Band recording to sheet musicString quartet to sheet music
String quartet recording to a score and parts
Have the quartet only as a recording? Upload it or paste the video link, and ScoreStarling writes the violins, viola and cello on staves of their own, ready to check, fix and print as parts.
Drop the quartet’s recording or video here
MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG, AIFF or a video, up to 95 MB, or a video link. Choose Band or several instruments, then check that violin, viola and cello are listed.
ScoreStarling transcribes a string quartet recording with each kind of instrument on its own staff: the violins, the viola in alto clef and the cello in bass clef. You check it against the recording in the browser, then download the full score and the parts. It uses 40 credits a minute, up to five minutes a piece.
What goes in and what comes out
You bring
- A recording of the quartet: a concert, a rehearsal or a video link
- Up to five minutes; a longer movement in sections
You get
- A full score with a staff for each kind of instrument
- A part for each staff to print, in one ZIP
- MusicXML and MIDI, already unlocked
Who gets which part
| Player | In the instrument list | Part |
|---|---|---|
| Violin 1 and 2 | Violin | One staff for both, treble clef |
| Viola | Viola | Its own staff, alto clef |
| Cello | Cello | Its own staff, bass clef |
Other string groups work the same way: a trio, a string orchestra with double bass, or strings with piano. See band recording to sheet music.
How it works
- Choose the recording or paste the link above. The workspace opens with it, after sign-in if needed.
- Choose Band or several instruments. Check the instruments it heard and add any it missed; the price in credits shows before anything starts.
- When the score opens, play it beside the recording and go through one staff at a time. Loop a bar to hear a passage again.
- Download All parts for the players and the full score for the leader or the arranger.
What to check before the first rehearsal
- The violin staff: which notes belong to the first violin and which to the second.
- Viola notes that belong to the second violin or the cello, where their ranges meet.
- The meter and bar lines, especially in slow movements with rubato. Before transcribing, you can set the time signature or one fixed tempo when you check the instruments.
Good to know
- Bowings and dynamics are not written; add them while you proofread.
- A quartet in a resonant hall is harder to separate than one recorded close up.
- The result is a first draft of the arrangement, not an edition to perform unchecked.
- Only use recordings you have the right to arrange and share.
Questions and answers
Can a string quartet recording become separate parts?
Yes, one per kind of instrument. Choose Band or several instruments, keep violin, viola and cello in the instrument list, and each comes out on its own staff. The two violins share one staff. All parts downloads them at once, a PDF and MusicXML per part in one ZIP.
Is the viola written in alto clef?
Yes. The viola part is written in alto clef, the cello in bass clef and the violins in treble clef, as a quartet reads them.
Do the two violins get a part each?
Not yet: both come out on one Violin staff, as double stops where they play together. To give each player a part, open the MusicXML in MuseScore or Dorico and split the staff into two, then check the notes where the lines cross against the recording.
How much does a five-minute movement cost?
200 credits: 40 a minute, shown before it starts. A 200-credit pack is $4.99, and Plus gives 1,000 credits a month. The finished score is already unlocked for MusicXML and MIDI.
Can I use a concert video from YouTube?
Yes. Paste the link; only the sound is fetched, and from a long video its first five minutes are written out.
Can I do it all in ChatGPT?
Yes, once ScoreStarling is connected to ChatGPT or Claude. Send the recording or link, ask for each instrument on its own staff, agree to the price when asked, and download the parts from the score panel. See the connection guide.