# Free composing software?



## Luximus

Recently, i've been thinking of composing a symphony..and so i visited the 'which composing software do you use' thread and tried downloading a trial of Sibelius 4. However, for some reason the installation process froze up every time I tried installing it onto my computer. i then tried looking for Finale software, but I couldn't find any free downloads to composing software. Can anyone offer some help? I really want to compose(I don't have a piano at home either....I'm a violinist)


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## Handel

I don't know if it is illegal to send an abandonned software. I have the very old Cakewalk 4.0 compositional software. If you are interested, I could send it to you through email (it is a small file - a few megs) IF it is legal.


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## Krummhorn

Hi Luximus,

Have you tried Noteworthy Composer? Granted, it's not free, but almost ($39US). I use this all the time at home ... choral, solo voice with accompaniments, organ, piano, and it can orchestrate up to 18 staves. Doesn't have all the bells and whistles of Sibelius or Finale for music engraving, but for the price, it certainly has and does a lot. 
Their website is: http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/


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## Luximus

Thanks for the link, but I cannot make purchases online yet....I'm not old enough for a credit card and my parents have no intention of buying anything online D:

@Handel:

I'd love to try out the composing software! My email is: [email protected] (embarrassing email, I know...made it 5 years ago when I was 10) And I'm pretty sure it's legal....since you bought it and you decided to send it to me. if you ripped it off, then it's illegal. Or if you mass-distributed it without the company's consent. But whenever you have the time, please send it to me....I'm willing to try anything as long as I can compose!

Thanks in advance,

Luximus


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## Frasier

Have you tried pencil and paper?

It doesn't foul up on installation, doesn't crash at the wrong moment, doesn't destroy or wreck your files in the event of a computer failure. You can see the whole of a double page of score within a single sweep of the eyes instead of keep scrolling and page change clicking because you can never usefully see all the score on a screen in one go. You can keep every alteration before you on the table, don't have to keep opening and closing files.

But best of all when you wake up in the middle of the night you don't have to wait for the computer to grind into action before you can start....meanwhile that great idea fades into oblivion. You can just grab your pencil and note it.

Finally, if you get your inspiration on the top of a bus or walking in the park, you can write it down. It's that simple.

I have yet to find notation software that can do everything I want. Finale and Sibelius seem ok for fairly average notation needs but you go a bit off the normal and one is, as they say, stuffed.


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## Luximus

Frasier said:


> Have you tried pencil and paper?
> 
> It doesn't foul up on installation, doesn't crash at the wrong moment, doesn't destroy or wreck your files in the event of a computer failure. You can see the whole of a double page of score within a single sweep of the eyes instead of keep scrolling and page change clicking because you can never usefully see all the score on a screen in one go. You can keep every alteration before you on the table, don't have to keep opening and closing files.
> 
> But best of all when you wake up in the middle of the night you don't have to wait for the computer to grind into action before you can start....meanwhile that great idea fades into oblivion. You can just grab your pencil and note it.
> 
> Finally, if you get your inspiration on the top of a bus or walking in the park, you can write it down. It's that simple.
> 
> I have yet to find notation software that can do everything I want. Finale and Sibelius seem ok for fairly average notation needs but you go a bit off the normal and one is, as they say, stuffed.


Unfortunately, I haven't reached the stage when I can simply take a piece of paper and know what each and every note sounds like. if I were to compose using just pen and paper, I'd have to hum A, then build up a scale(most likely incorrectly) aand painfully find each note. I'm not exactly a master at violin either, and I don't have a piano. So...the simplist way for me to compose right now would have to be software ^^;


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## Keemun

I have never used composing software, but you might try Finale NotePad, which is a free version of the Finale musical notation software. Be sure to check out the system requirements to make sure your computer is compatible since you already had an issue installing another program.


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## zlya

I assume you use windows. Pity, since there's a lot of good (free) notation and sequencing software for linux.


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## Luximus

Keemun said:


> I have never used composing software, but you might try Finale NotePad, which is a free version of the Finale musical notation software. Be sure to check out the system requirements to make sure your computer is compatible since you already had an issue installing another program.


Oh ym gosh!! Thank you so much! I'm using the software right now and composing is just...so much hader than I imagined xD. But thank you!! I can't wait to improve on my composing!


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## Keemun

Luximus said:


> Oh ym gosh!! Thank you so much! I'm using the software right now and composing is just...so much hader than I imagined xD. But thank you!! I can't wait to improve on my composing!


You're welcome.


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## World Violist

I use pencil and paper, but I'm new to composition--writing duets at the moment.


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