Question about ABC - is this the right place?

[Long Haired David]

I have a problem with a song that I am transcribing into ABC and can't find a really appropriate forum to ask a question.

 

I am sure you will tell me where to go but I will describe the problem anyway.

 

I am transcribing 'I only have eyes for you' so that I can put the music as a pdf on my iPad to use with my Lachenal Anglo.

 

The problem is this. At one point there is a bar that has a minim followed by a triplet. The minim is tied to the first note of the triplet.

My ABC software will let me do either D8 (3D4G4A4 which doesn't tie the two notes together or D8- (3D4G4A4 but then it lets the tie go over all the subsequent notes until it meets another - .

 

Any ideas how to code this up? Or suggest a better place to ask the question?

 

Thanks

 

David

[Anglogeezer]

David,

You don't say which programme you're using??

I've tried "(D8(3D4)G4A4" and "D8-(3D4G4A4" . Both show the leading minim tied to the first note of the triplet, which is what you're aiming for.

I've used both these programs ;

Concertina Net

&

http://www.folkinfo.org/songs/abcconvert.php

and get the same result.

Try posting the full ABC for us to study.

 

regards

Jake

[Long Haired David]

I was using ABCJ on the Mac. I put the same code into the Concertina.net and the abcconvert and they both managed correctly so I will stay there for final presentation.

However, I like the immediate score that ABCJ gives you as you type. I lets me catch most errors.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

David

[David Barnert]

Your problem is with your abc software (with which I am not familiar), not abc. You might try contacting the author of the software.

 

We like discussing abc here, but also have a look at http://abcnotation.com/discuss for other places to ask such questions.

[cboody]

I have a problem with a song that I am transcribing into ABC and can't find a really appropriate forum to ask a question.

 

I am sure you will tell me where to go but I will describe the problem anyway.

 

I am transcribing 'I only have eyes for you' so that I can put the music as a pdf on my iPad to use with my Lachenal Anglo.

 

The problem is this. At one point there is a bar that has a minim followed by a triplet. The minim is tied to the first note of the triplet.

My ABC software will let me do either D8 (3D4G4A4 which doesn't tie the two notes together or D8- (3D4G4A4 but then it lets the tie go over all the subsequent notes until it meets another - .

 

Any ideas how to code this up? Or suggest a better place to ask the question?

 

Thanks

 

David

 

 

Your problem is the the dash is not specified to be used for slurs, but only for ties (that is, connecting notes of the same pitch).

Some software accepts the dash as a slur, but the ABC spec does not. The proper solution is (D8(3D4)G4A4 .

The Parenthesis before the D8 and the one after the D4 indicate the slur and the (3 indicates the triplets.

That should work in all software that supports the spec.

Edited October 29, 2012 by cboody

[David Barnert]

Your problem is the the dash is not specified to be used for slurs, but only for ties (that is, connecting notes of the same pitch).

Some software accepts the dash as a slur, but the ABC spec does not. The proper solution is (D8(3D4)G4A4 .

The Parenthesis before the D8 and the one after the D4 indicate the slur and the (3 indicates the triplets.

That should work in all software that supports the spec.

But Long Haired David's intention is not a slur, it' a tie connecting two D's. David's abc construction should work.

 

--Bald David

[cboody]

Your problem is the the dash is not specified to be used for slurs, but only for ties (that is, connecting notes of the same pitch).

Some software accepts the dash as a slur, but the ABC spec does not. The proper solution is (D8(3D4)G4A4 .

The Parenthesis before the D8 and the one after the D4 indicate the slur and the (3 indicates the triplets.

That should work in all software that supports the spec.

But Long Haired David's intention is not a slur, it' a tie connecting two D's. David's abc construction should work.

 

--Bald David

 

Ah! me bad! Memo to self: Don't do things late at night. This correction is correct. So software that supports the spec should accept either but the dash would be proper for the tie.

Edited October 30, 2012 by cboody

[MichaelF]

........

However, I like the immediate score that ABCJ gives you as you type. I lets me catch most errors.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

David

Barfly will allow that but won't run on software later than OSX 10.6.8

[adrian brown]

 

........

However, I like the immediate score that ABCJ gives you as you type. I lets me catch most errors.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

David

Barfly will allow that but won't run on software later than OSX 10.6.8

 

EasyABC does too and runs on the latest OSX. I also find it better than Barfly for multi-voice transcriptions, especially if you use the '&' to (lazily I know!) write two voices on a single stave. When doing this in Barfly, you just get a mess in the preview, although it will print normally. I've also had a lot of problems with Barfly crashing when transcribing 4 part music (on 4 staves).

 

Adrian

[Pete Dunk]

I also find it better than Barfly for multi-voice transcriptions, especially if you use the '&' to (lazily I know!) write two voices on a single stave.

Adrian

 

Using the ampersand (&) to add a second voice on the same stave isn't lazy Adrian! It serves a very different function to chord grouping [ ] allowing notes of different lengths with opposing stems to occupy the same time period within the bar. I only use it when I have to, but when needed it is the only way to acheive the desired notation.

[adrian brown]

 

I also find it better than Barfly for multi-voice transcriptions, especially if you use the '&' to (lazily I know!) write two voices on a single stave.

Adrian

 

Using the ampersand (&) to add a second voice on the same stave isn't lazy Adrian! It serves a very different function to chord grouping [ ] allowing notes of different lengths with opposing stems to occupy the same time period within the bar. I only use it when I have to, but when needed it is the only way to acheive the desired notation.

 

Oh sorry, I didn't mean to give the impression that I'd use it instead of chord grouping. I'll occasionally use the '&' rather than making the effort of writing out each voice as [V: 1] [V: 2] etc. to then just combine them on a single stave with %%staves (1 2) etc.. I'd typically use it where there's an occasional 4th voice in an otherwise 3-voice piece. This works well in Easy ABC, but as I said, Barfly doesn't display these bars properly even if it will print them fine.

 

Adrian

[cboody]

I miss Barfly for some things, but EasyABC has a wonderful advantage in that what it displays on the screen is very nearly exactly what you get when printing. That's a great advantage in many ways.

[John Wild]

I miss Barfly for some things, but EasyABC has a wonderful advantage in that what it displays on the screen is very nearly exactly what you get when printing. That's a great advantage in many ways.

 

One thing I have not found in Easy ABC is a function to print tunes in sets. In ABC Navigator, it is possible to drag a number of tunes into a print list so that we can get a set of tunes instead of a single tune. I have not found an equivalent in Easy ABC. Is the function there and I have missed it?

 

- John Wild

[adrian brown]

 

I miss Barfly for some things, but EasyABC has a wonderful advantage in that what it displays on the screen is very nearly exactly what you get when printing. That's a great advantage in many ways.

 

One thing I have not found in Easy ABC is a function to print tunes in sets. In ABC Navigator, it is possible to drag a number of tunes into a print list so that we can get a set of tunes instead of a single tune. I have not found an equivalent in Easy ABC. Is the function there and I have missed it?

 

- John Wild

 

I think you'd have to make a temporary new file with the tunes you want and then use the 'export all' command from there to make a .pdf. My complaint with EasyABC is that it never wants to open more than one file at a time, although you can start a new file with an existing one open. It makes it awkward to move tunes around between files, and I tend to do this in the Textedit program.

 

Adrian

[John Wild]

I think you'd have to make a temporary new file with the tunes you want and then use the 'export all' command from there to make a .pdf. My complaint with EasyABC is that it never wants to open more than one file at a time, although you can start a new file with an existing one open. It makes it awkward to move tunes around between files, and I tend to do this in the Textedit program.

 

Adrian

 

thank you. I will try that.

[Pete Dunk]

No one program seems to have it all. I haven't used Navigator for some time because I prefer the ABC Explorer interface. I use Easy ABC to carry out certain tasks but not as a program of choice, ABC Editor cannot be beaten for extracting an index from a file but for anything else it doesn't even begin to compete with other software.

[cboody]

 

 

I miss Barfly for some things, but EasyABC has a wonderful advantage in that what it displays on the screen is very nearly exactly what you get when printing. That's a great advantage in many ways.

 

One thing I have not found in Easy ABC is a function to print tunes in sets. In ABC Navigator, it is possible to drag a number of tunes into a print list so that we can get a set of tunes instead of a single tune. I have not found an equivalent in Easy ABC. Is the function there and I have missed it?

 

- John Wild

 

I think you'd have to make a temporary new file with the tunes you want and then use the 'export all' command from there to make a .pdf. My complaint with EasyABC is that it never wants to open more than one file at a time, although you can start a new file with an existing one open. It makes it awkward to move tunes around between files, and I tend to do this in the Textedit program.

 

Adrian

Get the new version. That limitation is not there as far as I can tell (and I'm among those who asked that it be removed).

[cboody]

 

I miss Barfly for some things, but EasyABC has a wonderful advantage in that what it displays on the screen is very nearly exactly what you get when printing. That's a great advantage in many ways.

 

One thing I have not found in Easy ABC is a function to print tunes in sets. In ABC Navigator, it is possible to drag a number of tunes into a print list so that we can get a set of tunes instead of a single tune. I have not found an equivalent in Easy ABC. Is the function there and I have missed it?

 

- John Wild

Alter the ABC just a bit. No program using abcm2ps to create the print files will do what you want. But it is easy to do like this:

 

 

X: 1

T:Tune Set

T:Colorado Trail

M:4/4

L:1/4

K:C

E2 G G| A G E2| D2 C D| E4| E G G A| G E E2| C C A, C| D4| E2 G G|\

A G E2| D2 C- D| E4| G A c3/2 A/2| G E D3/2 C/2| D C C C| C4|

T:Red River Valley

M:2/2

L:1/4

K:Gmaj

|D G|"G"B2 B B|"D7"B2 A B|"G"A G3-|G2 D G

|B2 G B| d2 c B|"D7"A4-|A2 d c|"G"B2 B A

|"G7"G2 A B|"C"d c3-|c2 E E|"D7"D2 F G|A2 B A|"G"G2-G2-|G2||

T:I Ride an Old Paint

M:3/4

L:1/4

K:G

z2 D| G3/2 G/2 G| E/2- D3/2 z/2 D/2| G3/2 G/2 G| E/2- D3/2 z/2 D/2|\

A3/2 A/2 A| A G G/2G/2| B3/2 A/2B/2 A/2| G2 G| A3/2 A/2 A| A G A|\

B3/2 A/2B/2 A/2| G2 G| F3/2 F/2 F| F D F| G3/2 G/2 G| G2 G/2G/2| A3/2 A/2 A|\

A G A/2A/2| B3/2- A/2B/2-A/2| G2 G/2G/2| F3/2 F/2 F| F D F| G3/2 G/2 A|\

G2 z|

All I did was remove the X: fields from the later tunes, add a Set header for them all, and remove any empty lines between tunes. For a way that is just as useful change all the T: fields except the one that names the set to use P: A quick way to get the tune titles to the left edge. Sorry about the choice of tunes I've a test file on my computer and this is what happens to be there.

Or, if all you're interested in is to print out a collection open a new file in EasyABC, copy and paste the wanted tunes from other files, and use "Export ... All to PDF" to get a printed collection.

Edited January 28, 2013 by cboody