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We are fortunate as Internet-era musicians to have access to a vast collection of music resources online through collections such as the Choral Public Domain Library, Internet Sheet Music Library Project and Mutopia. With such a volume of music available for free use, ranging from new compositions shared under public license to editions of standard rep from chant through the Romantic era, it is possible to do a large portion of our programming at no cost and save our limited music budget for new compositions and settings or editions. Cost aside, there is a valid musical case to be made for utilizing public domain music projects– the ability to create your own settings or voicings to fit your ensemble or program. While you can recreate a score in your notation program of choice by re-entering an entire printed composition, the fact that public domain music sites give you your desired scores in an existing digital format makes it much easier to input them directly into a notation program for your own arranging needs. From something as simple as changing the key to fit a young ensemble to adding voicings or accompaniment, being able to create your own editions gives you incredible flexibility in your programming.
Know Your Software
Both Sibelius and Finale have built-in score scanning software that will allow you to scan music directly into the program. The scanning software will make a best guess as to the manuscript and convert it into an editable score in either file type. In my own experience, I have had better results with Sibelius’ PhotoScore package than Finale’s SmartScore, but the difference is nowhere near large enough to advocate for Finale users to jump ship to Sibelius, for example. In each case, some editing is usually required, especially to clean up text or articulation markings. This works well for hand-written scores, although the results are highly influenced by the neatness of the score, especially as it comes to spacing of rhythms and barlines. For our purposes, though, we can use the scanning software but bypass the scanner entirely– again, since we get the files digitally from the public domain sites, we can avoid having to print and re-scan. This saves us two ways: first it saves us time by eliminating steps, and secondly it preserves the files’ resolution in as high a format as possible to reduce the risk of scanning errors.
Input Types
Each of the three sites I mentioned above have different dominant file types, which will inform how we process a composition. ISMLP stores most pieces as image files or PDF documents. Since they’re high-quality scans from libraries around the world, they are often very clear and easy to read (and very large!). They’re also usually hand-written, which can introduce a layer of complexity and usually a bit more editing. CPDL primarily uses PDF, although users can submit compositions in a wide range of formats, including MIDI, Postscript or Lilypond (more on that in a moment). Mutopia primarily uses LilyPond, although PDFs and MIDI files are usually available. When you have a choice, the files will each give you different advantages:
- PDF files will usually include the text, articulations and dynamics in a complete “ready-to-print” format. These tend to also be generated by a notation program, which means fewer errors to correct on importing.
- MIDI files will import with 100% accuracy of pitch, although not always note (enharmonic misspellings are frequent, and should be double-checked in the editing phase). Depending on how the files are generated, rhythms are normally accurate and straightforward, but can sometimes throw you a curveball. Text, dynamics and articulations are very rarely found.
- Image files will obviously include anything you see in the scan, although these have the highest error rate since the computer has to interpret handwriting rather than computer-generated text.
- LilyPond is the Linux or GIMP of the music typeset world. If that sentence means nothing to you, you may want to skip it. LilyPond is a music notation language, created for use with several open-source (and free) software programs. It gives incredible control over the fine details of engraving and printing, and has the advantage of being free (as opposed to the cost of Sibelius or Finale). That said, like all other open-source programs, it requires an extreme comfort level with operating complex programs with minimal documentation, help or peer support. And like with any other open-source program, it has passionate and vocal proponents. Just use discretion on whether you want to walk that far down the path of notation control at this point.
Importing Files
Sibelius can import .PDF files directly as well as the image files and MIDI. PhotoScore (Sibelius’ scanning package) will make its best judgment about the intent of the printing and create the file as a score within Sibelius, ready for your editing and arranging. From there, you can save it as a Sibelius file to preserve your work and use any of the recording/playback features you may need there as well. Finale will import the MIDI files, and any .TIF image files, but can’t take .PDF or .JPG image files natively. Thankfully, it’s very easy to find converters online or use a virtual print driver to print an image file or .PDF as a .TIF and import that into PhotoScore (Finale’s scanning package). Again, once it’s in Finale, it can be manipulated and treated as any other Finale file.
Check your Licenses
Public domain works are free to distribute and use as-is, and all three of these services host works explicitly for you to use as a musician. Copyright and fair use doctrines apply to the process of creating new arrangements based on someone else’s work, though. In essence, the copyright applies not to the original composition (copyright there having expired), but the edition that someone created and uploaded to the service. Check the copyright rules on the server you’re planning to utilize to ensure that you’re operating correctly. As of today (Sept 25, 2014):
- CPDL states that you can use and distribute materials hosted at CPDL. If you modify any materials, though, you must keep the copyright license conditions the same. In other words, no fair downloading a score, editing it, and then selling your new edition.
- Mutopia has three possible levels of license, which contributors can select for their work.
- IMSLP makes all work available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike, which means that you must give the original contributor credit and retain the same license conditions.
Using the scanning tools built-in to Sibelius or Finale, you can import files directly from public domain sites to re-arrange or edit as necessary for your ensembles. While a careful eye is still needed to proof-read the scans once they’re in, being able to import files directly reduces import errors and gets you to the work more quickly. In addition to new works shared by the composers, these sites are filled with standard literature representing some of the richest eras and composers of our art, and can be a cost-effective way to access great literature in ways that you know directly fit your ensemble’s needs.
ethanklein says
To import public domain literature directly into your notation software, you can follow these steps:
Find a public domain score or sheet music online. You can search for these on websites such as IMSLP (International Music Score Library Project) or Mutopia Project.
Download the score in a format that is compatible with your notation software. Common file formats for scores include PDF, MusicXML, and MIDI.
Open your notation software and create a new file or open an existing one.
Import the score into your notation software by selecting the “Import” or “Open” option from the software’s file menu. Choose the file you downloaded in step 2.
Once the score is imported, you can edit and arrange it in your notation software as desired. This may include transposing the key, changing the tempo or dynamics, and adding or removing parts.
Save your work as a new file to preserve your changes.
By following these steps, you can easily import public domain literature directly into your notation software and incorporate it into your musical compositions.
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Judith Higbee says
Thanks for sharing this information. Valuable article!