I am new to any music software, but Internet search makes Dorico look like the way to go. Can it do what I want, and which version should I select? I see a free version, but don’t know whether it can. I see different paid versions but they advertise multiple players and multiple instruments. That may be much more than I desire at the moment.
I want to be able to input music so that I may play later from the sheet music. I play alto saxophone and tenor saxophone.
I also want to be able to input piano music and then let the software automatically show me the saxophone version. Is that called transposing? Transcribing? My daughter may then play her piano music and I would play along in the saxophone. This would not be as fascinating as an arrangement, but we would start simple, each playing the same music. Can I input her piano music (manually or other)? Can Dorico then show me how to play it for alto saxophone?
This will give you 60 days to assess to the whole program. It will also allow you to try out the (free) SE version and the (limited) Elements version, to see which is best suited to your needs.
If you are new to notation software, you could just register for the free Dorico SE version, so you can acclimatise to the environment without any time constrain (even if 60 days for the Dorico Pro Trial is a long time ).
When you have done some experience with the basic and free versionDorico SE (and see if it is enough or not, for your needs) you can then decide to start with the free Trial of Dorico Pro as @Janus suggested, to see what the “bigger” version can do.
The free 60 days Trial for Dorico Pro, that is the most advanced version, gives you access also to the intermediate version Dorico Elements (using dedicated shortcuts by launching the application).
The application basically is the same for Dorico SE, Dorico Elements and Dorico Pro. Depending on which licence you then purchase, you can then activate your licence for the different levels/versions, gaining access to the more advanced features of Elements or/and Pro.
(If you then purchase Dorico Pro, you have access to all three versions, using dedicated shortcuts by launching the app.)
Thank you. Do you know if or whether any of these may show me the music converted to be for another instrument? I do not know whether that is called transcribing or transposing, but the idea is to have music for one instrument and then see what the key signature and notes would be for the same music for another/different instrument.
Yes. You can do this in two ways. Copy the same music (notes) to different instruments. Or have multiple layouts with different characteristics for one instrument.
@larrylanden
You can certainly do these things already in Dorico SE. You write the music for piano, then create a Tenor Sax player/staff, copy the music of the right hand of the piano into it, adjust the octave if needed, and Dorico can show immediately which notes the sax should play (this is called transposed pitch).
I just remembered that there is currently a very good deal for purchasing Dorico. For example Dorico Element full version for 59,99€!!! I would definitely go for it
Thank you. I installed Dorico SE, and activated it. On launching it I a may open or create, and so I am creating. The “solo” section has guitar, organ, and piano. And “lead”. But it doesn’t have saxophone. Odd. Is this because of the SE version? I want to be able to add saxophone music and keep it for myself, or show it from alto saxophone to tenor saxophone. Or add solo piano music and show it for alto or tenor saxophone.
Hi @larrylanden, I prepared for you (using Dorico SE) a little project example with Alto Sax, Tenor Sax and Piano. Using the amazing Layouts functionality you can then decide what you want to print (or export as PDF, or visualise on your iPad). I made also a little video explaining some basic things. Hope it helps.
Dorico Project (that you can download, open, and change/fill with your music as needed. You can use it as a template, for future usage. In Dorico Pro you can also Save as Template and it will appear in your Hub ):
Video explanation (just to show how the Project works, you don’t need to understand everything. You can just use the project as a template for inputting your music in the Full Score ALL layout , and you have your layouts already ready, that will populate automatically with the correct transpositions ):
This is tremendously helpful (thank you). You guys are stars! And I am beginning to use this. But forgive me if I am dense. I added the piano music (just the treble cleff for now). Your example showed me the setup mode and the flow mode and how to view one or multiple at once. How may I now get it to create and fill out the saxophone music based on the piano music I entered? I know an arrangement will be more amazing, and the notes won’t always be transpositions of each other, and they complement each other and play melody and harmony. But for now how may I create the notes for the other instrument based on the one instrument?
Note: I have the piano music as one “player” and the alto saxophone as another but without music (currently just showing rests for all measures) and the same for the tenor saxophone showing rests for all measures.
As in a text editor, visualise the Full score layout, switch to Write mode, select the music of the upper staff of the piano, copy (control+C), then select the first rest of the sax, and paste (control+V).
I made this project entirely in Dorico SE: so no need to pay for it.
(but you may want soon some more advanced features, and the deal is only till the 5 of February. Your decision)