I use MuseScore on a daily basis, almost exclusively to create the songs in my MobileSheets library. My MobileSheets Library consists of over 1000 song sheets I created in MuseScore, exported as PDF’s (nice small PDF’s BTW) and loaded into MobileSheets via the Companion. The fantasy of instant transposition or score corrections in MobileSheets was something I also dreamed about BUT knowing MuseScore with all of its myriad of settings, spacing’s, formats, etc., I quickly realized it was a pipe dream and NOT practical.
The biggest reason being unless you are using a MuseScore 3 created score, transposition can be a messy affair with incorrect spacing for lyrics and even measures within systems. You also have to initially create the score with the correct settings or simple things like stem or beam direction will be messed up with a transposition, not to mention any added System or Staff Text positioning, etc.
That essentially means, any anticipated time saving by making changes “on the fly” at a rehearsal would be eaten up by all of the time “actually” needed to make a nice clean new version of a song.
Another problem: I have all of my MuseScore files (Music XML, MSCZ & PDF for each score) stored on my PC where I do my “song writing” so I can rewrite them as I make changes or additions and back them up at the same time I back up my PC. I do this because MuseScore doesn’t maintain a database per se but instead, files reside in their saved format like any other file. The other reason I store those files on my PC is so they don’t take up storage space on my tablet that is essentially dedicated to MobileSheets.
All of this means if I “could” update a “MuseScore” file in MobileSheets, I’d also have to remember to update the MuseScore files in my PC unless MobileSheets could sync or back that up as well. If that WASN’T possible, there wouldn’t be any time savings versus using the two programs separately, not to mention the size of the MobileSheets database if it included all of the MuseScore files in addition to Library files.
What I do instead is use MobileSheets annotations tools to mark up any needed changes on my MobileSheets PDF score and bookmark that score with some quick notes so I remember which songs I need to edit and WHAT I have to edit when I get back to my PC. That takes about a second. When I get home, I make the corrections or transpositions in MuseScore and use the “Swap File” option to swap the old PDF with the new. Doing it at home also gives me the luxury of taking my time so I don’t end up revising the same song two or three times because I was trying to do it in a hurry at a gig or rehearsal.
Another thing I do often is anticipate transpositions based on the vocalists or instrumentalists I work with beforehand. So, if for example, I originally score something in Bb but I know my vocalist will want to do it in F, I do the transposition(s) ahead of time and load all the versions into MobileSheets. I have more than a few songs in my MobileSheets Library in 3 or 4 different keys and keep in mind, a MuseScore created song, exported as a PDF in MuseScore is about 20 – 50K so it is hardly a problem space-wise in MobileSheets.
One other thing...MuseScore 4 is coming. If you lived through the transitions from 1 -2 -3, you know what I am talking about and will realize functionality within MobileSheets is about impossible.
The biggest reason being unless you are using a MuseScore 3 created score, transposition can be a messy affair with incorrect spacing for lyrics and even measures within systems. You also have to initially create the score with the correct settings or simple things like stem or beam direction will be messed up with a transposition, not to mention any added System or Staff Text positioning, etc.
That essentially means, any anticipated time saving by making changes “on the fly” at a rehearsal would be eaten up by all of the time “actually” needed to make a nice clean new version of a song.
Another problem: I have all of my MuseScore files (Music XML, MSCZ & PDF for each score) stored on my PC where I do my “song writing” so I can rewrite them as I make changes or additions and back them up at the same time I back up my PC. I do this because MuseScore doesn’t maintain a database per se but instead, files reside in their saved format like any other file. The other reason I store those files on my PC is so they don’t take up storage space on my tablet that is essentially dedicated to MobileSheets.
All of this means if I “could” update a “MuseScore” file in MobileSheets, I’d also have to remember to update the MuseScore files in my PC unless MobileSheets could sync or back that up as well. If that WASN’T possible, there wouldn’t be any time savings versus using the two programs separately, not to mention the size of the MobileSheets database if it included all of the MuseScore files in addition to Library files.
What I do instead is use MobileSheets annotations tools to mark up any needed changes on my MobileSheets PDF score and bookmark that score with some quick notes so I remember which songs I need to edit and WHAT I have to edit when I get back to my PC. That takes about a second. When I get home, I make the corrections or transpositions in MuseScore and use the “Swap File” option to swap the old PDF with the new. Doing it at home also gives me the luxury of taking my time so I don’t end up revising the same song two or three times because I was trying to do it in a hurry at a gig or rehearsal.
Another thing I do often is anticipate transpositions based on the vocalists or instrumentalists I work with beforehand. So, if for example, I originally score something in Bb but I know my vocalist will want to do it in F, I do the transposition(s) ahead of time and load all the versions into MobileSheets. I have more than a few songs in my MobileSheets Library in 3 or 4 different keys and keep in mind, a MuseScore created song, exported as a PDF in MuseScore is about 20 – 50K so it is hardly a problem space-wise in MobileSheets.
One other thing...MuseScore 4 is coming. If you lived through the transitions from 1 -2 -3, you know what I am talking about and will realize functionality within MobileSheets is about impossible.