Creating Sheet Music Online Is Easy

If the letters on paper or in digital form are the framework for literary creation, the partition is the framework for musical composition. The Bachs, Beethovens, Mozarts, and others all had unpublished tunes in their heads. However, for them to be passed on to posterity, the notes, beats, and tones had to be written down on paper. Thus, all composers have since used this universal language to communicate their creations to musicians.

Or, the world is changing and becoming more and more virtual. Paper is fading away, especially in the literary field where the keyboard and online platforms are taking over the space. And what about music? Perhaps it's a bit of conservatism, but there are still few musicians, especially in the classical field, who are going digital. The relationship to paper is tenacious because one can annotate by hand and visually consult the notebook on one's easel. Nevertheless, the tide is turning and some people are beginning to appreciate sheet music apps, especially those who travel a lot and see the weight of their suitcase drop as they switch from notebooks to digital tablets.

Online Software and Apps

Whether classical, jazz, popular or alternative, composers of all kinds need sheet music and there are many paid or free online software and app solutions. We told you about MuseScore back then, a very comprehensive software for musicians. In the same vein, Crescendo from NCH Software offers an interesting free version that is quite comprehensive as long as the use is personal. Easily, users can compose, listen to and print their score. Paid versions are intended for commercial use and offer more features.

Those looking for online solutions can set their sights on Scorio. The site offers its editor for free, which allows you to compose sheet music from your mouse, keyboard, or MIDI keyboard. However, the free account has limitations. The scores can only be tested by one instrument: the piano. Moreover, it limits the number of saved scores (5) and parts of them (4). Nevertheless, for a composer, who is a beginner, it can be an interesting and free tool that also allows them to print creations if a hard copy is needed. 

Composing Online and in Teams

One of the most important applications of the last years in terms of online scores is Flat. This platform does not only makes it easy to compose sheet music but to do it collaboratively. Indeed, several users can work on a common score at the same time. Fortunately, there is a smart backup system that avoids those unfortunate situations where a creation is lost due to subsequent changes. In addition to the fact that it is in French, Flat has an ergonomic design that makes composing easy for anyone with a little musical knowledge. The free account allows for 10 public scores while the paid account is unlimited and allows for private scores as well as the ability to work offline.

The best thing about Flat is that since 2016, the site has offered an educational version that allows a music teacher and his or her students an opportunity to practice music composition. It comes with a chat room allowing the teacher and their learners to communicate constantly. This version costs about 1 and a half euros per user for a year and is compatible with Google Classroom.

Musical scoring is also increasingly taking the digital turn. However, let the traditionalists not be too sad: The Internet makes it possible to print music paper for various band sizes and instruments. After all, as the saying goes "old habits die hard."

References

"Crescendo - Free Software For Composing And Arranging Music." NCH Software. Accessed December 7, 2016. http://www.nch.com.au/notation/fr/.

Flat. Accessed December 7, 2016. https://flat.io/fr.

Navamuel, Fidel. "Flat. Compose Your Music Scores Online." Tice Tools. Last updated April 16, 2016. https://outilstice.com/2016/04/flat-composez-vos-partitions-de-musique-en-ligne/.

"Music Paper." Saturax. Accessed December 7, 2016. http://www.saturax.fr/papier-musique/.

Pulver, Jonas. "From Paper to Tablet, The Partition In Migration." Time. Last updated April 29, 2016. https://www.letemps.ch/culture/2016/04/29/papier-tablette-partition-migration.

Scorio. Accessed December 7, 2016. http://www.scorio.com/web/scorio/.

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