The Simplified Notation app, SNapp
I want to include my virtual sheet music display app, SNapp, in this conversation because it is such an integral part of the philosophy of the WYSIWYP project as well as of the design itself. That philosophy is to give players the ability to customize the notation to their personal needs and preferences. SNapp permits a player to adjust the sheet music page layout and to even tweak the design by choosing noteheads’ size, color, and shape.
Beginners can choose a more enlarged view of the virtual sheet music page in order to determine note position more easily on the staff, to read lyrics, to read fingerings, etc. As skill level increases, the size can be reduced to fit more on a virtual page. With increased playing proficiency, the same enlargement drill can be applied when learning new pieces of music and then reducing the size when muscle memory starts taking over. Of course, those with visual impairments may need to use the larger view all the time. Virtual sheet music as it appears on screen can be exported in PDF format for printing to paper.
SNapp also provides a color-coding user-assist for chord interval identification. Students who use this from the beginning become accustomed to recognizing important intervals such as major and minor thirds and major fifths. This leads to easier triad identification later when these intervals are used in combination. Read more details here.
In summary, user preference options blur a strict definition of a notation and allow users to have their own customized sheet music. Even the same user may want to choose different preferences according to the score, the genre, or whether the user is learning a new score or performing a known one. In this way, the WYSIWYP notation is customizable by SNapp to support the concept of Personalized Sheet Music.