Can anyone help?
I have been trying to transcribe some wonderful tunes that sound as if they have half flat or half sharp notes in them. Has anyone come across any way to do this in abc?
I don't think you can. ABC started as a simple notation for putting down Western folk melodies. It picked up some more complex along the way, but as far as i know, hasn't picked up microtones yet. The state of the art in the ABC standard (not 100% supported by existing software) is here: http://abc.sourceforge.net/abc-draft.txt
and it doesn't mention them.
You may want to subscribe to the "abc users" mailing lists and ask there: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
But i haven't been there, don't know how active it is.
Another possibility if you are a programmer, would be to hack one of the existing programs that have source available, and add the signs you need.
Still another possibility (not as exciting, but maybe good for a start) would be to put some symbols as if they were chords (in quotes, before the note). Maybe "^" to raise 1/4 pitch, and "V" to lower?
_ before the note flatens it and ^ before the note sharpens it. Put = before the note is for natural. Put a J in front of the note if you want a sliding effect. Anything else just ask.
Notating quarter tones in abc
Notating quarter tones in abc
Can anyone help?
I have been trying to transcribe some wonderful tunes that sound as if they have half flat or half sharp notes in them. Has anyone come across any way to do this in abc?
cheers
Liz
New Zealand
# Posted on September 9th 2002 by Liz Merton
Re: Notating quarter tones in abc
I don't think you can. ABC started as a simple notation for putting down Western folk melodies. It picked up some more complex along the way, but as far as i know, hasn't picked up microtones yet. The state of the art in the ABC standard (not 100% supported by existing software) is here:
http://abc.sourceforge.net/abc-draft.txt
and it doesn't mention them.
You may want to subscribe to the "abc users" mailing lists and ask there:
http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
But i haven't been there, don't know how active it is.
Another possibility if you are a programmer, would be to hack one of the existing programs that have source available, and add the signs you need.
Still another possibility (not as exciting, but maybe good for a start) would be to put some symbols as if they were chords (in quotes, before the note). Maybe "^" to raise 1/4 pitch, and "V" to lower?
# Posted on September 9th 2002 by glauber
Re: Notating quarter tones in abc
_ before the note flatens it and ^ before the note sharpens it. Put = before the note is for natural. Put a J in front of the note if you want a sliding effect. Anything else just ask.
# Posted on September 10th 2002 by Paul-Kin
Re: Notating quarter tones in abc
Liz
Have you found irish tunes with quarter notes or what kind of music is it? I'm just curious
Lars
# Posted on September 10th 2002 by lars