Whether you have printed music sheets, or music in PDF format on your computer, transcribing pages of notes into Sibelius for editing is a pain and can take days or even weeks. For the digital composer with a scanner, however, SmartScore is here to convert your printed pages and PDFs into music scores.
From a PDF file, PDFtoMusic Pro extracts in a few seconds the music-related elements, and enable the score to be played or exported in miscellaneous formats, like MusicXML, MIDI, Myr (Harmony Assistant files), or in a digital audio format like WAV ou AIFF. Click it, select a name for the file and save it. The Adobe PDF document is created on your hard disk at the required location. You can then either send this file by e-mail to somebody else, or process it with PDFtoMusic to convert it into the file format you need.
PDF to Music Score
Step 1
Download SmartScore. If you are not ready to buy, there is a free demo available with restrictions (See 'Resources').
Step 2
Install the program. According to the manual, an Internet connection is necessary during installation. The manual also recommends turning off all antivirus and firewalls.
Step 3
Follow the installation steps. Enter the serial number and register the product.
Step 4
When the installation has finished, open SmartScore. You should see the Task Window. This opens when the program starts and has the buttons you need to recognize scans and PDF files. If the task window is not open, you can open it manually by pressing 'Ctrl-W.'
Step 5
Press the 'Recognition' button. It has an orange arrow pointing down with a small note in the left hand corner. Alternatively, you can also go to the 'File' menu, and select 'Recognize.' The 'Begin Recognition' window should open.
Step 6
Click 'Add Files to List.' This will bring you to Windows Explorer and allow you to browse for the files you wish to convert.
Select the files you wish to convert to editable music score, then press the 'Begin Recognition' button.
Tips
- Check the box marked 'Text' if you would like the program to include lyrics.
- Check the box marked 'Hymnal Fonts' if you are scoring from a hymnal (with stubby flags and short stems). Other specialized settings allow accurate transcription of triplets, pedal marking, bowing marks, tablature notation, percussion staves and more.
- Preview the PDFs to make sure the pages are straight and the notes are readable before scanning.
Warning
- Always save your original files and make backups when editing.
Items you will need
- PC or Mac
- SmartScore Software
- Scanner (for printed pages)
- PDFs to convert
- Music Scoring Program such as Sibelius
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I recently purchased a songbook which comes with a CD of backing tracks (NOT BIAB-compatible), in which you play-along from written sheet music in the book. (I play piano/keyboard.)
I like the concept, and would be interested in purchasing others in the series, except that some of the songs are written in difficult keys for me (ie - 5 sharps, 4 flats, etc).
It would be great to be able to transpose these to an easier key. I already have software that can transpose the audio files on the CD to any key (and slow the tempo), so I'm already covered on the audio side. However, is there a way to perhaps scan the written score and then have it also transposed (for re-printing) to match that easier key? I know that I could do this by hand, but it would be quite tedious.
An ideal solution would be software that would load/import a scanned PDF (preferably multi-page document) and convert it to Music XML format. From there, I have software which can transpose the written score to a key more compatible with my meager piano skills and export it back to PDF for display on my iPad.
This is probably a lot to ask from software, but thought I'd pose the question anyway. Of course, it would be best for me to learn and get comfortable with playing in ALL keys, but I'm not looking to become a pro. I just want to be able to learn to play some songs from written scores that I already have, but happen to be in difficult keys (like B major, for example).
I'm running Windows 7, if that matters.
Any thoughts/suggestions on getting this done would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
I like the concept, and would be interested in purchasing others in the series, except that some of the songs are written in difficult keys for me (ie - 5 sharps, 4 flats, etc).
It would be great to be able to transpose these to an easier key. I already have software that can transpose the audio files on the CD to any key (and slow the tempo), so I'm already covered on the audio side. However, is there a way to perhaps scan the written score and then have it also transposed (for re-printing) to match that easier key? I know that I could do this by hand, but it would be quite tedious.
An ideal solution would be software that would load/import a scanned PDF (preferably multi-page document) and convert it to Music XML format. From there, I have software which can transpose the written score to a key more compatible with my meager piano skills and export it back to PDF for display on my iPad.
This is probably a lot to ask from software, but thought I'd pose the question anyway. Of course, it would be best for me to learn and get comfortable with playing in ALL keys, but I'm not looking to become a pro. I just want to be able to learn to play some songs from written scores that I already have, but happen to be in difficult keys (like B major, for example).
I'm running Windows 7, if that matters.
Any thoughts/suggestions on getting this done would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
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Kawai VPC1 MIDI Controller; Asus A53E Laptop running Windows 7 - 64 bit; BIAB 2017 UltraPlusPak (upgraded from 2014 EverythingPak), running from Laptop's Hard Drive.
Kawai VPC1 MIDI Controller; Asus A53E Laptop running Windows 7 - 64 bit; BIAB 2017 UltraPlusPak (upgraded from 2014 EverythingPak), running from Laptop's Hard Drive.