Is there a convention for writing musical notation in plain text?

[Geekydad]

I'm working on a collaborative music writing project across a web forum, and was wondering the easiest way to transcribe the notes for a melody. I guess I could use "(all quarter notes) Db F Db Gb / Bb Ab F F" but it sort of loses some of the information and is a pain to transcribe. Is there any standard convention short of using a code box and making the clef? I don't really want to post screenshots of the sheet music.

 

[Geekydad]

I think I found my answer, after a bit of searching. ABC Notation, which is plaintext that can be readily translated to musical notation by a lot of programs (some web-based even.) Still a bit of a hassle, but at least it's standardized.

Details are here: http://abcnotation.com/

 

[mambo4]

I hear your pain. I wish HTML 5 had some decent music notation support.
there is a small range of musical symbols within the Unicode font specififcation

♩
♪
♫
♬
♭
♮
♯

but nothing for putting pitches to a staff. And entering them is a pain, better off just cutting and pasting.

 

[mambo4]

huh I just found this HTML 5 music rendeirng API
http://www.vexflow.com/
Now if only such tech could be embedded in this forum...

 

[RoadRanger]

I'm a bit late to this but years ago i developed my own notation that is quite similar to abc - and I still use and am evolving it. You can check some out at Link Removed . I suppose I should publish a description of it someday as I'm getting close to finalizing it 35 years later LOL.

More here: http://www.talkbass.com/threads/abc-notation.934269/

 

[rizzin]

There's also Lilypond: http://www.lilypond.org/
It's a powerhouse of a music notation tool, can do practically everything related to writing notation down. It also supports tabulature.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

I'm working on a collaborative music writing project across a web forum, and was wondering the easiest way to transcribe the notes for a melody. I guess I could use "(all quarter notes) Db F Db Gb / Bb Ab F F" but it sort of loses some of the information and is a pain to transcribe. Is there any standard convention short of using a code box and making the clef? I don't really want to post screenshots of the sheet music.

If you are looking for something - perhaps this will jog something loose. I have for the last few years used A, B, C's for placement then used 1, 2, 3's (scale degrees) for what to play. For example:

The following is a combination of Nashville numbers, chord names and scale degree numbers. It is a typed copy of some hand written sheet music I practice from.

1....................5......................6.......................3
D....................A7....................Bm....................F#m
R-3-5-8...........R-3-5-b7...........R-b3-5-b7..........R-b3-5-8 or b7


4.....................1.....................2.......................5
G.....................D....................Em.....................A7
R-3-5-8............R-3-5-8...........R-b3-5-8.............R-3-5-b7

This progression repeats, over and over.

1. Start with just roots
2. Then root on 1 & 3. Repeat 3X
3. Then R-3-5 or R-b3-5. Repeat 3X

This is my practice sheet for an easy Cannon in D.​

• The Nashville numbers give me the overall chord progression or flow of what I will be doing.
• The chord name keeps me grounded.
• And the scale degree numbers gives me an idea of what notes could be used.
• All of it can be typed on your computer no special software is needed. Time signatures, bpm tempo and the scale/key can be added with out a problem.

None of this is original, but, is a combination of things that seem to work for me. For a song with lyrics I would have them listed also.

For this to work every one would need to know how to use the Major scale box.

Major Scale Box.
G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string​

Ed Friedland book Building Walking Bass Lines was the first place I saw scale degree notations (R-3-5-7) used in sheet music. Check out page # 33.

Offered for what it is worth.

 

[AdamRoberts]

Short answer: In my opinion, the easiest way to share musical ideas would be to swap audio files.

Long answer:
I go through a lot of different ways of notating music for students. I'll use text based chord progressions to outline basic harmonic structures.

| C | F | Am | G |

or

| I | IV | vi | V |

So on an so forth. It seems to me the more complete the idea, the more obvious it becomes that these shorthand methods can't convey all the information contained in the most basic musical idea.

If I was engaged in a collaborative music writing project across a web forum and trying to notate a MELODY:

1) Use a music notation program that everyone has access to (Finale, Sibelius, Guitar Pro, take your pick)

or

2) Share small sound clips (if you absolutely can't get people onboard to use a music notation program)

I just looked through all the posts. I don't think of music in terms of:

{
c' e' g' e'
}

or

|GABc dedB|dedB dedB|c2ec B2dB|c2A2 A2BA|

Visually representing rhythm, melody, and harmony is going to be complex.

 

[AdamRoberts]

Example post:

Sweet Caroline
Neil Diamond
(tempo is 126 - shuffle)

INTRO:
E E E E
| \ \ \ \ | \ \ \ \ | \ \ \ \ | \ \ \ \ |
E E E
| \ \ \ \ | \ \ \ \ | \ \ \ \ |

VERSE 1:
A D
Where it began, I cant begin to know it
A E
But then I know its growing strong
A D
Was in the spring, and spring became the summer
A E
Whod have believe youd come along?

PRE-CHORUS 1:
A F#m/A
Hands, touching hands
E D E
Reaching out, touching me, touching you

CHORUS 1:
A D D E
Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good
A D E
Ive been inclined, to believe they never would
D C#m Bm
But now I

VERSE 2:
A D
Look at the night, and it dont seem so lonely
A E
We fill it up with only two
A D
And when I hurt, hurting runs off my shoulders
A E
How can I hurt when I’m holding you?

PRE-CHORUS 2:
A F#m/A
Warm, touching warm
E D E
Reaching out, touching me, touching you

CHORUS 2:
A D D E
Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good
A D E
Ive been inclined, to believe they never would
D C#m Bm
Oh No No

INTERLUDE:
E E E E
| \ \ \ \ | \ \ \ \ | \ \ \ \ | \ \ \ \ |
E E E
| \ \ \ \ | \ \ \ \ | \ \ \ \ |

CHORUS 3:
A D D E
Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good
A D E
Sweet Caroline, I believe they never could
A D D E
Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good
A D E
Ive been inclined, to believe they never would
D C#m Bm E A
But now Im in Sweet Carolineeeee

 

[AdamRoberts]

When I look at the above example a few things become apparent:

The lack of a mono-space font format makes everything harder to understand.
Still need audio reference to make sense of it.

 

[RoadRanger]

There's also Lilypond: http://www.lilypond.org/
It's a powerhouse of a music notation tool, can do practically everything related to writing notation down. It also supports tabulature.

That's pretty interesting, thanks!

 

[Geekydad]

When I look at the above example a few things become apparent:

The lack of a mono-space font format makes everything harder to understand.
Still need audio reference to make sense of it.

That's the point of musical notation. You can post an original composition without any audio reference, and everyone who can read music can play it exactly the way you wrote it to be played.

For now, I still think ABC Notation with access to a website that can transcribe it (for free) is the best method.

I'm planning on restarting my collaborative music project fairly soon, since I've now got several months worth of lessons on playing bass and applying music theory under my belt. I'll be utilizing Soundcloud to share audio source files, so the other musicians can add tracks over my bass lines, but the actual sheet music with chord progressions will probably be shared with ABC Notation and a weblink to transcribe it.

 

[Geekydad]

If you are looking for something - perhaps this will jog something loose. I have for the last few years used A, B, C's for placement then used 1, 2, 3's (scale degrees) for what to play. For example:

The following is a combination of Nashville numbers, chord names and scale degree numbers. It is a typed copy of some hand written sheet music I practice from.

1....................5......................6.......................3
D....................A7....................Bm....................F#m
R-3-5-8...........R-3-5-b7...........R-b3-5-b7..........R-b3-5-8 or b7


4.....................1.....................2.......................5
G.....................D....................Em.....................A7
R-3-5-8............R-3-5-8...........R-b3-5-8.............R-3-5-b7

This progression repeats, over and over.

1. Start with just roots
2. Then root on 1 & 3. Repeat 3X
3. Then R-3-5 or R-b3-5. Repeat 3X

This is my practice sheet for an easy Cannon in D.​

• The Nashville numbers give me the overall chord progression or flow of what I will be doing.
• The chord name keeps me grounded.
• And the scale degree numbers gives me an idea of what notes could be used.
• All of it can be typed on your computer no special software is needed. Time signatures, bpm tempo and the scale/key can be added with out a problem.

None of this is original, but, is a combination of things that seem to work for me. For a song with lyrics I would have them listed also.

For this to work every one would need to know how to use the Major scale box.

Major Scale Box.
G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string​

Ed Friedland book Building Walking Bass Lines was the first place I saw scale degree notations (R-3-5-7) used in sheet music. Check out page # 33.

Offered for what it is worth.

My awful confession- I'm still relying on tabs for at least some of the songs I play. I've got a bass tab I wrote myself for Let It Go from Disney's "Frozen" that i've been reading rather extensively. However, it's written for my use only, and not meant to be shared with other musicians. It's basically the root note by tab, plus the chord written above, letting me communicate which chord I'm playing to an accompanist, as well as know when I can play minor thirds and which pentatonic scale I can improvise off of. Below the tab, I have written, where needed, quarter notes, dotted quarter notes, tied notes, and rests where called for by the music, plus notes like "rising" and "increasing power" to help with reminding me of the feel of the music at various parts.

It works, letting me play, and throw in 5ths, 8ths, and other scale notes where apprpriate, but it's definately not a transcription that will let me or anyone else repeat a performance 100% identical each time... Which was what I was looking for in my original post, since that information is essential to original collaborative compositions.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

......, but it's definately not a transcription that will let me or anyone else repeat a performance 100% identical each time... Which was what I was looking for in my original post, since that information is essential to original collaborative compositions.

Understand. Good luck with whatever you decide on. Standard notation may be the answer. Spend some time with Ed's book, his addition of scale degree numbers clicked for me.

 

[AdamRoberts]

If your idea of musical notation would look something like this:

var canvas = $("div.two div.b canvas")[0];
var renderer = new Vex.Flow.Renderer(canvas,
Vex.Flow.Renderer.Backends.CANVAS);

var ctx = renderer.getContext();
var stave = new Vex.Flow.Stave(10, 0, 500);

// Add a treble clef
stave.addClef("treble");
stave.setContext(ctx).draw();

// Create a quarter E, a half D, and a quarter C-Major chord.
var notes = [
new Vex.Flow.StaveNote({ keys: ["e/5"], duration: "q" }),
new Vex.Flow.StaveNote({ keys: ["d/5"], duration: "h" }),
new Vex.Flow.StaveNote({ keys: ["c/5", "e/5", "g/5"], duration: "q" })
];

// Create a second voice, with just one whole note
var notes2 = [
new Vex.Flow.StaveNote({ keys: ["c/4"], duration: "w" })
];

// Create a voice in 4/4
function create_4_4_voice() {
return new Vex.Flow.Voice({
num_beats: 4,
beat_value: 4,
resolution: Vex.Flow.RESOLUTION
});
}

// Create voices and add notes to each of them.
var voice = create_4_4_voice().addTickables(notes);
var voice2 = create_4_4_voice().addTickables(notes2);

// Format and justify the notes to 500 pixels
var formatter = new Vex.Flow.Formatter().
joinVoices([voice, voice2]).format([voice, voice2], 500);

// Render voice
voice.draw(ctx, stave);
voice2.draw(ctx, stave);

Then I would need an audio reference.

 

[mambo4]

I think the best solution for a forum like this
would be a finale /Sibelius style web app with an image hosting service
that lets you compose notation and then render a jpg/png to a hosted url,
which you can then link to.

that would be cool.