Notes

Pitch names, accidentals, octaves

% A NOTE is a lowercase letter plus an octave number, scientific
% pitch. The letters run a b c d e f g and start over, and the number
% ticks up at every c, so b4 and c5 are neighbours a semitone apart.
% c4 is middle C, and every symbol sounds for one unit, so the letters
% carry this tune alone. 'bpm' sets the tempo in QUARTER notes per
% minute, and a unit is a sixteenth: four of them to the beat.
% Evaluate with Ctrl+S (saves, then compiles the document) or
% Shift+Enter.
 
bpm 45
instrument plain
 
c4 e4 g4 e4 c4 e4 g4 b4
c5 b4 a4 g4 f4 e4 d4 c4
d4 f4 a4 f4 d4 f4 a4 c5
b4 g4 f4 e4 d4 f4 d4 c4
 
 
% '#' raises a letter one semitone, 'b' lowers one; they decorate a
% letter rather than adding one. This tune is A minor on the white
% keys, and every g in it is written g#4, the leading tone, stepping
% up to a4 each time. The two bb4 lean the other way, down to a4.
 
a4 b4 c5 d5 e5 d5 c5 b4
a4 g#4 a4 b4 c5 b4 a4 g#4
a4 bb4 a4 g#4 a4 c5 e5 d5
c5 bb4 a4 g#4 a4 b4 c5 a4
 
 
% Accidentals stack: '##' raises two semitones, 'bb' lowers two, so
% f##4 is a g and gbb4 is an f. One sound also takes more than one
% name: every black key has a flat spelling and a sharp spelling, as
% the asserts check event for event. The run climbs an octave in flats
% and comes back down in sharps: the spelling changes, the keys do not.
% The C7 tag that settles it is all flats, the way a falling line is
% normally written.
 
bpm 60
 
assert db4 eb4 gb4 ab4 bb4 == c#4 d#4 f#4 g#4 a#4
assert f##4 == g4
assert gbb4 == f4
 
c4 db4 d4 eb4 e4 f4 gb4 g4 ab4 a4 bb4 b4 c5
c5 b4 a#4 a4 g#4 g4 f#4 f4 e4 d#4 d4 c#4 c4
c4 e4 g4 bb4 a4 ab4 g4 e4 f4 eb4 d4 db4 c4
 
 
% The octave number is the register and nothing else: the same
% six-note figure stands at four heights, c5 down to c2: c2 two
% octaves below middle C, c5 one above. Then one line walks c and g
% from c2 up to c6 and back, two letters crossing five registers.
 
bpm 42
 
c5 e5 g5 e5 d5 c5
c4 e4 g4 e4 d4 c4
c3 e3 g3 e3 d3 c3
c2 e2 g2 e2 d2 c2
 
c2 g2 c3 g3 c4 g4 c5 g5 c6 g5 c5 g4 c4 g3 c3 g2 c2
 
 
% All three at once: broken chords on Am E Am E F Dm E7 Am, the bass
% of every group in octave 2, the top note of every group tracing
% a4 b4 c5 b4 a4 d5 g#4 a4. The only accidental in the passage is g#,
% and it falls in exactly the three groups whose chord is E.
 
bpm 60
 
a2 a3 c4 e4 a4 e4 c4 a3
e2 e3 g#3 e4 b4 g#4 e4 b3
a2 a3 e4 a4 c5 a4 e4 c4
e2 b2 e3 g#3 b4 g#4 e4 b3
f2 f3 a3 c4 a4 f4 c4 a3
d2 d3 f3 a3 d5 a4 f4 d4
e2 e3 g#3 d4 g#4 e4 d4 b3
a2 a3 c4 e4 a4 e4 c4 a2

% A NOTE is a lowercase letter plus an octave number, scientific
% pitch. The letters run a b c d e f g and start over, and the number
% ticks up at every c, so b4 and c5 are neighbours a semitone apart.
% c4 is middle C, and every symbol sounds for one unit, so the letters
% carry this tune alone. 'bpm' sets the tempo in QUARTER notes per
% minute, and a unit is a sixteenth: four of them to the beat.
% Evaluate with Ctrl+S (saves, then compiles the document) or
% Shift+Enter.

bpm 45
instrument plain

c4 e4 g4 e4 c4 e4 g4 b4
c5 b4 a4 g4 f4 e4 d4 c4
d4 f4 a4 f4 d4 f4 a4 c5
b4 g4 f4 e4 d4 f4 d4 c4

% '#' raises a letter one semitone, 'b' lowers one; they decorate a
% letter rather than adding one. This tune is A minor on the white
% keys, and every g in it is written g#4, the leading tone, stepping
% up to a4 each time. The two bb4 lean the other way, down to a4.

a4 b4 c5 d5 e5 d5 c5 b4
a4 g#4 a4 b4 c5 b4 a4 g#4
a4 bb4 a4 g#4 a4 c5 e5 d5
c5 bb4 a4 g#4 a4 b4 c5 a4

% Accidentals stack: '##' raises two semitones, 'bb' lowers two, so
% f##4 is a g and gbb4 is an f. One sound also takes more than one
% name: every black key has a flat spelling and a sharp spelling, as
% the asserts check event for event. The run climbs an octave in flats
% and comes back down in sharps: the spelling changes, the keys do not.
% The C7 tag that settles it is all flats, the way a falling line is
% normally written.

bpm 60

assert db4 eb4 gb4 ab4 bb4 == c#4 d#4 f#4 g#4 a#4
assert f##4 == g4
assert gbb4 == f4

c4 db4 d4 eb4 e4 f4 gb4 g4 ab4 a4 bb4 b4 c5
c5 b4 a#4 a4 g#4 g4 f#4 f4 e4 d#4 d4 c#4 c4
c4 e4 g4 bb4 a4 ab4 g4 e4 f4 eb4 d4 db4 c4

% The octave number is the register and nothing else: the same
% six-note figure stands at four heights, c5 down to c2: c2 two
% octaves below middle C, c5 one above. Then one line walks c and g
% from c2 up to c6 and back, two letters crossing five registers.

bpm 42

c5 e5 g5 e5 d5 c5
c4 e4 g4 e4 d4 c4
c3 e3 g3 e3 d3 c3
c2 e2 g2 e2 d2 c2

c2 g2 c3 g3 c4 g4 c5 g5 c6 g5 c5 g4 c4 g3 c3 g2 c2

% All three at once: broken chords on Am E Am E F Dm E7 Am, the bass
% of every group in octave 2, the top note of every group tracing
% a4 b4 c5 b4 a4 d5 g#4 a4. The only accidental in the passage is g#,
% and it falls in exactly the three groups whose chord is E.

bpm 60

a2 a3 c4 e4 a4 e4 c4 a3
e2 e3 g#3 e4 b4 g#4 e4 b3
a2 a3 e4 a4 c5 a4 e4 c4
e2 b2 e3 g#3 b4 g#4 e4 b3
f2 f3 a3 c4 a4 f4 c4 a3
d2 d3 f3 a3 d5 a4 f4 d4
e2 e3 g#3 d4 g#4 e4 d4 b3
a2 a3 c4 e4 a4 e4 c4 a2

running…edit it and it re-runs as you type

Notes · Basics