Roger Hare

Thank you. That's exactly the sort of critique of these automatic chord generators (ACG) I've been looking for - I don't have the depth of knowledge to be able to reliably create chord sequences myself, so I'm 'stuck' with the ACGs, and I'm sometimes a little suspicious of what I'm hearing when a tune with 'added chords' is played back. Mostly, it sounds OK(-ish), but sometimes it's clearly 'wonky' in some way. One point I don't understand is the comment I've quoted above. I used the ABC code which you posted as the basis for the processing I did. Unless I'm missing something, that ABC code does include an F# an E and a G# ('fe|g' or 'fe|g3') at the start of each section. The image of the score which you posted also shows the same features. I worked with what I had. If you used a different score then (presumably), direct comparisons are not necessarily valid? Or, have I completely missed the point...? Apologies if this 'side-bar' is seen by some as 'thread drift' (title:Trying to learn how to write music for the Concertina)...

Interesting. I tried my usual trick of using the automagic chord generation feature in ABCMus, and it came up with this:Any comment on the suitability of those chords? I'm never really sure whether this feature of ABCMus is any good... Later edit: And the automagic chord generation facility in ABCExplorer produces a completely different set of chords. Sigh... AyeRight.abc AyeRight.mid

Ah! Some specific tunes. I've attached a PDF, and simple ABC of all three of those tunes. Two versions of 'Maggie in the Woods' as the tune appears to be mildly schizophrenic - appearing as often in 2/4 as 4/4. Added bonus, 'A Little Stack of Wheat', supposedly a good tune to play in a set with 'Little Stack of Barley'. A total of five. The ABC code has my own ABC preferences included at the top - just change 'em as needed to suit your own preferences. I'm pretty sure all those can be played on one row on either a C/G or a G/D instrument? I didn't add any tabs because I don't know whether OP has a C/G or a G/D, and the tabs would be different... _______________________ An alternative approach? I think that if you look at Michael Eskin's Tune Book collections, and select those tunes which do not have any tabs which include an 'a' (for accidental row), you stand a pretty good chance of being able to play many of those tunes on one row? That's mildly speculative - I can't remember now if the tunes come ready-tabbed, or if you have to add the tabs yourself, but I seem to remember this being mentioned a while back... 1-row-tunes.pdf 1-row-tunes.abc

I have an experimental version of an ABC tune book with over 5000 tunes in C or G. I have tabbed these using an along-the-row strategy and as far as I can see, most of them are playable on a single row. The numbering used in the tabs is that used by the ABT system, not Gary Coover's system. You are welcome to a copy (I would try to post here in the first instance, but the file is large-ish - 6.2Mb unzipped, 1.4Mb zipped)...

All of that is extremely helpful! Thank you - I can get a feel for the different sound quality off those recordings. The final clip is magic - apart from the quality of the sound, an added bonus is that I now know I'm not making a complete hash of The Burning of the Piper's Hut...🙂

Thanks! That gives me a much better qualitative understanding of what's happening. I did wonder about the relevance of a comparison between a 'phone camera and a 'proper' camera...🙂 Me too. Never really been tempted to try producing video clips myself...🙂 Thanks again!

Interesting indeed - very! As is the rest of this thread. I have 'problems' with many video/sound clips (not just music-related clips). The volume is often way too low. What I'm picking up here is that this may be due to the difference between just using a 'phone (low volume?), and using a more complicated set-up with decent dedicated kit such as external microphones, etc. (acceptable volume?). Is that 'right'?

In this old thread there was some discussion (a side-bar to the main topic) about what mechanism to use to insert tablature (tabs, note-names, ABC-names) to a score. At the time I said that my preferred option was to use text annotations to do this. Fairly soon after this, I changed my mind, and started using lyrics (w:) lines as the vehicle for carrying the tablature, and have done so for some time now. I also wondered if symbol (s:) lines were a viable third option but didn't do anything about it. As a result of recent discussions, I finally got my act together and tried this. It seems to work, although there are up-sides and down-sides to this. Here's an example of what it looks like (not very good quality, I'm afraid): This is the only practical presentation as far as I can see. The accompaniment chords and s: lines seem to be tied together, they both use the same font, and moving them below the staff results in the accompaniment chords and tabs becoming mis-aligned, so it's limited - It looks 'better than I thought it did at first', though Question: Has anyone else here tried using ABC symbol (s:) lines as a way of adding tablature to a score? How d'ye think it looks? Ta. (Moderators, please move to more appropriate forum if necessary - I couldn't decide...) ______________________________ At present, I haven't actually modified my program(s) to do this, but am using an edit 'macro' to convert a file using lyrics (w:) lines to a a file using symbol (s:) lines... 1,2,3,4.abc

I was generalising a little because audiences were mentioned earlier, but I fully appreciate your point about 20-button instruments working in the context of a session. I didn't want to be too specific - maybe I should have been...

<Puts on 'Member of Audience' hat> Back in the day, before I started playing the concertina (badly!), I was always a 'member of the audience', but at the same time was reasonably awake enough to spot when a band was playing a familiar tune 'differently'. I must say that usually, my reaction was not 'They're playing it wrong.', but 'Hey, they're playing it differently - that's clever!'. Long may it continue - Vive la difference! <Takes off 'Member of Audience' hat>

I asked the same question when I bought my Traveller, and got the same answer...

Spot on! I tried it first with %%pos gchord below which didn't work, which was what prompted my question in the first place. %%gchord below does work! I guess this is because abcjs hasn't implemented the most recent form of this functionality using %%pos? (In any case, it's a moot point - all of this stuff seems to be based on 'unratified' extensions to the language spec'). It's a bit of a rat's nest - fun though...🙂

1) I suspected this was the answer. It's no big deal - I was just curious... 2)Not reely - that's why I said not to be implemented...🙂 Thanks!

Neat! That happens to be the way around which I prefer (chords above, tab below), but is it possible to reverse the relative positions of the chords and the tab? I couldn't see that option, but it's something I sometimes wish to do. If it's not there, it's not there, and I'm not suggesting that it be implemented, just satisfying my curiosity... Thanks.

I can confirm that this is the case. I tried to get these concertina plugins to work satisfactorily when MuseScore 4 hit the streets - having tried (and failed) three times prior to this (once with MS2, twice with MS3). I very quickly gave up on MS4, and won't be bothering with MS again. I've deleted it from 2 of my 3 machines and am only keeping the 3rd copy for 'reference'... To get at GC-style tablature, the route suggested by Michael Eskin is probably your best option (though I haven't tried it myself)...

Thanks! It must be my machine...🙁

I just looked at about 10 minutes of this block-buster/epic - I'm now waiting for the usherette to come around with the choc-ices and 'flavour of the month' ice lollies...🙂 It's well impressive - thank you! I hope I'll find time over the next few days to look at some more... Only other comment - sometimes the volume seems a little low, but I wonder if that's the 'sound system' on the machine I'm currently using...

I'm using A Windoze 10 machine... I'm using 1.3.7.7 for various reasons, but I was unable to load that XML file, even using that slightly out of date version. First time I've tried to import XML Maybe I'm doing something extremely dumb - it wouldn't be the first time... I've attached a screenshot of the 'error box' I got when I tried it...

1 I saved the ABC from Michael's link and it seemed to play OK on my installation of EasyABC(1.3.7.7)? I have a tin ear, though... It's remarkable (to me!) that scanning and then importing the XML into EasyABC produced such an (largely) excellent result. 2) I was messing around with the ABC code yesterday, and also noticed that thereseemed to be rather a lot ofvoices. Looking at it a little closer, I came to the conclusion that some of those voices are really only adding 'voice overlay' to the two 'main' voices (somewhat counter-intuitively labelled 4 and 5). It should be possible to collapse two voices into one? On that basis, I tried a little re-arrangement/simplification, and came badly unstuck (so badly that I was tempted to rename the tune 'Ragtime Nightmare'!🙂) I will look at it again sometime, but it may be above my ABC pay-grade to be able to simplify that code. I'm sure it can be done though... Great tune...

I only just saw this. I think I got the right tune? I've attached: 1) ABC code for 4 arrangements 2) PDF of those arrangements 3) MIDI file for the first of the 4 arrangements If you are playing an Anglo, and give me details of the tablature you want, I'll give it a go. I usually use the Australian Bush Traditions style of tablature. Any tabs I provide will use left-hand buttons as necessary for the melody, but will not help you much with harmonic accompaniment... TantzTantzYidelekh.mid TantzTantzYidelekh.abc TantzTantzYidelekh.pdf

Some of the comments in this thread, particularly the more recent ones might be relevant in this context? Some folks find tablature distracting (see some of the comments in the above thread). Me, I use tablature but prefer a very simple (minimalist, if you like) system. Like the Australian Bush Traditions system, which I've now used for several years. It's short, simple, concise, can easily be added 'by hand' to an existing score, and adds only one line of extra material to the score. I decided to use this system after looking at other alternative systems - I think it's important to be aware of the available options, and not to rush out and start using the first scheme you find... The books by Mick Bramich are good. The system they use is (effectively) the same as the ABT system (though it presents differently on the printed page). I recommend Absolute Beginners Concertina and In-Between Concertina. FWIW, I've 'extracted' tunes suitable for 20-button C/G concertina from my 'master tune book' file - there are over 5000 of them. Ditto 20-button G/D concertina...

That's very sad news. Looking at the dates, I think mine must have been one of the last few instruments Paul completed.

I was just about to update my recent post with: There is a series of YouTube video clips about Scholers starting here. As far as I can see, Bb/Eb isn't mentioned in this series, but they may help...

Yep, that looks right. Interesting - there are no known examples cited in this article from a long time ago. ____________________ gunmanbob - thanks for the up-to-date diagram. I missed the point that you were matching the middle row of that diagram to the bottom row of your instrument! At least I don't have to update my Bb/F layout diagram...

A couple of points: Yes, there is a 'normal' jump between each key. In a G/D concertina, the D-row is a perfect fifth above the G-row. In a C/G concertina, the G-row is a perfect fifth above the C-row. I think I got that right - these fifths, fourths and thirds do my head in. That's for the common configurations of G/D, C/G, etc. - there are 'one-off' key configurations which may differ from that. I used that McCann keyboard designer recently to create a button numbering diagram for a system proposed by a user here. The program seems suited to doing two things (as far as Anglos are concerned): creating note layout diagrams (ie: where the notes are) creating button numbering (or fingering) diagrams for different systems, (eg: ABT, Coover, Sherburne, etc.) The program is a bit fiddly to use, but is fine once you get your eye in The data files (.mck extension) are in fact simple text files. If you open a file using your favourite text editor, it is possible to edit the file 'by hand' - again, once you get your eye in...