ShakuViewer

About ShakuViewer

ShakuViewer is a program that displays music scores in shakuhachi notation. Although most of the conversion is done automatically, users can control the process through a procedure called score annotation, by adding conversion indications (e.g., for alternative fingering) into the input files.

ShakuViewer reads Western-music notation scores in MusicXML format, for instance created by MuseScore. An example of such a score, Amazing Grace, is shown below as displayed in MuseScore and ShakuViewer. Another ShakuViewer screenshot shows the first page of the piece called Haru no umi (Spring Sea).

Amazing Grace (Western notation score)
Amazing Grace (shakuhachi score)
Haru no umi (shakuhachi score)

Features

    • Provides fonts for both Tozan and Kinko shakuhachi notation
    • Supports shakuhachi-specific notations: alternative fingering, Momite, Otoshi, etc.
    • Can show up to six multiple parts from one score simultaneously
    • Displays various Western music notations: tempo, dynamics, repeats, grace notes, etc.
    • Supports input in compressed or uncompressed MusicXML formats
    • Facilitates score display through a MuseScore plugin
    • Allows configuring the language of the user interface in English or Japanese
    • Includes a detailed User Guide in English and a Quick Reference Guide in Japanese
    • 日本語版の「簡易参照ガイド」が含まれています

What's new in v0.4

    • Added a new Tozan School font that provides a more realistic score display
    • Improved the handling of fonts, so that font installation is not required anymore
    • Added support for MuseScore 3 both for the program and the MuseScore plugin
    • Added a 250% zoom level to make possible a more detailed inspection of the score
    • Fixed an issue with MuseScore plugin generation failing because of a missing template
    • Various minor bug fixes and improvements

Download

MuseScore plugin

MuseScore is a free music composition and notation software, which can be used not only to input music notation, but also to import other file formats such as MIDI or even PDF. To make it easier to use ShakuViewer from MuseScore, based on a suggestion by Hiroshi Tachibana, I created a MuseScore plugin so that the currently opened score in MuseScore can be displayed in ShakuViewer without any other actions required from the user. For more information, check out the plugin page on the MuseScore website.