I think I’ve entered the 21st century.   No more copying music. Granted it will take a long time before my savings on ink and paper equal the cost of an iPad pro.  But combined with the app “ForScore” and a foot pedal, it’s a whole new world for me.

Here’s how it works.  I find some music on IMSLP, or something I’ve already saved to my hard drive.  I transfer it to my Dropbox account, tap a button on my ForScore app and the music is in my iPad.  I can put the music in multiple set lists (cello duets, cello trios, orchestra music, cello and piano…).  I can mark up the music with black, red, or blue ink.  (Probably more colors- I’m still exploring.)  I can highlight with yellow or erase.  [I can actually erase those notes I don’t want to play and put rests in their places, or change 1/4 notes to 1/8 notes.]  I can make the page larger or smaller.

Here’s some more cool things about ForScore:  There’s a metronome that will be audible or flash on the sides of the page.  Very cool.  There’s a little piano so you can play passages that  you need help with hearing.  You can make little notes to yourself (“Don’t forget the D sharps!”) that will pop up for a few seconds when you bring up the music.  and more and more.  Check here to learn about this very cool app: https://forscore.co.

And now the VERY BEST PART:  The foot pedal.  There are many options for buying one of these.  I paid $89 and am using a “PageFlip Butterfly”.  Easy to use.  You press a pedal and the page turns.  (You can also just tap the page and it will turn.)  AND TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER: There is this little item called a 1/2 page turn, so that you can have the top half of the next page showing before you have finished the first page.  You are never without the music in front of your eyes.  For me, this is amazing.   It’s fun too!  And best of all, I always have all my music with me.

4 thoughts on “It’s a Whole New World

  1. Paul Houston says:

    Hey Nancy,

    So, I finally have the BIG iPad but I’m not happy with my foot pedal choice. I have the AirTurn PEDpro, and I don’t like that it doesn’t provide any kind of tactile feedback. I just have to hope and pray that I have my foot over the right spot to make it turn the page. I wish it was just a little more mechanical in its operation. How are you liking the Butterfly? I’ve watched a few video reviews on YouTube and it looks like the Butterfly actually moves when it’s pressed, can you provide more insight on its operation? Thanks!

    • Hey Paul: CONGRATS!! It’s a continuous learning adventure! I do like the Butterfly and it definitely works well. I like that it turns off automatically after 30 minutes of non use, as I frequently forget to turn it off. It does move easily when pressed. I find that I’m not great at going back to pages so I usually just copy pages (when there are repeats or DS/DC) and continue moving forward. Let me know if I can help with anything. Are you loving ForScore? So much to explore there.

      • Paul Houston says:

        Thanks for the feedback, Nancy. I’m really enjoying Forscore. It seems like everyday I find a new feature or an easier way to do something and it keeps getting better. I think the 1/2 page turn is my favorite right now. And that’s a great idea to copying pages for repeats. I’m off to order the Butterfly now!

  2. Hey Paul, great to hear you’re learning and loving ForScore. Me too. Have you updated to latest version 10.4.5? Important to do so. My annotations were “bleeding” over to my next page before I did. Made some strange markings on the music. I also seem to find new features. I love using the piano and recording bits of music (not at the same time). And of course, the metronome is VERY helpful.

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