A Break From The Usual - A Message

Although I’ve been doing this for several years, mostly as a routine to exercise my composition chops, it’s only since last July that I started sharing them online like this.

I’ve wanted to for some time but as of right now there are still no html versions of ABC which incorporate any kind of playback accompaniment other than ugly block chords. While this might be a useful way to archive folk tunes, as a vehicle for sharing content with even a slight nod towards musicality, it leaves a lot to be desired. I finally gave up on such code ever developing so concluded the only way posting these could happen would involve capturing audio and screenshots of music and uploading all that content to a blog.

It’s a shame because if such code existed, not only would it greatly simplify posting these but it would also allow visitors the ability to adjust tempos and transpose the music. Plus, the ABC code is tiny by comparison with audio and graphic files. Literally, this post so far is larger than the typical code required to create one of these tunes.

For example, here’s today’s post in it’s entirety in the original code:

X:108

T:No No Nate

C:Philip DeWalt 11/02

M:5/4

L:1/4

Q:1/4=132

K:Bbm

x|[M:5/4]

%%MIDI trim 4/7

%%MIDI gchord G2c2zcI2cz

|:"Bbm"F>AB=A/G/ F/G/|"Gb"B>cdf>e|"Bdim"=d>fgf/d/ ^c/d/|"F7"=c>B=A>GF|

"Ebm"G/B/ c/d/eG/E/ D/C/|"Bbm"B,>D=EF/E/ F/A/|"Cb"Ge/d/ _c/B/ "Db"f/e/ d/c/|"Ebm"(__a>g f/)d/ "F7"c/B/ =A/G/:|

%%MIDI gchordbars 2

%%MIDI gchord G2czH2czI2czg2czIzHz

|:"Bbm"Ff=e>_ed-|d/c/=B>c_BA|"Ebm"Ggf>_fe-|"Cb"eEd>__d_c|

"Gb"Bba>__a g/f/|_f>e d/_c/ B/c/d|"F7"e'/d'/c'>b =a/f/e-|e/d/c>B =A/B/G[I:MIDI gchord G2ccH2ccI2ccg2ccIcHc]:|

%%MIDI gchordbars 1

%%MIDI gchord G2c2zcI2cz

"Bbm"F>AB=A/G/ F/G/|"Gb"B>cdf>e|"Bb"=d>fgf/d/ ^c/d/|"F7"=c>B=A>GF|

"Ebm"G/B/ c/d/eG/E/ D/C/|"Bbm"B,>D=EF/E/ F/A/|"Cb"Ge/d/ _c/B/ "Db"f/e/ d/c/|"Ebm"Bg/f/ e/d/ "F7"c/B/ =A/G/|

"Db"F>EDE/D/ _C/D/|"F7"E>FG>=A B/c/|"Bbm"dd'c'>b g/f/|e>dc>d B|]

%%center copyright © 2022 Philip DeWalt

Whenever you see the command “MIDI gchord” followed by some code, that’s the playback accompaniment online versions of ABC ignore.

All this is beside the point of this post though, which is, if you like what I’m doing here, I could use both feedback and some help spreading the word.

I was thinking of adding a poll to these posts so visitors could rate each of them, but I didn’t because that’s what the “heart” is for.

If you actually LIKE one of these tunes, and I figure anyone who listens to one of them more than once must like it at least a little bit, please, favor it by hitting the heart. It’s not about ego gratification, I’m genuinely curious. Doing these daily sometimes require posting a tune I consider to not be one of my better efforts, only to find it getting multiple hits and comments, and vice versa.

I’ve added a share button to each post but so far nobody has used it, not even once. If you find what I’m doing entertaining and happen to know someone who might enjoy it, or a website where people might want to check it out, please spread the word. The audience for this kind of thing might be small, but to the best of my knowledge,I don’t know of anybody else doing anything remotely like it, so I’m really hoping if the word gets out more folks will tune in on a daily basis

I appreciate your patience with my screed - now back to the daily tune.