Compose your own music with MuseScore

If you or your child enjoys composing your own music – then you must download the FREE MuseScore program.

We stumbled upon it when Pebbles was required to start composing her own music at Phoenix Yamaha Music School. A part of the program involves not only writing your own music for piano by ear, but then transcribing it with pencil onto paper, and then finally by computer into a professional piece of sheet music.  Once a year students are then encouraged to perform their original compositions and optionally be judged on a regional and international level.  On youtube you can type in ‘Yamaha Junior Original Concert’ and see kids from all over the world performing their own music for piano as well as combined with other instruments.

What we love about MuseScore:

• it’s FREE !
• it’s extremely comprehensive, every possible symbol or notation exists for the professional musician
• write for multiple instruments – not just piano!
• play it back live as you go so you can pick up anything that is incorrect – or simply compose by ear as you go (notes show up as blue when active)
• save the file as a PDF that you can share, print or save
• export your score as a MIDI file for use in other programs, or it can generate a WAV, FLAC, or OGG audio file that can be played directly or converted to MP3
• the file is always editable and can use the playback feature anytime
• there is a MuseScore community where other composers share their music with each other
• forums to help you learn the program
• many videos to help you learn the program
• multiple languages supported
• integrates with external MIDI programs and synthesizers
• they have a new MuseScore Sheet Music Player for ipad available for purchase through the app store
• as your child’s (or your!) skills grow this program is sophisticated enough to do anything you need it to do

The only drawback… it’s pretty tricky to learn BUT you will catch on especially if you watch the video tutorials.  The first composition last year felt difficult to do – this year Pebbles flew through it with confidence and accuracy. Give it a try !!