John Chambers wrote: > ...I'd expect most instrumentalists would find abc somewhat more > readable, since sol-fa requires the extra step of mapping from > scale-relative notes to absolute notes...
There is another system which can use a fixed doh (or is it "do"? Have I been making a fool of myself all this time calling it doh? Doh!), but then you need to use accidentals (e.g. fa becomes fe, a semitone sharper), and it wouldn't make it any easier. I think you're right that ABC is more friendly to instrumentalists. > ...TSF is clearly aimed primarily at singers... That's possibly the key. It's perfect for singers, choirs, etc, because all you need is a starting reference note [1]. You don't need any further knowledge of keys, etc, because you'll song the song in whichever key suits you, or whichever key everyone else is singing in. Another dimension to TSF (as it will now forever be known thanks to John Chambers) is that there are a series of hand signals representing the notes, so it wasn't unusual for choir leaders to conduct using these symbols, and everyone should know which note they're singing. TSF has its merits, but since the vast majority of ABC notation is dance music in particular keys, I don't think there's a need for a wholesale migration. It won't happen. What's ABC like for aligning song lyrics to notes, by the way? [1] At a recent children's music festival end-of-week performance, my group played "Skye Boat Song" on whistle, then fellow tutor Karine Polwart ran across, borrowed my whistle to give her group of singers a note to start. Simon Thoumire had been running a "studio" workshop, resulting in the participants recording a track onto CD. When it cam to their performance, they put on the CD and all stood in a line, on one leg and saluting. They stayed like that for the whole track, then limped off to applause. -- Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music & Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html