Messages

Sure thing, anytime!

The reason why your PDF has large top/bottom margins is because it is an A4-sized PDF with a US Letter-sized image fit into it. Your Finale file is formatted for 8.5 x 11 paper (US Letter), which is the program's default setting. Likely the default setting for your PDF program was to export A4, resulting in what you have now.

To remedy this, you can either set the Finale file as A4 through Page Tool>Page Layout>Page Size (assuming it's the same steps in Notepad as it is in Finale, I don't know), which will then match your PDF exporter, or you can set your PDF exporter to 8.5 x 11 (US Letter).

[[GBC] Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal]

For building your aural chops, I'd recommend 8-bit music with the channels separated in stereo. Latios actually did this back in 2015, and look where he is now

If it's up your alley, there's a lot of stereo separated tracks of the Pokemon Gold/Silver OST on Youtube:

Route 30:

And when you're done with your version, you can check it against Lat's sheet:

[GBC] Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal
"Route 30": NEW!
[MUS] [MIDI] [PDF] [Original]

Good luck, and hope this helps!

As of the current moment, it is not possible to configure Musescore 2.3 to output notation that matches the house style of the majority of this site's Finale-based sheets. The number one reason for this is that Musescore does not support 3rd party music fonts (Maestro, Maestro Wide, EngraverFontSet, etc.) outside its own presets.

Spoiler

You cannot view this attachment.

[close]

So, until Musescore can support 3rd party music fonts, it is impossible to create Musescore submissions that match Finale's default output.

Here's what needs to happen in the music notation software industry before NSM can integrate Musescore:
(1) Musescore must natively allow 3rd party music fonts, and do so in a way that allows seamless* (see below) swapping of SMUFL fonts
(2) Makemusic must create an SMUFL-compatible version of Maestro, and then ship this in a future version of Finale Notepad.

*While Finale and Sibelius do allow music font swaps, the fonts themselves have to be optimized for those specific programs. Yes, you can port in SMUFL Bravura to Finale, but it will result in many glyphs not being where they should. This is why things like Fravura/Aruvarb/Norfolk exist (derivatives of Bravura), because no commercial notation software can swap SMUFL fonts seamlessly (except Dorico) without serious typographical anomalies

Excited to review your first submission!

I tend to judge things in terms of their sum effect, and the feeling I get from this arrangement is that it lacks the emotive weight of the original piece. I think the main contributor to this is your decision to invert the bass above the ostinato, which, while I can see your reasoning for doing so, comes at a loss.

I'd first double the timpani in octaves in places where it would be most idiomatic, and I'd move the string ostinato to the right hand:

You cannot view this attachment.


When the solo (brass?) instrument comes in, I'd actually opt to lower it below the ostinato, for reasons of making it playable with the bass, and because it has an effect of giving it a mellower tone that seems more in line with the original piece.

You cannot view this attachment.

This pattern works fairly well for the rest of the song, although I do feel perhaps this texture may downplay the string melody's tense and urgent mood. Definitely interested in seeing what you do next.

fresh meat

oh um i mean yes welcome hi

Music preparation best practices:
(1) Prepare page turns to coincide with ample amounts of rest.
(2) If using repeat markers, place them within the same page spread to avoid unnecessary backwards turns.

I believe the below is the least compromised implementation of these considerations:

You cannot view this attachment.

You cannot view this attachment.

You could install Windows on Mac via Bootcamp and then run Finale Notepad.

If you just need Finale short-term, Makemusic also offers a free 30-day trial for the full version of Finale, which is compatible with macOS.

F

Positively gorgeous. Great work.

That could work well too, so go ahead with that. My approach is a bit idiosyncratic (like with the amounts of space I prefer between systems), but as long as I've given you some ideas for your own editing, then I'm happy with that : )

My take on the page layout. Designed to reduce some of the distorted horizontal spacing caused by the many accidentals, and to achieve a more unified appearance throughout.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gqm4c7hh1mwt2np/Twilight%20Realm%20%28edit%29.musx?dl=0

~Yay~ ✿ ͡◕ ᴗ◕)つ━━✫

Well it needs an MUSX too, so it'd probably be easier if I just uploaded it. This is how it looks:

You cannot view this attachment.

Careful, you just might jinx it.

Thanks to both of you for doing that. I noticed a few micro-irregularities with the layout though, so I fixed those real quick. Ideally, you want the top and bottom systems to align horizontally across page spreads, and you also usually want to space systems evenly on the same page.

Exhibit A

You cannot view this attachment.

[close]

Exhibit B

You cannot view this attachment.

[close]

Here's the file with those fixes:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9extaoe2dbi7iea/micro-row.mus?dl=0