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| 2 | <HEAD><TITLE> |
| 3 | Tablature notation |
| 4 | </TITLE></HEAD> |
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| 6 | <P> |
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| 11 | |
| 12 | <H1> |
| 13 | TABLATURE NOTATION |
| 14 | </H1> |
| 15 | <P> |
| 16 | Mup can print tablature staffs. Tablature notation is commonly used for |
| 17 | guitar and several other instruments. Mup supports tablature for 1 to 9 |
| 18 | strings. |
| 19 | </P> |
| 20 | <P> |
| 21 | Mup will automatically create a normal 5-line staff above each tablature |
| 22 | staff, giving the equivalant music on that staff. |
| 23 | This staff will be referred to as the "tabnote |
| 24 | staff." Normally, you will input music just for the tablature staff, and |
| 25 | the tabnote staff will be derived from that. However, for any given measure, |
| 26 | you can explicitly input music for a tabnote staff, |
| 27 | which will turn off the automatic |
| 28 | translation for that measure. If you only want either the tab or tabnote |
| 29 | staff to be printed, you can mark the other one as invisible |
| 30 | <A HREF="param.html#visible">(see the "visible" parameter).</A> |
| 31 | You should specify the appropriate |
| 32 | <A HREF="param.html#clef">clef</A> |
| 33 | and |
| 34 | <A HREF="param.html#key">key signature</A> |
| 35 | for the tabnote staff, so that Mup can make the best derivation. |
| 36 | </P> |
| 37 | <H2> |
| 38 | Specifying a tablature staff |
| 39 | </H2> |
| 40 | <P> |
| 41 | To set up a tablature staff, you use the |
| 42 | <A HREF="param.html#stlines">stafflines parameter.</A> |
| 43 | To get a standard 6-line guitar tablature staff, you can just say |
| 44 | <BR><PRE> |
| 45 | score |
| 46 | staffs=2 |
| 47 | staff 2 |
| 48 | stafflines = tab |
| 49 | </PRE><BR> |
| 50 | There are 2 staffs, because there is both the tablature staff and the |
| 51 | automatically generated tabnote staff. The tablature staff is always |
| 52 | immediately below the corresponding tabnote staff. |
| 53 | Setting the |
| 54 | <A HREF="param.html#stlines">stafflines parameter</A> |
| 55 | to "tab" marks staff 2 as a tablature staff. |
| 56 | </P> |
| 57 | <P> |
| 58 | If you want tablature for an instrument other than a 6-string guitar with |
| 59 | standard tuning, you specify |
| 60 | the pitches of the strings from top to bottom |
| 61 | within parentheses after the "tab." For example: |
| 62 | <BR><PRE> |
| 63 | stafflines = tab (e a d& g) |
| 64 | </PRE><BR> |
| 65 | would define some instrument that had 4 strings, with the string on the |
| 66 | top line of tablature staff being an e string, the next a, the next d flat, |
| 67 | and the bottom g. |
| 68 | As shown in the example, pitches can include a # or & if necessary. |
| 69 | Strings are assumed to be in octave 4 unless otherwise marked. |
| 70 | You can specify a different octave by specifying an |
| 71 | <A HREF="chordinp.html#oct">octave number</A> |
| 72 | after the |
| 73 | string's pitch (using either an absolute octave number or pluses or minuses). |
| 74 | If the instrument |
| 75 | has more than one string with the same pitch |
| 76 | (even if they are in different octaves), |
| 77 | they must be distinguished by adding one or more ' marks after the |
| 78 | pitch. The tablature definition for standard guitar is |
| 79 | <BR><PRE> |
| 80 | stafflines = tab (e5 b g d a3 e'3) |
| 81 | </PRE><BR> |
| 82 | This specifies that the top string on the staff is e in octave 5. |
| 83 | The next three strings |
| 84 | are in the default octave of 4, and the last two strings are in octave 3. |
| 85 | Since there are two different strings with pitch letter of e, the lower e is |
| 86 | marked as e'. Note that the octaves given are how they |
| 87 | should be printed on the tabnote staff. A standard guitar actually sounds |
| 88 | an octave lower than written. If you just use "stafflines = tab" without |
| 89 | specifying any strings, Mup not only assumes the standard guitar layout, |
| 90 | and prints in the appropriate octave, |
| 91 | <A NAME="autotran">but it also automatically</A> |
| 92 | <A HREF="trnspose.html">transposes</A> |
| 93 | the |
| 94 | <A HREF="midi.html">MIDI output</A> |
| 95 | to the actual pitches an octave lower. If you specify |
| 96 | strings explicitly, you will have to specify the octaves and any |
| 97 | desired MIDI transposition values yourself. Stated another way, |
| 98 | <BR><PRE> |
| 99 | score |
| 100 | staffs = 2 |
| 101 | staff 2 |
| 102 | stafflines = tab |
| 103 | </PRE><BR> |
| 104 | is equivalent to |
| 105 | <BR><PRE> |
| 106 | score |
| 107 | staffs=2 |
| 108 | staff 2 |
| 109 | stafflines = tab (e5 b g d a3 e'3) |
| 110 | staff 1 |
| 111 | ifdef MIDI transpose = down perfect 8 endif |
| 112 | </PRE><BR> |
| 113 | Note from this last example that MIDI is taken from the tabnote staff, |
| 114 | not the tablature staff, so MIDI directives should be placed with the |
| 115 | tabnote staff. |
| 116 | </P> |
| 117 | <P> |
| 118 | Mup should be able to handle almost any instrument with up to 9 strings. |
| 119 | Several strings can have the same pitch; you just need to distinguish |
| 120 | them with ' marks. |
| 121 | The strings must be listed in whatever order the strings are to appear |
| 122 | on the tablature staff. |
| 123 | As another example, |
| 124 | <BR><PRE> |
| 125 | stafflines = tab (g3 d3 a2 e2) |
| 126 | </PRE><BR> |
| 127 | would define a standard bass guitar. Note that a bass guitar also sounds |
| 128 | an octave lower than written, so it should be transposed for MIDI purposes. |
| 129 | </P> |
| 130 | <H2> |
| 131 | Music input on tablature staffs |
| 132 | </H2> |
| 133 | <P> |
| 134 | Input of tablature is similar to that on regular staffs. Each note in a |
| 135 | chord is specified by a string and a |
| 136 | fret. |
| 137 | So fret 3 on the g string |
| 138 | is designated by g3 or fret 0 on the e' string is designated by e'0. |
| 139 | If your open string pitch includes an accidental, that would be included |
| 140 | as well, so if you had an instrument with an f# string and wanted to |
| 141 | play the 6th fret on that string, it would be f#6. |
| 142 | Fret numbers can range from 0 to 99. |
| 143 | If you want fret numbers to be placed inside parentheses, |
| 144 | put parentheses |
| 145 | around them in the input. |
| 146 | You can also put both the string and fret within a set of parentheses, |
| 147 | in which case, the note generated on the tabnote staff will have parentheses |
| 148 | around it. |
| 149 | Here are some examples of chords: |
| 150 | <BR><PRE> |
| 151 | 2: d4; d5a3; b0 d(5); e2(b3)g2; |
| 152 | bar |
| 153 | </PRE><BR> |
| 154 | <IMG SRC="mugex53.gif" ALT="Picture of Mup output"><BR> |
| 155 | </P> |
| 156 | <P> |
| 157 | <A HREF="chordinp.html#duration">Time values</A> |
| 158 | are specified just like on non-tablature staffs: a number |
| 159 | optionally followed by one or more dots (like 4 or 8..), |
| 160 | or a list of such numbers added together (like 2+8), |
| 161 | preceding the chord pitches. Tablature staffs follow the same |
| 162 | rules as non-tablature staffs for using time values from the previous |
| 163 | chord if no time value is specified on the current chord. Similarly, |
| 164 | if no notes are specified for a chord, the same notes used in the previous |
| 165 | chord are reused. As an example: |
| 166 | <BR><PRE> |
| 167 | 2: 4.e5; ;8;b2; |
| 168 | bar |
| 169 | </PRE><BR> |
| 170 | <IMG SRC="mugex54.gif" ALT="Picture of Mup output"><BR> |
| 171 | Since nothing is specified for the second chord, both time value (dotted |
| 172 | quarter) and note (e string fret 5) are copied from the first chord. |
| 173 | The third chord in the measure has only a time value |
| 174 | (an eighth note) so the note (string/fret) is repeated. |
| 175 | The final chord has only a note, |
| 176 | so the previous time value is used. |
| 177 | </P> |
| 178 | <P> |
| 179 | Rests and spaces can be specified with r and s, just like on non-tablature |
| 180 | staffs. They result in nothing being printed on the tablature staff, and |
| 181 | rest or space being printed on the tabnote staff. |
| 182 | </P> |
| 183 | <H2> |
| 184 | Chord attributes |
| 185 | </H2> |
| 186 | <P> |
| 187 | Any chord on a tablature staff can be preceded by a list of |
| 188 | <A HREF="chrdattr.html#chstyle">chord attributes</A> |
| 189 | in brackets, just like with non-tablature staffs. If you want a chord to be |
| 190 | printed with X (for a muffled string) rather than a fret number, |
| 191 | use [xnote]. |
| 192 | In this case, the fret number will be used only to determine where to put |
| 193 | the X on the tabnote staff, and what note to use for |
| 194 | <A HREF="midi.html">MIDI.</A> |
| 195 | Using [diam] |
| 196 | will have no affect on the tablature staff, but will cause |
| 197 | diamond notes to be used on the tabnote staff. |
| 198 | Using [grace] or [cue] will cause the fret numbers to printed in a smaller |
| 199 | size, and the corresponding notes on the tabnote staff to be printed |
| 200 | in a smaller size. Using [slash <I>N</I>] |
| 201 | will cause <I>N</I> slashes to be printed below the chord on the tablature |
| 202 | staff, as well as |
| 203 | <A HREF="chrdattr.html#slashes">slashes</A> |
| 204 | on the corresponding chord on the tabnote staff. |
| 205 | You can use the other chord attributes (with, pad, and =tag) just |
| 206 | like on a non-tablature staff. |
| 207 | </P> |
| 208 | <H2> |
| 209 | Ties |
| 210 | </H2> |
| 211 | <P> |
| 212 | From an input point of view, |
| 213 | <A HREF="noteattr.html#ntie">ties</A> |
| 214 | work much the same on tablature staffs as on other staffs. |
| 215 | On output, tie marks on tablature staffs are normally not printed, |
| 216 | and the frets are not printed on the tied-to chord. If a tie goes across |
| 217 | to a new score, the frets are printed, but in parentheses, to indicate the |
| 218 | chord is really just the continuation of a tie. |
| 219 | </P> |
| 220 | <H2> |
| 221 | Slides |
| 222 | </H2> |
| 223 | <P> |
| 224 | In Mup input, |
| 225 | slides are shown with <>, rather like |
| 226 | <A HREF="noteattr.html#nslur">slurs</A> |
| 227 | on non-tablature staffs. |
| 228 | There is a special variation used for slides that come from nowhere in |
| 229 | particular or go to nowhere in particular. |
| 230 | These are shown with <\n>, </n>, <n\>, or <n/>. |
| 231 | A slide is indicated on output on tablature staffs |
| 232 | as a slanted line between 2 fret numbers on a string. |
| 233 | On tabnote staffs, they as drawn as a slanted line between 2 notes. |
| 234 | See the examples below: |
| 235 | <BR><PRE> |
| 236 | 2: a5<>; a6; d3<>; d2; |
| 237 | bar |
| 238 | |
| 239 | 2: b4</n>; e3<\n>; a2<n/>; e'5<n\>; |
| 240 | bar |
| 241 | </PRE><BR> |
| 242 | <IMG SRC="mugex55.gif" ALT="Picture of Mup output"><BR> |
| 243 | </P> |
| 244 | <H2> |
| 245 | Bends |
| 246 | </H2> |
| 247 | <P> |
| 248 | A bend (stretching a string to make it sound higher than normal) |
| 249 | is specified on tablature staffs |
| 250 | by putting a text string after the string. The |
| 251 | text string can be the word "full" or a number and/or fraction. |
| 252 | Some examples: |
| 253 | <BR><PRE> |
| 254 | 2: e4 "full"; e "1/2"; 2e "1 1/2"; |
| 255 | bar |
| 256 | </PRE><BR> |
| 257 | <IMG SRC="mugex56.gif" ALT="Picture of Mup output"><BR> |
| 258 | </P> |
| 259 | <P> |
| 260 | If you want to bend back down to having no bend (a release), |
| 261 | the text string specifying |
| 262 | the bend is just an empty string of "". |
| 263 | Note that if both a fret and bend other than "" are specified, |
| 264 | <A NAME="prebend">this indicates a prebend,</A> |
| 265 | whereas if only a bend is specified, this indicates a normal bend. |
| 266 | </P> |
| 267 | <P> |
| 268 | Bends need not be an integer number of half steps, but if you specify a bend |
| 269 | that falls between half steps, when it is used on the tabnote |
| 270 | staff, the bend is rounded to the nearest half step, or rounded downward |
| 271 | if it is exactly in the middle of a half step. |
| 272 | When possible, bends of 1/4 step or less are shown on the tabnote staff |
| 273 | by a small curve rather than by a separate note. |
| 274 | </P> |
| 275 | <P> |
| 276 | You can specify bends on more than one string at once, but a continuation |
| 277 | bend (bending to a new distance without replucking the string) is only |
| 278 | allowed on a single string at a time. Here are some examples: |
| 279 | <BR><PRE> |
| 280 | 2: g0b2e'0; e' "1/2" g "full" b "3/4"; e' ""; a2; |
| 281 | bar |
| 282 | |
| 283 | 2: a "1/2"; a "full"; a "1/2"; a ""; |
| 284 | bar |
| 285 | </PRE><BR> |
| 286 | <IMG SRC="mugex57.gif" ALT="Picture of Mup output"><BR> |
| 287 | </P> |
| 288 | <P> |
| 289 | If you have more than one voice on a tablature staff, |
| 290 | bends on other than the top voice may collide with other voices in some |
| 291 | cases, and if there are bends from more than one voice simultaneously, |
| 292 | they may collide. |
| 293 | </P> |
| 294 | <P> |
| 295 | On non-tablature staffs, bends are specified with a ^ symbol followed |
| 296 | by the note to bend to. The note to bend to is specified by letter and |
| 297 | optional octave (accidentals are not specified). If you want just a small |
| 298 | bend (1/4 step), this is specified by ^/. For example: |
| 299 | <BR><PRE> |
| 300 | 1: e ^f; f; b ^c5; c#5; |
| 301 | bar |
| 302 | |
| 303 | 1: d+^e+ g^a; e+a; g ^/; c ^/ c+^/; |
| 304 | bar |
| 305 | </PRE><BR> |
| 306 | <IMG SRC="mugex58.gif" ALT="Picture of Mup output"><BR> |
| 307 | </P> |
| 308 | <H2> |
| 309 | Miscellaneous |
| 310 | </H2> |
| 311 | <P> |
| 312 | Note attributes of ~ for tie, ? for a small note, and = for a tag work the |
| 313 | same on tablatures staffs as on non-tablature staffs. |
| 314 | </P> |
| 315 | <P> |
| 316 | If bm, ebm, or esbm are given on tablature staffs they are |
| 317 | transferred to the tabnote staff and used for |
| 318 | <A HREF="ichdattr.html#custbeam">custom beaming</A> |
| 319 | there. |
| 320 | <A HREF="chrdattr.html#withlist">Items in "with" lists inside [ ]</A> |
| 321 | are also copied to the tabnote staff. |
| 322 | In general, unless otherwise specified here, |
| 323 | if you want items such as |
| 324 | <A HREF="stuff.html">tempo and dynamic marks</A> |
| 325 | to appear on both tablature and tabnote staff, you |
| 326 | have to specify them for both staffs. |
| 327 | </P> |
| 328 | <P> |
| 329 | The |
| 330 | <A HREF="ichdattr.html#alt">"alt" inter-chord attribute</A> |
| 331 | is not allowed on tablature staffs. |
| 332 | </P> |
| 333 | <P> |
| 334 | When there is a tablature staff, the |
| 335 | <A HREF="midi.html">MIDI</A> |
| 336 | is actually generated from the |
| 337 | tabnote staff. There are some limitations. |
| 338 | Currently, no MIDI pitch bends are generated; slides and |
| 339 | bends are instantaneous rather than gradual. |
| 340 | </P> |
| 341 | <P> |
| 342 | If a |
| 343 | capo is being used, it probably better to declare a |
| 344 | <A HREF="trnspose.html">transposition</A> |
| 345 | of the tabnote staff rather than declaring the strings to be different |
| 346 | notes. This is because most people would rather think of the original |
| 347 | string letters when entering the tab staff information; and if you decide to |
| 348 | put the capo on a different fret later, |
| 349 | you only have to change the "transpose" line. |
| 350 | <A HREF="tabstaff.html#autotran">The automatic MIDI octave tranposition for standard guitar</A> |
| 351 | will also then still apply, on top of your transposition. |
| 352 | </P> |
| 353 | <P> |
| 354 | If you specify an |
| 355 | <A HREF="octave.html">octave mark</A> |
| 356 | (discussed in a later section) |
| 357 | on a tabnote staff, the derived music will be printed with the notes |
| 358 | raised or lowered the appropriate number of octaves to correspond to the given |
| 359 | octave mark interval. |
| 360 | </P> |
| 361 | <P> |
| 362 | Since ties are not printed on tablature staff, and input notation for |
| 363 | tablature slides is like what is used for slurs on ordinary staffs, if |
| 364 | you want a curved line like a tie or slur on a tablature or tabnote staff, |
| 365 | you have to use a phrase mark. See the section on |
| 366 | <A HREF="phrase.html">phrase marks</A> |
| 367 | for more details. |
| 368 | </P> |
| 369 | <P> |
| 370 | The chord-at-a-time input style can also be used for tablature. |
| 371 | The staffs being mapped to from a single input line must either be |
| 372 | all tablature or all non-tablature, however. |
| 373 | <BR><PRE> |
| 374 | score |
| 375 | staffs=4 |
| 376 | brace=1-2, 3-4 |
| 377 | tabwhitebox=y |
| 378 | staff 2 |
| 379 | stafflines=tab |
| 380 | staff 4 |
| 381 | stafflines=tab |
| 382 | music |
| 383 | |
| 384 | // The first two notes in each chord go to staff 2, |
| 385 | // and the last two go to staff 4. |
| 386 | [ 2; 2; 4; 4] : a2d0 g0b3; e'0a2 g0e0; 2 e'0d2 b0e3; |
| 387 | bar |
| 388 | </PRE><BR> |
| 389 | <IMG SRC="mugex59.gif" ALT="Picture of Mup output"><BR> |
| 390 | </P> |
| 391 | <HR><P> |
| 392 | <A HREF="lyrics.html"><-- previous page</A> <A HREF="index.html">Table of Contents</A> <A HREF="shaped.html">next page --></A> |
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