Transposing using free music software
  • musicman923
    Posts: 239
    Hi Eveyone,
    I am interested in transposing a piece of music that I will be putting into the free finale I have on my computer. I took a music software program in high school but it's been about 8 years and I've forgot most of it. I have the old finals 2008 free software on my Mac. I'm planning on downloading the new finale later today and starting to input my music. My idea is to put the piece in the current key and then hopefully hit the transposer button down a minor third and bingo new key, everything automatically transposes like that.

    Is this possible?

    If anyone has thoughts or a different way I should go about it, please let me know.

    Thanks!!
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    For free? Lily pond, if you're geeky, PR musescore, if you want something similar to finale.
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,393
    In Finale the better approach is to change the key signature to the key a minor third below the original one.
  • musicman923
    Posts: 239
    I'm looking for a free music program that will allow me to put the music into it from the original key and then just transpose it down into a lower key. What is the easiest program that will do that for free??
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,469
    Easy - Free - Good
    Pick (at most) two.
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • musicman923
    Posts: 239
    Adam, what program do you reccomend I use for inputting and transposing music?
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    I use musescore for this sort of thing. It's not perfect, but it gets the job done
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,469
    Adam, what program do you reccomend I use for inputting and transposing music?

    Good, easy, not free: Sibelius
    Good, not easy, not free: Finale
    Good, free, not easy: Lilypond
    Thanked by 2Ben Heath
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    There's also the rule of ishes. You can have good, easy, and free, but they must have an ish.

    Musescore: good-ish, easy-ish, free
    Thanked by 1Adam Wood
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,182
    I have the old finals 2008 free software on my Mac.

    Even your Finale 2008 program will transpose, simply by changing the key signature and selecting transpose notes down (default initial behavior is up).
  • BedfordRick
    Posts: 8
    I use Noteworthy Composer. It isn't free but it isn't expensive. I used it mostly to transpose Treble Clef music to Base Clef. I would start with the new clef and key signature, then I would enter the notes as if it was in Treble Clef. Once I had the music entered, I would highlight all the music and move it up or down on the staff all together. There was another feature that would affect only the pitch of the sound it would play back to me. I often entered all parts and practiced my part by singing with the computer.
  • BedfordRick
    Posts: 8
    P.S. I bought my software from their website and downloaded it. They followed up by sending me an install CD.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,609
    FInale Notepad is free once again, and it easy, free and good.
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