When searching
the web for a tune it often shows up in ABC notation.
This is because ABCs are text based thus allowing search
engines like Google to find tunes. ABCs can be easily
converted to standard notation. The following
introduction is intended to help beginners learn to
utilize this resource. Our site posts hundreds of tunes
in the abc format. More importantly, many classic tune
books such as The Athole Collection (check out Andrew
Kuntz's Fiddler's Companion site) have been posted on
other sites. In the Irish world there are hundreds of ABC
sites that post tunes. Knowledge of the format is
necessary in order to access this music.
Although an ABC program
give more functionality, properly formatted ABC tunes
can be converted directly in your browser. All you
have to do is copy & paste the ABCs for a single tune
into an on-line form. Submit the form and moments later
you have formatted music (standard notation) with the
option for midi playback. It's that simple.
For this simple
functionality you don't need to download a program. Just
web acess and the ability to use a browser.
- Copy
sample
tune (
Select All >> Copy >>choose back
button)
---- make sure you copy everything. Note the 'headers'
including X all have meaning.
- Now the tune is in
your "clipboard". Go to a conversion site. One
that still seems to work well with a variey of output
options is the one at Mandolintab.net>>
Paste the abcs from your clipboard to either of these
Free online forms. >> Click submit. (note - due
to a spam issue the convertor at www.concertina.net is
no longer functional)
---- You can now view the sample tune as an onscreen
image. For better resolution or printing select the
PDF option (for playback with a properly configured
computer you can choose a midi file).
TECH -NOTE -
some abc tunes you'll find elsewhere on the net are
posted on html pages instead of text only pages (The
Fiddler's Companion). If you copy ABCs from an html
page, when pasting into an abc program or conversion
utility there are extra line breaks which must be
stripped before translation will be successful. If you
use ABC navigator or ABC2win etc. those problems are
eliminated.
If you only plan to use
the ABCs other people post or email you, then you now
have all the tools & experience you need. However if
you want to write and edit tunes then read
on...
With the aid of your
computer, ABCs can act as a bridge between 'ear' and
'eye' methods of learning. Tunes can be typed as text and
read without the aid of a program. ABC files are both
cross platform compatible and memory efficient. For
e-mailing tunes, ABCs are ideal. When interpreted using a
shareware program, ABCs provide all the information
required for both playback and on-screen standard music
notation. For music educators, abcs can be a stepping
stone used to guide students towards standard notation.
Learning to write abcs helps anyone better understand the
rudiments of music.
ABCs were invented by
Chris Walshaw as an easy way of transcribing folk music.
While evolving in countries as far apart as the UK,
Germany, Sweden, Canada and the United States, Mr.
Walshaw and the ABC community are working towards
standardizing the language. Presently it is primarily
used for notating and playing back traditional tunes such
as jigs and reels but has been already been used to
transcribe music from Japanese Koto to Scarlatti. If
things proceed as they should, given 50 years or so, this
language will allow all of western society's music to be
accessible using everyday search engines. In the
meantime, every significant piece of notation has to be
carefully translated to ABCs and posted
on-line.
I
use a program called Barfly,
a shareware program written by geneticist, Scotsman, Phil
Taylor. It has dozens of excellent features not found on
other programs. A functional freeware version is also
available. There is lots of instruction provided with the
download. The MacIntosh release is complete for all
versions of the operating system excluding Lion. If you
use Lion try EasyABC
Barfly
Features:
Playback with
quick-time musical instruments-
- allows text editing during playback
- Musical sounding playback - Definable 'playable
feels' for various tune types
- user definable macros allow playback of
ornaments
- transposing (to different keys or modes)
- user definable altered intonations
- chordal playback (polyphonic option)
Split Screen
Mode
- See the tune in stardard notation
In the same window you can:
1 - edit the abcs
2 - navigate all the tunes in the file
Error
Checking
- if there's a problem with your abcs, click the 'Red
Sad Face Icon' and a new window opens with an
explanation
- great for learning to write abcs
Flexible
Searches
- within a file -- or all of a folder/ nested
folders
. . . . . . in an instant you can search 1000s of
tunes for whatever you can remember
. . . . . . search abcs for any text string - title,
melodic fragment , composer etc
- Resultant list provides Navigation services
. . . . . . Command click search result and the tune
opens instantly
Printing
- registered version allows multiple tunes to be
printed on a page
(simply command-click selections from the split screen
list)
Exports in many
Formats
- graphics -- Pict, jpg, png, Tiff, Photoshop
etc.
- sound (Midi, AIFF) etc.
- tab delineated text (choice of fields)
- plain text
Imports many
Formats
- cut and paste properly formatted ABC text files
- tab delineated text
- music XML
Well Organized
Documentation
- command clicik navigation from the table of
contents
- includes everthing you need to know about abcs
- 'bad tunes' file should be required reading for all
abc users.
