ABC Notation Summary
The ABC notation is a plain text musical notation for use in computers.
Information Fields
X:— (uint) The reference number in a tunebook.T:— (string) The sheet title.C:— (string) The composer.M:— (uint/uint) The meter. Appart from standard meters, e.g.M:3/4, complex meters likeM:(2+3+2)/8are perfectly valid.L:— (uint | uint/uint) The unit note length. 1/4 ≡ crotchet.Q:— ([ string ] uint/uint=uint) The tempo.Z:— (string) The name of the transcriptor.K:— ({ A | B | … [ # | b ] [ major | minor | lydian | … ] }) The key.V:— (uint ‘clef=’string) The voice. First element is the identifier, next is the clef. e.g.V:1 clef=bass.
Out of these, it’s recommended to have, at least, X, T, M, L and K.
These are not the only existing fields. Check the standard for more info.
The Tune Body
To place the notes and other elements (like bars or accidentals) the following notation is used.
Pitch
A-Gfor the lower octave.a-gfor the higher octave.,after a note to go even lower.'after a note to go even higher.
Accidentals
^for sharp (^^for double sharp).=for natural._for flat (__for double flat).
Note Lengths
When writing a note, the default length will be the one set in the L:.
For other lengths, add a division or multiplication after the note. e.g. A/2
is half the L: duration, A/4 a fourth, and A3/2 is half but dotted, A2
is double the length.
Rests
Rests can be indicated by using zn, where n: uint. e.g. z2 is a rest of
double the L: length. Lengths are applied the same way as in notes.
Bars
From the standard:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| |
bar line |
|] |
thin-thick double bar line |
|| |
thin-thin double bar line |
[| |
thick-thin double bar line |
|: |
start of repeated section |
:| |
end of repeated section |
:: |
start & end of two repeated sections |
Ties and Slurs
By placing multiple notes between parentheses, these will appear tied.
Sheet Example
X:1
T:Happy birthday to you
M:3/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=120
K:G clef=treble
D3/4D/4 | E D G | F2 D3/4D/4 | E D A | G2 D3/4D/4 |
d B G | (F HE) c3/4c/4 | B G A | G2 |]