Talking Scores – making sheet music more accessible for blind and print impaired musicians
Transform your MusicXML files into detailed, spoken descriptions with synchronised audio playback. Designed for blind, visually impaired, and print impaired musicians, as well as anyone learning to read music or preferring auditory learning methods.
How It Works
Upload
Upload your MusicXML file (.xml, .musicxml, .mxl) or provide a URL
Customise
Choose your preferred description style, rhythm notation, and audio options
Read & Listen
Navigate your talking score with synchronised MIDI playback
⏱️ Processing typically takes 30–60 seconds depending on score complexity
🎼 Upload Your Music Score
Drag and drop your MusicXML file, click to browse your computer, or provide a direct URL.
🎼 Key Features
📝 Detailed Descriptions
Comprehensive text descriptions of pitches, rhythms, dynamics, articulations, and structural elements with customisable detail levels.
🎵 Audio Playback
Synchronised MIDI playback for complete scores, individual instruments, or specific sections at 50%, 100%, or 150% speed with optional click tracks.
⚙️ Customisable Output
Adjust rhythm notation (British/American), octave announcements, colour coding, accent handling, and description verbosity to match your learning style.
📊 Intelligent Analysis
Automatic detection of repeated sections, pattern analysis, structural summaries, and learning-focused repetition descriptions to aid memorisation.
🧭 Easy Navigation
Well-structured text with clear headings and the ability to jump between bars, beats, and instruments effortlessly.
🎹 Multi-Instrument Support
Handle complex orchestral scores with separate descriptions and playback for each instrument, including piano left/right hand separation.
📋 Example Output
Here's what a typical talking score description looks like:
Bar 1:
Time signature – 1 of 1 is 4 4.
Key signature – 1 of 1 is 2 sharps.
Beat 1: crotchet high D
Beat 2: quaver rest, mid A
Beat 3: crotchet high D
Beat 4: quaver rest, mid A
Bar 2:
Beat 1: quaver high D, mid A
Beat 2: quaver high D, F
Beat 3: crotchet high A
Beat 4: crotchet rest
💡 In the actual talking score, each section includes clickable MIDI playback links at multiple speeds. You can use your screen reader to navigate and hear the descriptions spoken aloud.
This is an open source project developed by a small team in our spare time. While fully functional, we're continuously improving. Check our Change Log for recent updates or contact us with questions, problems, or feature requests.
Example scores
These example scores have been produced by this website and should give a good idea of what a Talking Score is. They might not have been produced by the latest version of the code.