ABC Quick Reference Card Extended Information Fields Text Version 0.6 – ABC v2.1 & some abcm2ps v6 – Steve Merrony %%abc-creator mxml2abc-0.6 %%text %%endtext %%abc-version 2.0 % use for pre-2.1 ABC %%textoption %%sep [# # #] %%abc-charset iso-8859-1 % default is UTF-8 %%center %%header Information & Headers %%abc-include mydefs.abh %%begintext %%footer %abc %abc-2.1 – First Line of file B:book Formatting C:composer Misc D:discography Page Format F:file URL %%autoclef G:group G:flute %%pageheight %%rightmargin %%beginps … %%endps H:history %%pagewidth %%indent %%bstemdown I:instruction %%topmargin %%landscape %%comball K:key [clef] [middle=x] K:G, K:AMix – Last Header* %%botmargin %%staffwidth %%combinevoices L:note unit length L:1/8 %%leftmargin %%dateformat M:metre M:4/4 %%encoding % 0 – 6 for ISO-Latin-n m:macro m: ~n2 = (3o/n/m/ n Fonts (Most take a font name and size as parameters) %%EPS % include external EPS file N:notes %%exprabove O:origin %%titlefont %%measurefont %%exprbelow P:parts P:A, P:ABAC, P:(A2B)3 %%subtitlefont %%repeatfont %%flatbeams Q:tempo Q:"allegro" 1/4=120 %%composerfont %%textfont %%freegchord % print '#', 'b' and '=' stet R:rhythm R:R, R:reel %%partsfont %%voicefont %%gchordbox r:remark %%tempofont %%vocalfont % w: %%graceslurs S:source %%gchordfont %%wordsfont % W: %%hyphencont s:symbol line s: !pp! ** !f! %%headerfont %%infoline % rhythm & origin on same line T:title Second Header %%historyfont The specifiers $1, $2, $3 and %%linebreak $ or ! or or U:user defined U: T = !trill! %%footerfont $4 can be used to change the %%musiconly % don't output lyrics V:voice V:4 clef=bass** %%annotationfont font within an ABC string %%oneperpage W:words Lyrics after tune %%infofont %%setfont-1/2/3/4 %%partsbox w:words Lyrics inline %%postscript X:reference number First Header %%printparts % P: Z:transcriber Also put copyright info here Spacing %%printtempo %%topspace %%titlecaps %%sep % separator * Clefs %%titlespace %%subtitlespace %%shiftunison %%titleleft %%composerspace %%squarebreve treble Treble (default) %%aligncomposer % -1 left, 0 centre, !1 right %%slurheight % <1.0 to flatten treble-8 Treble 8ve below eg.tenors %%musicspace % between comp. & 1st staff %%staff % use nth staff treble+8 Treble 8ve above eg.piccolo %%partsspace %%wordsspace %%staffnonote % don't show empty staves bass Bass %%vocalspace %%textspace %%stemheight bass3 Baritone %%infospace %%straightflags alto4 Tenor %%staffsep % between systems %%timewarn % cautionary time sigs alto Alto %%sysstaffsep % between staves %%tuplets alto2 Mezzosoprano %%barsperstaff %%vocalabove alto1 Soprano %%parskipfac % space between parts %%withxrefs % print X: index in title none No clef %%lineskipfac % space between lines of text %%writefields [] perc Percussion %%stretchstaff %%stretchlast %%writehistory %%maxshrink % shrinking notes ** Voices %%maxstaffsep %%splittune %%maxsysstaffsep Notes The voice name is a digit or a word followed by: %%newpage clef= clef of the voice %%scale % scale EVERYTHING C,, C, C (middle-C) c c' c'' perc percussion staff %%staves % eg. [(SA) (TB)] for short score name=xxx name at the left of the first staff %%vksip ^ sharp ( ) slur sname=xxx name that appears left of later staves ^^ double sharp .- dotted tie merge indicates that this voice belongs to = natural .( ) dotted slur the same staff as the previous voice Measures/Bars _ flat -, tie below up or down forces the note stem direction __ double flat (' ) slur above gstem=up/down/auto forces the grace note stem direction %%measurefirst % number of 1st measure z rest {/g} grace note stem=up/down/auto forces the note stem direction %%barnumbers % numbers every n bars Z bar's rest (3 3 notes in time of 2 dyn=up/down/auto forces the placement of dynamic marks %%measurenb % same as %%barnumbers x invisible rest (p:q:r p notes in time of q lyrics=up/down/auto forces the placement of the lyrics %%measurebox X invisible bar rest for next r notes middle= specify name of note on middle line %%setbarnb % set measure # y spacer [ceg] chord staffscale=n sets the scale of the associated staff %%contbarnb % repeat numbering - tie & overlay temp voice stafflines=n sets the number of lines of the staff %%alignbars % align bars for next n lines Text Annotations 43 Cello 86 Lead 6 (voice) Repeats and Bars 44 Contrabass 87 Lead 7 (fifths) | |] || [| |: :| :: "..." 45 Tremolo Strings 88 Lead 8 (bass+lead) [|] invisible bar line "^..." above staff "_..." below staff 46 Pizzicato Strings 89 Pad 1 (new age) .| dotted bar line "<..." left of note ">..." right of note 47 Harp 90 Pad 2 (warm) [1 [2 1st and 2nd time repeats "@x,y ..." explicit offset 48 Timpani 91 Pad 3 (polysynth) 49 String Ensemble 1 92 Pad 4 (choir) Fingering & Phrasing 50 String Ensemble 2 93 Pad 5 (bowed) Chord Symbols 51 Synth Strings 1 94 Pad 6 (metallic) m or min minor e.g. "Am7"A2D2 !0! - !5! fingerings 52 Synth Strings 2 95 Pad 7 (halo) maj major !plus! left-hand pizzicato, or rasp for brass 53 Choir Aahs 96 Pad 8 (sweep) dim diminished !wedge! small filled-in wedge mark 54 Voice Oohs 97 FX 1 (rain) aug or + augmented !open! small circle above note indicating 55 Synth Voice 98 FX 2 (soundtrack) sus sustained open string or harmonic 56 Orchestra Hit 99 FX 3 (crystal) 7, 9 ... 7th, 9th, etc. !thumb! cello thumb symbol 57 Trumpet 100 FX 4 (atmosphere) !snap! snap-pizzicato mark 58 Trombone 101 FX 5 (brightness) !turn! a turn mark 59 Tuba 102 FX 6 (goblins) Lyrics !roll! a roll mark (arc) as used in Irish music 60 Muted Trumpet 103 FX 7 (echoes) - break between syllables within a word !breath! a breath mark (apostrophe) after note 61 French Horn 104 FX 8 (sci-fi) _ last syllable is to be held for an extra note !shortphrase! vertical line on the upper part of staff 62 Brass Section 105 Sitar * one note is skipped !mediumphrase! same, but extending down to the middle 63 Synth Brass 1 106 Banjo ~ appears as a space; puts multiple words under note !longphrase! same, but extending 3/4 of the way down 64 Synth Brass 2 107 Shamisen \- appears as hyphen; multiple syllables under note !upbow! V mark 65 Soprano Sax 108 Koto | advances to the next bar !downbow! squared n mark 66 Alto Sax 109 Kalimba 67 Tenor Sax 110 Bagpipe 68 Baritone Sax 111 Fiddle Repeat/Section Symbols 69 Oboe 112 Shanai Decorations 70 English Horn 113 Tinkle Bell !segno! 2 s-like symbols separated by diagonal 71 Bassoon 114 Agogo Short Forms !coda! a ring with a cross in it 72 Clarinet 115 Steel Drums !D.S.! the letters D.S. (Da Segno) 73 Piccolo 116 Woodblock . Staccato S segno !D.C.! the letters D.C. (Da Coda or Da Capo) 74 Flute 117 Taiko Drum ~ Irish roll/turn O coda !dacoda! !dacapo! !fine! 75 Recorder 118 Melodic Tom T trill J slide 76 Pan Flute 119 Synth Drum H fermata R roll 77 Blown Bottle 120 Reverse Cymbal L accent or emphasis u upbow Correct Order of Elements 78 Skakuhachi 121 Guitar Fret Noise M inverted mordent v downbow 79 Whistle 122 Breath Noise P mordent 80 Ocarina 123 Seashore 81 Lead 1 (square) 124 Bird Tweet Dynamics 82 Lead 2 (sawtooth) 125 Telephone Ring General MIDI Instruments 83 Lead 3 (calliope) 126 Helicopter !crescendo(! or !<(! start of a < crescendo mark 84 Lead 4 (chiff) 127 Applause !crescendo)! or !<)! end of a < crescendo mark, Specify inline with [I: MIDI=program ] 85 Lead 5 (charang) 128 Gunshot placed after the last note !diminuendo(! or !>(! start of a > diminuendo mark 1 Acoustic Grand 22 Accordion Accented Characters etc. !diminuendo)! or !>)! end of a > diminuendo mark, 2 Bright Acoustic 23 Harmonica placed after the last note 3 Electric Grand 24 Tango Accordion Accent Examples Encodings !pppp! !ppp! !pp! !p! !mp! !mf! !f! !ff! !fff! !ffff! !sfz! 4 Honky-Tonk 25 Acoustic Guitar(nylon) 5 Electric Piano 1 26 Acoustic Guitar(steel) grave À à è ò \`A \`a \`e \`o Ornaments 6 Electric Piano 2 27 Electric Guitar(jazz) acute Á á é ó \'A \'a \'e \'o 7 Harpsichord 28 Electric Guitar(clean) circumflex  â ê ô \^A \^a \^e \^o !trill! "tr" trill, also !trill(! and !trill)! 8 Clavinet 29 Electric Guitar(muted) tilde à ã ñ õ \~A \~a \~n \~o !lowermordent! short squiggle with a line through it 9 Celesta 30 Overdriven Guitar umlaut Ä ä ë ö \"A \"a \"e \"o !uppermordent! short squiggle 10 Glockenspiel 31 Distortion Guitar cedilla Ç ç \,C \,c !mordent! same as !lowermordent! 11 Music Box 32 Guitar Harmonics ring Å å \oA \oa !pralltriller! same as !uppermordent! 12 Vibraphone 33 Acoustic Bass slash Ø ø \/O \/o !accent! > mark 13 Marimba 34 Electric Bass (finger) breve Ă ă Ĕ ĕ \uA \ua \uE \ue !>! same as !accent! 14 Xylophone 35 Electric Bass (pick) caron Š š Ž ž \vS \vs \vZ \vz !emphasis! same as !accent! 15 Tubular Bells 36 Fretless Bass double acute Ő ő Ű ű \HO \Ho \HU \Hu !fermata! fermata or hold (arc above dot) 16 Dulcimer 37 Slap Bass 1 ligatures ß Æ æ œ \ss \AE \ae \oe !invertedfermata! 17 Drawbar Organ 38 Slap Bass 2 !tenuto! horizontal bar 18 Percussive Organ 39 Synth Bass 1 copyright © © or \u0022 !trem1/2/3/4! tremolo (on 2nd note) 19 Rock Organ 40 Synth Bass 2 sharp/nat./flat ♯ ♮ ♭ \u266f \u266e \u266d !xstem! stem up to staff above 20 Church Organ 41 Violin !slide! !turnx! !invertedturn! ! 21 Reed Organ 42 Viola invertedturnx! !arpeggio! ©2011 Steve Merrony