Re: tongue blocking

[Chris Pierce <pierccm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<gmayhew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
>
>Sharing riffs was one of the original aims of the list.  The problem is
>ascii text.  Several people, including me, tried to come up with systems of
>tablature notation in ascii.  None of the proposed systems met with any
>enthusiasm.  Maybe you can come up with something.
>
>In my opinion, ascii harp tablature should
>	1.  provide all of the essential musical info, including hole
>	    number, blow or draw, bend, and duration.
>	2.  be intuitive enough that lengthy instructions are not
>	    necessary to interpret the tab.
>	3.  be fairly simple and efficient to write.  If it takes 30
>	    minutes to write out 12 bars, there won't be many submissions.
>	4.  not hog resources.
>
>Does anybody have fresh ideas for notation?

Ok.  I've been holding off on this for awhile, because I've been busy
learning how to program, but I guess it's time to jump in head first

TeX is an EXTREMELY powerful typesetting utility.  The main problem
with TeX is that it is difficult to learn (but it seems that it is
EASIER for programmers to learn, being almost a language in its own
right).

Many implementations of TeX have been made, such as Chinese TeX,
Arabic TeX, Japanese TeX, Chemistry TeX, and many others.  Of the
multitudes of implementations the one which will interest the harp
list most is MusicTeX.  MusicTeX allows a person to typeset
multi-staff, multi-voice, multi-instrument, polyphonic musical scores
(and of course more simple stuff may be typeset as well).

Plain TeX (the main TeX package) has been ported to run under
virtually ALL operating systems.  Another of the MAIN good points
about TeX is that it is entirely and completely FREE, as are all of
the implementations (so if someone tries to SELL you a copy of TeX
you can tell them to kiss your A**).

The TeX file is created by regular text and command macros most often
preceeded by a backslash(\).  When the executable is run on this file
a Device Independent file (.DVI) is created.  This file can be
manipulated by various methods(but I work on a VAX running VMS so I'll
speak of the stuff on that in particular, although MOST systems have
analogous features/programs).  For example, the XDVI program run under
WINDOWS (DECwindows in my case) can be used to view the .DVI file to
see what the final output will be.  DVItoVDU will do a similar thing
for NON-Windows terminals (but only those with Graphics Capabilities).
The main one which I think the list would use is DVIPS, which converts
the .DVI to a PostScript file that can be printed on a laser printer.

MusicTeX is currently being worked on and updated by the original
author Danial Taupin (who is on the same TeX mailing list as I am). 
That is another large advantage to it, it is constantly being
improved.  Which is a big downfall of another implementation called
MuTeX (it has not been worked on for several years, as far as I know).
Plus MuTeX can NOT typeset Polyphonic music.

I was planning on trying to have everything figured out about MusicTeX
and then tell the list about it, but school caught up with me and I've
been putting it off.

A couple of things that will be good and bad both.  If you can't read
music, it is an obvious problem.  BUT, MusicTeX lets you add other
things such as, Words (as for a song), or in our case HARP NOTATION. 
And this brings us back to the problem of coming up with a good harp
notation, but keep in mind TeX is POWERFUL (although not ALL
powerful), so it can help us out aLOT if we let it.


>
>Personally, I'm not sure it's worth the effort, considering the many other
>sources of music that are readily available:  records, cds, tapes, radio,
>published books, harmonica periodicals, etc.

I think this could be EXTREMELY good, if we get enough people working
on it and using it.  That way if someone had a piece they wanted
someone else to try to play it would be very easy to get it too them. 
And I realize not everyone will have a system that is capable of using
MusicTeX or all of the other goodies that go with it.  Also I know not
everyone has access to a laser printer.  But if enough people DO have
this access and can use MusicTeX we could probably snail-mail some of
the other people the stuff that they REALLY can't live without (music
wise).

I am afraid I've jumped around alot in this letter.  So if I've left
anything out or if anything is unclear, please let me know.  And I'll
try my best to clear it up.

BTW, if anyone IS interested in getting TeX and/or MusicTeX let me
know what kind of system you are working on and I'll try to find out
the exact address for the sources for your system.

Let me know what you all think.

Thanks,

Chris