Re: [Harp-L] "Son of Concertware"

["Doug H" <dough.harpl@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Angus,

Look into using ABC music notation.  It allows you to encode music notation using a txt file and then it can be easily converted to real music notation in PDF format and a MIDI file that will play on windows media player.  

For an example cut and paste the following text into the input box on the link below:

X:1
T:Harmonized Scale in C
C:
L:1/8
Q:240
M:4/4
K:C
c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 a2 b2 c'2  |
c'2 b2 a2 g2 f2 e2 d2 c2  |
[c2G2E2C2] [d2A2F2D2] [e2B2G2E2] [f2c2A2F2] | [g2d2B2G2] [a2e2c2A2] [b2f2d2B2] [c'2g2e2c2]  | 
[c'2g2e2c2] [b2f2d2B2] [a2e2c2A2] [g2d2B2G2] | [f2c2A2F2] [e2B2G2E2] [d2A2F2D2] [c2G2E2C2]  | 


http://www.folkinfo.org/songs/abcconvert.php

Press SUBMIT and you will see the proper music notation appear above the box, and just above the box to the left there are two links, PDF to download your pdf file, and MIDI to download/play your sound file.  There are other similar websites but this one has a few extra features including the ability to *transpose* your tune to any key.  

The default midi sound for windows media player seems to be a piano sound but the midi can be easily edited to force a (cheesy) harmonica sound. (There are free programs that convert midi to text and back again)  Haven't played around with is for a while.  Good luck.  If you have any questions I can try and jog my memory and will help if I can.

This was the first example that I could grab off my desk top and is a C scale running up an down, followed by a harmonized version.  You are sure to find other examples if you poke around a little online, and there are several free 'how to' pages too.

Have fun! 

Doug H
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Aongus Mac Cana 
  To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 9:04 AM
  Subject: [Harp-L] "Son of Concertware"


  Concertware was a piece of very handy music software which used to be
  available for a past generation of Mac computers. 
  Unfortunately the purveyors were taken over by a company called Jump Music
  which Wikipedia reports as having gone 'belly upwards' in 2001.
  The features of the software which I found useful were that you could key in
  music from manuscript (fairly laboriously note by note, but I could
  transcribe a jig or a reel in about twenty minutes)
  Once you had saved the file, the software would play it for you at any speed
  you chose - in a rather 'dalek' style, but well enough to let you learn the
  tune.
  It would also print out the tune in a very presentable music manuscript
  form.
  Is there any  musician and/or nerd on the list who can refer me to similar
  simple software available for the PC? 
  Alas my old Macs are long past their sell by dates and are no longer 'able
  to do the business'. 
  Even if I was prepared to invest in a new Mac I am told that it would not be
  interested in reading the old software.
  Beannachtai
  Aongus Mac Cana