I recommend that when (if?) the ABC notation standard is updated, it should
contain syntax for "helper" accidentals.
I am going to hack my version of abcm2ps (called jhabc2ps) to support
accidentals in parentheses. Does anyone have a recommendation for the
syntax?
I am thinking about using '=' to denote a helper accidental For instance,
=^C will show a note with (#) in front and =_C will show (b) in front, and
==C will show a natural sign in parentheses in front of the note. I don't
think this conflicts with any existing notation.
Of course, it will be the users responsibility to use it correctly, for
instance, if K:F then " =B | =_B " is correct, but " =B =_B " is not
correct because there is no bar between the notes, so it isn't a helper
accidental. (This kind of "user beware" is not new, for instance a user
could also misuse accidentals, such as =C or _B when K:F).
In abcm2ps there is a bug. If an accidental is used several times in the
same measure, it draws all of them. Thus, K:F and " =B =B " will print two
notes with naturals in front of them, but only the FIRST one should have a
natural sign. I am going to fix jhabc2ps so that only the first occurrance
of an accidental is printed in each measure. I recommend that all other
ABC rendering programs should do likewise.
Also I recommend the ABC standard should clarify whether repeated
accidentals are required or not. For instance, given K:C, is " ^c c | ^c "
three c-sharps in a row? Or is the second c a natural? According to
abcm2ps, the second c is SHARP (i.e. no natural sign is
inserted). However, according to abc2midi, the second c is NATURAL (i.e.
it sounds lower than the first note). IMO, the way abc2midi works is
correct, and the ABC standard should say that the second c is natural.
What do others think about this?
John Henckel
At 07:19 AM 10/8/2000 -0400, you wrote:
> >>>>> "Atte" == Jensen <Atte> writes:
>
>
> Atte> Anyway; how do I get the brackets 'round the accidental in abc?
>
>We've discussed this; there's a similar problem in early music, where
>the notation didn't always include accidentals that "everybody" would
>know to play, and modern editors want to put them in, since
>"everybody" today doesn't necessarily know. And it would be useful to
>be able to have the MIDI play them.
>
>The best solution I know in the context of the current abc2ps is to
>put "(#)" above the note. This would be almost good enough for my
>purposes if abc2ps understood the TeX commands for entering \sharp,
>\flat, and \natural, but it doesn't.
>
>I have also proposed that there be an extension to the current syntax
>so that a ^, _, or = enclosed in parentheses would be printed that
>way. I don't remember anyone either disagreeing with this or rushing
>to implement it.
>
>If I were implementing this, I would also provide %% commands so that
>it was under the control of the editor whether these accidentals
>printed above, below, or on the staff, with or without parentheses, or
>didn't print at all but were just directions to player programs.
>
>--
>Laura (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] , http://www.laymusic.org/ )
>(617) 661-8097 fax: (801) 365-6574
>233 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139
>To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to:
>http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
John Henckel
tel. 507-753-2216 Zumbro Falls, Minnesota, USA alt. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Try it! http://www.SUBJEX.com The next generation search engine!
Pagelab Networks, 43 Main Street SE, Suite 508, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Get AOL chat free at http://aim.aol.com and talk to me, "John Henckel"
To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
