What's wrong with this ABC?: Many Thanks! You fixed it!

Whistle
1

This is a tune I’m supposed to be learning for Morris. It’s “The Lollipop Man,” which is an English hornpipe in G. I got the ABC from the Seabright site, since it’s their version of the dance the kids will be learning…but something seems to be messed up about it. When I plug it into my transcription program, it draws it with seemingly random beats to the measure (varying from 5 to 7!), (although it correctly gives the time signature as 4/4) and with note values that just don’t make sense. The notation it produces also seems to have only nominal bearing on the tune produced when the midi is played (and the midi is of poor enough quality that trying to learn by ear from it is difficult at best…especially as I have a slightly different form of the tune in my head already).

Since Seabright’s version is a little different from other versions of this tune I’ve found on the web, I’d really like to learn it their way. Can anyone figure out what’s wrong with this? Here’s the ABC:

I:speed 300
%
P:A
B>A | G>B D2 D2 D>E | G2 G2 G7/2 A/2 | B>AG>A B2 A>G | B2 E2 E2
B>A | G>B D2 D2 D>E | G2 G2 G7/2 d/2 | e>de>f g2 d>c | B2 G2 G2 |
|
P:B
z2 | d4 g>fe>g | B2 d2 d2 c>B | A>GA>B c>BA>G | B2 E2 E2
B>A | G>B D2 D2 D>E | G2 G2 G7/2 d/2 | e>de>f g2 d>c | B2 G2 G2 |
|

Redwolf

P.S. If it’s easier to just download the actual ABC from the site, here’s a link. The tune name is “The Lollipop Man,” and it’s under “Adderbury.”

http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/morris/music/

2

Redwolf, I downloaded it into my computer. Other than being a Unix/Linux format text file rather than DOS format (DOS, as usual, determinedly ignores existing standards) there’s nothing unusual about it.

And when I plugged it into the concertina.net converter at:

http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html

(I left off the first line - first line I put in was the x: line) it converted OK.

Except for the last measure of each part having only 3 beats (offset by each part having a one-beat lead-in) I don’t see anything unusual - every other measure is 4 beats.

3

where is the X line supposed to go?

4

Perhaps the problem is with my ABC converter, then (I’m using ABC2Win). I’ll try plugging it in at Concertina.net and see if it makes more sense.

Redwolf

5

No luck, I’m afraid. I downloaded it, copied it, pasted it into the “Tune-O-Tron” at Concertina.net and got “No image available. There may be a problem with the ABC.” So I’m back to square one. Perhaps ABC2WIN is messing it up and that’s coming through in the copy, but I can’t figure out how to copy it without opening it in ABC2WIN.

If anyone out there CAN get a clean image of this tune, would you mind emailing it to me?

Redwolf

6

I think I translated it to what ABC2Win uses. Try this:

X:1
T:The Lollipop Man
M:4/4
C:
S:Seabright
N:
A:Adderbury
O:English
R:Reel
P:A.(AB3)3.A
K:G
I:speed 300 
P:A
B>A|G>BD2D2D>E|G2G2G7/2A/2|B>AG>AB2A>G|B2 E2 E2|!
B>A|G>BD2D2D>E|G2G2G7/2d/2|e>de>fg2d>c|B2 G2 G2||!
P:B
z2|d4g>fe>g|B2d2d2c>B|A>GA>Bc>BA>G|B2E2E2|!
B>A|G>BD2D2D>E|G2G2G7/2d/2|e>de>fg2d>c|B2 G2 G2||
7

the abc musical notation language home page explains all.[/url]

8

YESSSS! That’s done it! Thanks so much…I have music I can work from now!

Redwolf

9

Have you heard John Skelton’s version of that tune? He plays is slowly-almost like an air.

Steve

10

No, I haven’t. I wasn’t at all familiar with it, until I learned last week that we’re probably going to be teaching the kids a hanky dance that goes with this tune and realized that I’d better start working on learning it. I can see how it could be played in lots of different ways, however.

Redwolf