Denemo

Denemo is a free software graphical interface for music notation, mainly to GNU LilyPond, a program for engraving musical scores.^[1] Denemo has been under development since 1999.^[2] Using GTK+ 2 or 3, it works on Linux, Microsoft Windows and OS X.

Denemo helps prepare notation for publishing and lets a user rapidly enter notation, simultaneously typesetting via the LilyPond music engraver. Music can be typed in using a PC keyboard, taken from MIDI input, or played into a microphone plugged into a soundcard. The program plays back via an internal sampler and can act as a JACK/MIDI client. Denemo includes scripts to run music tests and practice exercises for educational purposes.

Features

Denemo can output entire scores (including Table of Contents and Critical Commentary automatically generated from comments placed in the music) as well as excerpts in a number of formats, including:

• LilyPond files (.ly)
• PDF files
• MIDI files
• WAV, OGG audio files
• PNG graphic files

The program allows the user to place links in the music to original source manuscripts/prints (in PDF files) allowing cross-checking of transcriptions. It also allows audio recordings to be linked to a notated score with synchronization via automatically detected note-onsets; the notated score and audio are played back simultaneously and can be slowed down in real time to listen for discrepancies.

Denemo has all the music notation functions accessible via keyboard shortcuts. However, everything can be accessed by mouse, and both mouse and keyboard shortcuts can be defined using menu items that invoke functions. WYSIWYG manipulations can be performed in the typeset view, e.g. interactively re-shaping slurs. A Scheme scripting interface is also available, and commands written in Scheme can be placed in the menu system.

References