Recently, I discovered the music notation software MuseScore. Well, well, well. What do we have here? And on top of it, it's open source and free. Free??? Holy cow!!! (3 exclamation marks)
Aside: What is notation software or a scorewriter? Wikipedia summed it up best in saying that it is to music notation what a word processor is to text. You use your computer to note music then have it played for you. It's quite amazing.
I have not touched a musical instrument in nearly fifty years. Why bother? I'm sure nobody wants to hear my lack of chops and a two-finger rendition of Chopsticks. However, I do have a vague recollection of how to put dots on lined paper. I can't play it, but MuseScore can.
Published Jul 31/2025 by William Quincy Belle
YouTube: Somewhat of a Jazzy Prelude (courtesy of MuseScore) (0:54)
Some "noodling" on the piano. Nothing profound.
Published Jul 31/2025 by William Quincy Belle
YouTube: I'll Be Bach (2-Part in G Maj) (courtesy of MuseScore) (1:42)
Doesn't everybody hope to legitimize their work by attempting to compose something classical? I don't think Johann has anything to worry about.
Published Jul 31/2025 by William Quincy Belle
YouTube: Boogie Woogie in 16 (courtesy of MuseScore) (1:10)
This represents some boogie woogie licks bundled together. The intro meanders and turns a 12-bar into 16. Original? I have no doubt this is but one of a zillion ideas built upon this classic piano form.
Final Word
I've searched YouTube for MuseScore and have found all sorts of examples from solo instruments like the piano, to groups, rock, jazz, pop, and larger ensembles such as big band and full orchestra. Throw in all sorts of percussion and synthesizers, and it would seem the sky is the limit.
How curious to listen to something I've notated. As I said, I haven't touched an instrument in nearly 50 years and would be just about totally incapable of rendering anything more complicated than Heart and Soul. But with MuseScore, I can bring it to life. How odd.
Where to go with this? But more importantly, do I want to go anywhere with it? Music takes time, effort, and discipline. Other than personal satisfaction, I don't expect, I should not expect to get any other sense of reward out of doing anything. This music is no exception.
Oh, well. It was amusing to discover this software and find out a little bit about what it can do. And from I've seen in various videos leads me to conclude there are a lot of talented people out there who are doing wonderful things with MuseScore and with music.
References
Wikipedia: MuseScore
MuseScore Studio (branded as MuseScore before 2024) is a free and open-source music notation program for Windows, macOS, and Linux under the Muse Group, which owns the associated online score-sharing platform MuseScore.com and a freemium mobile score viewer and playback app.
Google AI Overview: noodling
In music, "noodling" refers to the act of aimlessly improvising on a musical instrument, often without a specific plan or direction. It's essentially playing around, experimenting with sounds, and exploring different musical ideas in a free-flowing way.
Wikipedia: Scorewriter
A scorewriter, or music notation program is software for creating, editing and printing sheet music. A scorewriter is to music notation what a word processor is to text, in that they typically provide flexible editing and automatic layout, and produce high-quality printed results.
Wikipedia: Comparison of scorewriters
This chart compares various notation software. How does MuseScore rank? I once again have to point out it's free.
2025-08-01
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