I was wondering how you read the ABC music? If you don't know what i'm talking about it looks like this I: FAAB A2IFAAA B/2.... etc.
this site is the only place I have found it.
I cant really read sheet music, and this looks easyer. :P
Tigermoth:
Can't imagine anyone actually reads and plays straight from ABC, but I could be wrong.
Yes you very well could. I find it far easier than "the dots" but I am an engineer
I can read ABC fluently as well. It really doesn't take that long to get used to, and it's invaluable for writing tunes down. I used to use staff notation for this, now I find ABC easier. It's also useful for reading ABC tunes you find on the web - no need to use a conversion program.
Well each to their own, but I find it hard to believe it's easier than the notation. Anything is possible with practice though I suppose. Music written on a stave makes so much more sense to me, visually at least, as the dots go up or down, so does the sound of the notes.
When I say easier, I mean that you can jot down notes on the back of an envelope quicker and easier. No more creating rickety staves etc. I agree there's not much in it, as far as time goes, but being able to read and write ABC with ease has been a great help to me.
I must admit, I've never actually tried to play tunes from abc. Although when writing in abc, after a few tunes one after the other, it starts to flow. Compared to notation though, I do make way more mistakes writing abc.
The ABC music is just a list of notes without rhythm. I mean, an A on your intstrument would be a A on the ABC music. The letters just stand for the note names. However, the ABC music doesn't show the rhythm and doesn't tend to show high or low. Unless there is a line next to the note, it is medium. It would look like this: A' This is a high A. I know the ABC music, because I started with it, but then moved onto sheetmusic. Go with whichever style of writing you like, if it works, it works and don't fret. Ask around to other musicians that perhaps live or work near ytou. They may tell you more.
ABC *does* show the rhythm. You define the basic note length and then can say how many times this length a specific note is. eg. A2 is an A played for double the standard duration.
I don't think I could efective play anything staight from abc, Goldfrog, I have to hear it too. But it will certainly be easyer than getting the sheet music, then translating it into the "tabs" for fiddle.
One question though, can ABC show grace notes? Im not very creative with those yet, and some time a need "guidence" so I can remeber where I put them.
abc notation for a G major scale on the fiddle, low to high, looks something like this:
G string: G, A, B, C,
D string: D E F G
A string: A B c d
E string: e f g
sharps and flats (like f#) aren't usually put in there because they'll be understood, as determined by the " K: " (for "Key") in the header you'll see at the top of each tune .
Reading the ABC
Reading the ABC
I was wondering how you read the ABC music? If you don't know what i'm talking about it looks like this I: FAAB A2IFAAA B/2.... etc.
this site is the only place I have found it.
I cant really read sheet music, and this looks easyer. :P
# Posted on February 14th 2007 by Eleiel
Re: Reading the ABC
Google is your friend, so is Wikipedia!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_(musical_notation)
Can't imagine anyone actually reads and plays straight from ABC, but I could be wrong.
# Posted on February 14th 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Reading the ABC
Looks like the forum ate my link.
Try Google search for 'ABC Notation'
# Posted on February 14th 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Reading the ABC
"I was wondering how you read the ABC music?":
Try this:
http://abc.sourceforge.net/
"this site is the only place I have found it"
Here are a few more (...... but this is the BEST!):
http://www.freesheetmusic.net/abc.html
Good Luck.
# Posted on February 14th 2007 by Ptarmigan
Re: Reading the ABC
Tigermoth:
Can't imagine anyone actually reads and plays straight from ABC, but I could be wrong.
Yes you very well could. I find it far easier than "the dots" but I am an engineer
# Posted on February 14th 2007 by goldfrog
Re: Reading the ABC
This site spells it out clearly:
http://www.lesession.co.uk/abc/abc_notation.htm
Simple as ABC.
# Posted on February 14th 2007 by Tigermoth
Reply to goldfrog
Well blow me down! Good on you.
I'm off to eat some alphabet spaghetti, lol.
# Posted on February 14th 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Reading the ABC
I can read ABC fluently as well. It really doesn't take that long to get used to, and it's invaluable for writing tunes down. I used to use staff notation for this, now I find ABC easier. It's also useful for reading ABC tunes you find on the web - no need to use a conversion program.
# Posted on February 14th 2007 by nigelg
Re: Reading the ABC
Well each to their own, but I find it hard to believe it's easier than the notation. Anything is possible with practice though I suppose. Music written on a stave makes so much more sense to me, visually at least, as the dots go up or down, so does the sound of the notes.
# Posted on February 14th 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Reading the ABC
When I say easier, I mean that you can jot down notes on the back of an envelope quicker and easier. No more creating rickety staves etc. I agree there's not much in it, as far as time goes, but being able to read and write ABC with ease has been a great help to me.
# Posted on February 14th 2007 by nigelg
Re: Reading the ABC
I must admit, I've never actually tried to play tunes from abc. Although when writing in abc, after a few tunes one after the other, it starts to flow. Compared to notation though, I do make way more mistakes writing abc.
# Posted on February 15th 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Reading the ABC
The ABC music is just a list of notes without rhythm. I mean, an A on your intstrument would be a A on the ABC music. The letters just stand for the note names. However, the ABC music doesn't show the rhythm and doesn't tend to show high or low. Unless there is a line next to the note, it is medium. It would look like this: A' This is a high A. I know the ABC music, because I started with it, but then moved onto sheetmusic. Go with whichever style of writing you like, if it works, it works and don't fret. Ask around to other musicians that perhaps live or work near ytou. They may tell you more.
# Posted on February 15th 2007 by NiamhB
Re: Reading the ABC
ABC *does* show the rhythm. You define the basic note length and then can say how many times this length a specific note is. eg. A2 is an A played for double the standard duration.
# Posted on February 15th 2007 by robharper
Re: Reading the ABC
thanx! the links are very helpful.
I don't think I could efective play anything staight from abc, Goldfrog, I have to hear it too. But it will certainly be easyer than getting the sheet music, then translating it into the "tabs" for fiddle.
One question though, can ABC show grace notes? Im not very creative with those yet, and some time a need "guidence" so I can remeber where I put them.
# Posted on February 15th 2007 by Eleiel
Re: Reading the ABC
Braces { } surround grace notes.
Parentheses ( ) define slurred notes.
Brackets [ ] mark a chord, low note first.
# Posted on February 15th 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Reading the ABC
abc notation for a G major scale on the fiddle, low to high, looks something like this:
G string: G, A, B, C,
D string: D E F G
A string: A B c d
E string: e f g
sharps and flats (like f#) aren't usually put in there because they'll be understood, as determined by the " K: " (for "Key") in the header you'll see at the top of each tune .
# Posted on February 15th 2007 by fidkid
Re: Reading the ABC
ABC seems to be used quite a bit for concertina tuition in Ireland.
# Posted on February 15th 2007 by geoffwright
Re: Reading the ABC
I find writing ABC is much easier than standard notation, but as for reading it I have a computer to do that for me.
# Posted on February 17th 2007 by ubendum