Help re ABC Music

Subject: Help re ABC Music
From: fleetwood
Date: 07 May 00 - 03:23 PM

Does anybody know a simple way to convert a midi melody line into ABC music.

Subject: RE: BS: Help re ABC Music
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 07 May 00 - 05:04 PM

Check out http://www.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc/. He lists several free/ shareware programs that are likely to meet your needs.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Help re ABC Music
From: fleetwood
Date: 07 May 00 - 07:16 PM

Thankyou I was able to find Midi2txt program allowing imput from midi keyboard

Subject: RE: BS: Help re ABC Music
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 08 May 00 - 08:08 AM

Jon, apart from the program written by our own Alan of Australia to convert MIDI to ABC I've never come across a Windows version that does the job. (I note that James Allwright has finally written some instructions for installing his DOS version of Midi2abc as mentioned on the ABC Homepage).

Has anyone actually used the Midi2abc DOS program? I would be very keen to get some feedback please. Regards, John

Subject: RE: BS: Help re ABC Music
From: Snuffy
Date: 08 May 00 - 09:32 AM

Midi2abc is brilliant if you can work out the DOS (having worked in CPM and DOS, I found it not easy, but not too difficult - set up a .bat file with the parameters in, and then edit it to change to the midi you want).

It will translate multi-part midis successfully, and can also work out if there are any pick-up notes before the first full bar.

The main problem is that the output defaults to the screen, not to a file, so you have to be sure to put re-direction markers in to save to a file.

I tried converting a couple of midis off Lesley Nelson's Contemplator site and they came out fine. The files had too many lines for Abc2win to handle, but ABC midifier played them OK.

It's well worth spending a little brain cudgelling time on it.

Also give a try to abc2abc, which allows you to automatically transpose an abc to any other key, or to double or half the note values. I find that very handy to change tunes to a key I can sing them in.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: BS: Help re ABC Music
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 08 May 00 - 07:01 PM

Snuffy, Thanks for the reply - you've managed to scare the tripe out of me with your description but when I get time (a couple of weeks) I'll give it a try. If you don't mind I may have to call on you for some hand holding. Regards, John

Subject: RE: BS: Help re ABC Music
From: Snuffy
Date: 08 May 00 - 07:32 PM

Jon,

Don't be put off. It's not really too difficult if you can get back into a DOS mindset - it is still lurking beneath the surface despite many years of Windows. But like the Midi2txt program says

It is worth taking the time to learn this program

I also used Midi2abc to convert the Easter Bunny song "Peter Cottontail" to ABC and played about with the instrumentation. Quite a hoot!

I'll be willing to hold your hand any time, if it's not too clammy **BG**

Wassail! V