Midi keyboard + MuseScore for notating solos?

[Stefano]

I’ve done a search, but apologize if I’m duplicating a thread.

I want to start notating trombone solos, and have never done notation before.

After some research here and elsewhere, it seems that a good way forward would be to buy a used midi keyboard and use it in conjunction with MuseScore. I can reproduce the trombone part on the keyboard, which is then notated in MuseScore. I can then go in and clean it up.

Am I on the right track?

My first notation would be Steve Davis’s Peace, BTW.

[musicofnote]

My opinion - and I was a professional computer notation engraver for 20 years:

If you're doing mostly tonal music with limited harmonic modulations away from the original key, then a MIDI keyboard is a fine tool. The problems with MIDI arise when your original piece starts in G maj., then does a modulation to D maj. and then for some reason hits b-flat maj. enharmonically. Without changing the actual key signature, how does your MIDI keyboard know it in that B-flat passage, the b-flat isn't an A-sharp? Or the e-flat isn't a d-sharp? It doesn't. So after inputing the "notes", you have to go back and find the enharmonically "incorrect" notes and correct them. You can't efficiently do this on the MIDI keyboard, since re-inputing the note will give you the same "wrong" enharmonic note again, so you have to become proficient with the manual methods of note input.

My specialty was, way back then (1990-around 2010), was contemporary music, often with graphic notation. With time, unless inputing strictly tonal and rather "easy" stuff, I didn't use MIDI, relying on manual inputing the music and visually proofing as I went along - I got to the point, where I rarely needed to do a separate proofing pass, so the time I spent actually creating hard-copy was relatively short, despite not using MIDI. But it really depends upon what kind of music you're notating from what original source(s).

Then it also depends a lot on the abilities of your notation software to give you the results. I was a beta tester for Finale for several years and for Sibelius when they first ported it to the Mac. I soon saw, that for most of my contemporary music work, Sibelius was way too rigid and inflexible. Finale was VERY complicated, BUT you could misuse it in ways that could get 95% of what you wanted without relying on Photoshop to tweak additional signs. But you first had to learn all of Finale's rules and THEN learn what happens when you break them and how to use these broken input rules to your advantage.

Just one person's experiences ... your mileage will vary.

[Stefano]

I’m always hoping that techie things will be simpler than they ever are.

If I’m transcribing trombone parts for my own use, maybe I should just get proficient with notation using pencil and staff paper.

[muschem]

I've never tried a midi keyboard for transcriptions, but a regular computer keyboard works fine for me in MuseScore. Things go pretty fast for single part transcriptions, especially once you pick up a few of the key shortcuts (switching note duration, adding articulation, etc.). Fine-tuning the appearance can take a bit more effort, but the default engraving choices MuseScore makes are pretty usable as-is. This reminds me that I need to get back to several of the partially-finished transcription projects I have started.

[JLivi]

I've never tried a midi keyboard for transcriptions, but a regular computer keyboard works fine for me in MuseScore. Things go pretty fast for single part transcriptions

Agreed!

Now I think having a midi controller is always a good thing to have lying around, but not to use with MuseScore for trombone transcriptions. These programs are pretty intuitive and using a computer keyboard should be just fine.

[Stefano]

That’s all good news. So I can do all my transcription on the computer keyboard.

[BGuttman]

That’s all good news. So I can do all my transcription on the computer keyboard.

Cautionary note: There is a pretty steep learning curve using any notation program. They are not so intuitive that you can go like the wind right away. When I'm out of practice on MuseScore I can take hours to do what I can do in minutes with pencil and paper. But the end result is much easier to read.

[AndrewMeronek]

Music notation programs really shine when you want to create a score and extract parts. For doing a transcription of a solo - if you're not planning on publishing it professionally engraved - it's generally better to go buy or print some manuscript paper and write it out by hand.