# Looking for music software

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-music-software/281086>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 22, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-music-software/281086 "2004-12-22T01:02:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-music-software/281086/1 "2004-12-22T01:02:21Z")

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This may be the wrong forum.

I want to be able to type E-D-C-D-E-E-E into my computer and hear the first line of “Mary had a little lamb.”

Does anyone know of some software that would let me do that?

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-music-software/281086/2 "2004-12-22T03:23:55Z")

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I know of two that lets you do something similar but I believe they’ve gone out of print. That would be MusicTime and it sequel Music@Passport. Both are, or were, from Passport Designs. MusicTime has since been licensed by [GVOX](http://www.gvox.com/) and costs $120.

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-music-software/281086/3 "2004-12-22T10:10:49Z")

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[Finale Notepad](http://www.finalemusic.com/notepad/) is one (fairly complex) free music-notation program, and there’s more listed [here](http://www.freebyte.com/music/#free_notation). If you want something simpler, then music education software is the place to look - there’s plenty of free stuff around, eg. [here](http://www.tucows.com/handl_music_default.html).

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-music-software/281086/4 "2004-12-22T10:18:22Z")

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Possibly a bit more complex than you’re after, but [Anvil Studio](http://www.anvilstudio.com/) is rather good (and free)