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This may seem like a stupid post, but... What do composers compose with? I mean what writing implement do composers use for their sketches, drafts, and final scores? Hundreds of years ago, pencils weren't invented, and many people used quills. A basic list to start with: Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Chopin, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Mahler, and in more modern times, Bernstein, Gershwin, Stravinsky, Copland, Glass, etc.

PENCIL!!!!!!!! I never use pen in music or in math.

No. 2 pencil, nice and sharp. But I neither write nor erase on the music desk, I have a table by the piano for that (and coffee cups).

Pencil - various types, depending on whim, for sketches and drafts. As for preparing my scores, I've used Finale now for about 15 years, but before that I used pen and ink, and had a pretty good hand, if I do say so myself - my older scores look pretty nice! I used to use a fountain-pen-type indian ink (Pelikan was the brand, I think) and a cheap fountain pen with a sawn-off nib (to make it straight). Vertical lines (stems, barlines) were very fine, and horizontals (like for beams)thick. I also worked as a copyist (that's another story) when I was a poor student. I can't believe now how little I was paid.

So far pencils are popular, I assume you all meant "normal" #2/HB pencils.

Have you used/thought about using softer leads? Something closer to a drawing lead than an office pencil, perhaps? I was just thinking about trying this the other day (2B-3B? 2-3mm leads, plus a nice lead holder).

I don't know, I just started thinking about this. I've never really liked pencils, and remember the feel of a couple drawing pencils I used for a brief drawing course (looooong before I got into music). I remember those softer leads as something that might work better for me, but could be completely delusional.

Do you think this could work? Would you try this?

I don't compose, or write much, but would like something better than normal pencils for the short exercises I write and correct.

And it would look geeky :P

I use 2B pencils, or retractable pencils with 2B lead (instead of the HB they usually come with). Depending on what size manuscript paper I'm using, I might use HB lead sometimes.
For markings on piano music, for instance, I often use a softer pencil - 4B (however, they tend to sharpen away to nothing pretty quickly, and the lead breaks easily).
"And it would look geeky :P "
Well you're right there, and this is obviously very important

Now I know I'm not alone

For sketches and drafts, I use whatever pen or pencil available at the time. The final scores I create in Sibelius.

Don't do much math anymore, but I ocassionaly do some sudoku's, for those I always use a pen.

How clever! I start them in pen, but have to resort to pencil halfway through for all but the easiest ones.

I always use a pen. I just scribble things out when I don't like them. I like the higher contrast and sharper line than pencil.

For sketches and quick ideas, I'll use whatever is at hand. For the work roughing it out and coming up with something somewhat respectable, I use a 7mm retractable pencil. After that, it's on to Finale to come up with a polished score.

I do my "scribbling" in Finale. I would no more write music by hand than I would write this message by hand before typing it in this box.

Well I'm with you on the typing vs writing by hand bit! But although I occasionally "scribble" in Finale, and I feel pretty at home with it, I can still write music quicker with pencil. (I generally write my beginner piano pieces straight into Finale, however.)

I use a mechanical pencil with a drafting table next to the piano. When the score is finished, I have a copiest put my score into Sibelius and print out the seperate orchestral parts and conductors score from there.
steve

My #2 pencil is right at the piano -- along with my nice pink eraser which is used often.

I don't erase at the piano -- nasty eraser bits landing on my pretty keyboard is rather ugly. So, I erase by placing my manuscript paper on a high stool set up right next to the piano. I have mastered the art of holding my pencil between my fingers as I am playing a few measures to test out the changes that I have made.

Black felt tip - not too thick, not too fine - thick enough to make nice beams and notes if pressed but thin enough to make clear stems, sharps and flats if used lightly. I use white-out on the occasional error. As I never write anything out until it has become a finished piano piece, that is to say I play it the same way each time, writing is just a rather uninteresting and mechanical task unconnected to the creative process. In fact I loathe it and have been known to go months carrying around several large pieces in my head rather than face writing them out.

One good thing these days is that music paper can be easily proportioned to order and printed from a computer as required. The stuff I used to buy from shops never seemed to have enough space for me to get everything in neatly.

PENCIL for my sketches and sketch-scores: Black Warrior HB .

The calligraphers use a variety of notation programs for the final scores/parts. My preference is Sibelius - it has a truly oval ( and pretty) notehead.

~ when I began writing, as a child, my mom made me use a dip-it-in-the-ink music writing pen, and proper vellum. Lots of scratch-outs (!).