Today, there’s so many music writing programmes but Sibelius Music Notation Software remains one of the most popular. It’s a favourite with students, composers and professional musicians because it’s user-friendly yet versatile. And it gives you lots of different options when inputting your scores.
For example, you can use the PlayScore 2 app to import your scores quickly and efficiently. “Scanning Music into Sibelius” gives you all the steps to do this so you can then arrange them as needed.
If you have a MIDI keyboard, you can simply connect this to Sibelius and it will instantly lay out the notes as you play. Alternatively, you can enter notes using the scorewriter’s virtual keyboard or fretboard, which makes it more accurate to input accidentals. However, you can use a number of quick and easy shortcuts on your computer keyboard, and the onscreen menus give you all of the recognisable music notation symbols you need.
What’s more, Sibelius has an impressive capacity for orchestration. It has a 32GB sample library with a huge range of instrumentation, giving you a sense of what your score would sound like when performed. The “Espressivo” advanced notation feature lets you modify dynamics, rhythms and phrasing to humanise your music. You can also add lyrics, chord charts, even graphics and your own house style to give your scores a personal touch.
Download PlayScore 2
The App That Sight Reads Sheet Music.
Over the years, Sibelius has undergone various developments since its initial release in 1993. Its most recent version includes Cloud Sharing, meaning users can share their scores online or on social media. This is a particularly useful feature for proofing scores, rehearsing and collaborating with other musicians.
What’s great now is that Sibelius has a version you can download for free, so you can enjoy many of the benefits regardless of your budget. However, this version only allows you to score music for up to 4 instruments, so Sibelius has a package, where you can score for up to 16 instruments (this costs $9.99 per month). Sibelius Ultimate offers the full experience (at $19.99 per month) but you can get a free trial for 28 days. Moreover, there are discounted packages for students, teachers and institutions.
Whether you’re new to music notation software or a more experienced user, Sibelius is a great, all-purpose scorewriter to help you make the most out of your music and PlayScore 2 documents.
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