use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
there's a program called "keybored" that allows you to use your computer keyboard as a midi controller, i.e. as a "piano." it's really fun to use, and pretty intuitive, but there can be a bit of a learning curve.
i have rewritten the keyboard layout to be usable for typing abc notation and hearing the notes that you type. this means you can go to a tune in the database, look at the abc, and hit the notes you see to hear what the tune sounds like. alternatively, you can type out a tune in abc in a window and hear it as you type. of course, you also just have fun, and play music without typing into anything.
here are instructions for using my layout. please let me know if you have problems, if my instructions are wrong, or if my layout is wrong (i have tested it, but it may have copied wrong or the session may have reformatted it without my knowledge).
here is my layout for playing in abc:
<start here />
A 81069
D 74062
F 78066
G 79067
H 80068
E 76064
C 72073
B 83071
<end here />
copy and paste the text between the start and end into a notepad file. do not copy the text that says <start here/> or <end here/>. save as "irish.kbm" do not put any spaces in the name, and make sure to save as "all file types" and not a txt document. make sure to save this file in the "keymaps" folder under your "keybored 2.0" directory.
when you start keybored 2.0, my layout will be called" irish". choose this layout and perhaps instrument 41 (violin) and press start. if at any time you want to type and just mess around, keep the keybored window active and just play in there. (when you minimize keybored, it will minimize to the tray next to the clock).
you can look at abc in the tunes section and type without having the letters show up on screen. just click on the abc tab while "keybored" is active (and start has been depressed), and start playing music.
if you type in a text box here or in a wordprocessor, the notes you play will show up on screen, and will repeat if you hold down the note. so, if you would like to hear a tune with realistic note lengths, either be prepared to delete extra notes, or type inactively, such as in the "keybored" program, or while click in a webpage, but not in a textbox.
keep in mind that the number keys do not make sound, and when reading abc, just hit the letters, and not the numbers, slashes, underscores, etc.
my system is set up for the D scale, G scale, and A scale. i have taken out all the other notes, and it is set up to play in the range of a tin whistle. there are two inconsistencies:
1.) when you type C, you hear c# (in abc: ^c). when you type c you actually hear c (in abc: _c). this is so that you can easily play D and G scales. unfortunately this sacrifices low C (in abc: C) and high c (in abc: c')
2. when you type H you hear G# (in abc: ^G). when you type h you hear g# (in abc ^g). this allows you to play in the key of A. it is set to the letter H because it is one key above G.
i will now include the scales, with all the notes in the range separated out by a space.
the D scale is as follows:
DEFGABCd efgab
G scale:
DEF GABcdefg ab
A scale
DEFH ABCdefha b
unfortunately, when typing usable (i.e. compilable) abc, you will have to make alterations. you can type in the numbers and all other symbols, but when entering both c's and g#, the notes you will hear will not be the same as in compilable abc notati0on. however, this is still useful. you can type out most of a tune while hearing it (pressing backspace and correcting abc, changing h to ^g, for example). also, beyond typing out abc, you can figure out the notes of a tune you have in your head with little learning curve (3 notes are different), and you dont have to pick up your instrument. you can also read abc without having to know very much about abc, and without using your instrument.
you will also notice that i have left all the notes that are not in the range of the whistle out of my layout, and all keys which are not needed for this range are left without a note attached.
please let me know if you have any questions. also, feel free to use the original layout included with the program, or make your own. although i just made this layout now and got the program earlier today, i generally use this layout for irish music, and the original for any other type of music.
i am considering altering this layout to make one that has the range of what would be normal for playing in fiddle. please let me know if you are interested. please keep in mind that the extra notes will increase the learning curve.
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
try it out. have some fun. this is not at all like guitar hero. there are only 5 notes on guitar hero, and you do not play individual notes, but trigger sound samples. there are four and a half octaves on the keyboard midi controller, and you play every note. i have reduced it for the session to 16, because i think it is fun and useful, and much more accessible that way.
many people here run abc through a midi converter, and i think that if you were to play it with your fingers through my layout, you would remember it better, as you would be experiencing the music through separate modalities, as well as taking an active part in its creation. also, some people do not read abc very well, and cannot play what they read on their instrument--typing what you see is much easier to get an idea of the tune, to see if you want to commit the time to slogging th rough the abc or music.
it is much more convenient to quickly hit a few notes than to pick up your instrument, especially late at night (like now), when i cannot play, because it would wake everyone up. what is more, if you're into computers and software, it's a really fun little program, and it's a lot more fun than say, i dont know... being grumpy and refusing to mess around with something new.
i could have nailed a couple of tunes, but i had already spent a couple hours today working on my bellows control and rhythm, and another half an hour or more counting out rhythms in my head. i worked with the regular layout on the "keybored" and worked on several tunes by ear, and transposed them, working on my ear/fingers connections. i also worked on my singing a bit, and played a little piano.
so... i think i did plenty of work today, lol, and making this post (or my new layout) did not detract from any practicing.
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
ha ha, or I might just tell you to sod off (in fun of course, Jeremy) and stop working on this feckin magazine I've got a deadline for and get out my tin whistle for a relaxing diddle.
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
Hi daiv,
That's a blast! Can't think of an immediate use beyond being a lot of fun in between doing serious work, but that's good enough for me! Don't pay any attention to all those people on here who are allergic to having fun...
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
Llig--no, i dont play guitar. we cant all be perfect, like you.
everyone else--yeah! i know, it's not entirely useful, but its fun if you're into that sort of thing. it's good that other people have become inoculated against fun-allergies.
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
Try it on voice number 124 (the bird tweet) with just regular typing. It would almost make it worth going back to being in an office just to drive my colleagues bonkers with that one!
use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
there's a program called "keybored" that allows you to use your computer keyboard as a midi controller, i.e. as a "piano." it's really fun to use, and pretty intuitive, but there can be a bit of a learning curve.
i have rewritten the keyboard layout to be usable for typing abc notation and hearing the notes that you type. this means you can go to a tune in the database, look at the abc, and hit the notes you see to hear what the tune sounds like. alternatively, you can type out a tune in abc in a window and hear it as you type. of course, you also just have fun, and play music without typing into anything.
you can download the original program here:
http://thebatman.net/keybored/
some info with a tablature of amazing grace here:
http://dagitablog.blogspot.com/2008/10/keybored-make-your-computer-keyboard.html
here are instructions for using my layout. please let me know if you have problems, if my instructions are wrong, or if my layout is wrong (i have tested it, but it may have copied wrong or the session may have reformatted it without my knowledge).
here is my layout for playing in abc:
<start here />
A 81069
D 74062
F 78066
G 79067
H 80068
E 76064
C 72073
B 83071
<end here />
copy and paste the text between the start and end into a notepad file. do not copy the text that says <start here/> or <end here/>. save as "irish.kbm" do not put any spaces in the name, and make sure to save as "all file types" and not a txt document. make sure to save this file in the "keymaps" folder under your "keybored 2.0" directory.
when you start keybored 2.0, my layout will be called" irish". choose this layout and perhaps instrument 41 (violin) and press start. if at any time you want to type and just mess around, keep the keybored window active and just play in there. (when you minimize keybored, it will minimize to the tray next to the clock).
you can look at abc in the tunes section and type without having the letters show up on screen. just click on the abc tab while "keybored" is active (and start has been depressed), and start playing music.
if you type in a text box here or in a wordprocessor, the notes you play will show up on screen, and will repeat if you hold down the note. so, if you would like to hear a tune with realistic note lengths, either be prepared to delete extra notes, or type inactively, such as in the "keybored" program, or while click in a webpage, but not in a textbox.
keep in mind that the number keys do not make sound, and when reading abc, just hit the letters, and not the numbers, slashes, underscores, etc.
my system is set up for the D scale, G scale, and A scale. i have taken out all the other notes, and it is set up to play in the range of a tin whistle. there are two inconsistencies:
1.) when you type C, you hear c# (in abc: ^c). when you type c you actually hear c (in abc: _c). this is so that you can easily play D and G scales. unfortunately this sacrifices low C (in abc: C) and high c (in abc: c')
2. when you type H you hear G# (in abc: ^G). when you type h you hear g# (in abc ^g). this allows you to play in the key of A. it is set to the letter H because it is one key above G.
i will now include the scales, with all the notes in the range separated out by a space.
the D scale is as follows:
DEFGABCd efgab
G scale:
DEF GABcdefg ab
A scale
DEFH ABCdefha b
unfortunately, when typing usable (i.e. compilable) abc, you will have to make alterations. you can type in the numbers and all other symbols, but when entering both c's and g#, the notes you will hear will not be the same as in compilable abc notati0on. however, this is still useful. you can type out most of a tune while hearing it (pressing backspace and correcting abc, changing h to ^g, for example). also, beyond typing out abc, you can figure out the notes of a tune you have in your head with little learning curve (3 notes are different), and you dont have to pick up your instrument. you can also read abc without having to know very much about abc, and without using your instrument.
you will also notice that i have left all the notes that are not in the range of the whistle out of my layout, and all keys which are not needed for this range are left without a note attached.
please let me know if you have any questions. also, feel free to use the original layout included with the program, or make your own. although i just made this layout now and got the program earlier today, i generally use this layout for irish music, and the original for any other type of music.
i am considering altering this layout to make one that has the range of what would be normal for playing in fiddle. please let me know if you are interested. please keep in mind that the extra notes will increase the learning curve.
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by daiv
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
I'm reminded of that stupid computer game "guitar hero".
WHY NOT LEARN TO PLAY THE BLOODY GUITAR INSTEAD?
Hey Daiv, I bet you could have nailed at least a couple of tunes in the time it took you to write that post.
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
try it out. have some fun. this is not at all like guitar hero. there are only 5 notes on guitar hero, and you do not play individual notes, but trigger sound samples. there are four and a half octaves on the keyboard midi controller, and you play every note. i have reduced it for the session to 16, because i think it is fun and useful, and much more accessible that way.
many people here run abc through a midi converter, and i think that if you were to play it with your fingers through my layout, you would remember it better, as you would be experiencing the music through separate modalities, as well as taking an active part in its creation. also, some people do not read abc very well, and cannot play what they read on their instrument--typing what you see is much easier to get an idea of the tune, to see if you want to commit the time to slogging th rough the abc or music.
it is much more convenient to quickly hit a few notes than to pick up your instrument, especially late at night (like now), when i cannot play, because it would wake everyone up. what is more, if you're into computers and software, it's a really fun little program, and it's a lot more fun than say, i dont know... being grumpy and refusing to mess around with something new.
i could have nailed a couple of tunes, but i had already spent a couple hours today working on my bellows control and rhythm, and another half an hour or more counting out rhythms in my head. i worked with the regular layout on the "keybored" and worked on several tunes by ear, and transposed them, working on my ear/fingers connections. i also worked on my singing a bit, and played a little piano.
so... i think i did plenty of work today, lol, and making this post (or my new layout) did not detract from any practicing.
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by daiv
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
You play guitar here TOO?
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
hero
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
Daiv - Although I would have no use at all for the software that you are describing, no doubt some people will find it useful.
So I commend you for making a positive contribution to this board.
Possibly a better use of time than devising a formula to calculate the "S-Factor" ....
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/19129
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
ha ha
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
... or maybe a better use of time than submitting 6788 comments to the discussions on this board?
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
.. the predictable response to my last post would be:
No, 6789.
... but I just beat you to it!
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
6,789 "surviving" posts.
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
Well, I appreciate it. Had it mind to do something of the kind, but never get started. Well done, Daiv!
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by Innocent Bystander
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
In in that case, llig, I stand corrected ...
... an even greater loss of time which otherwise might have been devoted to playing...
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
ha ha, or I might just tell you to sod off (in fun of course, Jeremy) and stop working on this feckin magazine I've got a deadline for and get out my tin whistle for a relaxing diddle.
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
Working on a magazine Llig? In Edinburgh?
... not the "Peoples' Friend" then, I assume?
Tin whistle? But your profile says only fiddle and viola ...
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
Hi daiv,
That's a blast! Can't think of an immediate use beyond being a lot of fun in between doing serious work, but that's good enough for me! Don't pay any attention to all those people on here who are allergic to having fun...
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by Mark Harmer
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
Llig--no, i dont play guitar. we cant all be perfect, like you.
everyone else--yeah! i know, it's not entirely useful, but its fun if you're into that sort of thing. it's good that other people have become inoculated against fun-allergies.
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by daiv
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
wow to the s-factor...
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by daiv
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
Could our legendary 'enfant terrible' be beaverbrooking away in here somewhere?
http://www.edinburghdirectory.info/category/newspapers.html
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by P-K
Re: use your keyboard to type and hear abc at the same time
Try it on voice number 124 (the bird tweet) with just regular typing. It would almost make it worth going back to being in an office just to drive my colleagues bonkers with that one!
# Posted on January 9th 2009 by Mark Harmer