Finale notepad vs musescore6/7/2023 Sibelius (and MuseScore) have always approached a measure as having a measure full of beats, and when you add a note, the program subtracts that from the preexisting rest. That said, the difference between Finale and Sibelius has always been note entry. I messed around a little bit with the program, and was pleased to find out that it recognized “traditional” Finale numbers for note value. The notation editor hides one level deeper in the program than you would think (the editor currently resides inside the “add content” button, whereas I would want just a “notation button” on the front page). It functions on a level very close to Flat.io and Noteflight. Keep in mind that Hal Leonard owns Noteflight, and that SmartMusic’s parent company owns Alfred.Ī bit about the notation editor in SmartMusic: it is impressive. Noteflight is working on a number of other features, including connecting Hal Leonard catalog content to the service as well as developing other educational features. I have used Flat.io with students-it is a bit more accessible than Noteflight, and Flat.io is a little friendlier as it uses school Google accounts (GAFE). Meanwhile, on the web, Noteflight and Flat.io have been working to create quality products, also sharing an interest education. Five years ago, this didn’t seem possible. How long will it be before Finale, Sibelius, Dorico, Notion, and MuseScore all move to the web? Probably sooner than we think. The same is true with Microsoft products, and of course, Google apps continue to improve. For example, you can log into and use Pages, Excel, and Keynote on just about any device. I still believe that iPads are the better tool for our field-but a day is coming where the Chromebook could be just as good of a choice.Īll this makes me wonder how long it will be before all traditional programs move to the cloud. I used to be strongly against Chromebooks (particularly when compared to iPads), but web applications have made Chromebooks significantly more useful for music educators. That said, the notation field has simply exploded over the past years, from open source MuseScore to heavy-hitting Dorico…and at least five other significant applications, some on mobile devices.Īt the same time, web applications are improving all the time. I use other tools, too, but when the going gets tough, I use Finale. SmartMusic came along, and now the mission of MakeMusic is “ to develop and market solutions that transform how music is composed, taught, learned, and performed.” That is far beyond the original focus on music notation.ĭon’t get me wrong-I’m a Finale user. In the dark ages when Finale was created (MakeMusic’s other product), Finale was the product. I was stunned to learn that the SmartMusic team has added a full notation feature to SmartMusic. “New” SmartMusic allows for Chromebooks to be used, which opens a huge educational market in the United States-and is one of the best ways for a Chromebook school to put those devices to use (along with Noteflight, Flat.io, and Soundtrap). I still very much see the value of these products, and in a different teaching position, I would insist on (as least the consideration of) the use of those programs in band, choir, orchestra, and general music (recorder, mallats, and ukulele). I have stepped away from red note/green note programs for a while (I’ll write an addendum at the bottom of this post if you are curious why), so while I continue to watch what is happening in the space (SmartMusic, MusicProdigy, PracticeFirst) I am not using any of those products with my students. The “new” SmartMusic is web-based, and works on most devices (iPads still need a proprietary application, as is often the case). You know those movies/TV series where all sorts of events build up to a point of confrontation (That’s just about any movie, TV show, book, drama, etc.)? That is what is happening right now in the space of music notation, practice tools, and student assessment.Ībout a week ago, I was given a “sneak peek” at the new online notation editor that exists inside of the new SmartMusic.
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