Custom Anglo tablature button naming now available in my ABC Transcription Tools

[Michael Eskin]

In my ABC Transcription Tools, you can now set whatever names you want to use for the buttons when generating Anglo Concertina tablature.  
 

Any values you enter are saved and restored the next time you run the tool.

Demo video:

https://youtu.be/VruJ0gHXplo

Between this and the ability to change the symbol(s) used for push and draw, I think you have quite a bit of flexibility as far as Anglo Concertina tablature generation now.

Try the tools:

http://michaeleskin.com/abc

User guide:

http://michaeleskin.com/abctools/userguide.html

This feature is also now available in the standalone Anglo Concertina fingerings tablature generator at:

http://michaeleskin.com/tools/anglo-fingerings.html

Edited August 9, 2023 by eskin

[Roger Hare]

14 hours ago, eskin said:

In my ABC Transcription Tools, you can now set whatever names you want to use for the buttons when generating Anglo Concertina tablature.  
...

Any values you enter are saved and restored the next time you run the tool.

...

I think you have quite a bit of flexibility as far as Anglo Concertina tablature generation now.

I think you are right!

 

I just tried this, and it took only a couple of minutes to enter the new button names. Excellent!

[Michael Eskin]

I'd love to see some examples!

[Roger Hare]

On 8/10/2023 at 3:40 PM, eskin said:

I'd love to see some examples!

Done! See next post but one, below...

 

I had been thinking of adding an alternative button numbering scheme (via a simple text file) in my own stuff. I won't be bothering now...

Edited August 12, 2023 by lachenal74693

[Roger Hare]

Sorry folks! Deleted - I needed to clean up the fine detail of the reply. See next post...

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by lachenal74693

[Roger Hare]

Michael Eskin said:

> I'd love to see some examples!

 

I interpreted that as a request to see the different button-naming scheme I used when I mentioned that it had only taken a couple of minutes to set it up. The fact that it took such a short time is a reflection of how good ME's program is, rather than anything to do with my tyipgn skllis.

 

It's a modification of the Australian Bush Traditions numbering scheme for C/G concertina. Here it is:

This is what I used for the exercise I describe (briefly) below.

[In practice, I would use a naming scheme for G/D concertina (which is my main squeeze). The only change to the above figure would be that the 'g's in the bottom row would be replaced by 'd's. It's more verbose - some of the button names are 'longer', but after looking at various button numbering/naming schemes when I started this music lark, this was (and remains) my preferred option.]

 

I generated several tabbed versions of 'The Ebb Tide'. They are included in the attached ABC file. They are:

 

1. The basic ABC code.

2. The solution produced using ME's default button naming scheme

3. The solution produced using the alternative ABT based button naming scheme illustrated above

4. The default solution 2. converted to a single row of tabs by using a couple of simple global edits within EasyABC.

[The overall effect of these edits is to 'collapse' what is effectively a two line tablature into a single line, removing the 'push' character and substituting an alternative 'pull' character. This minimalist single line model using a '^' is what I use in my own tabbing software (see 6.)]

5. The ABT based solution 3. converted to a single row of tabs by using a couple of simple global edits within EasyABC.

6. For comparison, the solution produced by my 'second generation' tabbing program ABCABTTABS.
[Here, the tabs are presented as 'dummy lyrics' in ABC w: lines. My 'first generation' program(s) used  the 'text annotation' model , but for a number of reasons, I eventually moved to the 'lyrics' model. The actual choice of buttons is different from 2. for the simple reasons that (i) the detailed mapping of notes to button names is different in ME's program and in my program, and (ii) I also make different choice of button when there is more than one option for a given note.]

 

All the solutions look 'different' (to a greater or lesser extent), but as far as I can hear, all produce the same noises when I laboriously go through the tunes note-by-note.

 

I did a lot more messing about with this and came up with a few more interesting observations, but I won't inflict these on a (probably already) bored-to-death audience...

ebbtide-short.abc

Edited August 12, 2023 by lachenal74693

[Michael Eskin]

Very cool.

I'm trying to see if there is any way to get the stacked tab elements to center above each other, but abcjs just doesn't want to do that with chords that use the _ and ^ indication to manually place them. 

Just a minor detail, but it's an interesting puzzle to obsess over.

 

[Roger Hare]

 

10 hours ago, eskin said:

[1] Very cool.

[2] I'm trying to see if there is any way to get the stacked tab elements to center above each other, ...Just a minor detail, but it's an interesting puzzle to obsess over.

 

[1] Not totally cool. There were a couple of errors/omissions in that diagram. More haste, less speed! As it happens, it didn't affect the results obtained using 'The Ebb Tide' as a test tune...

 

[2] I don't use stacked tab elements in the program which uses 'text annotations', but I do in my program(s) which use an underscore (_) to emulate an 'overbar' for a 'pull'. The 'two-tier-tabs' are constructed using two stacked w: lines. I lay awake at night worrying about trying to centre the underscore over the text component of the tabs. I eventually gave up. The image isn't very good, but I think you can see the 'overbars' aren't quite centred...

 

 

Edited August 13, 2023 by lachenal74693

[Michael Eskin]

I have an idea on the overbar method. Will let you know if it pans out.

[Michael Eskin]

I've added a new "bar over button name for draw" bellows indication option for Box and Anglo Concertina tablature generation:
 

 

Edited August 13, 2023 by eskin

[Roger Hare]

2 hours ago, eskin said:

I've added a new "bar over button name for draw" bellows indication option for Box and Anglo Concertina tablature generation:

Nicely done...

 

I never looked at emulating that 'overbar' by stacking a '_' on top of the button name in a text annotation, because at that point, I don't think I'd clocked the fact that it is possible to use two text annotation strings at all!

 

I eventually went with the w: lines because it was easy to find tunes with two lines of lyrics, so I assumed it must be possible to generate two lines of tabs masquerading as lyrics...

 

I've never really decided whether I prefer the 'follow the bouncing ball' tabs produced by the text annotations, or the straight line of tabs produced by the w: lines.

 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2023 by lachenal74693

[Michael Eskin]

Thanks! Thanks for an interesting puzzle!

[Notemaker]

New to this wonderful topic! Thank you Michael for the great software / webpages,etc.

 

My limited experience with Anglo tabs is very little, but working with Gary Coover's book I found that putting the LHS on the bottom of the stave, and the RHS on the top, saved a great deal of head scratching here. As well he employs your system of lines over the stave to indicate draw, but nothing to indicate press.

 

That said, I would not have chosen to number the buttons in that way. Instead I would start with the inside row LHS bottom button as 1, the follow that scheme to the inside row RHS.

 

Next taking the middle row with the next higher number up from the bottom most button on the RHS, onto its bottom button. Follow on through the middle row, and same plan for the outside row.

 

Advantages; in each row the numbers increase with the pitch, and are read in the more natural way of left to right, same as most languages do with text. I think the next advantage is the logical perception that higher notes are going to be bigger numbers, as is the frequency of the pitch.

 

Final consideration, popularity. Well I do not think it would be popular to begin with, but as soon as a few use it, then word will spread. For my beginner needs it would be infinitely better than the way I have to read it now. Because often, being a middling good note reader without a tab, I go get the pitch from memory off of the keyboard and ignore the tab.

 

Again thanks for the super webpages! I will investigate how I might be able to use them.

 

 

[Roger Hare]

2 hours ago, Notemaker said:

...That said, I would not have chosen to number the buttons in that way. Instead I would start with the inside row LHS bottom button as 1, the follow that scheme to the inside row RHS...

I use a button numbering layout different to ME's default layout in my own stuff. I can't quite visualise that layout. Any chance that you could you supply a schematic of some kind illustrating the exact layout/button naming? You could use ME's program to do this😊

 

Thanks.

[Notemaker]

On 8/14/2023 at 2:14 AM, lachenal74693 said:

I use a button numbering layout different to ME's default layout in my own stuff. I can't quite visualise that layout. Any chance that you could you supply a schematic of some kind illustrating the exact layout/button naming? You could use ME's program to do this😊

 

Thanks.

Ok, hope it is not too confusing.

 

Standard 30 button Anglo format, 5 buttons in each row.
Zero is included to achieve push notes getting even, draw getting odd numbers. This system would have the odd advantage of telling the reader the bellows direction, odd numbers are draw out, even the opposite.

 

Starting on the bottom button, inside row, LHS
0,1 ; next button 2,3 ...and so on till the top button, so 8,9.
Continuing on the RHS inside row, top button,
10, 11 ; next button going DOWN the inside row, 12,13 ... and so on till
last, on the bottom, 18,19.

 

Now for the middle row, we start on the LHS bottom button with 20,21.. and
following the same format as the inside row the top most button on the middle row is 28,29. On the RHS the top most button is 30,31  ...

 

Ditto format for the outside row, counting from the bottom most button on the LHS, and so on.

Edited August 15, 2023 by Notemaker
Forgot a point.

[Michael Eskin]

Unfortunately, my system can't accommodate different button names for push and draw.

Either it can add a glyph below the button name (up and down arrows for example) or it can use an alternative system where push notes are just the button name and draw is indicated by the button name with a bar over it. 

Personally, I would find the even/odd system you describe very confusing, so I'm not going to add it to my tool as an option.  Requiring players to do math on the fly and then map that to a physical button just seems too much to ask.

Edited August 15, 2023 by eskin

[Roger Hare]

> Ok, hope it is not too confusing.

 

I'm rather afraid it is a little. When you say 'outside row' do you mean 'accidentals row'? I'll see if I can construct a diagram...

 

This is what I came up with (push is the top half of the buttons): 

Is that what you meant? Disclaimer - constructed in the pub', while swilling Theakston's Mild - please blame Mr. Theakston for any errors...

Edited August 15, 2023 by lachenal74693

[Notemaker]

2 hours ago, lachenal74693 said:

> Ok, hope it is not too confusing.

 

I'm rather afraid it is a little. When you say 'outside row' do you mean 'accidentals row'? I'll see if I can construct a diagram...

 

This is what I came up with (push is the top half of the buttons): 

Is that what you meant? Disclaimer - constructed in the pub', while swilling Theakston's Mild - please blame Mr. Theakston for any errors...

Envious of the Theakston's swilling, another life to me long ago.

 

Well sort of yes ! But the 'inside row' is the 'G' row on a C/G box. Please forgive my non technical reading of this wonderful diagram, it appears that button 0,1 is illustrated as the bottom button LHS of the accidental row, or have I misread your diagram?

 

If I did read it right, then swapping that, i.e top most row in your diagram, (on this page ), with the current bottom most row, ( on this page ), on both LHS and RHS would deliver what I originally imagined as a desirable layout.

For those who wonder why I would want such a thing, consider this. All even numbers are 'press' bellows, and all odd numbers are draw. Then as the value increases so does the pitch, which to a nerdy math brain such as I, is a lovely thing! As to why nobody else has ever made such a plan, I have to say 'perhaps many have'.