by Finale (particularly in the US) and Sibelius (which had dominated the UK since 1993, and expanded worldwide after its <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Windows</a> release in 1998). Inexpensive programs such as <a href="/facts/Capella_(notation_program)/uPsQoEzx">capella</a> gained a significant share of the market in some countries. Sibelius and Finale still dominated the market as of 2012.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>In 2006, Sibelius was purchased by <a href="/facts/Avid_Technology/rf0WrKF6">Avid</a>. In a 2012 restructuring, Sibelius's London office was closed and the development team dismissed. In February 2013, <a href="/facts/Steinberg/0zklBzNE">Steinberg</a> announced it had hired the former Sibelius team to create a new scorewriter,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Dorico/6rV68KrC">Dorico</a>, which was released in October 2016.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> The trio of <a href="/facts/Finale_(software)/lQV9IxoK">Finale</a>, <a href="/facts/Sibelius_(scorewriter)/EJIscIwA">Sibelius</a> and <a href="/facts/Dorico/6rV68KrC">Dorico</a> are today's leading professional-level programs. </p> <h2 id="functionality">Functionality</h2> <p>All scorewriters allow the user to input, edit and print <a href="/facts/Music_notation/eubaB0AK">music notation</a> to varying degrees of sophistication. They range from programs which can write a simple song, piano piece or <a href="/facts/Tablature/KXvC4llx">guitar tab</a>, to those that can handle the complexities of <a href="/facts/Orchestra/C5Ha0d0G">orchestral music</a>, specialist notations (from <a href="/facts/Early_music/fLTCVXfY">early music</a> to <a href="/facts/Avant-garde_music/QbTR6kmJ">avant-garde</a>), and high-quality <a href="/facts/Music_engraving/jL3mCcNa">music engraving</a>. </p><p>Music can usually be input using the mouse, computer keyboard, or a <a href="/facts/MIDI/tblhmeFV">MIDI</a> keyboard. A few allow input by scanning scores using <a href="/facts/Music_OCR/k80lj2CG">musical OCR</a>; by playing or singing into a microphone; or by using a touch screen. </p><p>Most scorewriters also allow users to play the music back, using MIDI or virtual instruments such as <a href="/facts/VST_instrument/gbzwJdQQ">VST instruments</a>. The screen can show at one time both the score and, by changing the colour of keys on a <a href="/facts/Virtual_piano/oemsr81g">virtual piano</a>'s keyboard, the notes being played. Although <a href="/facts/Music_sequencer/VhLzSPhr">sequencers</a> can also write some musical notation, they are primarily for recording and playing music. Scorewriters can typically write more complex and sophisticated notation than sequencers can. </p><p>Some scorewriters allow users to customize and fine-tune the printed output to a considerable degree, as is required by publishers to produce high-quality music engraving and to suit their individual house style. </p><p>A few scorewriters allow users to publish scores on the <a href="/facts/Internet/Xw1rVvJU">Internet</a>, where they can be (for example) played back, transposed, and printed out, perhaps for a fee. </p><p>Most scorewriters provide other musical functions such as transposing; producing separate instrumental parts from a full score; or applying musical transformations such as <a href="/facts/Retrograde_(music)/FqnJrF8q">retrograde</a>. Some can automatically create instrumental exercises and student worksheets. Some support <a href="/facts/Plug-in_(computing)/351Du3Wu">plug-ins</a>, often developed by users or other companies. Other features may include version control, change tracking, graphics import and export, Post-It-like sticky notes, etc. </p> <h2 id="file-formats">File formats</h2> <p>Almost all scorewriters use their own file formats for saving files. Hence, in order to move notation between different scorewriters (or to/from other kinds of music software such as <a href="/facts/Music_sequencer/VhLzSPhr">sequencers</a>), most scorewriters can also import or export one or more standard interchange file formats, such as: </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Standard_MIDI_File/tblhmeFV">Standard MIDI File</a> is supported by almost all scorewriters. However, as this format was designed for playback (e.g. by sequencers) rather than notation, it only produces approximate results and much notational information is lost in the process. If the score is to be presented, a <a href="/facts/WAV/ptUfKleW">WAV</a> file (rather than MIDI) may be made from the score to give a more natural and accurate rendition of the written score.</li> <li><a href="/facts/MusicXML/Hq4nfR7x">MusicXML</a> has in recent years (as of 2012) become the standard interchange format for accurate notation.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Notation_Interchange_File_Format/p7t5RMVw">Notation Interchange File Format</a> (NIFF) is a now-obsolete file format that was supported by a few scorewriters.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a></li></ul> <p>This <a href="/facts/Comparison_of_scorewriters/XmxlA8aP">Comparison of scorewriters</a> details which score writers can import and export to <a href="/facts/PDF/C9Mn1vYL">PDF</a>, text (<a href="/facts/ASCII/vGUI33Qu">ASCII</a>), picture (<a href="/facts/Portable_Network_Graphics/mwgK6xw5">PNG</a>, <a href="/facts/Scalable_Vector_Graphics/ARq5C3YV">SVG</a>, EMF) and sound (<a href="/facts/Vorbis/rqJDTF0T">Vorbis OGG</a>) file formats. </p><p>There are also human-readable text-based formats such as <a href="/facts/ABC_notation/nptVRvLb">ABC notation</a>, <a href="/facts/LilyPond/AILGy6Ie">LilyPond</a>, <a href="/facts/ASCII_tab/AQNTTBTa">ASCII tab</a> and <a href="/facts/NoteWorthy_Composer/vbRSnI4J">NoteWorthy Composer</a> text files. These are easily rendered as speech by screen reading software. The Score extension to <a href="/facts/MediaWiki/MbkLUTor">MediaWiki</a> can render, and generate an audio preview of, the first two formats. </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Comparison_of_scorewriters/XmxlA8aP">Comparison of scorewriters</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/International_Music_Score_Library_Project/TVgA4KwI">International Music Score Library Project</a> (IMSLP)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Player_piano/UxTEscFk">Player piano</a></li> <li>Scorereader</li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_music_software/rFHHUh3w">List of music software</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://www.music-notation.info/en/compmus/notationformats.html">Musical notation codes</a> – information on most known musical notation file formats</li> <li><a href="https://elbsound.studio/music-font-comparison.php">Comparison of 200 Music Fonts from Standard Notation Software</a></li> <li>List of typeset music formats, <a href="/facts/International_Music_Score_Library_Project/TVgA4KwI">International Music Score Library Project</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Maxwell III, John Turner; Ornstein, Severo M. (January 1983). Mockingbird: A Composer’s Amanuensis (A "Blue and White" Xerox PARC research report). Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. CSL-83-2. <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Maxwell III, John Turner; Ornstein, Severo M. (January 1984). "Mockingbird: A Composer's Amanuensis". Byte. Vol. 9, no. 1. McGraw Hill. <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Ornstein, Severo M.; Maxwell III, John Turner (1980). "Mockingbird—A Musician's Amanuensis, lecture by Severo Ornstein and John Maxwell". YouTube (Extended demo / lecture). Computer History Museum. Retrieved June 19, 2024. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dxaEDKoTys" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dxaEDKoTys</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Ornstein, Severo M.; Maxwell III, John Turner (Oct 30, 1980). "DigiBarn TV: Initial Demo of the Mockingbird Composer's tool at Xerox PARC Forum (Oct 30, 1980)". YouTube (Extended demo / lecture). Dr. Bruce Damer. Retrieved June 19, 2024. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znmWuPFCMBY&t=7s" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znmWuPFCMBY&t=7s</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Cliff, Tony (1 December 2019). "Tech Reviews: Dorico Pro 3". Music Teacher Magazine. Rhinegold Publishing. Retrieved 6 June 2021. <a href="https://www.musicteachermagazine.co.uk/review/article/tech-reviews-dorico-pro3" target="_blank">https://www.musicteachermagazine.co.uk/review/article/tech-reviews-dorico-pro3</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Selfridge-Field, Eleanor (1997). Beyond MIDI: The Handbook of Musical Codes (1st ed.). Massachusetts: MIT Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-0262193948. <a href="978-0262193948" target="_blank">978-0262193948</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Richard Sussman, Michael Abene, Mike Abene (2012) Jazz Composition and Arranging in the Digital Age p. xlviii <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=jFYWbdWmCQYC&pg=PR48-IA16" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=jFYWbdWmCQYC&pg=PR48-IA16</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Kirn, Peter (20 February 2013). "FEB 20 2013 Sibelius Core Team Now at Steinberg, Building New Notation Tool". Create Digital Music. Retrieved 17 August 2015. <a href="http://createdigitalmusic.com/2013/02/sibelius-core-team-now-at-steinberg-building-new-notation-tool/" target="_blank">http://createdigitalmusic.com/2013/02/sibelius-core-team-now-at-steinberg-building-new-notation-tool/</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Arblaster, Simon (20 October 2017). "Steinberg's Dorico software promises to be the most flexible scoring application there is". musicradar. Retrieved 2017-01-07. <a href="http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/steinbergs-dorico-software-promises-to-be-the-most-flexible-scoring-application-there-is-643568" target="_blank">http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/steinbergs-dorico-software-promises-to-be-the-most-flexible-scoring-application-there-is-643568</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"MusicXML Software". MakeMusic, Inc. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-07. <a href="http://www.makemusic.com/musicxml/community/software" target="_blank">http://www.makemusic.com/musicxml/community/software</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Belkin, Alan (NIFF coordinator) (February 1992). "The Current Status of NIFF". Archived from the original on 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2007-11-06. Niff has now been superseded by MusicXML. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071031231009/http://www.musique.umontreal.ca/personnel/Belkin/NIFF.doc.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20071031231009/http://www.musique.umontreal.ca/personnel/Belkin/NIFF.doc.html</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>