Can you help with MuseScore Songbook on iPad PROBLEM?

[Linda K]

The majority of the time I play T3 keyboard and my other instruments "by ear". However being able to 'read' music scores and lead sheets has the potential to greatly expand my musical horizon. Unfortunately I have a visual disability, so reading scores and lead sheets is very difficult, and over many years now I have looked for workable solutions to enable me to access sheet music.

I really like the MuseScore Songbook app that I purchased yesterday for under $2 for my iPad. It is sooo easy to enlarge the score font to the very LARGE size I need in order to be able to read it easily. I don't mind the song covering several pages, as long as I can see the notes [which I can], using the "enlarge" button on this app. The app also has many other cool features.

HOWEVER, there is a problem with opening any score or lead sheet which is not in  the MSCZ format into the MuseScore Songbook app. This is very frustrating indeed, especially as there's so much music that can be accessed via forums such as PSR, this music being in PDF format. Digital scores that I already have on my iPad are in PDF. Also any printed sheet music that I want to scan into the iPad, I will do using my iPad, and this can only be converted to PDF scores. I don't use a stand alone scanner, so this is not an option in terms of formatting.

Being positive about  MuseScore Songbook, it is terrific and many MSCZ  format scores can be accessed via the app. However, many songs that I would like to have are not available. I play keyboard at my church and I especially want to be able to open hymns and worship songs on MuseScore Songbook app to enlarge them. However, in terms of this genre of music, these are scarce on the app. The Christian lead sheets I have access to are all in PDF form and  more difficult to see.

Another issue with the app is that when I compose music on my keyboard and transfer it to the iPad to view the score in digital form, the music will be in PDF format and I then can't open this sheet music in MuseScore Songbook app, and therefore can't enlarge it to a large enough font that I can see clearly.

Before requesting assistance with this issue, I have looked on the Internet but couldn't find a solution for this problem. Any help with this would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

Linda

[frozzers]

Hi Linda

I think this app will help you convert your PDFs to mxl format which MuseScore can read.

https://sheetmusicscanner.com

Chris

[Linda K]

Many thanks Chris.

I will check this app out and let you know how I get on

Regards
Linda

[Roger Brenizer]

Hi Linda,

If you're not already aware, here is a link to all of the MuseScore supported file formats:

https://musescore.org/en/handbook/file-formats

MuseScore also converts PDF sheets to the standard MSCZ format.  The PDF file needs to be clean, which means free of smudges and distortions. 

[rdiazhin]

MuseScore App for iOS (Ipad) and Andriod only supports the standard MSCZ format.

You cannot open a PDF or any other file format with the app.

[Roger Brenizer]

MuseScore App for iOS (Ipad) and Andriod only supports the standard MSCZ format.

You cannot open a PDF or any other file format with the app.

Hi Rdiazhin,

I'm aware of that; however, you can use the desktop version to convert a PDF file to the MSCZ format. 

[rdiazhin]

however, you can use the desktop version to convert a PDF file to the MSCZ format. 

Yes I know that, exporting mscz files to PDF in the Desktop program is possible. I was clarifying to Linda K that the MuseScore app cannot open PDFs, since  it seems that she's trying to do that according with her original question.

Regards.

[frozzers]

I think Roger was pointing out that, unlike with the app, you can load a PDF into the desktop version.

In fact, you don't actually load the PDF into Musescore; you upload it to their server and the conversion is done online. It usually takes less than a minute to process and they email you when it's ready.

However, I've found the Musescore PDF conversion process can be very hit and miss. Sometimes, you get a blank sheet back. Other times, it can look OK but, on closer inspection, you find a number of errors. In my experience, it's very rare to find a fully accurate copy which means you might have to do quite a bit of work to correct it. The accuracy is very much dependent on the quality of the original PDF.

Music Scanner, linked in my earlier post, is really worth a look, especially at the price. It can import from a file or from the phone/tablet camera.

Here's Page 1 of 'All Of Me' PDF from the Easy Keyboard Library which I imported into Music Scanner on my iPhone. After conversion, I saved it as a .xml file which I then imported into Musescore. I saved it back out of Musescore as .mscz to post it here as the Forum won't allow .xml posts.

As you can see, it's come out pretty well. The only things missing, apart from the lyrics (which I wouldn't need), are the chord symbols and the triplet marks. Both of these would only take a couple of minutes to add in MuseScore.

Chris


[attachment deleted by admin]

[Linda K]

Hi Chris

I haven't been very active on the forum for a long time due to health issues and have only just read your post. Thank you.

I have purchased the Music Scanner app which I think is fantastic! I am able to import scores that I can listen to which is very helpful. I have an iPad Pro.

I was interested to read your description of how to transfer a score from Music Scanner to Musescore  and this is what I would like to do as it would solve my long term issue.  However this is not working for me at the moment.

I was hoping that if I wrote down what I'm doing, you might be able to work out what the problem is. Many Thanks.

1. In Music Scanner I have a score "The Music of the Night".
2. I press 'export' button
3. Click/choose MusicXML
4. Click on either Export to other app or Browse (expecting to see Musescore app)
5. It's not one of the apps available to export 'The Music of the Night" into.

Thank you Chris

Linda K

[panos]

Hi Linda,
I don't know much about scanning just a simple pdf file on paper and how good the result might be or not but:

All these programs like musescore from what I can understand they use let's say the same method.
They need something "digital" to read.
Digital things can be various things for a pc's or a program's logic.

In our case to be able to read and also listen sheet music we need either a digital sheet or a midi file.

For your perfomances as Roger indicated you could use the muscore pc version to transform the midi file recorded on your keyboard to digital sheet music.
The midi file can contain 1 up to 16 channels if you are playing with a style,
You keep on musescore just the right and left hand playing to display and delete the rest "channels".
I don't know if it can display also the chords without needing to add them "by hand".

Digital sheets for the songs you are looking for, if they are not in the musescore site
but you can still find them on other sites, then you could buy and download the sheet and trasform it again using the muscore pc version to MSCZ format. 
I don't know if they are any copy protected when you dowload the sheet so not being able someone to use it on another program as a pdf
but I guess they cannot protect it when you download it as a midi file to use it on another program.

Of course if you can find free midi files on the internet you doing the same procedure as with the midi files from your Tyros.
 

[Linda K]

To those of you who might be interested in this topic.

Thanks Panos for your input and also anyone else, I haven't already thanked 

The MuseScore Songbook app is unique as it is able to enlarge the 'font size' of a score into a very easy readable format. However you have to use the songs that are in their database, which can be restrictive. The app can also transpose songs into your choice of key which is a bonus.

It would seem that Chris was able to import a song, that was not in  MuseScore library, I would like to be able to do this.

To explain this further, I just logged onto MuseScore app to look for the well know song, 'Happy Birthday'. I can play this song by ear so don't really need this music. However I chose it as it is a simple tune to demonstrate the features of the three apps, MuseScore, Music Scanner and forScore.

The ' Happy Birthday ' version that I chose had 9 bars and was on ONE page.
People with visual disability, would be unable to read this music in its current format - it is too small.

Because the MuseScore Songbook app is able to enlarge scores, I kept pressing the + button to reach the maximum size possible for the  Happy Birthday music.

'Happy Birthday' score after activating the enlarge button is  now very large and on 5 separate pages instead of the original 1, and accessible for people with visual disability to read.

I then imported 'Happy Birthday' into Sheet Music Scanner app. Next I exported the song into forScore app, where I could write chords in with a stylus pen. Then I  would be able to use my foot peddle to turn each page as I played Happy Birthday.

To summarize, It would seem that Chris was able to import a song, that was not in  MuseScore library into this app. I would like to be able to do this but have been unable to successfully implement the instructions Chris gave above.

I am hoping that Chris will be able to direct me in terms of how to import music into  MuseScore. Or If anyone knows of another app where the scores can be enlarged as I have described above, I would be very grateful.

Many thanks
Linda

[frozzers]

Hi Linda

The problem here is that the MuseScore iPad app doesn't have an option to import a MusicXML file which is why MuseScore isn't one of the apps shown in the 'Export to Other App' or 'Browse' options you've mentioned in an earlier post.

The good news is that, as has been previously discussed, the MuseScore desktop program will allow you to import a MusicXML file. Even better news is that the MuseScore desktop version is free. It can be downloaded here:

https://musescore.org/en/download

To get your scanned MusicXML files into the MuseScore desktop version you'll firstly need to send them from your iPad to your PC or Mac using the 'Export to Other App' or 'Browse' options. If you're using a cloud storage facility like Google Drive or Dropbox, you could transfer them there, just upload following the prompts. Or, you could email or message the files to yourself. All of these options will you to download your files to your computer and you can then import them into MuseScore (desktop).

Once you've opened the file into MuseScore, you can do some work on it if you want to before transferring it back to your iPad.

Unfortunately, this transfer process isn't as straightforward as you might expect because you need to upload it to the MuseScore online community first. Once it's there, it will be stored as one of your saved scores.

So to transfer your files to the iPad:

1. from the MuseScore desktop program main menu, select File/Save Online
2. enter a title for the song as appropriate
3. check the box 'Keep this song private' (unless you want others in the MuseScore community to download it)
4. click 'Save'.

After a short time, you'll get an email saying 'Your score has been uploaded successfully'.

Then the file you've saved in the desktop app will appear under 'My Scores' in the iPad app.

Good luck!

Chris

[Linda K]

Hi Chris

Many thanks for your comprehensive reply that I will now work through.

My only query at the moment is understanding what a "Scanned MusicXML" is please?

I've read about MusicXML over the last few days but can't work how to produce one.

Your help with this issue is again very appreciated

Kind Regards

Linda

[frozzers]

Hi Linda

The 'scanned MusicXML' file will be the file you export after you've completed the scan in the Music Scanner app.

This is what you do in Music Scanner:

1. Scan your music
2. Click on the 2nd icon from the left at the bottom of the 'New Song' screen (it's an 'Up' arrow in a box)
3. Select 'MusicXML'
4. Give it a name and press 'OK'
5. Follow the instructions below starting 'To get your scanned ...'

Cheers

Chris

[Linda K]

Hi Chris

Again, many thanks

I have been able to export songs to MuseScore program on PC
Changed the key and returned them successfully to forScore or Sheet Music Scanner on ipad.

I will now work on uploading songs to MuseScore Community from the PC.

Will let you know the outcome

Kind wishes

Linda

[frozzers]

Hi Linda

Great!

You're nearly there!

Chris

[Roger Brenizer]

Hi Linda,

I'm glad to hear you're having some success with MuseScore.    I've been using this notation program for several years now.

Be sure you're running the latest version, which can be found as follows:

https://musescore.org/en/download

[Linda K]

Thank you Roger

I'm always a little hesitant in terms of upgrading software as I've had very unpleasant experiences in the past when doing this. I would like to think that MuseScore upgrade from the version I now have installed would be a wise decision.

Your thoughts about this would be appreciated Roger

Regards

Linda

[Roger Brenizer]

I'm currently running MuseScore Version 3.0.4.5763 and it seems to be very stable, Linda.  The user interface has some minor changes, but you will quickly adapt to the new update, which is very intuitive and easy to use. 

If you're concerned about installing the new update, I would suggest that you not update MuseScore 2 and install MuseScore 3 as a new program.  When you're comfortable with MuseScore 3 you can remove MuseScore 2 from your computer or simply leave in intact if you wish.  The program doesn't take up much hard drive space. 

[Linda K]

Hi Roger

What a great idea to install updated version as a new installation. I will do this.

Many Many Thanks

Linda