In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Calum
Galleitch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
>On Tuesday 15 July 2003 8:05 pm, Bernard Hill wrote:
>> In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Jean-Francois Moine
>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
>>
>> >Note that different lengths on grace notes are also handled by abcm2ps.
>> >For compatibility, the unit length is a quaver for a single note, and
>> >a semi-quaver when many notes.
>>
>> Aargh! Another inconsistency from the standard! Why not leave it as the
>> standard dictates, ie default given by L: ?
>
>L: has nothing to do with it. From the standard which is distributed with
>abcm2ps (1.7.3). This hasn't changed in 1.7.6.
>
>$ Grace notes can be written by enclosing them in curly braces, {}. For
>$ example, a taorluath on the Highland pipes would be written {GdGe}. The
>$ tune `Athol Brose' (in the file Strspys.abc) has an example of complex
>$ Highland pipe gracing in all its glory. Although nominally grace notes
>$ have no melodic time value, expressions such as {a2} and {a>b} can be
>$ useful and are legal although some packages may ignore them.
>$ The unit duration to use for gracenotes is not specified by the abc
>$ file, but by the package, and might be a specific amount of time
>$ (for playback purposes) or a note length (e.g. 1/32 for Highland pipe
>$ music, which would allow {ge4d} to code a piobaireachd 'cadence').
>
>This would seem to imply that the package can pretty much do what it likes
>without breaking the standard; it canheed gracenote duration directives, or
>not; it can set a standard duration according to the phase of moon or the key
>signature (or not).
Musically speaking, a grace note is any form of note written smaller. It
may be an appoggiatura or an acciaccatura, ie non-slashed or slashed.
Playback and where time is "stolen from" is a separate issue.
>
>> You do not encourage programmers to include abc compatibility with
>> exceptions link this.
>
>Not an exception. Look ma, it's in the standard.
>
>This is *very* useful, and moreover, the one reason that abcm2ps is useful to
>me. By simply specifying K:HP, the entire program reverts into highland pipe
>mode, and I don't have to do any further mucking around to get pipe music
>entered correctly. And a damn sight more easily than with programs
>'specially built' for the job...
>
>>
>> >Also, when K:H[pP], the unit length is
>> >a demi-semi-quaver.
>>
>> ... and suppose someone writes dsqs (c'// - then what??
If the standard does not talk musical sense then it needs to be
changed...
>
>Are pipers likely to do that? Given that I can't even guess what that means,
>and that c' is two notes higher than any pipe chanter I've ever seen can
>reach, I'm guessing the likelihood is low...
Maybe not. You see I don't read naked abc, my computer reads it for me
and tells me what and abc-type c' really is. Just because abc uses a
non-standard notation - to me, c is middle C, c' is one octave higher
etc...
(not that there's much agreement about octave naming anyway).
--
Bernard Hill
Braeburn Software
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