(from another topic)
Hans (or anyone else), can you explain this notation to me? Just the basics. I promise to catch on fast.
Lets look at (from the first line) this excerpt: |G>A B4-B2|
To display my ignorance this is what I think it means:-
*from| to | is a bar?
*only three notes G A and B in this bar
means ?
and what of B4-B2?
Thanks
I’ve wanted to ask about this for months! Thanks, Tal!
Hans, could you na instal the Finale 2002 software? If you did maybe you are way ahead of me and can make a piece of sheet mucic into a PDF file. I da na ken. I’m working on it.
I need to show these guys a piece of sheet music that is in one # (g major), but the tonic is Bb. What mode is that. The tune is “I Fall To Pieces”. It has no composer. Is it a folk song? Is it minor. I got to ask those guys that know all about modes and key signatures.
With the Finale 2002 software I can turn a midi file into sheet music and play it show or fast while a pointer points to the notes that are being played. What I am supposed to be able to do is turn the sheet music into a PDF picture to send.
Nelson
Thanks Peggio. We can be student buddies in this topic if you like.
Master Hans, where are you?
Teacher is late, not good.
Teacher woken up now 
… Okay okay :roll:
This was written in abc-notation. See the homepage for abc notation here:http://staffweb.cms.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc/
There you can find also good software for playback and display and printing in ordinary western staff notation. On my PC I use ABCMUS2 and ABC2WIN for this purpose. There is also a neat web-based abc-to-staff-notation converter here: http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html Just paste the abc notation in the box and press the button.
Having said all that I’ll try to answer the question 
from | to | is a bar, correct. Default note length is 1/8. |: … 
means repeat the part.
The length of a note is marked by the number behind the note (no number =1). B/ equals B1/2, i.e. half the default length, or 1/16 of a bar here.
G>A is a dotted notation, G got the dot, and A is shortened,
so G>A equals G3/2 A1/2.
A<G would mean just the reverse: A is shortened and G lengthened. You get this a lot in Scottish music, and the lengths are not exactly 3/2 to 1/2, but vary a bit according to the rhythmn.
B4-B2 is just two notes tied, equalling a B with duration 6, i.e 3/4 of the bar here.
Letters in Capitals are notes from the first octave, C up to B, small letters are above in the second octave, notes c to high b, so B is on the middle line in standard G cleff in staff notation.
Here is the air again, this time with all the header fields.
X:index; T:Title; R:rhythmn; M: metre; L:default note length; Q: speed; K: key. you can paste this in the abc converter i mentioned above.
X:1
T:Port Atholl
R:air
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=80
K: D
D|G>A B4-B2 | A<G E4-E B | A>G A<B D3 B | A>B A<G G3 D/E/|
|: G>A B4-B2 | B/A/G A2 G/A/B A2 | GA/ B3/2d3/2e3/2 g2 | e/d/B A2 G/A/B A2|
A<G E2 D/G/A/B/-B2 | B/G/ g4-g3 | f/e/d B3 A<Bd | g2 ed<B A2 G|
AB e4-e B | A>G A<B E3 d/B/ | A>G A<B D3 B | A>B A<G G3 D/E/
“>” is broken rhythm. “-” is a tie.
the abc home page is at: http://staffweb.cms.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc/
examples w/ the equivalent standard notation at: http://staffweb.cms.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc/examples/
enjoy! /dan
[oops! edited to correct misinformation]
Oh maybe i should have just pointed you to this nice page:
How to interpret abc music notation
Hans
OK Mr Swan,
Thank you.
So here is a sample of Raag Darbari (natural minor) in B
(but modifying the application so that the octave ranges are tonic based
rather than C defaulted)
traditional modal scale expression
(often used in oral traditions in the intro to flag the mode and the mood):-
|a,BC#DC# B>|E2 F#2 GA b2|bGAF#>F#2|EF#D2 EC#B2|
Try it on your Irish or other D flute.
How am I doing?
Do you mean this to be in Bmin? Then you write in front K:Bmin.
So following K:Bmin the seven notes bcdefga are the notes of this minor scale on tonic B. No need to use accidentals.
Accidentals: The symbols ^ = and _ are used (before a note) to generate respectively a sharp, natural or flat. If a note is sharpened all occurences of this note will be sharpened to the end of the bar. For the next bar you will have to use an accidental again if you need it. So C# becomes ^C.
Also your use of > is incorrect. A>B is an abbreviation for A3/2 B1/2, it needs to stand between notes of default length. For instance A2>B is not possible. You may need to use fractions instead. Then you need to see if the sum of all notes in the bar makes a correct bar length. If your music does not fit into a fixed metre with bars you may wish to leave out the bars alltogether
Do you mean something like this:
the speed is set arbitary, just to help the playback via ABCMUS software.
this starts in the lower octave on flute, then goes up, and comes down eventually. Correct?
X:2
T:Raag Darbari intro
R:air
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=70
K:Bmin
|AB cd c B3|e2 f2 ga b2|bga f3 f2|ef d2 ec B2|
OK, here is another go (without my modifications):-
(Raag Darbari - a traditional scalar intro)
free time sample
L: 1/8
K: Bmin
ABcd B4 e2 f2 ga b2 bgaf3 efd2 ecB4
Enjoy!
thanks!
abc-notation is a funny mix of using standard western notes (middle c is “C” etc), and making use of modal scales as well, so the “C” is in fact a C# if the key is noted as K: D for instance. A system which is totally modal may be more logical: like using Do, Re, Mi notation or the Indian equivalent, then noting down the modal scale and finally an absolute note to give the tonic. But it is a great system for sharing music via internet, and there is good software supporting it.
~Hans
HansJi,
We must have crossed paths just then. Yes you have understood me well.
Thank you for lesson 1. I don’t quite understand about X:2 but I will look this up later and work it out myself.
But what happened to Peggio? She was here and now she’s gone.
X: is just for indexing tunes, you can have loads of tunes in one file, it works a bit like a database, and the software will make sense of it. Ignore it in my example, i just pasted it straight from the ABCMUS window.
What happened to Peggy? well it is Sunday morning! 
good day to you! 
If you don’t care to download and install the abc software on your PC, there is also a free utility called Tune-o-Tron here: http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html
I find this is helpful in that it won’t create a written score unless you get your abc notation correct, and when it does, it will also create a midi file so you can ensure that what you’ve written is what you intended the music to sound like (or as close as such things get).
djm
Well, the sun goes down earlier here than there.
I’ve been busy grading papers so that my students don’t start thinking I’ve done a Scoiltrad on them.
And now, I’m off to find a music theory book with which to translate what y’all said . . . hmmm, traditional scalar intro . . . interesting . . . not Western . . . interesting . . . must find what is . . . l:must also work on playing a and b in correct octave . . . also g:l
You know, if there is anything I say you don’t understand you can always ask me. The worst that could happen is that I tease you or make an absolute fool of myself in some other way. And at best we may both learn something.
I don’t think you will find the word “scalar” in a dictionary. Its my adjectival form of the word “scale”. I don’t know if I heard it somewhere or its just my own creation. Any traditional introduction that uses an elaboration of the scale is what I call a “traditional scalar intro”. The traditional indic term for such things is aroha/avroha and such like. I do not like to use exotic terms too much if I can avoid it.
I don’t know why you would have a problem with the colloquial descriptor “Western” in a critique of melodic music. This relates to that system of European (and European derived) music that relies on the Ionian Scale and the 5 other scales relative to it and which considers any other scales as scales marked by accidentals.
Thank you. You are very kind.
I don’t think you will find the word “scalar” in a dictionary. Its my adjectival form of the word “scale”.
It’s a legitimate word, Tal. A fine word, in fact.
Any traditional introduction that uses an elaboration of the scale is what I call a “traditional scalar intro”. The traditional indic term for such things is aroha/avroha and such like. I do not like to use exotic terms too much if I can avoid it.
Why would one need an aroha and under what circumstances would one use it? What’s the purpose of a traditional introduction? Everyone expects them? It sets the tone of the piece? Defines it?
I don’t know why you would have a problem with the colloquial descriptor “Western” in a critique of melodic music. This relates to that system of European (and European derived) music that relies on the Ionian Scale and the 5 other scales relative to it and which considers any other scales as scales marked by accidentals.
No problem . . . I’m just clueless about much of what the list discusses. I read, look things up, make connections, and learn in the process.
This list is highly informative.