OVER 2 YOU, 016 (08/02/01)

MUSIC SOFTWARE

I wonder if you could help me to find some simple music composing software. I do not need complicated orchestral parts, as I write part songs with up to four parts, sometimes unaccompanied, sometimes with a simple piano accompaniment.  I have a suitable MIDI keyboard and would love to find some software that will show the proper musical notation on the screen. And just as importantly, I would like to be able to correct the notes on the staves without too much difficulty. I have wasted a lot of time trying to write everything out long-hand, and a lot of money on software, which turns out to be intended for people who do not read musical notation - and I get completely lost trying to push black squares across a multitude of seemingly meaningless parallel black lines! I would then like to be able to print this out, preferably with the words to the songs.  

H A Kemmett

It sounds like you're a musician who's encountered typical sequencer programs which have some notation ability but not to the standard a trained composer requires. However, there is a clutch of dedicated notation programs available for Mac/PC which are midi sequencers concentrating on score input, plus the ability to insert lyrics and print the results to the standard a musician requires. Cakewalk offer two programs, Score Writer and Overture 2. Score Writer is a budget program at US$ 57, but could offer all you need. Overture 2 is aimed at the professional and retails for $349.00. Check out www.cakewalk.com for full details of both products. You can also download trial versions or contact Cakewalk who can send a demo CD. Steinberg offer their flagship audio/midi sequencer, Cubase, as Cubase Score, but this has powerful audio recording ability which I don't think you require. If you're in the market for the ultimate then look no further than the near-legendary Sibelius www.sibelius.com. This is the ultimate score-writing program with too many features to mention here, including the ability to read scanned scores! Such magic doesn't come cheap, with an RRP of £649. If you decide to take the Sibelius plunge, shop around as it is available for considerably less for some retailers.
George Britton, Marylebone, London

I use an excellent free program called Anvil Studio (www.Anvilstudio.com). This shows the musical notation of your compositions with a moveable hand.You can make corrections without too much difficulty by clicking on the notes and then selecting their pitch, volume, value etc. I think the ability to print scores is a plug-in which you have to pay for separately.

Mike Browne

I'd suggest PrintMusic! 2000 from www.codamusic.com You can input notes via midi keyboard or using mouse. Demo version available at www.codamusic.com/coda/downloads.asp? PC World sell it for £39.99
David Edwards,

Try NoteWorthy; it is fairly simple and easy to use but writes very well. I use it for writing out four part (and more) parts for my church choir and also for writing out piano compositions. It can be downloaded for free for a trial from www.ntworthy.com

Ted Thomson,

H.A.Kemmett will find the perfect package, which will do all that is required, and more, and gives perfect printouts. What's more, Finale Notepad.is free! The site is: www.etcetera.co.uk  Click on Freebies to download the program, he will not be disappointed.

Fred. Brewer,

Try MusicEase, it provides all the facilities he requires. He can set this up to cover music from a single voice score to a full orchestral score, and it will accept the lyrics. It is MIDI compatible and the latest version, which I have not tried allows music to be scanned in. It is not however "simple". I doubt whether any music program can be called simple, as the combination of notes, duration, accidentals, rests, slurs, etc., necessarily make it complicated, and all music programmes therefore have a fairly long learning curve, but he can use as much or as little as he needs. He can find more about it at www.MusicEase.com where it can be downloaded.
Don Cahill,

Score Writer from Cakewalk should be ideal for what H.A.Kemmett wants. My wife who is a musician would not call herself computer literate and yet has been able to use this package quite easily. It costs around £80, but a free trial version is available from the web. We looked at other packages (both simpler and more complicated ones) but Score Writer has proved to be perfect for the job.

Tim Wells, Wootton Bassett, Swindon

The one I use and can recommend is "Capella", which is marketed by Software Partners, Oaktree House, Station Road, Claverdon, CV35 8PE email: info@software-partners.co.uk, http://www.software-partners.co.uk

George Hamilton,

Cubasis is an excellent piece of music software.  I studied GCSE music for two years, and it proved more than adequate for my needs.  You are able to play in sequences using a MIDI device, and then manipulate it in a number of ways - including the score.  Graphics can be inserted under the score e.g. crescendo and diminuendo.  If you really want, you can import a movie file and then compose a piece of music for it with to-the-second timing!

More info is available at www.steinberg.co.uk or www.steingberg.com

Christopher Neale,

I have found Mozart software quite good, www.mozart.co.uk

Sue Lonergan, Leeds

I find that Rosegarden http://www.bath.ac.uk/~masjpf/rose.html and Jazz http://www.jazzware.com meet my needs. He will need a Linux or similar system to run them. Rosegarden can load MIDI files and turn them into notation, and/or allow the user to enter musical notation and produce MIDI files.  Jazz can (theoretically - I haven't a MIDI keyboard) record music to MIDI files, and edit them in finicky detail. The best bit is that both are freeware.
Peter Greenwood

I unreservedly recommend Music Publisher 32 from Braeburn Software at http://www.braeburn.co.uk.  My prime interest in this is for scanning, prior to transposing to a more suitable key, solo vocal music.  I struggled for about two years with a more sophisticated and more expensive product before finding the Braeburn Software which does all claimed for it and more.

At about £100 I find it easy to use ("written by a musician for musicians"). My mistakes are easy to correct; previously I risked losing a whole page. I can add editorial matter, replace original language with translations, and do all the things I would previously have done with a pen and a sheet of manuscript paper.I would be lost without it.
Leslie Sayers,

CD LABELS

I have an extensive Access database of my CD collection. I am trying to produce small labels to stick on the CD covers with a four-letter ID (e.g. Arno, Beet, Chop, Zapp, etc.) using Word mail merge. I have developed an Access Query to give me the first four letters of each listed composer. I want to print the four letters normally at one end of the label and vertically at the other so that it can be read from my CD storage, which has both horizontal and vertical stacking. My difficulty is that I cannot find a way to print vertical text in Mail Merge. Can anyone help?

John Hart

John Hart did not say why he wanted to use Mail Merge but there is a perfectly good label program within Access, which would appear to meet his needs. In Access, use the Label Wizard under the Report New option. Run the Wizard to create the label and insert the required field name. Once the report has been produced, select Design and then, using Cut & Paste, duplicate the field on the label.

Next use the cursor to drag the duplicated text box vertically until it meets the required layout. If he has to use Word then he should build 4 fields within his Access query using the MID function to produce a different letter for each field. Next, link to Word via Tools then Office Links.

Follow the on screen instructions to link his data to a label page and then insert the merge fields, one below each other, to produce the desired effect.
Bruce Stirton,

John Hart should be able to create his CD labels as follows:
1. From the Tools menu select Envelopes and Labels then click on Options to choose the label size required.  Click OK and then click on New Document.  This creates a Word table based on the label layout.2. Move the mouse pointer to the top line of the first column (it should change to a small black arrow pointing downwards).  Click to select the column.  Then from the Tools menu select Split Cells and accept the default setting of 2 columns by clicking OK.  This divides each label into two. You can then adjust the width of each section by dragging on the dividing line.  Select the column where you wish the vertical text to appear and then click on the Change Text Direction button on the Tables and Borders
toolbar. 3. Repeat step 2 for each column of labels your template contains.4. From the Tools menu select Mail Merge.  Click on Create, Form Letters (not Mailing Labels!), Active Window and then click on the Get Data button
and choose Open Data Source.  Locate your Access file and you will then be prompted to Edit Main Document.
5. Click in the section of the first label where you wish the vertical data to appear and then click on Insert Merge Field.  Click in the section where you wish the horizontal data to appear and click on Insert Merge Field again.
6. Select the two cells of the first label and copy and paste to second label.  Position your mouse pointer before the first merge field on the second label and then click on Insert Word Field on the Mail Merge toolbar and choose Next Record.
7. Select cells of second label and copy and paste to remaining labels on the sheet.8. You can view the results by clicking on the View Merged Data button on the Mail Merge toolbar and then send it directly to the Printer by clicking
on Merge to Printer.It all seems very complicated but is much easier than it sounds - honest!
Miranda Rix,

CAN YOU HELP?

I am looking for two songs of the late 50's and can only remember a line or two. Are there any websites that can help in finding the title and the whole song?
Doug Plummer

Could you suggest an Excel formula that will add up Cricket Overs and part Overs, i.e. 5.4 + 3.3 needs to add up to 9.1 and not 8.7 as would happen using the normal number format.

Steve Shaw.

I am the captain of a tennis club and for many years have been trying to find an easy (or even easier) way to organise a mixed doubles "American" tournament. The aim in each round is for different partners and opposition.  Each man should play against every other man and lady and also with every lady as a partner.  Similarly each lady should play against every other lady and man and with every man as a partner. Theoretically it is, of course, impossible since for "N" men and ladies there need to be "N" matches for each man to play against and with every lady but only "N-1" matches for each man to play against every other man. The idea is to come up with the best combination of partners and opposition with the least repetition for 5 to 12 couples over 6 or 7 rounds.

Ken Walker