Notion

I’ve been using this app to compose piano music for 3 months. One of the reasons I got an iPad Pro was to find an app like this, where I can easily input notes directly into the score on the screen. It works so well! The handwriting is fun to use, too. I’m discovering a couple of things that I find to be a pretty big deal for a pianist. The only pedal markings available are the cursive “Ped” and the “asterisk” method, rather than horizontal lines and carrots, which is much more accurate to use. I’m also finding it difficult to place finger numbers beneath the notes, as you would for bass clef notes. The program doesn’t leave enough room for them, which is awkward to mess with. I’ve found work-arounds for other issues (for example, the whole rest in 6/8 translates as too many beats)... I’m hoping they will update the space beneath the bass clef and especially the pedal marks. I may not stick with this program at some point, but it seems so easy to use otherwise!

I have used the app for several years, or rather I remember that I have purchased it and then try to use it again every several months. To be honest it boasts some nice features, but every time I go to use it I am frustrated. For example, the other day I had added some text above a line of music. I realized that I would like to bold the font and change the size. The software would for the life of me not select the small A at the right of the text to allow me to format. I had just done the same function on some text several systems higher. I sat for 15 minutes trying to figure out how to get the text moved so I could select the formatting button. No go, I finally deleted the text and started over. I have had the software intermittently refuse to show me use upon holding on an item and other functional hick-ups. What does it equate to? Frustration over very simple things. Want to hide that note? Well, for some reason it won’t give you the menu. Try restarting the app...oh it works! The handwriting tool is awesome, the sounds are great, like I said, I really want to like this app but it is a constant source of frustration for me.

I have purchased every upgrade and instrument. I have the handwriting upgrade. It is not perfect, but incredibly useful. I don't understand how people expect perfection because not will never happen. What makes a program incredibly good is not if it is perfect but if it is useful in spite of its imperfections. And as usefulness goes, this programs is almost unsurpassed. I have not found a music writing app that has more usefulness than this one, and I have purchased them all. This program accommodates the different styles of different writers and allows many input methods. None are perfect but they all work very well! This app tried and succeeds better than any other app to STAY OUT OF YOUR WAY, and let you create using the same symbols and notations you would use if writing by hand. If Mozart or Beethoven we're to use an app, this one would be easier to adapt to than any other because all the symbols they are used to are there, and as little as possible is added.

I mostly use this on the go for emergencies, or when I need to put something into musicxml for me to actually work on in Sibelius later. It’s fine for what it is but the program practically seems abandoned, with the same bugs plaguing it for years. Why does the chord symbol entry box always not update and display the wrong roots? Most importantly, chord symbols can disturb the alignment and spacing of notes, overriding all other note spacing. You can’t really make a good looking lead sheet if your melody is eighth note based...a chord symbol on the downbeat causes there to be an off amount of space between the first and second eighth note if your chord is longer than a single letter, which looks sloppy and unprofessional. Text placement of all kinds is wonky and buggy, also. That being said, there’s nothing better right now. If this program was better or better supported I would happily paid twice as much — and I’m not expecting Sibelius or Finale quality, here — but there is so much potential here and it’s nowhere as good as the free MuseScore.

It’s indeed a great app but I want to use not only hand writings but also keyboard. It would be easier to work both on the qwerty keyboard system with Ipad. Input notes, values, move with cursors would be amazing. Notion provides professional notation system from basic notes to expressions and articulations. However working with apple pencil is very sensitive which is not always in good ways. It would be nice if I can able to control the sensitivity of the apple pencil. For example, Choose some options with the check boxes and let the apple pencil recognize the information clearly. The options would be note values (usually one doesn’t use 32nd note), articulations, symbols(+), bars(double or final) etc. Because I don’t usually use double bar on the middle of the piece. And if we can select the options what the pencil decides to recognize, then it would be very clear.