# Staffpad and ScoreClub



## eakwarren (Sep 9, 2021)

I spare no expense on loved ones, but when it comes to personal purchases I'm quite austere. After encouragement from the wife I finally decided to get myself a little birthday gift: Staffpad (currently on sale for $45 - austerity approves!) and a sub to ScoreClub. I struggle with keyboard skills, but man do I have mad pencil skills! I've been using them since before I could walk. 

Paging @dcoscina and others, besides the Discover Staffpad series within the app, their YT channel and the help docs, what other resources do you recommend? After going through the tutorials I plan to input some Holst, Mendelssohn and Elfman (there's a trio for ya!) while working to improve interval recognition and auralization.

After enjoying the vids below, I'll likely pickup Berlin Strings for SP at some point. It seems like sales are more frequent now that Muse Group is at the helm. I hope that continues through the holidays. I already own BBC Core/Albion ONE in Logic, so I don't really _need_ more Spitfire right now.


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## aka70 (Sep 9, 2021)

The symphonic suite is outstanding! Amazing music! I did enjoy it a lot and listen to it to the end. BRAVO !!!

You can't even get close to the expressiveness of Staffpad engine with Sibelius or Dorico. I'm thinking of buying an Ipad only for this. It would be great if Staffpad would work with windows without the need of inputting the notes with hand. Maybe in the near future, let's hope. 

Great work again! Really enjoy it


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## Montisquirrel (Sep 10, 2021)

eakwarren said:


> After encouragement from the wife I finally decided to get myself a little birthday gift: Staffpad (currently on sale for $45 - austerity approves!) and a sub to ScoreClub.


Excellent decision. I did the same, started in January. I would recommend you first write all exercices with pen and paper and after that put it into StaffPad. It makes the exercices very very lively and satisfying. Just don't write direct to StaffPad, do the pen and paper thing first.

I bought everyting from the Berlin Series on the same day I got StaffPad (exept the piano and harps).


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## sundrowned (Sep 10, 2021)

I would just start writing and deal with issues as they come up. Check the manual, search online, ask here or the staffpad facebook group. 

My first basic tip would be don't try and write a complete bar at once. Build it up in stages. For example put the pitches in as whole, half, quarter, or eigth notes first. Then adjust rhythm if necessary. Then accidentals. Then dynamics. And so on.


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## eakwarren (Sep 10, 2021)

aka70 said:


> BRAVO !!!


Well thanks!!! Just to be clear, the vids aren’t mine. 😉



Montisquirrel said:


> I would recommend you first write all exercices with pen and paper and after that put it into StaffPad. It makes the exercices very very lively and satisfying.


Could you please elaborate on this and your experience since January? My thought was to do the SC exercises in SP so that I have them with me on-the-go. I don’t plan on carrying around paper everywhere. (Trips to in-laws, kids soccer games, etc.) Though, if there’s a compelling reason for paper, I’m all ears. 🙂


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## fakemaxwell (Sep 10, 2021)

I've been doing the Scoreclub stuff exclusively in Staffpad since I started. Mostly because my handwriting is awful. 

From what I can tell, the point of the pen-to-paper is to not get stuck in the DAW mindset of clicking, dragging, having to play back to hear things, etc. As long as you're hearing or playing before writing, treating it more like a fancy piece of paper, you'll be alright.


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## mopsiflopsi (Sep 10, 2021)

Another StaffPad + ScoreClub user here (also awful handwriting!). I was just telling my wife the other day how I'm now starting to hear the sounds in my head when I look at the notes, the way I look at words on paper/screen and can hear my voice reading them in my head. As @fakemaxwell said, just remember to make a conscious effort to sing or "render" the notes in your mind's ear before hitting play, I think it'll work the same way as paper.


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## eakwarren (Sep 10, 2021)

fakemaxwell said:


> From what I can tell, the point of the pen-to-paper is to not get stuck in the DAW mindset of clicking, dragging, having to play back to hear things, etc. As long as you're hearing or playing before writing, treating it more like a fancy piece of paper, you'll be alright.





mopsiflopsi said:


> I'm now starting to hear the sounds in my head when I look at the notes, the way I look at words on paper/screen and can hear my voice reading them in my head. As @fakemaxwell said, just remember to make a conscious effort to sing or "render" the notes in your mind's ear before hitting play, I think it'll work the same way as paper.


Gotcha! These are exactly the skills I’m looking to improve, so I’ll resist the urge to chronically press the play button. 😂


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## Montisquirrel (Sep 10, 2021)

eakwarren said:


> Could you please elaborate on this and your experience since January? My thought was to do the SC exercises in SP so that I have them with me on-the-go. I don’t plan on carrying around paper everywhere. (Trips to in-laws, kids soccer games, etc.) Though, if there’s a compelling reason for paper, I’m all ears.


Ok, I guess it should be fine. It depends on what exactly you want to practice. I never wrote any music on paper before, so this "writing with pen and paper" is new to me but I love it. Sure, my handwriting was very bad in the beginning, but now its getting better and better, because I do it frequently. So don't take my advice as a rule, for me this "writing music with pen and paper" just feels great, like beeing part of a secret club. I know, most people think it is useless nowadays with all that technology, but I love it. Its beautiful.

Problem in Staffpad is for example, if a note is a halfstep to high and you want to drag it down, you will hear it. Still not a huge problem, but for someone who practices to write music without hearing it it might be counterproductive.


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## eakwarren (Sep 10, 2021)

Montisquirrel said:


> Its beautiful.


I totally agree. I hope to develop my “inner” (in-ear?) orchestra so I‘m not continually tempted with the latest shiny sample library.


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## brandowalk (Sep 10, 2021)

StaffPad is really great for developing your ear. I had a good ear before, but since starting to write with it, I now write and orchestrate without touching a keyboard. It’s pretty amazing in this way to get away from writing only what you can play.


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## Pseudonym (Sep 12, 2021)

Since inputting more than a measure of two of music in Staffpad (or any music notation app) takes *some* time and effort, I like to check my voicing on an actual piano first. That saves me having to needlessly rewrite what doesn't work as I anticipated. I don't worry about what I may or may not be able to "hear" clearly in my head beforehand. That's only my way of working, though; not for everyone.


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## eakwarren (Sep 12, 2021)

I also struggle with properly notating rhythm. It’s important to verify that as well as pitch every now and again.

Ok, slight expansion of the topic: paper-like screen protectors, yay or nay? At first, writing on glass was a bit squirrelly for me, but after a couple of hours my penmanship improved even on day one. Should I just stick with it? Reading paper-like reviews on Amazon, others’ experiences are hit and miss. What’s yours? 🙂


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## dcoscina (Sep 12, 2021)

eakwarren said:


> I also struggle with properly notating rhythm. It’s important to verify that as well as pitch every now and again.
> 
> Ok, slight expansion of the topic: paper-like screen protectors, yay or nay? At first, writing on glass was a bit squirrelly for me, but after a couple of hours my penmanship improved even on day one. Should I just stick with it? Reading paper-like reviews on Amazon, others’ experiences are hit and miss. What’s yours? 🙂


I like it personally. I prefer the resistance like paper and not the glossy sheen of the screen.


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