Sheet music issues?

[DJ Shin Ayanami]

Hey guys. I'm looking to start working on some themes but the problem I'm encountering is a lack of sheet music. I like knowing the source at the actual written music but I cant seem to find any for games like the Breath of Fire series. Ive been able to use the midi files but it does not always translate to sheet music that sounds correct. Do any of you guys know where one can find more rare sheet music, free or for purchase, or a very good midi-to-sheet music program? Thanks guys!

[Zephyr]

When it comes to game sheet music, it's best to go on a case by case basis, some places are very specific about the sort of music they host. There's several good places to get Final Fantasy music (ffshrine, or Ichigo's), and Nintendo music (http://www.ninsheetm.us/ < has a few non nintendo games as well.) Gamemusicthemes.com has a bunch of good oldschool sheets, and pianothemes.com has a lot of good old stuff.

As for Breath of Fire, your best friend is google I'd say, if you can't find it there I'm afraid I can't help you.

[Kanthos]

If MIDI files don't translate to sheet music that is correct, the MIDI files are also incorrect.

If you were to convert audio to sheet music (which can't be done effectively yet), the quality of the program you use would make a huge difference, because the program would have to analyze the audio and determine what notes were sounding at once and on which instruments.

MIDI, on the other hand, is a format that is explicit about which notes are played when and for how long. Unless you get a notation program that's really buggy and incorrect, it is not a hard thing to convert MIDI to notation, so if the software you use isn't doing that well, the problem is probably with the MIDI files.

[DJ Shin Ayanami]

Thanks guys. Hopefully I get this to work and can try to get some much needed BoF life into this site as well as some Suikoden pieces.

[GarretGraves]

I read somewhere that you can import MIDI files into Finale. Would that help?

[Kizyr]

Riulyn's Sheet Music Shrine is one place I rather like. No Breath of Fire there, unfortunately, but several other games (including Lunar 1-2 and Tales of Phantasia).

The problem with MIDI->Sheet Music is that MIDI files are designed to be played as a file, rather than by a person. It can translate into sheet music, yes, but your ultimate goal is usually going to something meant to be read and played by a human (which requires some arrangement, a little or a lot depending on how complex the MIDI file itself is). KF

[GarretGraves]

So basically, in order for MIDI files to be translated to sheet music properly, you need to compose in a style that's completely possible for a human to actually play it. Am I right?

[Kanthos]

That depends. In general, MIDI will translate to sheet music just fine. Things break down for a couple reasons:

1) The music is too complex to be played by one person (especially if the MIDI is something like an orchestral arrangement and you condense everything to a master piano score).

2) The person who made the MIDI file has taken small liberties to improve the way that their MIDI player performs the file but that a human trying to play the sheet music for that MIDI will find confusing. As an example, say your sound card's string sounds have a longer release than the brass sounds, but they're playing a uniform part. To make the notes cut off at the same point, you might shorten the notes in the string part so it sounds right but isn't technically written correctly.