3.5.2 Music notation software

For 99% of what people want to do with notation software—lead sheets, SATB choral arrangements, etc. there is no reason not to just use Coda’s ‘Finale Notepad’—assuming you use an Apple or Microsoft operating system and are not averse to the use of non-free software. ‘Notepad’ is free as in beer, as they say, but not as in freedom—it is not open-source and comes with a restrictive licence. But it does work well and stably. You either need to be doing something for more than 8 staves or have some kind of ‘modern’ notational problem you’re working with to need anything more—or be publishing.

Unfortunately, if you are not willing to use non-free software, there is currently no reasonable solution of which I am aware. LilyPond combined with a text editor will produce (after a very difficult learning period) passable scores that only need some minor touch-ups. Touch-ups can be done in The Gimp image manipulation software, or simply by hand—my own method. My own scores are taking on a distinctly ‘Crumb-ian’ look, and I’m sick of fighting with first Finale, then LilyPond over it, so it’s back to pencil and paper for me. Actually they’re not all that far-out or anything. It’s just that if you spend too much time thinking about notation, you start having (gasp!) opinions of your own about it, and then the fighting with the software begins.

2003.12.16
Based loosely on a post to rec.music.compose