[Harp-L] Session tools: transposing a score to play on any diatonic (was: diatonic tablature for the chromatic scale)

[John Thaden <jjthaden@xxxxxxxxx>]

The consideration of scenarios such as the one I describe below has
dissuaded me from really devoting time to learning to sight-read on
diatonic, but now I think technologies are developed enough that a 
session diatonic player, when handed a score at a studio, could generate 
and print a transposed version of it in reasonable time using equipment 
that would fit in a small suitcase: a scanner; a laptop; and a printer.  

As for software, a call to MakeMusic, Inc. confirms that Allegro has
a scanner module that converts scanned sheet music images to Finale 
files.  And if that module does not do a good enough job of recognizing 
notation, then the third-party producer of that module, Musitek, sells 
more powerful versions, e.g. SmartScore Professional.  

If the laptop had no cooling fan and had software to scrolled a displayed
score, then maybe the printer could be left at home.

This all sounds pretty cool, but then I'm not a session musician (yet).  
Could this really work?  Rob?  Robert?

-John Thaden
  Little Rock, AR


Vern Smith <jevern@xxxxxxx> wrote
>>> Music-notation software makes it easy to transpose a 
>>> song in any key to any other key. 

I asked
>> What software do you recommend?

Vern replied
> I use Allegro but I don't doubt that others are equally effective.

I continued
>> For instance, you arrive at a recording session, harps in 
>> hand, and are handed sheet music.  You think of perhaps 
>> three different diatonics (positions), which, for different 
>> reasons, strike you as having advantages.  You pull out 
>> your laptop and portable scanner, scan in the music, 
>> transpose it onscreen, try the three options, and decide 
>> on one.  You print the music on your portable printer, set 
>> it on the music stand and play.  What software will allow
>> that to happen in a seamless way?

Vern replied
> Computer transposition obviously isn't going to solve that 
> problem.  If you are a professional and have a recording 
> session where they hand you sheet music, then you can 
> be presumed to be able to read music or to have 
> extraordinary "by ear" capabilities.  If you are expected 
> to follow the sheet music, then you read it accurately on 
> a C chromatic.  If it is blues, then you look at the key and 
> take off doing your thang.