How do I notate sharps in ABC notation?

Question

I'm trying to convert the dozenal representation of tau (=2*pi) to a series of notes. I was trying to use ABC notation, but I don't know how to indicate sharps or flats. I'd like to use a notation as simple as ABC, then convert to a MusicXML file that I can open and play back.

Here's a snippet of the sequence I'm trying to write in ABC notation: F# D# E A E C# F# A F# G B F# D# F C# C G# B D G A C E D D# B A# D A# D A# A# D# G# C B D F.

The musicality of the result will likely be disappointing: the fraction part is quite random. — guidot, Jul 07 '16 at 09:18
@guidot: It works if you hack it about a lot https://youtu.be/3174T-3-59Q — Lightness Races in Orbit, Jul 07 '16 at 10:44

score 15 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 06 '16 at 22:56

15

Sharp - ^
Flat - _
Natural - =

From The abc music standard 2.1 (Dec 2011)

The symbols ^, = and _ are used (before a note) to notate respectively a sharp, natural or flat. Double sharps and flats are available with ^^ and __ respectively.

answered Jul 06 '16 at 22:56

Shevliaskovic

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Thanks! I looked through the music standard before I asked, even did a search for "sharp", but I must have glossed over the Accidentals section. – Tin Man Jul 07 '16 at 07:07

score 12 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 06 '16 at 22:56

A simple google(*) finds the following tutorial: http://www.lesession.co.uk/abc/abc_notation.htm#sharps

sharp: ^f
flat: _b
natural: =c

Note that the accidental precedes the note.

(*) When googling for information about ABC, it often helps to add the word "notation" to the search, to weed out false positives.

How do I notate sharps in ABC notation?

2 Answers2