Here are three very different versions of the Rakes of Mallow. If you examine the notes at the bottom of each paragraph you'll see that I haven't made any changes. The chords are in " " and clearly they are very different. The only thing that I manually changed in the ABC notation was the K: (key signature) field to C and Gm.

This might appear anomalous, but the clue lies in the simple but clever method that ABC Notation uses for writing out a tune - if the note on the original score appears in the staff in the 'A' note position fr'instance - then you simply write/type an A. But the key signature ultimately determines whether the note is natural, flat or sharp.

I have actually made a technical musical error by describing the key as 'C'. In reality it would be better to describe it as 'G (Greek Mode name', but (a) I wanted to show how easy it is to modify and (b) I was too lazy to look up the Greek Mode name. I'm sure that this will evoke some useful comment.

You can view the dots and/or create a MIDI at Concertina.???. I'll have to rely upon another Mudcatter to give you the correct address 'cos I don't use it very often. ONLY PASTE ONE VERSION AT A TIME. Blank lines are interpreted as the end of the music.

Here are the tunes - This isn't the version that I know best but it's close enough to get the idea.

X:16
T:Rakes of Marlow
C:Beck (1784)
Z:Jack Campin * May 2000 * http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:G
"G"GB    "G"GB|"G"GB "Am"c/B/A/G/|"D"FA       "D"FA|"D"FA    "G"B/A/G/F/|\
"G"GB    "G"GB|"G"GB "G"d>B/    |"Am"c/B/A/G/ "D"FA|"G"G2    "G"G   z :|
"Em"gf/e/ "G"dc|"G"Bc "G"d2      |"Em"gf/e/    "G"dc|"G"Bd/g/ "D"A2      |\
"Em"gf/e/ "G"dc|"G"Bc "G"d2      |"Am"c/B/A/G/ "D"FA|"G"G2    "G"G   z :|

X:16
T:Rakes of Marlow Modal Version
C:Beck (1784)
Z:Jack Campin * May 2000 * http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:C
"G"GB    "G"GB|"G"GB "F"c/B/A/G/|"Dm"FA       "Dm"FA|"Dm"FA    "G"B/A/G/F/|\
"G"GB    "G"GB|"G"GB "G"d>B/    |"F"c/B/A/G/ "Dm"FA|"G"G2    "G"G   z :|
"Em"gf/e/ "G"dc|"G"Bc "G"d2      |"Em"gf/e/    "G"dc|"G"Bd/g/ "Dm"A2      |\
"Em"gf/e/ "G"dc|"G"Bc "G"d2      |"F"c/B/A/G/ "Dm"FA|"G"G2    "G"G   z :|


X:16
T:Rakes of Marlow in Gm
C:Beck (1784)
Z:Jack Campin * May 2000 * http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:Gm
"Gm"GB    "Gm"GB|"Gm"GB "F"c/B/A/G/|"Dm"FA       "Dm"FA|"Dm"FA    "Gm"B/A/G/F/|\
"Gm"GB    "Gm"GB|"Gm"GB "Gm"d>B/    |"F"c/B/A/G/ "Dm"FA|"Gm"G2    "Gm"G   z :|
"Eb"gf/e/ "Gm"dc|"Gm"Bc "Gm"d2      |"Eb"gf/e/    "Gm"dc|"Gm"Bd/g/ "Dm"A2      |\
"Eb"gf/e/ "Gm"dc|"Gm"Bc "Gm"d2      |"F"c/B/A/G/ "Dm"FA|"Gm"G2    "Gm"G   z :|

Or how's this for a new look for an old standard - The Water Is Wide.

X:1
T:The Water is Wide
C:
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:2/4=100
K:G
D2 "D"G A A2 |"G"B6 A A |"Em"G2 E2 "G"D4-|
w: The wa-ter is wide I can-not get o'er,
"G"D2 G2 "G"G2 F2 |"G"G6 A2 |"G"B2 (c B) "D"A4-|
w:_ Nei-ther do I have wings to_ fly;
"D"A2 A2 "G"B2 (B c) |"G"d6 c c |"G"B2 (A G) "G"B4-|
w:_ Build me a_ boat that will car-ry_ two,
"G"B2 A2 "Em"G2 E2 |"G"D6 D2 |"Em"E2 G2 "G"G4-|"G"G2 |
w:_ And both will row, my love and I._

X:1
T:The Water is Wide
C:
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:2/4=100
K:Gm
D2 "Dm"G A A2 |"Gm"B6 A A |"Eb"G2 E2 "Gm"D4-|
w: The wa-ter is wide I can-not get o'er,
"Gm"D2 G2 "Gm"G2 F2 |"Gm"G6 A2 |"Gm"B2 (c B) "Dm"A4-|
w:_ Nei-ther do I have wings to_ fly;
"Dm"A2 A2 "Gm"B2 (B c) |"Gm"d6 c c |"Gm"B2 (A G) "Gm"B4-|
w:_ Build me a_ boat that will car-ry_ two,
"Gm"B2 A2 "Eb"G2 E2 |"Gm"D6 D2 |"Eb"E2 G2 "Gm"G4-|"Gm"G2 |
w:_ And both will row, my love and I._

Enjoy, John

PS I didn't spend too long on the chords, so they could be a mite rough. I find chord decisions a bit tougher when I step outside my comfort zone of 'normal' modes.