Chromebook for digital sheet music?

[jbeatenbough]

Hi all!

Is anyone using a chromebook as a substitute for paper music? I recently got an acer spin-15 that I'm going to give a go at... just wondered if anyone else has tried this yet... if so, what software are you using? How is it going? ... details man, share the details

[JohnL]

I looked around a bit and did not find anything promising as far as a Chrome extension. I expect you'll have to go with an Android app.

But now you've got me thinking of a way to brute force this with the tools at hand...

[timothy42b]

I've done a bit of research. Many of the chromebooks open all the way back, so they're essentially a tablet, and some people are using them for music.

One of the websites says they will work but the screen resolution on an actual tablet is significantly better, so if you can afford the iPad Pro 12.9 or similar you will be happier with that. If not you can make chromebook work, they tell me.

I have an iPad Pro for work and am very happy with it, but of course I can't load personal stuff on it, and it is a bit pricey.

[jbeatenbough]

ok, so I got the 15.6" chromebook (acer flip)... I got it off amazon refurbished for $200... it looks like new.

I loaded MobileSheets Pro on it and imported about 50 songs... it works like a champ.

Only issue so far is when I plug in a usb receiver for my page turner, the screen locks into "fixed" mode, so I have to manually adjust the screen setting by 90 degrees... so far, I'm really happy with the setup...

Btw, I'm using a ring like page turner I got off amazon for $17... It is made of really soft, flexible rubber.. I'm clipping it on the leadpipe and can change page forward or back with my left index finger while playing...

[JohnL]

I loaded MobileSheets Pro on it and imported about 50 songs... it works like a champ.

That's an Android app, correct? You loaded it through the Google Play?

[jbeatenbough]

Yes, the latest versions of chrome will run android apps... that is what started me down this path... = )

[JohnL]

Yes, the latest versions of chrome will run android apps... that is what started me down this path... = )

Yeah, my personal Chromebook is way too old. As of this summer, it's past what Google calls AUE (Automatic Update End); the last update was Chrome 75.

Anyone reading this thread and thinking about picking up a used Chromebook would do well to check this list before buying. So far, my Chromebook still does what I need it to do, but there's no telling for how long.

As for Android capability?
That would be this list.

[dbwhitaker]

... I'm using a ring like page turner I got off amazon for $17...

Do you have a link or product name for this? I can't seem to find a product that matches this description.

[sacfxdx]

ok, so I got the 15.6" chromebook (acer flip)... I got it off amazon refurbished for $200... it looks like new.

I loaded MobileSheets Pro on it and imported about 50 songs... it works like a champ.

Only issue so far is when I plug in a usb receiver for my page turner, the screen locks into "fixed" mode, so I have to manually adjust the screen setting by 90 degrees... so far, I'm really happy with the setup...

Btw, I'm using a ring like page turner I got off amazon for $17... It is made of really soft, flexible rubber.. I'm clipping it on the leadpipe and can change page forward or back with my left index finger while playing...

Welcome to the digital age.

[jbeatenbough]

This is the one I got was https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R66JHJM

I've only used it once so far, but it worked fine. I was able to just clip on on the leadpipe and then could hit forward/back with my left index finger.

[jbeatenbough]

Welcome to the digital age.

Where were you Tuesday night? I couldn't have been work - you are about to retire = )

You could have laughed at my entrance into digital music...

[BflatBass]

I loaded MobileSheets Pro on it and imported about 50 songs... it works like a champ.

Did you import from another digital source? Did you ever go through the process of converting from paper to digital and if so how? Scan/PDF?
I'm just curious as I've never used a digital reader and I'm just trying to get familiar with the process.

Cheers,
Robert

[jbeatenbough]

I made a temporary stand to hold my phone over a well lit table. Put a stack of music under it and started saying "cheese", then removing the top page... repeat (I saved them to my google drive), then I printed them into pdfs (if multiple pages for a song, I printed all those pages into one pdf. Then batch loaded into mobilesheets...

In 30 minutes, I did about 50 songs out of our most often played... I still have about 100 more to do, but haven't gone back to it yet.

[dbwhitaker]

I highly recommend ScannerPro app for iPhone for scanning music (or any other documents). It’s really fast and simple to scan a chart. It does a great job of automatically cropping image to pages, saves to PDF, and can be configured to automatically save to a cloud service (eg Google Drive).

[jbeatenbough]

Is there a corresponding android app? I see "Easy Scanner Pro for $7.99 - is that the same app?

[dbwhitaker]

Is there a corresponding android app? I see "Easy Scanner Pro for $7.99 - is that the same app?

It looks like a different company. Sorry - I don't have any experience with Android apps.

[Claraa12]

One popular option for digital sheet music on a Chromebook is Google Drive, which allows you to upload and organize your sheet music files in the cloud and access them from anywhere. You can also use Google Drive's built-in document viewer to view and annotate your sheet music files. Other popular apps for digital sheet music on Chromebooks include MobileSheets, MusicNotes, and forScore. These apps offer features such as automatic page turning, annotation tools, and the ability to import sheet music from a variety of sources.

[Thomasoracco]

Yes, a Chromebook can be a great device for using digital sheet music. One of the main benefits of a Chromebook is its portability and lightweight design, making it easy to carry around to rehearsals, gigs, or lessons. Additionally, many Chromebooks have a long battery life, which is important when using a device for extended periods of time.

Another advantage of using a Chromebook for digital sheet music is the availability of various apps and web-based software for managing and displaying sheet music. For example, applications such as MusicReader, MusicNotes Viewer, or even Google Drive can be used to store, organize, and display sheet music on a Chromebook. Additionally, some Chromebooks have touchscreens and stylus support, which can make it easier to annotate or highlight sections of sheet music.

Overall, if you are a musician who wants a lightweight, portable, and affordable device for managing and displaying digital sheet music, a Chromebook could be a great option. However, it's important to research and choose a Chromebook model with sufficient processing power, storage, and screen size to meet your specific needs.

[timothy42b]

I bought a Chromebook some time ago, maybe about 3 years. It worked, but there were some minor issues that made a tablet much more user friendly for me. I still have it and it's great for Zoom etc but I no longer use it for music.

[BigBadandBass]

I will say, the iPad and apple ecosystem is incredibly convenient for a musician, airdrop, ForScore, iCloud and other exclusive services/apps are insanely powerful. Depending on your eyes, you can get away with really any size, I know someone who uses a mini regularly to great success. ForScore also allows you essentially remove margins, letting get the music the full size of the screen.

Plus pdf reading is a lightweight task, literally any iPad with the modern OS can do it

[Matt K]

Mods, leave the reported comment online. I’ll take care of it in the morning. I have a way of taking care of this problem permanently.

[SquareTube]

I've started using a Lenovo Duet 5, which has a great OLED screen, with a larger diagonal dimension that the iPad Pro, but has less usable area compared to a 3:2 tablet since it's got the widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9. Very tall in portrait (page and a quarter or maybe third) but landscape gets less than half the page at a time, which is inconvenient for scrolling. MobileSheets Pro does a half screen advance in landscape, so a line or two gets skipped.

Considering a dedicated stand and/or foot pedal if I get used to the rest.

[michaelaskew]

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[BGuttman]

Mod's note: The above post seems to be a sample of AI. Feel free to ignore it.

[Matt K]

User has been banned. IP originated from Cloudflare's CDN.

[SwissTbone]

Using a Chromebook for digital sheet music is a practical and efficient choice. Chromebooks offer a lightweight and portable option for accessing and managing your sheet music digitally. With various applications and online tools available, you can easily store, organize, and view your sheet music collections. The Chromebook's long battery life and user-friendly interface make it convenient for rehearsals, performances, and practice sessions. Whether you prefer to use online platforms or specialized apps, a Chromebook can provide a seamless and accessible way to incorporate digital sheet music into your musical endeavors.

Question to the mods: can we agree on deleting such posts? They will be indexed by Google and will make TC appear like a "bot site".

[Matt K]

Normally they are. I’m on a trip at the moment and didn’t add a rule this time. I just edited now. Thanks for the reminder.