Expert: Marbeth - 2/8/2007

Question
I hear great music in my head but am bedeviled how to put it down. Of course, I am lacking knowledge of theory, harmony, etc. Piano - integrate left hand with right hand melody ??

Answer
I have three ideas.  

(1) If you can play the piano, even marginally, you might get hold of "Finale" (Coda Music) and hook up a MIDI keyboard to it.  Then you can play into it, and music notation will come out.  You'll have to tweak it a bit, such as removing inadvertent rests bcs you lifted your hand too soon - - in which case you increase the value of the note that got "shorted".  

Know that "Finale" is very expensive (well, *I* think it is!).  If you can get it with an academic discount, that helps a lot.  Do you teach for a public or private school, for example?  Or a college? To get the academic discount, you have to write on letterhead to request it.  And I think you have to have a purchase number.

http://www.finalemusic.com/

There is a free download of "NOtepad," a rudimentary form of the program so you can see how it works with hand-entry, but it doesn't have MIDI capability.

If you play piano only marginally, you can play in hands (or voices) separately and then combine them in a new file, in which you ^C and ^V.

There might be a way to "sing" in the piece thru voice, but I don't know.  You can also input with any other MIDI instrument (or instrument you can arrange to connect to a MIDI instrument).

Also look into Sibelius.  http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/

(2) Especially if you can't play at all or well enough, try to get a theory student to notate it. You'll have to pay, of course.  

You might find a competent HS student (call the music depts. of the local HSs), but my guess is that you'll have to contact a college or jr college.  Contact the theory department.  

If no joy there, they might be able to point you to a student in another major who is competent to do the job here, as some students take a minor in theory.

Also consider a private music teacher.  Call music stores and ask for the president of the local organization if you can't find this person thru a private teacher.

(3) Learn to play piano well enough that you can write down your stuff.

I wish there were an easy solution to your problem!  It's a not-uncommon one.

Good luck!  Maybe another reader has an idea that would help you.
mb