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Music, abc-notation, and MIDI

I recently learned about abc notation, which enables a simple text description that can be turned into sheet music (or even MIDI). I've adopted a wonderful library, abcjs which I've made available via Smartdown.

The Smartdown/abcjs integration is still quite fresh, and there are browser-specific bugs I'm still working on. In addition, I'm learning more about the capabilities of abcjs, which I'd like to make accessible via Smartdown.

Introduction to abc notation

Basically, you can take an abc script like this one obtained from abcjs demo page:

X: 1
T: Cooley's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:D2|"Em"EB{c}BA B2 EB|~B2 AB dBAG|"D"FDAD BDAD|FDAD dAFD|
"Em"EBBA B2 EB|B2 AB defg|"D"afe^c dBAF|"Em"DEFD E2:|
|:gf|"Em"eB B2 efge|eB B2 gedB|"D"A2 FA DAFA|A2 FA defg|
"Em"eB B2 eBgB|eB B2 defg|"D"afe^c dBAF|"Em"DEFD E2:|

and by using the Smartdown notation:

```abc/playable
X: 1
T: Cooley's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:D2|"Em"EB{c}BA B2 EB|~B2 AB dBAG|"D"FDAD BDAD|FDAD dAFD|
"Em"EBBA B2 EB|B2 AB defg|"D"afe^c dBAF|"Em"DEFD E2:|
|:gf|"Em"eB B2 efge|eB B2 gedB|"D"A2 FA DAFA|A2 FA defg|
"Em"eB B2 eBgB|eB B2 defg|"D"afe^c dBAF|"Em"DEFD E2:|
```

it will render as sheet music and a MIDI player:

X: 1
T: Cooley's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:D2|"Em"EB{c}BA B2 EB|~B2 AB dBAG|"D"FDAD BDAD|FDAD dAFD|
"Em"EBBA B2 EB|B2 AB defg|"D"afe^c dBAF|"Em"DEFD E2:|
|:gf|"Em"eB B2 efge|eB B2 gedB|"D"A2 FA DAFA|A2 FA defg|
"Em"eB B2 eBgB|eB B2 defg|"D"afe^c dBAF|"Em"DEFD E2:|

Sheet, MIDI or Both

Smartdown displays both sheet music and MIDI by default. By using the playable types abcsheet and abcmidi, you can select to display only one of the types. For example, the following will display only the MIDI for the above song:

X: 1
T: Cooley's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:D2|"Em"EB{c}BA B2 EB|~B2 AB dBAG|"D"FDAD BDAD|FDAD dAFD|
"Em"EBBA B2 EB|B2 AB defg|"D"afe^c dBAF|"Em"DEFD E2:|
|:gf|"Em"eB B2 efge|eB B2 gedB|"D"A2 FA DAFA|A2 FA defg|
"Em"eB B2 eBgB|eB B2 defg|"D"afe^c dBAF|"Em"DEFD E2:|

abc via URL

We can use Smartdown's image URL syntax to refer to an .abc file and embed sheet music, midi, or both.

![abcsheet](/resources/Cooleys.abc)

abcsheet

![abcmidi](/resources/Cooleys.abc)

abcmidi

![abc](/resources/Cooleys.abc)

abc

![](/resources/Cooleys.abc)

Dynamic abc script (with Lyrics)

The above examples show how an abc script can be embedded into a Smartdown project either as a playable of type abc, or via a URL using the abc image URL syntax above. We can also use a Smartdown variable of type abc and and then use a cell to display that value as sheet music, midi, or both. Let's give it a try.

We'll use the Scottish Ballad Auld Lang Syne as our example. The version of the song we'll start with will be the 5-verse original version by Robert Burns that is from the abcnotation.com index site.

Let's place the text of this abc version of our song into a variable, and then have a cell render that as sheet music and MIDI. For kicks, we'll make it easy to modify the speed of the song by using Smartdown to edit the abc script before using it.

const originalSong =
`

X:1
T:Auld Lang Syne (Original Version)
C:Traditional
O:Scotland
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:D
V:1 name="Melody" clef=treble
|A2|"D""^Verses"d3 d "A"e2 f2|"D"A3 B "A"A3 A
w:1Should auld ac-quain-tance be for-got, and
w:2We two hae run a-bout the braes, and
w:3We two hae paid-elt in the burn, frae
w:4And here's a hand, my trus-ty fere, and
w:5And sure-ly ye'll be your pint-stoup, and
|"D"d2 f2 "Em"e2 d2|"G"B6 d2
w:nev-er brought to mind? Should
w:pu'd the go-wans fine, We've
w:morn-in sun till dine, But
w:gi‚s a hand o' thine, We'll
w:sure-ly I'll be mine, We'll
|"D"A3 F "A"E2 D2|"Em"E3 D "A"E3 F
w:auld ac-quain-tance be for-got, In
w:wan-dered mony a wea-ry foot, sin'
w:seas be-tween us braid hae roared, sin'
w:tak' a richt gude wil-lie waught, For
w:take a cup of kind-ness yet, for
|A3 A B2 A2|A6||
w:days of auld lang syne?
w:auld_ lang_ syne.
w:auld_ lang_ syne.
w:auld_ lang_ syne.
w:sake of auld lang syne.
V:2 name="Harmony" clef=treble
|ag|:f3 f g2 a2|f3 g f3 f
|f2 a2 g2 f2|g6 g2
|f3 d c2 b2|G3 F G3 A
|c4 d2 c2|c6||
V:1 name="Melody" clef=treble
|A2|"D""^Refrain"d3 d "A"e2 f2|"D"A3 B "A"A3 A
w:For auld_ lang_ syne my dear for
|"D"d2 f2 "Em"e2 d2|"G"B6 d2
w:auld_ lang_ syne. We'll
|"D"A3 F "A"E2 D2|"Em"E3 D "A"E3 F
w:tak' a cup o' kind-ness yet for
|1A4 B2 A2|"A"A6:|2"A"A4 "Em"BA"A"FE|"D"D6||
w:auld lang_ syne. auld lang___ syne.
V:2 name="Harmony" clef=treble
|c2|f3 f g2 a2|f3 g f3 f
|f2 a2 g2 f2|g6 g2
|f3 d c2 B2|G3 F G3 A
|1c4 d2 c2|c6:|2c4 d2 c2|a6||
`;

env.notesPerMeasure = 8;

this.dependOn = ['notesPerMeasure'];
this.depend = function() {
	const newLength = `L:1/${env.notesPerMeasure}`;
	const modifiedSong = originalSong.replace('L:1/8', newLength);
	smartdown.setVariable('DynamicABC', modifiedSong);
	smartdown.setVariable('DynamicABCSheet', modifiedSong);
	smartdown.setVariable('DynamicABCMidi', modifiedSong);
}

Notes per Measure (default is 8)

In addition, you can use abcsheet or abcmidi if you don't want both displayed.

[DynamicABC Sheet Music](:!DynamicABCSheet|abcsheet)
[DynamicABC MIDI](:!DynamicABCMidi|abcmidi)

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