# Which notation ?



## korgoasys (Aug 3, 2017)

I’m new to software notation. I can read music. I play piano. Cubase 8.5 is my DAW on PC. What would be a sensible notation program to start off with? The Score Editor in Cubase has limitations. The likes of the latest Sib and Dorico for example seem at first sight rather complicated though I image it gets easier with use. I would really like to concentrate on choral SATB with piano/organ accompaniment


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## d.healey (Aug 3, 2017)

Musescore, and don't double post


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## JJP (Aug 3, 2017)

Musescore is quite limited as well. The two main commercial programs on the market now are Finale and Sibelius. Dorico will likely evolve into an excellent product to rival those two, but it is nowhere near there yet.

Both Sibelius and Finale are fully-featured notation programs and as a result can be somewhat complicated. Many composers find Sibelius' interface easier to comprehend at first. However, among professional engravers many find Finale's ability to tweak every last bit of the notation more useful. You'll have to ask yourself how much that matters to you.

Also be aware that Sibelius is now owned by Avid. Avid has moved to a subscription model for licensing all their software.

I'd grab a demo for each and play around with them. See which suits your needs best by notating something in each similar to your planned use for the program.

Finale Demo

Sibelius Demo


P.S. Before anybody accuses me of having a hidden bias, I should add that I use both programs professionally but Finale is my default and I use it daily.


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## korgoasys (Aug 4, 2017)

I shall do as you say.


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## wcreed51 (Aug 4, 2017)

There are also Notion and Overture, which also have demos to try out.


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## micrologus (Aug 5, 2017)

Musescore limited? Why? I use Musescore for choral and orchestral music and it works really good.


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## JohnG (Aug 5, 2017)

JJP said:


> Both Sibelius and Finale are fully-featured notation programs and as a result can be somewhat complicated. Many composers find Sibelius' interface easier to comprehend at first. However, among professional engravers many find Finale's ability to tweak every last bit of the notation more useful.



Yep. JJP as usual spot on.


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## Vik (Aug 6, 2017)

I use Dorico, and Dorico may also be the most future proof investment. But I kind of regret I didn't but Sibelius instead (and then cross-graded to Dorico when Dorico is more mature), because a) Dorico isn't very piano friendly, and b) because some of the functions I find totally essential still aren't implemented.


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## korgoasys (Aug 7, 2017)

Well, I've tried the suggestions and I've gone for Sibelius for no other reason than I could understand the demos and various vids better. Anyone's favourite is probably down to that in one way or another but there are, thanks to you all, a number of varieties out there to seriously consider and try.


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## d.healey (Aug 7, 2017)

Vik said:


> I use Dorico, and Dorico may also be the most future proof investment.


No proprietary software is future proof.


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## bnz (Aug 7, 2017)

The siuation also gave me a headache. I went for the path that Vik suggested as Sibelius is a well working software right now and especially the fact that the activation scheme of Sibelius allows me to use more than one machine rather than having the dongle nightmare. A dongle works fine for a DAW that you don't carry around on a laptop (in my opinion), but I think it is not a good fit for a notation software that I want to use on my laptop as well. I'm really curious to see though whether we'll actually see any big updates to Sibelius in the future. I have bought Sibelius knowing that it might very well be on maintenance for the most part.


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## JJP (Aug 7, 2017)

bnz said:


> Sibelius allows me to use more than one machine rather than having the dongle nightmare. A dongle works fine for a DAW that you don't carry around on a laptop (in my opinion), but I think it is not a good fit for a notation software that I want to use on my laptop as well.



Finale does not require a dongle either.


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