Is there software that will scan and play sheet music?

[Steve Duke]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

There ya go.

[James Mayer]

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

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

[Steve Duke]

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

[Tony Prior]

well there ya have it !

[Ian Worley]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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