First attempt with MuseScore

• Dec 22, 2009 - 22:09

I have attached my first attempt at (serious) writing using MuseScore in the hope that I might get a few useful tips from other users. You will see that I started putting in a lot of articulation and dynamics, but this ended up being frustrating and counter-productive. The composition is still in its draft format and obviously needs a bit more work, but I would welcome any constructive criticism from other users.

Thanks in advance for your advice and comments.

Attachment Size
Largo.mscz 12.86 KB

Comments

• Dec 24, 2009 - 02:58

Just a quick comment, I don't know if it's your intention to flip the ties (as in measures 18 and 22) but it looks like you did it at measure 57 so I'm assuming you know the technique in MuseScore. For those that don't, it's very straightforward: click on the tie and press "X" on the keyboard.

I'm not sure why you abandoned putting more articulation and dynamics. Is that a compositional decision or something about MuseScore's procedures? Generally I've noticed on scores that on playback the dynamic levels don't seem quite right sometimes, or rather, there could be a more noticeable difference. That may be midi adjustable, but I haven't figured out how to access velocities and such on Mscore yet.

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• Feb 20, 2010 - 21:53

I'm afraid that the direction of the ties error was down to my stylistic ignorance of the correct way to do it. This is very much my first attempt and composition and I have yet to pick up standard etiquette on the niceties of layout. Thanks for this. This is exactly the kind of comment that I was hoping for with this posting. Have I made any other artistic 'faux pas' with regard to layout?

On the issue of dynamics and articulation, this is again partial laziness, but mainly, in the case of dynamics, sheer frustration at not getting the right tone when I switched from mf to mp. It sounded on my system like I was using the 'una corda' pedal every time I encountered the letter 'p' in the score. I assume that this can be adjusted by using a more 'piano oriented' sound font. Perhaps someone could advise me on this?

The articulation seems to work well enough, but I'm afraid that, in my rush to post my first 'creation', I overlooked finishing the score properly in this matter.

I will re-post once dynamics and articulation have been completed.

Like you, I have not yet tried out the MIDI capabilities, and I furthermore realize that MuseScore's aim is primarily to produce printed scores and not to play them, so I am not too concerned about dynamics issues. I would assume that once I have sussed out how to use rosegarden or another of the audio programs in Ubuntustudio, I will be able to circumnavigate any of Musescore's shortcomings in this respect. This having been said, I believe that the MS programmers have done an excellent job so far and intend to give (reasonably) regular donations to their cause. Especially when you look at the rediculous prices commanded by programs such as Sibelius. (I refuse to use Windows in any flavour for a similar reason).

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• Mar 2, 2010 - 00:47

Not related to the music but the layout:
1) On a score with one instrument, it's probably better to go to staff properties and delete the short instrument name.
2) I assume the lines under the staff for the first few measures are pedal indications, but it looks like you used the segno for this. you could either put a hook at the beginning of the line, or replace it with the "Ped *" notation that musescore has built in.
3) The title/tempo: this doesn't really sound like a largo to me (I think "Largo from New World Symphony" by Dvorak). Had I not seen the score as it was playing, I would have thought it was in 7/4 instead of 7/8, but changing this in Musescore would be a major undertaking.
All in all, though, I do like the music. some interesting rhythms.

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