About Us

Pizzicato Music Notation And Composition Software History

In 1990, the ARPEGE MUSIC company was created by Dominique Vandenneucker with the purpose of putting computer science and electronics at the service of art. The idea to create a music notation software was already in the air. After coordinating the activities of ARPEGE, the first lines of the program were written in 1992. A software framework was developed to program on both Microsoft Windows and Macintosh. The first notes appeared on the screen at the beginning of 1993.

While developing Pizzicato, ARPEGE was distributing information about computer aided music. There were some basic music devices (synthesizers, sound cards etc.) already on the market, but only little software aimed at the non-expert musician / producer. The purpose then was to communicate with the public to know what was necessary for computer aided music and also to analyze the public's needs. We finally conducted a survey which helped us to better conduct the Pizzicato project.
The first conclusion of this survey was that there was no software available which did combine a professional tool and a didactic approach for the beginner in music or in computer science. At that time, ARPEGE was helping people to find a compromise within the existing products.

The second conclusion was that existing music notation software were not offering a great help to compose music. We had always believed that computers could do more than just write and print music, that it could give us tools to help music composition, chords suggestions, melodies, and so on.

Our target was thus definitely fixed: to develop a music notation software which would be accessible to beginners in music and in computer science, and which would also help them to compose their own music. The target was also to make a powerful music notation software package to help the professionals work more efficiently. Ultimately we had some innovative ideas to review the musical interface and composition tools. In 1992, a complete plan was developed for a music notation software package, later called "Pizzicato". We wanted Pizzicato to run under Microsoft Windows, Macintosh and at that time, DOS. This last option was later abandoned due to the growth of Windows 3.1 which soon became the standard computer interface.

At the beginning of 1995, the Pizzicato main features were ready. Nevertheless we still had a great deal to do to fully test it and to write the user manual (6 months to write it!). In October 1995, we decided to launch Pizzicato on December the 15th. We made a marketing campaign and version 1 for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh was presented during 3 public-days at the ARPEGE offices. Pizzicato was met with great enthusiasm.
Further development in 1996 led to the evolution of our modular approach, so that different levels of musicians (from beginner to professional) could specialise in their own musical field (instrumental soloist, choir, orchestra, etc) which led to

Pizzicato becoming affordable to the widest population. Why should a beginner in piano have the same needs and pay the same price as a professional orchestral composer and arranger?

The product was presented at the Media-Planet exhibition in Brussels in 1996 and received 3rd place in the multimedia software category. Pizzicato was presented on the Belgian Television in 2 shows and is now regularly reviewed by press articles.

While continuing to market Pizzicato in the musical world and to the general public, ARPEGE designed Pizzicato 2. Advanced features suggested by users were added to make Pizzicato easier to use. With the purpose of making music accessible to everybody, we launched another product: Pizzicato Light. For a very low price, one could learn music and start working with a basic music notation software package. The price would no more prevent the public to discover computer aided music.

Thus Pizzicato 2 (Light, Beginner and Professional) for Microsoft Windows was released in 2000. Pizzicato 2 for Macintosh appeared at the end of 2001. With version 2, we launched a campaign to bring people to learn and practice music. Since then and with this purpose in mind, our website offers the complete Pizzicato music course for free. Everybody may download the evaluation version of Pizzicato and follow the music course on-line.

In 2001, ARPEGE launched a music education program for music schools, choirs, orchestras and bands, and for colleges and elementary schools. The idea was to give teachers and students, conductors and musicians a free version of Pizzicato Light, so as to make music education and computer aided music broadly available.

At the end of 2003, Pizzicato, its full user manual and the website were translated into English, again with the same purpose in mind: to make computer aided music available to everybody

In March 2005, Pizzicato 3 for Microsoft Windows was published. A new set of composition tools were added as well as the other features that were requested users.

In September 2005, Pizzicato 3 for Mac OS X became available.

Aside from the development of Pizzicato, our know-how in computer aided music helped us to collaborate as a consultant for the studios of the internationally known musician and composer VANGELIS in Athens and also to participate in the development of the Music-Touch software for beginners in composition, with the CONTINENTAL STRUCTURES company.
After about sixteen years of development, ARPEGE has a software suite that is well appreciated by all kinds of users. ARPEGE continues to develop Pizzicato. Our aim remains the same... "To make music and composition available to everyone" and we will do our best to create an ideal software framework for computer aided music.