Gary Coover Tablature plugin for MuseScore 4

[Bigmotech]

Hello all. Not sure where to put this post. So I think general is a safe bet. 

 

Long story short. I made a MuseScore 4 plugin that will append Wheatstone C/G concertina button's to a score. Its still a WIP and mostly made for myself. But if other's are interested. I can continue to expand, fix bugs, and maybe add more features.  https://github.com/Bigmotech/BigMoAngloTab

 

 

 

I started playing the concertina about 3 months ago and I've been learning from mostly Gary Coover's books using his tabs. 

I've been reading from "Anglo In the Harmonics" "Christmas Concertina" "Sailor Songs for Concertina" "Pirate songs" and "Easy Anglo 123".

These books have been great for learning and slowly improving. While I'm not good by any means. My ear has been wondering to play other songs. That's when I found youtube channels like AngloKazooie and Concertina Joel. Listening to them play video game music and other popular songs made me want to learn the concertina more. But I found there's limited music for concertina out there and I'm not good enough at reading music and music theory to do it myself. 

 

After watching Anglo Kazooie's Arranging Songs for the Anglo Concertina videos I decided to give it a try. I couldn't use the version of MuseScore and had to use MuseScore 4. The plug in AngloKazooie uses doesn't work for MS4. So I decided to remake it myself. After making a basic version. I was able to produce recognizable music with little manipulation of the sheet itself. Some songs I've converted is Sonic's Green Hill Zone, Super Mario Bro's Theme, What is Love, and Zelda's Lost Woods.

 

If anyone who is interested in trying it out and giving me some feedback. I would much appropriate it. 

 

Some known limitations and bugs

• Its a first run convert. So it will pick the first note that matches. So you'll get impossible to play combo notes that require a push and pull at the same time. 
• The notes will stagger and stack if they are too close together. They can be manually moved.
• Transposing doesn't go to nearest notes. If transposing up/down doesn't have a note, it'll be left blank
• Produces ugly tabs that need to be fixed after the fact

 

[Steve Schulteis]

Yeah, sorry, I haven't updated my plugin yet. I haven't kept up with the latest changes to the plugin API in 4.4/4.5 - maybe it's time to take another look. For now, I'm still adding my tabs manually, as described in this video:

 

 

I've got a busy couple of weeks ahead of me, but I'll try to take a look at your plugin when I get a chance. It's nice to see somebody else giving the topic some attention.

[Bigmotech]

51 minutes ago, Steve Schulteis said:

Yeah, sorry, I haven't updated my plugin yet. I haven't kept up with the latest changes to the plugin API in 4.4/4.5 - maybe it's time to take another look. For now, I'm still adding my tabs manually, as described in this video:

 

 

I've got a busy couple of weeks ahead of me, but I'll try to take a look at your plugin when I get a chance. It's nice to see somebody else giving the topic some attention.

I have no idea how I missed this. I was looking for a way to better but tabs on the page. Do you mind if I include this in my plug in?

 

I never used MuseScore till last month. But looking at the API doc and 3.X API. It looks like quite a few things are broken. The "dock" isn't working according to the docs 

[Steve Schulteis]

24 minutes ago, Bigmotech said:

I have no idea how I missed this. I was looking for a way to better but tabs on the page. Do you mind if I include this in my plug in?

 

Go for it! Last time I looked at this, the plugin API didn't have a way to add text lines. The latest info I'm aware of on how that might work is at https://musescore.org/en/node/329037

 

24 minutes ago, Bigmotech said:

I never used MuseScore till last month. But looking at the API doc and 3.X API. It looks like quite a few things are broken. The "dock" isn't working according to the docs 

 

Yeah, I'm not sure if dock plugins are ever coming back. I haven't really thought about what to do instead.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the API docs are out of date. There were some plugin system changes planned for 4.4, but I don't know the current state of things.

[Michael Eskin]

FYI, this is also possible with my ABC Transcription Tools, with automatic fingering solutions for both Jeffies and Wheatstone instruments, cross-row and on-row fingering, and in multiple tunings (C/G, Bb/F, A/E, and G/D).

The feature is limited to melody lines without harmonies.

Here's a Jeffries, C/G, cross-row solution with Gary Coover(esque) tablature:

 

https://michaeleskin.com/abctools/abctools.html?lzw=BoLgBAjAUApDC2BXAzgSwMbIA4EN0FNIAGWGHAO3IHsAXHG1K8gMyZrAAUcAbe1ayNAAq4IQAtCAaXzIxUAMKiATjgAmqBkx5QASuABSqAOZQAsuABsAegAcUADLgItqAEVwAZlsBeCACYSSXAAcXgcACtYWDAAVWRCGgkwZm5EVFUwZCpEclVWchoQWCycvLZk1PSomFj4sAowAEF0bOQGdDBglVzOVAoqTOye1iUwRMJ4fG4qVQBPIrhTAEkAESWwLCUqIxV4SA8ParAAZXx2HEysfHRUZgx6+CH2KmZMgHd+IwXkD-IjMCIADo-ABWaowNo4ZjMeJYMA2EgAHxAACIAPpgADcIJRwXRaOxKMa6KxOOCYBJhLxaIJOOJAD0CRAUQAhRH4wkMpmsjl0ik0zkoxmY5ksykQIgo1TsmlMyX4cWS1SKqUU+kWFFGFXKjEipUygUSlEK3VG5XC0X8rFmoXcsUCumIqCUsm8oku3FWqlurki1kGwUWnkOon82nuoP2636-Fy43a7VqjVa01K21+tk+j3UgkAdhRADEvWSPCAncj06Ks5GvTbI9qDXGFerNbG9cba2n6yHGuzu+HfZaE93SbiA3TK8GB2HBbrXT2nZP7QOl52pUuG22jc3k1v5WvzXbNy2tcKNcwhcm1XmUThL63hfmcH38wAje+ngnnpOa0uIoA&format=noten&ssp=10&name=The_Kesh&play=1

 

 

Edited May 28 by Michael Eskin

[Bigmotech]

On 5/28/2025 at 11:19 AM, Michael Eskin said:

FYI, this is also possible with my ABC Transcription Tools, with automatic fingering solutions for both Jeffies and Wheatstone instruments, cross-row and on-row fingering, and in multiple tunings (C/G, Bb/F, A/E, and G/D).

The feature is limited to melody lines without harmonies.

Here's a Jeffries, C/G, cross-row solution with Gary Coover(esque) tablature:

Oh sweet. Thank you. Those are some of the functions I've been wanting to add to my plugin

 

[gcoover]

I feel properly adjectified!

 

Although I wish I could claim credit for devising the particular tab used in the Rollston Press books, it comes exactly from the 19th century tutors with one exception - a continuous overhead line for notes on the pull as opposed to P, D, violin markings, weird symbols, etc. Draw a line for "drawing" a note. Simple stuff. Being continuous, the line shows phrasing as well as readily indicating the needs for air.

 

I know it's wonderfully boffin-esque to want to devise an automatic button selection system, but I much prefer to do it the old school way of learning the instrument through trial and error and discovery.

 

For those reading this thread who use MuseScore, here's the workflow I use, which utilises the special palettes created by Steve Schulteis for upper and lower button numbers and for upper and lower button numbers with dashed (or dotted) lines to indicate held notes.

 

I know Steve has a completely different workflow approach, but this is what works best for me!

 

1.  Create generic 4-bar template score with pickup measure, repeats, Title, Button Map, save as X-TEMPLATE-4bar.

 

2.  Open template and immediately rename for new tune.

 

3.  Add new title, adjust key signature & time signature (from palettes), adjust number of measures as necessary, add repeats, first and second endings, page breaks, etc.

 

4.  INPUT MUSICAL NOTES. Click the little pencil-looking thing in the upper left corner and select the note duration. Hit escape to get out of note entry mode.

 

5.  ADD CHORDS: click on note, CTRL-K then CTRL-(capital letter) for chord.

 

6.  Playback tune in MuseScore and adjust notes or chords if necessary.

 

7.  ADJUST CHORD LOCATION: right click on any chord letter, Select, Similar, Properties/Appearance, set initial vertical offset to -5.00.

 

8.  ADD MELODY BUTTON NUMBERS TO THE SCORE: Click on the first note and add button numbers above or below by clicking on appropriate custom palette selection (number is added automatically), and advance along the score with the arrow key.

 

9.  ADD HARMONY NUMBERS: add as #8, select and adjust down by 2.0 with Properties/Appearance.

 

10.  CHECK FINGERING: Play through the tune, revising button numbers by deleting and replacing.

 

11.  ALIGN NUMBERS: for each line, grab with shift/mouse to carefully select line by line, use Properties/Appearance to set vertical spacing.

 

12.  OVERHEAD LINES: click on note, Palettes/Lines, select plain line, inserts automatically. Right click line, Style/Text Lines, adjust Position Above to -0.50, -4.00. All lines afterwards will be inserted at this setting.

 

13.  ADJUST LENGTH OF INDIVIDUAL OVERHEAD LINES: click on line, click on handle, use arrow keys or CTRL/mouse to shorten or lengthen.

 

14.  ADJUST VERTICAL LOCATION OF OVERHEAD LINES (IF NEEDED): shift/mouse to carefully select entire line, then Properties/Appearance to set vertical spacing. Or can click each line individually to adjust, or use the arrow keys to move up or down.

 

15.  ADJUST DASHED LINES FOR HELD NOTES: click on the line and move the handle with the mouse or arrow keys.

 

16.  REVISE BUTTON MAP: click and select, cut and paste either open or closed dots as appropriate.

 

17.  Play through it again with concertina in hand!

 

18.  Save as PDF.

 

Gary

Edited May 31 by gcoover

[Steve Schulteis]

I think the main reason my workflow differs from what Gary described above is that I do my arranging with handwritten tabs first. Then I put the finished arrangement into MuseScore all at once, rather than inputting and adjusting tabs as I figure them out. But despite the differences in our process, we arrive at basically the same result notation-wise.

 

I tend to agree with Gary that automatic tab generation is an interesting technical challenge but not really a replacement for figuring things out myself with concertina in hand. That said, using auto-generated tabs as a melody input shortcut, so you only have to make a few edits, is an idea that might have some merit.

[Roger Hare]

1 hour ago, Steve Schulteis said:

....That said, using auto-generated tabs as a melody input shortcut, so you only have to make a few edits, is an idea that might have some merit.

It does. I started doing this in ~2018 using a very crude edit macro. I put it down for a year or so, while I 'thought about it', and got my first proper program working in ~June 2020. I use (Easy)ABC (as opposed to MuseScore), and the first model entered the tabs as text annotations. I subsequently modified the model to enter the tabs using lyrics (w:) lines. Works fine, though to be honest, editing the tabs as you describe is a bit more of a pain using the w: model as opposed to the text annotation model. I can't decide which model I prefer...🙁

 

Those dates are a bit vague - I'm afraid I'm not the best record-keeper in the world, but looking at the archived code, June 2020 is about right - maybe a little later...

Edited May 31 by Roger Hare

[Roger Hare]

On 5/28/2025 at 3:10 PM, Bigmotech said:

...Some known limitations and bugs

• [1] Its a first run convert. So it will pick the first note that matches. So you'll get impossible to play combo notes that require a push and pull at the same time. 
• [2] The notes will stagger and stack if they are too close together. They can be manually moved.
• [3] Transposing doesn't go to nearest notes. If transposing up/down doesn't have a note, it'll be left blank
• [4] Produces ugly tabs that need to be fixed after the fact

I'm using a completely different approach - pre-processing an ABC file to add the tabs before presenting it to an ABC program such as EasyABC, but I had very similar problems:

 

[1] I 'fixed' the multi-headed notes problem (simultaneous push/pull) by chickening-out and running a filter which discarded all tunes with multi-headed notes (and all multi-voice tunes).

 

[2] If I have notes too close together, I simply reduce the size of the font used to insert the tabs - another cop-out.

 

[3] I don't do on-the-fly transposition, but if I hit a note which isn't available, I enter a '*'.

[4] Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...🙂

 

I did try MuseScore (several times), but I eventually gave up - too slow..

 

 

Edited May 31 by Roger Hare

[Diss]

On 5/28/2025 at 5:19 PM, Michael Eskin said:

FYI, this is also possible with my ABC Transcription Tools, with automatic fingering solutions for both Jeffies and Wheatstone instruments, cross-row and on-row fingering, and in multiple tunings (C/G, Bb/F, A/E, and G/D).

The feature is limited to melody lines without harmonies.

Here's a Jeffries, C/G, cross-row solution with Gary Coover(esque) tablature:

 

https://michaeleskin.com/abctools/abctools.html?lzw=BoLgBAjAUApDC2BXAzgSwMbIA4EN0FNIAGWGHAO3IHsAXHG1K8gMyZrAAUcAbe1ayNAAq4IQAtCAaXzIxUAMKiATjgAmqBkx5QASuABSqAOZQAsuABsAegAcUADLgItqAEVwAZlsBeCACYSSXAAcXgcACtYWDAAVWRCGgkwZm5EVFUwZCpEclVWchoQWCycvLZk1PSomFj4sAowAEF0bOQGdDBglVzOVAoqTOye1iUwRMJ4fG4qVQBPIrhTAEkAESWwLCUqIxV4SA8ParAAZXx2HEysfHRUZgx6+CH2KmZMgHd+IwXkD-IjMCIADo-ABWaowNo4ZjMeJYMA2EgAHxAACIAPpgADcIJRwXRaOxKMa6KxOOCYBJhLxaIJOOJAD0CRAUQAhRH4wkMpmsjl0ik0zkoxmY5ksykQIgo1TsmlMyX4cWS1SKqUU+kWFFGFXKjEipUygUSlEK3VG5XC0X8rFmoXcsUCumIqCUsm8oku3FWqlurki1kGwUWnkOon82nuoP2636-Fy43a7VqjVa01K21+tk+j3UgkAdhRADEvWSPCAncj06Ks5GvTbI9qDXGFerNbG9cba2n6yHGuzu+HfZaE93SbiA3TK8GB2HBbrXT2nZP7QOl52pUuG22jc3k1v5WvzXbNy2tcKNcwhcm1XmUThL63hfmcH38wAje+ngnnpOa0uIoA&format=noten&ssp=10&name=The_Kesh&play=1

 

 

Michael! 

This is something i kept thinking "i wish this would do this" when browsing your website.
Is this a feature i can use on any of the tune books uploaded to your website? if so how does that work?

the The King Street Sessions Tunebook is full of songs I already had in mind to learn, if this means i can add the tablature i'd be very pleased.

[Michael Eskin]

Diss, there are already cross-row versions of the King Street Sessions Tunebook PDFs with concertina tab for both Wheatstone and Jeffries instruments, just not Gary Coover style tab:

 

https://michaeleskin.com/tunebooks.html#kss

 

If none of those work for you, I'd be happy to generate one for you when I return from a trip I am currently on, sometime around June 13.

 

I need to know what style of instrument you play (Jeffries or Wheatstone), and if you prefer on-row or cross-row fingerings.

Edited June 7 by Michael Eskin

[Diss]

Oh it would appear that i have not explored your site fully.

I would not say no to a Gary Coover version of any of the tune-books on your site. Wheatstone layout to be precise
I have only used Gary Coover tab so far, however i shall have a go at this style and see if i can't wrap my head around it.

 

 

Thanks Michael!

[Kathryn Wheeler]

This is really interesting - speaking as someone who both uses Musescore and likes to write down what I've arranged, lest I forget someday!