Is there software that will scan and play sheet music?

Steve Duke · Post by **Steve Duke** » 27 Sep 2017 6:25 pm

A friend of mine that plays Spanish Guitar (not professional) ask if I knew of a software program that will scan a sheet of music and play that score. Anybody know? Thanks

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 28 Sep 2017 12:38 am

never heard of anything like that, but who knows. Remember though, a scan is just a picture. It is not a detailed line by line copy of the original.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Sep 2017 5:00 am

Actually, I believe both Sibelius and Finale have add-on programs that allow you to scan in a piece of sheet music and then play it.

Jeff Garden · Post by **Jeff Garden** » 28 Sep 2017 6:36 am

And if they can do that, Jimbeaux, the next step would be to reverse the process. Download a recording and have sheet music/tablature print out. Maybe I should be careful what I ask for...then I wouldn't have a hobby!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Sep 2017 6:41 am

Well, sheet music separates out all the parts in advance (i.e., 1st violin, 2nd violin, cellos, horns, basses, etc.). A recording comes across as just a jumble of notes. I don't think there's anything out there yet that can keep track of which instruments are playing each of the notes that are heard. That is not a trivial problem to solve.

Steve Duke · Post by **Steve Duke** » 28 Sep 2017 8:15 am

Thanks for the responses. Jim: you could use the two programs you mentioned if you had the score for each instrument then? And, maybe mix the different outputs into one?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Sep 2017 8:19 am

Steve Duke wrote:Thanks for the responses. Jim: you could use the two programs you mentioned if you had the score for each instrument then? And, maybe mix the different outputs into one?

I don't own either program myself so I can't say for sure, but I expect you could do that.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 28 Sep 2017 8:37 am

Jim Cohen wrote:I believe both Sibelius and Finale have add-on programs that allow you to scan in a piece of sheet music and then play it.

Certainly Sibelius does. I have hardly used it but it works within certain limitations. The more modern the typesetting the better.

James Mayer · Post by **James Mayer** » 28 Sep 2017 8:48 am

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sheet-music-scanner-score-player/id884984324?mt=8

I haven't tried it. $4.99 is worth a shot.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Sep 2017 8:59 am

Even better, $3.99. I guess it plays it back on your iPad itself, right? Are there sufficient voices inside iPad to do that, I wonder?

Whoever tries it out, let us all know how it goes!

James Mayer · Post by **James Mayer** » 28 Sep 2017 9:08 am

Jim Cohen wrote:Even better, $3.99. I guess it plays it back on your iPad itself, right? Are there sufficient voices inside iPad to do that, I wonder?

Whoever tries it out, let us all know how it goes!

ah, thought I read $4.99.

James Mayer · Post by **James Mayer** » 28 Sep 2017 9:10 am

Jim Cohen wrote: Are there sufficient voices inside iPad to do that, I wonder?

Whoever tries it out, let us all know how it goes!

Instruments: Acoustic Bass, Alto Sax, Bagpipes, Banjo, Bass Guitar, Cello, Choir, Clarinet, Double Bass, Flute, French Horn, Guitar - Classical, Clean, Distortion, Mandolin, Harp, Organ (Pipe, Percussive, Reed, Tonewheel), Piano, Recorder, Tenor Sax, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Viola, Violin. Actual instrument pitch supported for transposing instruments.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Sep 2017 9:12 am

Yeah, I read that the software represents those voices but doesn't the iPad itself have to contain them to produce the sounds, or do you think the software is actually delivering the sounds to the iPad. Yeah, maybe that's it...

James Mayer · Post by **James Mayer** » 28 Sep 2017 9:32 am

I seem to remember PCs had to have voices installed, like soundfonts. I'm not aware of any situation like that for the iPad. When app says it has those voices, it can play them in the app without further dependencies needed. iReal Pro, Guitar Pro, TEFView (Tabledit), for example.

James Mayer · Post by **James Mayer** » 28 Sep 2017 9:41 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T--mfKF0kwY

There ya go.

James Mayer · Post by **James Mayer** » 28 Sep 2017 9:44 am

Here's a comparison of three software sheet music scanners.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN1RENjWnLU

Steve Duke · Post by **Steve Duke** » 28 Sep 2017 12:47 pm

James: The youtube examples you posted, these are all ipad apps and not software programs, correct?

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 29 Sep 2017 1:49 am

well there ya have it !

Ian Worley · Post by **Ian Worley** » 29 Sep 2017 5:57 pm

Capella Scan & Play is a "light" version of Capella Scan that does exactly what you're asking. It's a PC program https://www.capella-software.com/us/ind ... scan-play/. It's $38.

I have the regular pro version 7.0 (they're on 8.x now), it will also export to midi or to music xml for editing in programs like Finale and Sibelius. It works really well but it is of course a lot more expensive if you don't need that functionality.

Steve Duke · Post by **Steve Duke** » 30 Sep 2017 6:08 am

I appreciate all the responses. Thanks Ian:This is exactly what I'm looking for (I think). I didn't see system requirements. I'm still running windows XP. Some of the new software doesn't work on XP. thanks

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 14 Oct 2017 1:53 pm

I do like the ability to play a piece of music on a midi equipped instrument and have a musical notation print out of everything you played. Back in the old days we had to sit down and hand write lead sheets for copyrights. I see no reason not to be able to do the reverse except the music would have to be OCR (Optical Character Recognition). You couldn't grab just any music and scan it.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 14 Oct 2017 3:19 pm

Steve Duke wrote:A friend of mine that plays Spanish Guitar (not professional) ask if I knew of a software program that will scan a sheet of music and play that score. Anybody know? Thanks

The human brain can do that.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 14 Oct 2017 4:30 pm

b0b wrote:
Steve Duke wrote:A friend of mine that plays Spanish Guitar (not professional) ask if I knew of a software program that will scan a sheet of music and play that score. Anybody know? Thanks
The human brain can do that.

... but only some of them. A minority, actually...

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 14 Oct 2017 5:43 pm

Heeheehehaw! bOb speaks the truth! That's funny.

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Is there software that will scan and play sheet music?

Is there software that will scan and play sheet music?

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