Premium Music Notation Software Review

The best music notation applications on the market are easy to use whether you're a virtuoso working in a recording studio or a college student learning harmonic composition. Notation is to music what the written word is to speech. With the best music composition , you can spread your melodies and rhythms all over the world, whether they are as complex as Igor Stravinsky's "The Firebird" or as simple as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Our top pick for premium music notation software is Sibelius 7 because of its educational tools and new interface. We also loved Finale 2012, music composing software used by professionals from Hollywood to Broadway. Close on the heels of Finale is Notion 3 Composition Software, which lets you overdub your MIDI file with a recording of a live performance, bringing out the best of human performance and electronic playback. Learn more by reading our articles about music notation software. Browse our side-be-side comparisons and reviews of the best premium music notation software on the market.

Music Notation Software: What to Look For

Features
Your ability to input notes and rests easily is the most important feature to look for in premier music notation software. As a pro, you will also want to add dynamics and expressions quickly. If you have access to a MIDI instrument, look for software that will let you play the notes and record them in real time. If not, choose a product with easy entry options from your computer keypad or an external MIDI file.

Next, consider whether you'll use the software for composing, sound mixing or both. As a composer, you'll want simple options for entering notes into several staves. You will also want tools that can add percussion parts or inside voices with just a click of the mouse. If you're more interested in sound production, look for a product that lets you control tempo and loudness on a virtual soundboard.

Educational Tools
Beyond creating the medium for transferring musical ideas, music notation applications allow you to improve the way you hear music. With the best applications, you can listen to and manipulate each part or voice separately, helping you with ear training and orchestration. When you listen to the whole again, you will find your listening experience transformed. You will hear each voice independently, as if you had been granted a pair of new, high-definition ears. Good software will also help you with composition details by checking for good chord progression technique and prohibited parallel fifths and octaves. Just don't use these fancy features to cheat your way through theory class.

Input/Output Capabilities
Top-tier music notation applications give you multiple ways to input notes and measures. The easiest methods are via MIDI piano keyboard or an electronic MIDI file that inputs notes and values as it plays. Alternatively, you can notate with a computer keyboard and mouse, or even a MIDI guitar or microphone.

Once your music is ready for the light of day, you'll want to print both the score and each of the parts on paper. The best notation software makes this easy. You might also want to publish it in an online forum or export audio, XML or graphic files.

Ease of Use
Music composition is complex, and the software available to help you is similarly complicated. Be ready for a steep learning curve and multiple consultations of the user guide no matter which application you choose. However, some systems are more intuitive than others are. We looked for easy note entry, easy transposition, easy expression tools and multiple listening options such as the full score, only the strings or only the woodwinds.

Technical Support
Using all the available tools within a notation application can be confusing, so the best music notation companies provide free training videos, forums and user guides online. You can also reach these companies by phone or email.

You can't become a violin virtuoso in a day any more than you can write a full symphony in a weekend. In both cases, sustained effort over a long and sometimes grueling time does the trick. Fortunately, the practice, creativity and effort are part of what makes music so wonderful. We are confident that the music notation software reviewed here can help you on your tonal trek to greatness.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™