Recommended score readers for iPad

Post Reply
Dennis
Posts: 196
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 6:23 pm
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Recommended score readers for iPad

Post by Dennis »

I just got a new iPad Pro 10.2 for my birthday.

The big thing I want it to do is to replace the music folders I've been schlepping around most of my life.

Does anyone have recommendations about score readers? (Yes, I got the Apple pencil-I figured out that pencil marks on the screen weren't going to be saved :wink: )
User avatar
sacfxdx
Posts: 324
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:25 pm
Location: North Georgia, US

Re: Recommended score readers for iPad

Post by sacfxdx »

Forscore - https://forscore.co/

Check out the page turners too.
Steve
Elow
Posts: 1791
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 6:18 am

Re: Recommended score readers for iPad

Post by Elow »

I switched over to forscore a couple months ago and it’s been the best thing i’ve ever done. The only annoying part was the first month on scanning everything i own.
Johnstad
Posts: 183
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:27 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Recommended score readers for iPad

Post by Johnstad »

ForScore! And get a Bluetooth pedal...I use AirTurn.
timothy42b
Posts: 1467
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2018 5:51 am
Location: central Virginia

Re: Recommended score readers for iPad

Post by timothy42b »

If you aren't on Apple, Mobilesheets is very good.

I'm using it on a Kindle Fire 10. That's big enough for home use, I probably need the 12.9 if I were still playing anywhere, so might have to go iPad and forScore. I wanted to go with a 2n1 Chromebook but most of them have discontinued the 3:2 displays.
User avatar
vetsurginc
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2019 10:26 am

Re: Recommended score readers for iPad

Post by vetsurginc »

Just got the iPad 12.9 and started with Forscore. It's working very well. I'm still learning the in's and out's. First "get used to it" was no home screen, always opens with what you were doing last. They are still adapting to the new OS as not all things seem to work. One I ran into was the merge function for combining several pdf's into one multipage pdf. Goes through the motions, but no new file is produced. Also not importing multipage files reliably. Some only pull in the first page. Great markup.
Driswood
Posts: 228
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 4:59 am
Location: Palm Harbor, FL

Re: Recommended score readers for iPad

Post by Driswood »

Johnstad wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 7:40 pm ForScore! And get a Bluetooth pedal...I use AirTurn.
Ditto!
Jerry Walker

Happily Retired :good:

1957 Conn 6H
Schilke 47B
1989 Yamaha YSL-684G
Bach 6 3/4C
afugate
Posts: 644
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 5:47 am
Location: Oklahoma City

Re: Recommended score readers for iPad

Post by afugate »

vetsurginc wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:00 am Just got the iPad 12.9 and started with Forscore. It's working very well. I'm still learning the in's and out's. First "get used to it" was no home screen, always opens with what you were doing last. They are still adapting to the new OS as not all things seem to work. One I ran into was the merge function for combining several pdf's into one multipage pdf. Goes through the motions, but no new file is produced. Also not importing multipage files reliably. Some only pull in the first page. Great markup.
Be sure to look into the cropping and rotating functions. They make a world of difference and are my favorite feature. I also recommend reading up on buttons and linking to handle CODAs. Very useful.

--Andy in OKC
wleader1
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2019 10:49 am
Location: Little Rock, AR

Re: Recommended score readers for iPad

Post by wleader1 »

I have used numerous approaches to digital sheet music and for the iPad forScore is the best, especially with the larger 12.9” iPad. Add a Bluetooth pedal and you are set. I continue to use this setup but have found an even better option in the Android world.

That said, if you are looking for something that can display 2 pages at a time the Samsung Galaxy View with Mobilesheet Pro has been my go to for years. The older version is 18.4” and great battery life. The newer version is 17.3” but still large enough for 2 page view. Both of the Samsung tablets have removable storage to hold even piece of music in your library. Scan all your music, even studies books and you can have everything you need in one place. The Arban complete does take a while to scan!
User avatar
tjonz
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2018 7:02 am

Re: Recommended score readers for iPad

Post by tjonz »

I use forScore on my iPad in the woodshed to link lead sheets to backing tracks in my iTunes library that I created with Band-in-a-Box. The convenience of the embedded audio player is invaluable for this sort of application. For my full sheet music library, however, I use a general purpose document viewer called GoodReader, which I find far more versatile for organizing large collections. Whereas forScore uses tags to slice and dice its contents, GoodReader supports hierarchical folders.

My GoodReader fake book, for example contains 5,000+ charts and is organized into folders "A" through "Z" (and "#") at the top level. Each of these folders contains another set of folders named with song titles. Inside each of these folders are multiple lead sheets in files with names like "Autumn Leaves (rb15-Eb).pdf" that indicate their source (in this example Real Book, Volume 1, 5th Edition for Eb instruments.) Managing a collection this large in forScore would be a daunting task.

Another noteworthy feature of GoodReader is its ability to sync a folder on my iPad wirelessly with a folder on my Mac. I keep the "official" copy of the library on my Mac and sync it to both my 11" and 12.9" iPads (and, just in case someone needs a chart on the spur of the moment, my iPhone.) Syncing is bidirectional, i.e. new charts I install on the Mac are downloaded to the iPads when they sync, and any files on my iPad that I have annotated during a rehearsal are uploaded from my iPad to my Mac when they sync.
Driswood
Posts: 228
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 4:59 am
Location: Palm Harbor, FL

Re: Recommended score readers for iPad

Post by Driswood »

I have ForScore on my iPad set to turn a half page at a time. Get near the bottom of page 1, tap the pedal, and the top of page 2 is on the top half of the screen. Once you're on page 2, tap again, and the rest of page 2 shows up. Great feature!

Edit: This also works if you're tapping the screen, without a pedal.
Jerry Walker

Happily Retired :good:

1957 Conn 6H
Schilke 47B
1989 Yamaha YSL-684G
Bach 6 3/4C
Post Reply

Return to “Technology”