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Options in [] I'm working on.

We developed a user friendly system specifically aimed at the storage and analysis of traditional music.

It later became easy to enhance the language so that it became a representation for music printing, not just analysis. The implementation as a roff preprocessor was then straightforward, so that the same files can be used for the printing and analysis of the music. Most modern PC music programs store music scores in a form which is not amenable to analysis of any sort.

Typical example A typical score appears as in the example for Davy Davy Knick Knack (a super tune which no-one should underestimate, capable of endless variation):

The ASCII version uses a header to define the key, time signature etc., and a body to define the notes and print formatting if required. The full system manual is available in PDF format. A quick summary of the ASCII is as follows.

The body of the file:

• | separates bars, :| for repeat, || for double barline
• f, g, a, b, c, d, e are the appropriate notes of default length within the stave
• f^ means "f up an octave", fv "f down an octave", etc.
• f> means "twice as long", f< "half default length", f. "50% longer", etc.
• text in double quotes goes under the stave, single quotes goes above
• \10 means insert a copy of bar 10
• \endstave. Causes the printing to move to the next stave
• # to end of line is comment

• "title = ..." gives the title, appears top left
• "rtitle = ..." is "right title", we use it to denote the source
• "ctitle = ..." is "centre title", we use it for repeat information
• "timesig = 6 8;" sets the default note length to 6 notes per bar, default bar length to 6 / 8 of a full note
• "key = g;" makes "f" default to "f sharp", printed signatures to 1 sharp
• "key = g<;" as well as setting the key, makes default note length half of what "timesig" determines
• "autobeam;" puts beams in automatically (official rules forbid beaming across quarter bars in 4/4, etc.)
• "autobeam = 2;" puts beams in automatically across twice default length
• "octave = s;" sets the default octave (no need for "^" or "v") to the stave interior
• "octave = c;" sets it to start at middle "c" (default)
• "keyout = d;" causes it to be printed in the key of "d"
• "chords;" causes text under (in double quotes) to be treated a chord names, and transposed if required on output
• "bps = " is "bars per stave" for printing, no longer used
• "bars =" gives a check on the total number of bars

The Nottingham Folk Music Database is stored in this form.

We should soon be able to play it too!