# Forte (notation program)

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Music notation software

Forte Light mode Dark mode Forte running on Microsoft Windows Developer Lugert Verlag GmbH Final release 12.1 / 12 February 2021; 5 years ago (2021-02-12) Operating system Microsoft Windows Available in English, German Type Scorewriter (Music notation) License Proprietary software Website www.fortenotation.com

**Forte** was a [music notation program](/source/Scorewriter) developed by the German company *Lugert Verlag*, located in [Handorf](/source/Handorf). Its name is derived from the dynamic marking of *[forte](/source/Dynamics_(music))*. The program was available in both German and English.[1][2]

## History

The Lugert publishing house, which developed the Forte software, had its beginnings in 1981 when Wulf-Dieter Lugert and Volker Schütz were preparing [popular music](/source/Popular_music) for higher education courses. The use of popular music in the classroom was unusual in [Germany](/source/Germany) at the time. In 1998 the principals formed a publishing house, which subsequently became known as *Lugert Verlag*. The firm later diversifies, producing magazines and audio media and selling musical instruments.[3][4] Forte, their [score-writing](/source/Scorewriter) program, was first released in 2005.[*[disputed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Disputed_statement) – [discuss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Forte_(notation_program)#Is_this_Forte_program_related_to_the_Midisoft_software?_If_so,_How?)*]

Following the death of the founder of Lugert publishing house, Wulf-Dieter Lugert, in October 2025, the development of the software Forte has been discontinued. [5]

## Functionality

The program can import [MIDI](/source/MIDI), [MusicXML](/source/MusicXML) and karaoke files, as well as the *CapXML* file format of the [Capella](/source/Capella_(notation_program)) notation program,[1][2] and can export songs in [MIDI](/source/MIDI) and [MusicXML](/source/MusicXML) formats for sharing with other tools such as the open-source [MuseScore](/source/MuseScore) and [LilyPond](/source/LilyPond) programs. It also allows users to save music scores as JPEG, TIFF or EPS files. Three of its tools include the *Music Ruler,* which allows users to enter notes; *the audio sequencer,* which allows users to record or import audio and play it in conjunction with their composition; and the *complex scores,* which allows users to write elaborate pieces. Recent versions of the program feature the ability to automatically transpose notated music among various keys, while their *ScanScore 2* module performs [optical music recognition](/source/Optical_music_recognition) on medium- to high-resolution PDF, JPEG, TIFF or PNG files of music score images, generating reasonably accurate MusicXML input for further processing within the main Forte program; this feature, however, is only available in the company's Premium edition.[6]

## Versions

Forte is available in several editions, with the more expensive Premium edition implementing full functionality while the Home and Basic editions have more limited capabilities, such as the number of [staves](/source/Staff_(music)), voices and verses supported. An education edition and a specialist version designed for hymn and worship music are also available.[7][8][9][10][11]

## See also

- [Comparison of scorewriters](/source/Comparison_of_scorewriters)

- [List of MIDI editors and sequencers](/source/List_of_MIDI_editors_and_sequencers)

- [List of guitar tablature software](/source/List_of_guitar_tablature_software)

- [Dynamics (music)](/source/Dynamics_(music))

- [List of music software](/source/List_of_music_software)

## Notes

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-TopTenREVIEWS_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-TopTenREVIEWS_1-1) TopTenREVIEWS: [Forte Home 2013 | Music Notation Software | Compose Music](http://music-notation-software-review.toptenreviews.com/forte-standard-review.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130131160553/http://music-notation-software-review.toptenreviews.com/forte-standard-review.html) 2013-01-31 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) [Forte 3 Premium](http://premium-music-notation-software.toptenreviews.com/forte-standard-review.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121223042011/http://premium-music-notation-software.toptenreviews.com/forte-standard-review.html) 2012-12-23 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) [2013 Music Notation Software Comparisons and Reviews](http://music-notation-software-review.toptenreviews.com/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130124005746/http://music-notation-software-review.toptenreviews.com/) 2013-01-24 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-MusicTeachersHelper_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-MusicTeachersHelper_2-1) Ronnie Currey (16 April 2009). [""Forte" Notation Software: A Review"](http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/forte-notation-software-a-review/). Music Teacher's Helper Blog. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130323105239/http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/forte-notation-software-a-review/) from the original on 2013-03-23. Retrieved 27 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-LugertHistory_3-0)** ["Geschichte des Lugert Verlags: Und alles begann mit einer Schreibmaschine…"](http://www.lugert-verlag.de/geschichte-des-lugert-verlags) [History of the Lugert publishing house: It all began with a typewriter] (in German). Lugert Verlag. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140307215215/http://www.lugert-verlag.de/geschichte-des-lugert-verlags) from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Emusician-PrRel_4-0)** ["FORTE Unveils FORTE 6 Musical Notation Software"](https://www.emusician.com/gear/forte-unveils-forte-6-musical-notation-software). *electronic musician*. 4 December 2014. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180919230603/https://www.emusician.com/gear/forte-unveils-forte-6-musical-notation-software) from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ForteDiscontinued_5-0)** ["FORTE ends - In Memory of Dr. Wulf-Dieter Lugert"](https://www.fortenotation.com/en/). Forte/Lugert Verlag. Retrieved 3 May 2026.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: url-status ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_url-status))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-scanscore_6-0)** [FORTE 11 and ScanScore 2 – Sheet Music Digitized](https://www.fortenotation.com/en/2019/11/forte-11-and-scanscore2/), 6 Nov. 2019, ScanScore. Accessed 25 April 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Editions_7-0)** [""Forte" Editions"](http://www.fortenotation.com/en/products/writing-scores/product-overview/#notation). Forte. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150419051905/http://www.fortenotation.com/en/products/writing-scores/product-overview#notation) from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 16 April 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FortePricesEN_8-0)** ["Buy FORTE » Forte Notation"](http://www.fortenotation.com/en/transaction/buy/). Forte/Lugert Verlag. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121231000238/http://www.fortenotation.com/en/transaction/buy/) from the original on 2012-12-31. Retrieved 27 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ForteOverview_9-0)** ["Product Tour » Forte Notation"](http://www.fortenotation.com/en/product-tour/). Forte/Lugert Verlag. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130107070846/http://www.fortenotation.com/en/product-tour/) from the original on 2013-01-07. Retrieved 27 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-fortenotation.com_10-0)** ["Forte"](http://www.fortenotation.com/en/files/Forte_FeatureComparison_EN.pdf) (PDF). *Fortenotation.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304070031/http://www.fortenotation.com/en/files/Forte_FeatureComparison_EN.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 15 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Forte_4.0_Announcement_11-0)** ["FORTE 4 ab 23.11. – Die Preise im Überblick!"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130125162920/http://www.forte-notensatz.de/2012/11/forte-4-ab-23-11-die-preise-im-uberblick/) (in German). Lugert Verlag. 21 November 2012. Archived from [the original](http://www.forte-notensatz.de/2012/11/forte-4-ab-23-11-die-preise-im-uberblick/) on 2013-01-25. Retrieved 27 January 2013.

## External links

- [Official Forte web site in English](http://www.fortenotation.com)

v t e Scorewriters Free and open-source Gregorio Impro-Visor LilyPond Denemo Frescobaldi jEdit plugin Extension:Score MuseScore Studio MusiXTeX Philip's Music Writer Power Tab Editor Rosegarden TuxGuitar Proprietary Capella Dorico Encore Guitar Pro Igor Engraver MagicScore Mozart Mus2 MusiCAD MusicEase Notion NoteWorthy Composer Overture ScoreCloud Sibelius SmartScore No longer developed Aegis Sonix Deluxe Music Construction Set Finale Forte MusEdit Music Construction Set Music Write NoteEdit SCORE List Comparison

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Forte (notation program)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forte_(notation_program)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forte_(notation_program)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.