Plainsong Music Notation Editor

**BarryM** · January 21st, 2012

Does anyone know if there is a music editor that will handle Plainsong notation (ie, 4 line staff and neums)? I have searched the software centre and synaptic package manager, and whilst there are several conventional notation packages there, none of them mention plainsong in their capabilities.

**coffeecat** · January 21st, 2012

I think lilypond will do this.

http://lilypond.org/examples.html

See the example under Early Music. Was that what you are after?

Lilypond home page:

http://lilypond.org/

Version 2.12.3 is the one in the Oneiric repository, but I notice your profile mentions Maverick.

Lilypond requires text input - no GUI - which I've never got around to learning. There are some GUI frontends to lilypond in the repos, such as denemo and frescobaldi, but I don't know whether they support the plainsong notation you want.

**BarryM** · January 22nd, 2012

Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for! I had briefly looked at Lilypond, but hadn't found the examples. I have installed it, but do find the thought of text entry a trifle daunting! I shall have to try out Frescibaldi ore one of the other front ends. At the moment I am using MuseScore, but, of course that only handles modern notation (and concert pitch, A=440, for playback: I would like to be able to set it to Baroque pitch: wonder if I can do that with one of the other notation packages?).

As you point out I am still using Maverick, I really must get round to upgrading!

Many thanks for your help.

**coffeecat** · January 22nd, 2012

Originally Posted by BarryM

I would like to be able to set it to Baroque pitch:

Wouldn't you also want to set the playback to mean tone temperament (or similar) rather than equal temperament?

Good luck!

**jzemeocala** · September 6th, 2012

I know that this is a rather old thread. But for anyone that is interested......
I think that the only reliable way to play music notation in ubuntu with alternative tunings would be to play the file in rosegarden and have the midi output go to a softsynth that supports scala files like yoshimi

[Necro Complete]

**BarryM** · September 17th, 2012

Thanks for your suggestion,jzemeocala. I'll give Rosegarden a try. I hadn't seen coffeecat's reply until I looked up your's the other day, and, as a singer I would want to stick to equal temperament, since, at least in rehearsal our pianist simply transposes down a semitone when we are singing at Baroque pitch.