Contribution Resources on the Main Site

[Olimar12345]

The arranging guidelines I think need to be as part of "contributing to NSM". People simply do not read them on the forums. I'm open to the idea of making the other resources less prominent (as long as they are indicated somewhere on the main site) but again I don't have final say so, community thoughts appreciated.

A link to a thread with such info seems much more appropriate imo.

I think the music theory part is unnecessary. Everyone will get that kind of advice from the people checking their sheets.

I agree.

[Latios212]

I disagree about its irrelevance; I can say from my experience making my first sheet and seeing people attempt their first sheets that there is a lot that could be said that could help people before there is even anything to share.

In other words, among other benefits, it could help beginners flailing about wildly trying to make their first sheet, and hopefully steer them in the right direction before they go and make everything that could possibly go wrong go wrong.

Not to mention that there doesn't really seem to be a one-stop-shop reference guide on the help board for either basic or complicated things. Like if I had to go search for what it was that people said about modes and key signatures again I'd have to go digging.

[ThatHiddenCharacter]

make everything that could possibly go wrong go wrong.

Ah... Murphy's Law. Horrible thing, really. Anyway, I agree with Latios.

[Olimar12345]

That's way too much for the main site though. If anything, there should just be a link to a topic like I said so that it can be regularly edited and maintained etc.

[Latios212]

Oh, having them on the forums instead of the main site is fine by me. I was just disputing what I thought Slow said about them not needing to exist at all.

[LeviR.star]

I've been working since January the 27th to bring at least one BS-X sheet to the site, and it finally happened. If it took that long, I think this is an awful too much work for poor Deku.

[mikey]

Man I need to learn how this forum is set up

[The Deku Trombonist]

That's way too much for the main site though. If anything, there should just be a link to a topic like I said so that it can be regularly edited and maintained etc.

We've got something in the works. Don't worry, it won't take a year.

[Dudeman]

We've got something in the works. Don't worry, it won't take a year.

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Pianoth]

I think we should create one or two concise pages, containing only the necessary information, that is:

• how to check if your arrangement is good and follows all the formatting standards of the site;
• how to submit the score.

Any other tips on arranging in general, and music theory stuff, must be either inserted in a concise way on the first page, or just with a link to the forum, or both, with the forum having more information. We must be careful though: the more information you give to users on that page, the less likely they would have patience and learn everything before submitting. That's why I think doing more than two pages wouldn't work.

I conceptually agree with Olimar: many things would be learned quickly on the first submissions. But a simple, concise page would help a lot, I think. In fact, I don't think that writing these pages would be a problem; the main issue is selecting what to say or not. The plan proposed by Altissimo would be great if we wanted to update the NSM Resources on the forum, but it would be just too much for the site.

[Dekkadeci]

For another topic to cover, I think this is a great idea:

Submitting Scores When You Don't Want to Pay For Finale

• Link to the Finale Notepad download page
• Overview of Finale Notepad being free but having limitations
• Examples of what Finale Notepad can still do (extract MIDIs, "print" PDFs to stuff like PrimoPDF, add slurs)
• What Finale Notepad cannot do (e.g. change key signature of part of a piece)--emphasize that this is a good point to ask the forums for formatting help
• Link to the formatting help/request thread, basic etiquette on how to ask for help there (e.g. provide link to your .mus)

[Altissimo]

We've got something in the works. Don't worry, it won't take a year.

if i may ask what is planning to be put on the main site versus the forums

I'll admit that arranging resources and music theory resources may be better put on the forum but I in fact strongly disagree with Olimar's view that the formatting guidelines should simply be linked to. I think he underestimates human incompetence. I think they need to be much more prominent than a simple link within a page, or else it will not change anything.

edit: also do you need help on any of it

[Pianoth]

But I in fact strongly disagree with Olimar's view that the formatting guidelines should simply be linked to. I think he underestimates human incompetence. I think they need to be much more prominent than a simple link within a page, or else it will not change anything.

Yeah, that's why I also think we need a very concise but clear page (or even two pages, but not more than that I would say) with as much information as possible, but as short as possible (otherwise, most people won't contribute because of tl;dr).

[Olimar12345]

I in fact strongly disagree with Olimar's view that the formatting guidelines should simply be linked to. I think he underestimates human incompetence. I think they need to be much more prominent than a simple link within a page, or else it will not change anything.

Altissimo... never did I say that:

Actually (now that I've actually read the thread) I think the "contributing to nsm" is what I support. The arranging resources/guidelines/music theory resources seems like a mixture of overkill and repetition (since we have all that stuff stickied in the help board). Maybe just a link to that as a separate bullet would be more concise?

Contributing to NSM:

1) Signing Up for NSM (Links to the forum and sign up page; any necessary information about the sign-up process. This also includes deciding on an arranger name.)
2) Formatting Your Arrangement (Basically an overview of formatting guidelines. Links to the Templates and "need Finale help" forum threads as well.[/i])
---a) Why MUS? (An explanation of why it is we use MUS so that people stop asking that question too.)
---b) Importing From Other Software (A guide on getting scores from Musescore, Sibelius etc into Finale.)
3) Finding Composition Data (How to get accurate information about: composer, system, copyright company and year, and title. Includes "what to do if the composition is based on another piece".)
4) Submitting Your Arrangement (How to submit an arrangement. Includes standard submission etiquette, such as posting the soundtrack's Youtube video in the first comment.)
5) Feedback (This section is optional. Ideally it'd just be sort of an explanation of how to incorporate, and interpret, others' feedback. I say interpret because sometimes people have questions about like, "what do you mean measure 7 beat 1.75" etc. Could include common updater/musical terminology.)
6) FAQ

*Obligatory reading is difficult comment*

[Altissimo]

You then said "arranging guidelines" should be separate. I think we might be having a miscommunication as to what you mean by arranging guidelines.