Question: What notation software do you use for creating classical guitar scores?
I mainly use two software programs for creating music notation: MuseScore and Sibelius, but Dorico by Steinberg is my recommendation to anyone who wants to start using a professional level software. MuseScore is an excellent choice for affordable free software with a community.
Sibelius: I loved the old Sibelius 6 but the new Avid owned Sibelius is something quite different. To be clear, you can make excellent scores with Sibelius but the actual software, user interface, and layout of the program is terrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible. I can’t believe they sell the software the way it is and haven’t improved it. I am constantly baffled by the choices they made when designing the usability and and near anti-intuitive nature of it. Nevertheless, I know it after years of work and the formatting is rock solid from my scores from 15 years ago, it opens exactly the same which I am very grateful for.
MuseScore is free and I highly recommend it but I do have concerns. When they update it, it often causes layout problems that make corrections to scores a huge pain. I have a few longer books in MuseScore where I’ve had to correct one tiny fingering error which caused me to completely fix the layout of the entire book which is hours of work. I now only make small 2-6 page scores on MuseScore. Nevertheless, the MuseScore network and community is amazing and I love it. I even pay for premium and give money to support its development.
My actual recommendation is Dorico by Steinberg. I’ve heard nothing but excellent feedback about it and everyone raves about the quality. I’ve seen many tests of the software and tried it out as well. I believe it was created by the original Sibelius programmers from before the Avid buyout (double check that though). Regardless, it is a modern notation software that actually makes sense and gets updates for usability and new technology. I have highly considered using it but I have so much content in the Sibelius and MuseScore infrastructure that I’m stuck there. I believe Dorico is the new standard for quality in the industry.
