What is ABC format?

Subject: What is ABC format?
From: folk1234
Date: 24 Aug 98 - 10:14 AM

I'm a newcomer to Mudcat discussion. As one who frequently seeks chord progressions for songs, I've seen ABC format in response to other queries. This looks kinda' like what I need. Please refer me to a source that will allow me to interpret ABC.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Alice
Date: 24 Aug 98 - 10:30 AM

The abc home page is:
http://www.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc/

The definition of abc and the software to print music notation is explained on that website.

alice

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: folk1234
Date: 24 Aug 98 - 02:16 PM

Thanks, Alice. Is the URL you sent correct? I can get to "...gre.ac.uk.", but not beyond to "walshaw...."

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Bruce O.
Date: 24 Aug 98 - 03:07 PM

You can click onto the proper site in the ABC discussion near the beginning of my website www.erols.com/olsonw.
When you get to the ABC page I suggest you start with 'abc standards', 'abc examples' and down below these under the displayed examples with 'ABC2WIN'. The latter will play and display tunes for free, but you have to pay to unlock the feature to print the tunes in musical notation.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Aug 98 - 03:21 PM

Say, folk1234, try the URL Alice posted again. It seems to work. I made it clickable in her message, so all you have to do is point and click.
I have to say that I still haven't caught on to the logic of ABC. Maybe there's just too much stuff to read at the ABC Home Page, and I get bleary-eyed and give up before the logic of it hits me. Anybody want to make a stab at typing up a clear, logical explanation of basic ABC - in 500 words or less? Can it be done?
What I do is cheat. I enter tunes on Noteworthy Composer, on an actual musical staff that I can understand. Then I create a MIDI from Noteworthy, and use Alan Foster's MIDITXT to post tunes here. Then I take the lazy way out and play the ABC version of tunes posted here, using my favorite ABC player, ABCMUS. If I really like a song, then I convert the posted version to a MIDI, using Alan's program.
Now if it took me all those words to explain how I do it the lazy way, can somebody actually come up with a clear, concise explanation of how to do it the right way?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Bruce O.
Date: 24 Aug 98 - 05:53 PM

With hopes that this is intelligible, I submit the following:

Basics of ABC. Notation is all in ASCII.

Notes:
The octave starting at middle C is denoted CDEFGAB, the next higher is c-b, then c' to a'. The octave below middle C is obtained by putting a comma after the letter, i.e., C,-- B,. For sharps, naturals, and flats preceed the note by ^, = or _, respectively. (You only have to do this for accidentals- see Key below for normal sharps and flats.)

Duration:
Indicated time 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, etc., (given after M:) all have a default normal note time which you can find explained in the file on the ABC homepage at 'abc standards'. This automatic default gave me too many surprises, so I don't usually use this default, but override it with an L:n specification, with n usually 1/8 or 1/4. Time multipliers and divisors start from the default note time.

With default note time = 1/4 then:
X2 duration is 1/4x2 or a half note
X3 duration is 1/4x3 which displays and plays as a dotted halfnote, etc.
x/2 is 1/2x1/4 = 1/8 note
x/4 is 1/4x1/4 = 1/16 note

put | to end a measure
\ indicates the tune continues, and not required at a typed line end, but I put it there to remind me what I originally typed up, (if for instance I look at it with an HTML browser), and I usually try to put the same number of measures in each typed line for ease of locating the position of an error discovered in proofreading the displayed tune.
Put ( ) around notes you want slurred.
Note times less than 1/4 note will have ties to the next note (if it's less a quarter note), unless you add a space between them, e.g. x3/4y/4 will have a tie bar between the notes but x3/4 y/4 won't

K: specifies keynote, but it really just tells the play program which notes are normally to be play as flat or sharp, and has no other effect. Major modes do not require anything other than the letter. For minor mode add m to keynote, and for others add dorian, mixolydian, etc., as required.

My ABC's then usually have a header:

X:n [specifies start of header of tune #n]
T:[Title]
S:[if you use this, info to be displayed]
Q:n [tempo, if you use this. There is also a default tempo which many times is ok]
L:n [if you use this]
M:n [n= 2/4, 3/4, 6/8, etc, timing]
K:X mode [Keynote and mode, if any]
xxx\ [tune code]
yyy\ [more tune code] ...
zzz] [End of tune code]

I usually signal end of tune by ], but this is not required

There's a lot more that you can find out about in the file downloaded from 'abc standards' [repeats, staccato, rolls, grace notes, and others], but the above gives the basics. And there's a lot more reference stuff you can put in a header with letters for information type coding, Z:xxx

With a little practice tune coding goes pretty fast, and the ASCII coded file for simple tunes runs 250-350 bytes, but lots more if there are a lot of grace notes, triplets, or dotted eighth-sixteenth note combinations.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Aug 98 - 06:25 PM

This is almost frightening, Bruce. I think I'm finally beginning to understand. You did a great job. Thanks.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Alice
Date: 24 Aug 98 - 07:40 PM

I think the easiest way to start (and I have not had time to devote to learning much in abc) is to choose a simple tune that you know, and look at the 'abc' for that tune. There are alot of websites on the net with abc tunes, which you can access from the abc home page. Play the tune as you look at the abc, and then all the symbols start to make sense. I refreshed another thread on abc tune search pages called 'ABC tune finder'.

alice in montana

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Bruce O.
Date: 24 Aug 98 - 07:59 PM

There is also on the ABC home site the file 'abc examples'. This has many examples of code and with GIFS displaying what the code should produce. However, a few of them aren't correct. The code doesn't always give a display in ABC2WIN that's the same as that in the GIF.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 24 Aug 98 - 09:11 PM

This is great stuff - the best discussion I've seen on ABC. But have we answered the original question?

Is ABC the way to go to obtain chord progressions?

The raw ABC files don't contain chords - or at least I've never seen them. You can obtain a program such as ABCMUS to guess/extract them for you, but even as a registered user I have not been happy with many of the results.

I now have my own method of extracting chords from MIDI files, but it can be tedious, and the resultant chords are sometimes quite complex. What you get is what the original sequencing person inputs. (It's all too easy for a keyboard player to add the odd note here and there on the left hand to create what appears to be a formidable looking jazz chord). Prompted by a recent thread I've been looking at some Music Hall MIDI's, and like a lot of music originally designed for piano, the original chords are fantastic - if you like that sort of thing. If the occasion were to arise where i was to post these chords to this forum, should I edit them to be more folky or leave that to the individual reader?

Having said all this there is a large body of Celtic tunes on MIDI on the Web where the chords are relatively usable by the average guitar player. It seems however that the tools to make them visible are not so user friendly.

This sounds like a job for a bright, young programmer from Sydney who already has extensive experience in extracting data from MIDI files, and who is already familiar with the needs of Mudcat users. The suitable applicant should apply via this thread.

Regards John

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 24 Aug 98 - 09:50 PM

A shareware program called ABCMUS does a very presentable job of setting chords to an ABC (or SongWright) music transcription.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: folk1234
Date: 25 Aug 98 - 09:35 AM

Thanks y'all. (Alice, Bruce, Joe, John, & Dick). I've considered myself to be pretty smart guy, until now. Maybe I can break all this down into digestable kernels. MIDI, ABCMUS, MIDITXT, ASCII, and music theory can't be all that hard to understand. I suspect there is a pot of gold on the far side of the mountain, at the end of this journey. And the journey is just the beginning.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Alice
Date: 25 Aug 98 - 11:39 AM

As Bruce suggested, the page of examples at the abc homesite is helpful. Here is the address of the page:

http://www.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc/examples/

Notice that guitar chord examples are given, also.

alice

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: gargoyle
Date: 26 Aug 98 - 12:23 AM

Is ABCD...the same format as ANSI???? Just a different name?

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Aug 98 - 02:08 AM

Ach, I see Gargoyle got inundated with acronyms. Poor Gargoyle.. No, Gargoyle....ABC is in ASCII, but there are no ANSI standards for music that anyone knows of. I suppose that's coming - ANSI will soon regulate the length of a quarter note - and they'll probably change the name to something silly, like "crotchet," or something.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: BSeed
Date: 26 Aug 98 - 10:30 PM

I think I understood enough about writing ABC that I could--with constant references back to this thread--actually write out something in it, and the MIDI text looks like it may be readable, also (does 1 equal do?)(and 0 holds the previous note?), But wouldn't it be loverly if we could write (and read) in standard notation here in the threads? --seed

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Aug 98 - 01:26 AM

I think I figured out how to do ABC without relying on Alan's MIDITXT, but I can't get the slurs and ties right - partly because I always forget the difference between slurs and ties in real music. Anybody want to give me some pointers?
Those notes within parentheses are supposed to play all together, as one note held a long time. How do I do that, and what do I call it - a tie, or a slur?

X:1
T:ONE MAN'S HANDS
M:2/2
Q:1/4=120
K:C
C2D2|E6E2|E3EDE3|(F8|F4)D2E2|
F6F2|F3FEF3|(G8|G4)A2B2|c2c2c2c2|
c2c2B2A2|A2G4G2|GA3G2F2|E6G2|
D4F4|E4D4|(C8|C4)||

How do I show a dotted quarter note when my default note is a quarter? It would have been much easier to type this if I could have made the default note a quarter - but I couldn't, since did didn't know how to make a dotted quarter.
Oh, and I found out that a rest, appropriately, is the letter "Z" - if the default note is an eighth, then a quarter rest is Z2 - right?

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Alice
Date: 27 Aug 98 - 10:57 AM

Hi, Joe, this message just came into the abc users email list regarding grace notes. Joining the list for awhile may help you with questions as you figure things out. You can read about the abcusers list on the abc homepage.
alice

-------------

> > > > The Windows 95 version of abc2ps doesn't seem to deal properly with > > grace notes immediately prior to a slur, eg: > > > > (D>E) {D}(CB,) A,2 A,2 > > > > the {D} grace note is omitted in the printout. It works fine in > > ABC2WIN. Has anyone else come across this problem? Is there a > > solution? > > > > Regards, > > > > Hi > > Try putting the grace note 'inside' the slur: > > (D>E)({D}CB,) A,2 A,2 > > (I think this works, don't have it in front of me) > >

Yes, this works perfectly. And it still works with ABC2WIN. Isn't the internet wonderful! Problems like this solved in less than half an hour.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Bruce O.
Date: 27 Aug 98 - 12:38 PM

Joe, with quarter note default, a dotted quarter is X3/2 (1 and 1/2 times default length).

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: folk1234
Date: 27 Aug 98 - 12:59 PM

I guess I hit a "hot spot" with my intial query about ABC format. I've begun to learn about ABC et. al. From the viewing of general notes, I can determine the chords (most of the time)

A special thanks to John in Brisbane regarding my original question. Perhaps there is a better way to find chord for songs?

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Jon W.
Date: 27 Aug 98 - 02:00 PM

It may be worth noting here that you can include chord symbols in ABC at the appropriate point in the music by enclosing them in double quotes - for example, "Am7".

Subject: ABC Interpretation
From: folk1234
Date: 10 Nov 98 - 11:07 AM

Can one manually/visually get either the melody or chords from viewing ABC format? For example, what does the following sequence mean? A,8|F2GFE2EE|D2E2F3E|D2DDD2B,2|

Subject: RE: ABC
From:
Date: 10 Nov 98 - 01:53 PM

Find thread 'What is ABC format', last August.

Subject: RE: ABC
From: Jon W.
Date: 11 Nov 98 - 11:13 AM

Apparently some people can sight-read ABC just as well or better than sight-reading standard notation.

As far as getting chords, there are supposedly software packages that will suggest chords for a tune - ABCMus is one although I've never gotten it to work (perhaps because I don't have the registered version?). Putting chords to a tune is an art. Knowing a little music theory and experimenting is a good approach.

To answer your specific question, you have a line of music that appears to be in 4/4 time with a default note length of 1/8 note. Then: A,8| means the first measure consists of a whole note, A below middle C (the comma means below middle C). The second measure is a quarter note on F, an eight note on G, then F, then a quarter note on E, then two eight notes on E. All these notes are in the octave that starts with middle C. And so on. The vertical lines are bar lines. The numbers after letters are timing marks (you multiply the number by the default note length). Note that you should have some spaces between notes, otherwise the notes are considered to be "beamed" together. If you're running Windows, go to the ABC homepage (link on other thread) and download ABC2Win - it does a good job of drawing the standard music notation from ABC notation.

Subject: RE: ABC
From:
Date: 12 Nov 98 - 02:30 AM

Even if you are not running windows, there is software at that site for other platforms too. And lots of expository material about ABC

Murray

Subject: RE: ABC
From:
Date: 12 Nov 98 - 03:29 AM

Hi Folk1234

Try the following link

http://www.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc/

There are free software players listed, it will tell you all about abc.

Mike

Subject: RE: ABC
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Nov 98 - 03:41 AM

X:1
T:Test
M:4/4
Q:1/4=120
K:C
A,8|F2GFE2EE|D2E2F3E|D2DDD2B,2|

You do need a little bit of an introduction to set things up so your tune will play in an ABC player. Above are the basics.
The X line is the tune number, when you have a number of tunes in a document.
The T line is the title.
M is meter.
Can't recall if Q actually means quarter note, but that line designates the time value of a quarter note, and you can speed up or slow down the tune by varying the number. K is the Key.

So I added the stuff and tried to play it. It works, but I can't say I recognize the tune. Is it supposed to be something in particular??
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 11 Jan 99 - 12:17 AM

I have edited rather savagely the text of the existing ABC Information Page on the Web, and attempted to reduce it to (fairly) bare bones for new Mudcat users. It is 4 pages in Word 6 format. If I could please ask for volunteers to review it, please contact me. Don't expect perfection - I only spent a couple of hours on it.

Regards
John

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Gypsy
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 07:16 PM

Okay, I have just spent hours trying to master my ABC2WIN program. The dratted thing will pick up ABC from sites like Chris Walshaws, but how do I manually enter tunes? Won't accept them. Such as when Sorcha kindly posts ABC to Mudcat, i would like to enter and print out. This is frustrating! For anyone who has the program, can get as far as Music page, but it won't accept anything i type. Help!

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 07:28 PM

I use Wordpad or notepad. When it's finished, I copy and paste it into 2Win......check for errors. Is that enough info? Don't use Word itsself, it will automatically "fix" all your "errors". Put the line breaks in AFTER 2Win says it's all correct, 2Win won't accept the < br > stuff that you need after the headers when you paste it here.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Gypsy
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 08:15 PM

Thank you kindly. I did finally manage to break into the proper area for entering, now it doesn't like my notespacing. When I increase that, it says overflow. Have yet another email into Jim Vint. It did not cost me a huge amount of money, but i wanna make it work!

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 08:27 PM

Matt and I both put 1 space between notes unless we want them 'beamed'. OK, write all your code in notepad, save it as a txt file. Copy it, or select all and copy. Close the notepad file.

Open 2Win, and select New, all files, then exit that page. You should be back to a grey page--up top left is a button labled Tune. Click it, and choose Paste.......that should put your abc in the coded window. This is where you edit--fix mistakes at. Over on the far left, choose Draw 1, this should make notes out of your code. Select save,when prompted. It should now Play, and you can listen to see if it needs editing again.....or change speed, etc. If none of this works, PM Matt R, he is really good with the prog.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Gypsy
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 08:33 PM

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Will try this after feeding mother in law. Really appreciate the help on this one, ready to throw it out the window!

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Gypsy
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 09:18 PM

Still doesn't like my notespacing. First message will say "Staff line contains more than 100 notes. Try increasing notespacing for this one" When I increase it will then say "Draw note error 6, overflow. Drawing will cease. An overflow error may indicate a problem wilth the ABC2Win.ini file." Tried spacing as you suggested, and still got this message. Ugh! Maybe the program is faulty. 'Puter was defragged 2 days ago, and i turned off the Nortons Clean Sweep. I'm starting to feel like a moron. I'll try PMing Mr. Matt R. Maybe he can bail me out!

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 09:20 PM

I've never seen that. Matt might know, and Jim V does answer his e mail, it just takes him a while. No clue what overflow means.........or the spacing problem either.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Gypsy
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 09:22 PM

What is Matt's 'cat name? Tried to PM him, and he is either hiding from me, or has another name to PM by.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Gypsy
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 09:31 PM

Sigh, i can't spell either, apparently. Found Matt's PM, and left copious whining, that he might take pity upon me.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Snuffy
Date: 29 Jan 01 - 08:39 AM

Sounds like you're on the music page trying to print out the dots. In this case notespacing refers to how the notes appear on the printout, not to the number of spaces you leave between notes when entering them as text. You alter this notespacing with the little spin controls at the bottom of the music page.

The printout part of abc2Win is not very good, and quite a few things will throw it - non-standard note lengths like G5/4 for instance. I think very long lines in the text input can also cause problems. I always start a new line every four measures or so to keep things manageable (It also helps you see where you are in the tune when reading it).

Don't give up, it's worth it when you finally crack the code.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Gypsy
Date: 29 Jan 01 - 11:19 AM

Hey Snuffy, Will try making the lines shorter. Maybe that will do it. I do know where the spin controls are....but i get the two above messages when i use them ("staff line...." and "draw note error 6....." sick of typing the whole message) I'm starting to wonder about the program. This is the first time that i've insisted on making it work since i bought it. I know it will be useful....once i crack the code!

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: GUEST,guest,Yorks
Date: 29 Jan 01 - 05:24 PM

Joe Offer; a slur means that all the notes within it are to be played smoothly, without any breaks between them (so it may cover a run of notes, for example). A tie joins notes of the same pitch; only the first one is played - it's a way of showing that a note is lengthened.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: GUEST,guest,Yorks
Date: 29 Jan 01 - 05:26 PM

Joe Offer; a slur means that all the notes within it are to be played smoothly, without any breaks between them (so it may cover a run of notes, for example). A tie joins notes of the same pitch; only the first one is played - it's a way of showing that a note is lengthened.

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: radriano
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 11:11 AM

I have had great success in using ABC notation. To strip it down to the bare essentials:

ABC is a method of notating tunes that uses upper and lowercase letters to denote the notes. Slurs, ties, triplets, chords, and even bowing indications (for fiddlers)are easily shown. Of course, you need to learn the program before you can use it effectively!

ABC2Win is a program that will turn ABC notation into sheet music. Code must be entered correctly or sheet music won't print out properly.

ABCMus is a program that will play ABC notation so that you can hear the tune. Actually ABC2Win will do this too but not as well as ABCMus.

ABC notation works especially well for traditional tunes. It is not meant to incorporate all the symbols used in musical notation yet so some things can't be used with ABC. The few examples of this are not coming to my mind this morning, sorry.

With regard to slurs and ties - slurs are shown with the use of parentheses marks ( ) while the tie is shown with the use of the hyphen mark -.

Richard

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Snuffy
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 07:25 PM

ABCMidi is a free program that will convert ABcs to midis or midis to abc.

ABCMidifier is a free program that will play your ABCs through the sound card and will also create a midi file of it.

You can find details of these and other programs for abc at the ABC Homepage

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Gypsy
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 08:05 PM

Okay...this is when i'm really glad to be on the other end of a CRT, rather than facing all the brilliant people who tried to help me. Sigh...mayhap this will be useful to someone else, when they get the program, and have the same problem.
It helps if you enter things properly. In the measure breaks, i was using /////////. That WILL make it too big to fit. You need to use ||||||| the upper case above the backward slash. Yes, i feel foolish, and yes, i about drove poor Jim Vint wackos with my continuing questions. Program running like a dream now. Thanks, 'specially to Sorcha, and Matt, who patiently walked me thru things via PM>

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 08:20 PM

Just glad you got iT solved! I used the / or \ for a while until I found the |, but it always seemed to work, so I didn't think about that........

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: MMario
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 08:44 PM

hee-hee! another person who can enter tunes....

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 07:41 PM

one of the great benefits of abc format is that tunes are portable and compact. I often email a blind fiddle player friend and she uses abcmus to play the tunes amazingly she is notating down tunes into abc herself and has gotten pretty good at it which is more than I can say. petr

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 08:56 PM

Subject: RE: What is ABC format?
From: Snuffy
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 09:45 AM

Recently posted on ABCusers group:

Noticed that the address of the ABC homepage has changed from www.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc to staffweb.cms.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc to http://abcnotation.org.uk/

Perhaps a clone can update the various places where the Cat links to that page (useful links, FAQ etc etc). Thanks

WassaiL! V