Comments on: Typesetting music in LaTeX and LilyPond http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/03/15/typesetting-music-in-latex-and-lilypond/ The blog of John D. Cook Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:45:27 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Sam Grainger http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/03/15/typesetting-music-in-latex-and-lilypond/comment-page-1/#comment-41613 Sam Grainger Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:52:50 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1762#comment-41613 Stick with Lilypond. In terms of engraving quality, it's far and above anything Finale and Sibelius will ever produce and nearly on par with the real music typesetting software such as SCORE. Although Sibelius / Finale may seem easier / faster, lily wins hands down because you very rarely have to mess around laying things out manually. Lily will never be a composing tool (nor, for that matter will Sib / Finale). For that, Rosegarden + Ardour + JACK etc. is a great solution and can be integrated into a professional setup with the commercial sample libraries for realisations / demos and the like. Stick with Lilypond. In terms of engraving quality, it’s far and above anything Finale and Sibelius will ever produce and nearly on par with the real music typesetting software such as SCORE. Although Sibelius / Finale may seem easier / faster, lily wins hands down because you very rarely have to mess around laying things out manually.

Lily will never be a composing tool (nor, for that matter will Sib / Finale). For that, Rosegarden + Ardour + JACK etc. is a great solution and can be integrated into a professional setup with the commercial sample libraries for realisations / demos and the like.

]]> By: Ed http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/03/15/typesetting-music-in-latex-and-lilypond/comment-page-1/#comment-15737 Ed Sat, 11 Apr 2009 04:04:48 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1762#comment-15737 Thanks for this info. I'm going to have to give it a try some time. For most of my typesetting, I've been using Sibelius for years. But occasionally it seems like it makes some things far too hard. For very simple <a href="http://redwinerage.blogspot.com/2009/01/this-is-waltz.html" rel="nofollow">scores that you can post on a blog</a>, take a look at <a href="http://www.noteflight.com" rel="nofollow">noteflight</a>. Thanks for this info. I’m going to have to give it a try some time.

For most of my typesetting, I’ve been using Sibelius for years. But occasionally it seems like it makes some things far too hard.

For very simple scores that you can post on a blog, take a look at noteflight.

]]> By: Jason http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/03/15/typesetting-music-in-latex-and-lilypond/comment-page-1/#comment-14620 Jason Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:19:17 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1762#comment-14620 I use Lilypond for all my music typesetting; I've gotten so it's about three times as fast for me to type Lilypond as to write out a score. I also have had fun with writing Scheme for it; <a href="http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/prelude/prelude.html" rel="nofollow">this</a> is an exceptionally fun example (not mine), but you can do simpler, less impressive things to cut out repetitive work. You could probably make a "virtual Philip Glass" and put him out of business . . . I use Lilypond for all my music typesetting; I’ve gotten so it’s about three times as fast for me to type Lilypond as to write out a score. I also have had fun with writing Scheme for it; this is an exceptionally fun example (not mine), but you can do simpler, less impressive things to cut out repetitive work. You could probably make a “virtual Philip Glass” and put him out of business . . .

]]> By: Roger Peng http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/03/15/typesetting-music-in-latex-and-lilypond/comment-page-1/#comment-14597 Roger Peng Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:49:49 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1762#comment-14597 I never quite got into using Lilypond for music. For some reason it just doesn't feel right to me. I think, for me, it's because writing music is still faster by hand than it is on the computer, unlike with typing regular text. Also, I think writing music is more of a spatial process, and so it helps to be able to see the whole sheet, which I find hard to do on the computer (same is true with software like Finale). I guess it might help to have a huge monitor or something (projector?). I never quite got into using Lilypond for music. For some reason it just doesn’t feel right to me. I think, for me, it’s because writing music is still faster by hand than it is on the computer, unlike with typing regular text. Also, I think writing music is more of a spatial process, and so it helps to be able to see the whole sheet, which I find hard to do on the computer (same is true with software like Finale). I guess it might help to have a huge monitor or something (projector?).

]]> By: Nicou http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/03/15/typesetting-music-in-latex-and-lilypond/comment-page-1/#comment-14595 Nicou Mon, 16 Mar 2009 01:59:30 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1762#comment-14595 I personally hate source code for sheet music. It looks so ugly, and it's never implemented correctly because of the expressiveness of the songs. For only one instrument (or one hand), it's kind of fine, though. I personally hate source code for sheet music. It looks so ugly, and it’s never implemented correctly because of the expressiveness of the songs. For only one instrument (or one hand), it’s kind of fine, though.

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