From e0c6872cf40896c7be36b11dcc744620f10adf1d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Norbert Preining Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2019 13:46:59 +0900 Subject: Initial commit --- support/abc2mtex/abc.txt | 453 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 453 insertions(+) create mode 100644 support/abc2mtex/abc.txt (limited to 'support/abc2mtex/abc.txt') diff --git a/support/abc2mtex/abc.txt b/support/abc2mtex/abc.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..702dab1392 --- /dev/null +++ b/support/abc2mtex/abc.txt @@ -0,0 +1,453 @@ + +This description of abc notation has been created for those who +do not want to (or cannot) use the package ABC2MTeX but who wish +to understand the notation. It has been generated semi- +automatically from the ABC2MTeX userguide and so occasionally +refers to other parts of the package. In particular, it mentions +the document index.tex, a guide to using ABC2MTeX for archiving +and indexing tunes, and to the example files English.abc, +Strspys.abc and Reels.abc. It also refers to playabc, a separate +package for playing abc tunes through the speaker of various +machines. It is best read in conjunction with an introduction to +abc notation available by anonymous ftp from + + celtic.stanford.edu/pub/tunes/abc2mtex/INTRO.txt + +or, if you have WWW access, + + http://celtic.stanford.edu/pub/tunes/abc2mtex/INTRO.html + +Note that if you are intending to use the notation solely for +transcribing tunes, you can ignore most of description of the +information fields as all you really need are the T (title), M +(meter), K (key), and possibly L (default note length) fields. I +have included a full description however, for those who wish to +understand tunes transcribed by users of the package. + +Finally, the notation can easily be expanded to include other +musical symbols. Please mail me with any suggestions. + + Chris Walshaw + C.Walshaw@gre.ac.uk + +----------------------------------------------------------------- + + The abc Notation System + ======================= + +Each tune consists of a header and a body. The header, which is +composed of information fields, should start with an X (reference +number) field followed by a T (title) field and finish with a K +(key) field. The body of the tune in abc notation should follow +immediately after. Tunes are separated by blank lines. + + Information fields + ================== + +The information fields are used to notate things such as +composer, meter, etc. in fact anything that isn't music. Most of +the information fields are for use within a tune header but in +addition some may be used in the tune body, or elsewhere in the +tune file. Those which are allowed elsewhere can be used to set +up a default for the whole or part of a file. For example, in +exactly the same way that tunebooks are organised, a file might +start with M:6/8 and R:Jigs, followed by some jigs, followed by +M:4/4 and R:Reels, followed by some reels. Tunes within each +section then inherit the M: and R: fields automatically, although +they can be overridden inside a tune header. Finally note that +any line beginning with a letter in the range A-Z and immediately +followed by a : is interpreted as a field (so that line like E:|, +which could be regarded as an E followed by a right repeat +symbol, will cause an error). + +By far the best way to find out how to use the fields is to look +at the example files (in particular English.abc) and try out some +examples. Thus rather than describing them in detail, they are +summarised in the following table. The second, third and fourth +columns specify respectively how the field should be used in the +header and whether it may used in tune body or elsewhere in the +file. Certain fields do not affect the typeset music but are +there for other reasons, and the fifth column reflects this; +index fields only affect the index (see index.tex) while archive +fields do not affect the output at all, but are just provided to +put in information that one might find in, say, a conventional +tunebook. + +Field name header tune elsewhere Used by Examples and notes +========== ====== ==== ========= ======= ================== +A:area yes A:Donegal, A:Bampton +B:book yes yes archive B:O'Neills +C:composer yes C:Trad. +D:discography yes archive D:Chieftans IV +E:elemskip yes yes see Line Breaking +F:file name yes see index.tex +G:group yes yes archive G:flute +H:history yes yes archive H:This tune said to ... +I:information yes yes playabc +K:key last yes K:G, K:Dm, K:AMix +L:default note length yes yes L:1/4, L:1/8 +M:meter yes yes yes M:3/4, M:4/4 +N:notes yes N:see also O'Neills - 234 +O:origin yes yes index O:I, O:Irish, O:English +P:parts yes yes P:ABAC, P:A, P:B +Q:tempo yes yes Q:200, Q:C2=200 +R:rhythm yes yes index R:R, R:reel +S:source yes S:collected in Brittany +T:title second yes T:Paddy O'Rafferty +W:words yes W:Hey, the dusty miller +X:reference number first X:1, X:2 +Z:transcription note yes Z:from photocopy + +Some additional notes on certain of the fields:- + +T - tune title. Some tunes have more than one title and so this +field can be used more than once per tune - the first time will +generate the title whilst subsequent usage will generate the +alternatives in small print. The T: field can also be used +within a tune to name parts of a tune - in this case it should +come before any key or meter changes. + +K - key; the key signature should be specified with a capital +letter which may be followed by a # or b for sharp or flat +respectively. In addition, different scales or modes can be +specified and, for example, K:F lydian, K:C, K:C major, K:C +ionian, K:G mixolydian, K:D dorian, K:A minor, K:Am, K:A aeolian, +K:E phrygian and K:B locrian would all produce a staff with no +sharps or flats. The spaces can be left out, capitalisation is +ignored for the modes and in fact only the first three letters of +each mode are parsed so that, for example, K:F# mixolydian is the +same as K:F#Mix or even K:F#MIX. There are two additional keys +specifically for notating highland bagpipe tunes; K:HP doesn't +put a key signature on the music, as is common with many tune +books of this music, while K:Hp marks the stave with F sharp, C +sharp and G natural. Both force all the beams and staffs to go +downwards. + +Finally, global accidentals can also be set in this field so +that, for example, K:D =c would write the key signature as two +sharps (key of D) but then mark every c as natural (which is +conceptually the same as D mixolydian). Note that the there can +be several global accidentals, separated by spaces and each +specified with an accidental, __, _, =, ^ or ^^, (see below) +followed by a letter in lower case. Global accidentals are +overridden by accidentals attached to notes within the body of +the abc tune and are reset by each change of signature. + +L - default note length; i.e. L:1/4 - quarter note, L:1/8 - +eighth note, L:1/16 - sixteenth, L:1/32 - thirty-second. The +default note length is also set automatically by the meter field +M: (see below). + +M - meter; apart from the normal meters, e.g. M:6/8 or M:4/4, +the symbols M:C and M:C| give common time and cut time +respectively. + +P - parts; can be used in the header to state the order in which +the tune parts are played, i.e. P:ABABCDCD, and then inside the +tune to mark each part, i.e. P:A or P:B. + +Q - tempo; can be used to specify the notes per minute, e.g. if +the default note length is an eighth note then Q:120 or Q:C=120 +is 120 eighth notes per minute. Similarly Q:C3=40 would be 40 +dotted quarter notes per minute. An absolute tempo may also be +set, e.g. Q:1/8=120 is also 120 eighth notes per minute, +irrespective of the default note length. + +G - group; to group together tunes for indexing purposes. + +H - history; can be used for multi-line stories/anecdotes, all of +which will be ignored until the next field occurs. + + + abc tune notation + ================= + +The following letters are used to represent notes:- + + + d' + -c'- ---- + b + -a- --- ---- ---- + g + ------------------------------------f------------------- + e + --------------------------------d----------------------- + c + ----------------------------B--------------------------- + A + ------------------------G------------------------------- + F + --------------------E----------------------------------- + D + ---- ---- ---- -C- + B, + ---- -A,- + G, + +and by extension, the notes C, D, E, F, a' and b' are available. +Notes can be modified in length (see below). + + Rests + ===== + +Rests are generated with a z and can be modified in length in +exactly the same way as notes can. + + Note lengths + ============ + +NB Throughout this document note lengths are referred as +sixteenth, eighth, etc. The commonly used equivalents are +sixteenth note = semi-quaver, eighth = quaver, quarter = crotchet +and half = minim. + +Each meter automatically sets a default note length and a single +letter in the range A-G, a-g will generate a note of this length. +For example, in 3/4 the default note length is an eighth note and +so the input DEF represents 3 eighth notes. The default note +length can be calculated by computing the meter as a decimal; if +it is less than 0.75 the default is a sixteenth note, otherwise +it is an eighth note. For example, 2/4 = 0.5, so the default note +length is a sixteenth note, while 4/4 = 1.0 or 6/8 = 0.75, so the +default is an eighth note. Common time and cut time (M:C and +M:C|) have an eighth note as default. + +Notes of differing lengths can be obtained by simply putting a +multiplier after the letter. Thus in 2/4, A or A1 is a sixteenth +note, A2 an eighth note, A3 a dotted eighth note, A4 a quarter +note, A6 a dotted quarter note, A7 a double dotted quarter note, +A8 a half note, A12 a dotted half note, A14 a double dotted half +note, A15 a triple dotted half note and so on, whilst in 3/4, A +is an eighth note, A2 a quarter note, A3 a dotted quarter note, +A4 a half note, ... + +To get shorter notes, either divide them - e.g. in 3/4, A/2 is a +sixteenth note, A/4 is a thirty-second note - or change the +default note length with the L: field. Alternatively, if the +music has a broken rhythm, e.g. dotted eighth note/sixteenth note +pairs, use broken rhythm markers (see below). Note that A/ is +shorthand for A/2. + + Broken rhythms + ============== + +A common occurrence in traditional music is the use of a dotted +or broken rhythm. For example, hornpipes, strathspeys and certain +morris jigs all have dotted eighth notes followed by sixteenth +notes as well as vice-versa in the case of strathspeys. To +support this abc notation uses a > to mean `the previous note is +dotted, the next note halved' and < to mean `the previous note is +halved, the next dotted'. Thus the following lines all mean the +same thing (the third version is recommended): + + L:1/16 + a3b cd3 a2b2c2d2 + + L:1/8 + a3/2b/2 c/2d3/2 abcd + + L:1/8 + a>b c> means that the first note is double +dotted and the second quartered and >>> means that the first note +is triple dotted and the length of the second divided by eight. +Similarly for << and <<<. + + Duplets, triplets, quadruplets, etc. + ==================================== + +These can be simply coded with the notation (2ab for a duplet, +(3abc for a triplet or (4abcd for a quadruplet, etc., up to (9. +The musical meanings are: + + + (2 2 notes in the time of 3 + (3 3 notes in the time of 2 + (4 4 notes in the time of 3 + (5 5 notes in the time of n + (6 6 notes in the time of 2 + (7 7 notes in the time of n + (8 8 notes in the time of 3 + (9 9 notes in the time of n + +If the time signature is compound (3/8, 6/8, 9/8, 3/4, etc.) then +n is three, otherwise n is two. + +More general tuplets can be specified using the syntax (p:q:r +which means `put p notes into the time of q for the next r +notes'. If q is not given, it defaults as above. If r is not +given, it defaults to p. For example, (3:2:2 is equivalent to +(3::2 and (3:2:3 is equivalent to (3:2 , (3 or even (3:: . This +can be useful to include notes of different lengths within a +tuplet, for example (3:2:2G4c2 or (3:2:4G2A2Bc and also describes +more precisely how the simple syntax works in cases like (3D2E2F2 +or even (3D3EF2. The number written over the tuplet is p. + + Beams + ===== + +To group notes together under one beam they should be grouped +together without spaces. Thus in 2/4, A2BC will produce an eighth +note followed by two sixteenth notes under one beam whilst A2 B C +will produce the same notes separated. The beam slopes and the +choice of upper or lower staffs are generated automatically. + + Repeat/bar symbols + ================== + +Bar line symbols are generated as follows: + + + | bar line + |] thin-thick double bar line + || thin-thin double bar line + [| thick-thin double bar line + :| left repeat + |: right repeat + :: left-right repeat + + + + First and second repeats + ======================== + +First and second repeats can be generated with the symbols [1 and +[2, e.g. faf gfe|[1 dfe dBA:|[2 d2e dcB|]. When adjacent to bar +lines, these can be shortened to |1 and :|2, but with regard to +spaces | [1 is legal, | 1 is not. + + Accidentals + =========== + +The symbols ^ = and _ are used (before a note) to generate +respectively a sharp, natural or flat. Double sharps and flats +are available with ^^ and __ respectively. + + Changing key, meter, and default note length mid-tune + ===================================================== + +To change key, meter, or default note length, simply put in a new +line with a K: M: or L: field, e.g. + ed|cecA B2ed|cAcA E2ed|cecA B2ed|c2A2 A2:| + K:G + AB|cdec BcdB|ABAF GFE2|cdec BcdB|c2A2 A2:| + +To do this without generating a new line of music, put a \ at the +end of the first line, i.e. + E2E EFE|E2E EFG|\ + M:9/8 + A2G F2E D2|] + + Ties and slurs + ============== + +You can tie two notes together either across or within a bar with +a - symbol, e.g. abc-|cba or abc-cba. More general slurs can be +put in with () symbols. Thus (DEFG) puts a slur over the four +notes. Spaces within a slur are OK, e.g. (D E F G), but the open +bracket should come immediately before a note (and its +accents/accidentals, etc.) and the close bracket should come +immediately after a note (and its octave marker or length). Thus +(=b c'2) is OK but ( =b c'2 ) is not. + + Gracings + ======== + +Grace notes can be written by enclosing them in curly braces, +{}. For example, a taorluath on the Highland pipes would be +written {GdGe}. The tune `Athol Brose' (in the file Strspys.abc) +has an example of complex Highland pipe gracing in all its glory. +Grace notes have no time value and so expressions such as {a2} +or {a>b} are not legal. + +Alternatively, the tilde symbol ~ represents the general gracing +of a note which, in the context of traditional music, can mean +different things for different instruments, for example a roll, +cran or staccato triplet + + Accents + ======= + +Staccato marks (a small dot above or below the note head) can be +generated by a dot before the note, i.e. a staccato triplet is +written as (3.a.b.c + +For fiddlers, the letters u and v can be used to denote up-bow +and down-bow, e.g. vAuBvA + + Chords and unisons + ================== + +Chords (i.e. more than one note head on a single stem) can be +coded with [] symbols around the notes, e.g. [CEGc] produces the +chord of C major. They can be grouped in beams, e.g. +[d2f2][ce][df] but there should be no spaces within a chord. See +the tune `Kitchen Girl' in the file Reels.abc for a simple +example. + +If the chord contains two notes both of the same length and +pitch, such as [DD], then it is a unison (e.g. a note played on +two strings of a violin simultaneously) and is shown as note-head +with both upward and downward stems. + + Guitar chords + ============= + +Guitar chords can be put in under the melody line by enclosing +the chord in inverted commas, e.g. "Am7"A2D2 . See the tune +`William and Nancy' in English.abc for an example. + + Order of symbols + ================ + +The order of symbols for one note is , +(e.g. roll, staccato marker or up/downbow), , , +, , i.e. ~^c'3 or even "Gm7"v.=G,2 + +Tie symbols, -, should come immediately after a note group but +may be followed by a space, i.e. =G,2- . Open and close chord +symbols, [], should enclose entire note sequences (except for +guitar chords), i.e. "C"[CEGc] or "Gm7"[.=G,^c'] and open and +close slur symbols, (), should do likewise, i.e. +"Gm7"(v.=G,2~^c'2) + + + Comments + ======== + +A % symbol will cause the remainder of any input line to be +ignored. The file English.abc contains plenty of examples. + + New notation + ============ + +The letters H-Z can be used to define your own new notation +within a tune. Currently the way they are implemented (if at all) +is extremely package dependent and so users are advised not to +rely too heavily on them to include new features. Instead, if +there is a feature or symbol that you need and which is not +available it is better to press for it to be included as a part +of the language. + + Line breaking and justification + =============================== + +Generally one line of abc notation will produce one line of +music, although if the music is too long it will overflow onto +the next line. This can look very effective, but it can also +completely ruin ties across bar lines, for example. You can +counteract this by changing either the note spacing with the E: +field (although currently this is package dependent) or break the +line of abc notation. If, however, you wish to use two lines of +input to generate one line of music (see, for example, the +`Untitled Reel' in Reels.abc) then simply put a \ at the end of +the first line. This is also useful for changing meter or key in +the middle of a line of music. + +With most packages lines of music are right-justified. However, +where this is not the case (e.g. when using MusicTeX), a * at the +end of each line of abc notation will force a right-justified +line-break. + -- cgit v1.2.3