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This is a wikified version of the draft revised abc standard. The original file can be found at http://abcnotation.com/standard/abc_v1.7.6-draft.txt

====== The abc Notation System ======

Each tune consists of a **header** and a **body**. The header,  which  is
composed of information fields, should start with an ''X'' (reference
number) field followed by a ''T'' (title) field and finish with  a  ''K''
(key)  field.  The body of the tune in abc notation should follow
immediately after. Tunes are separated by blank lines.

===== Information fields =====

The  information  fields  are  used  to  notate  things  such  as
composer,  meter, etc. in fact anything that isn't music. Most of
the information fields are for use within a tune  header  but  in
addition  some  may be used in the tune body, or elsewhere in the
tune file. Those which are allowed elsewhere can be used  to  set
up  a  default  for  the whole or part of a file. For example, in
exactly the same way that tunebooks are organised, a  file  might
start  with  ''M:6/8'' and ''R:Jigs'', followed by some jigs, followed by
''M:4/4'' and ''R:Reels'', followed by  some  reels.  Tunes  within  each
section then inherit the ''M:'' and ''R:'' fields automatically, although
they can be overridden inside a tune header.  Finally  note  that
any line beginning with a letter in the range A-Z and immediately
followed by a '':'' is interpreted as a field (so that line like ''E:|'',
which  could  be  regarded  as  an  E  followed by a right repeat
symbol, will cause an error).

By far the best way to find out how to use the fields is to  look
at the example files (in particular English.abc) and try out some
examples. Thus rather than describing them in  detail,  they  are
summarised  in  the following table. The second, third and fourth
columns specify respectively how the field should be used in  the
header  and  whether it may used in tune body or elsewhere in the
file. Certain fields do not affect  the  typeset  music  but  are
there  for  other  reasons,  and  the fifth column reflects this;
index fields only affect the index (see index.tex) while  archive
fields  do not affect the output at all, but are just provided to
put in information that one might find in,  say,  a  conventional
tunebook.

^Field name                ^header ^tune ^elsewhere ^Used by  ^Examples and notes        ^
|''A:area''                |yes    |     |           |        |A:Donegal, A:Bampton      |
|''B:book''                |yes    |     |yes        |archive |B:O'Neills                |
|''C:composer''            |yes    |     |           |        |C:Trad.                   |
|''D:discography''         |yes    |     |           |archive |D:Chieftans IV            |
|''F:file name''           |       |     |yes        |        |%%F:http://a.b.c/file.abc%%   |
|''G:group''               |yes    |     |yes        |archive |G:flute                   |
|''H:history''             |yes    |     |yes        |archive |H:This tune said to ...   |
|''I:information''         |yes    |     |yes        |playabc |                          |
|''K:key''                 |last   |yes  |           |        |K:G, K:Dm, K:AMix         |
|''L:unit note length''    |yes    |yes  |           |        |L:1/4, L:1/8              |
|''M:meter''               |yes    |yes  |yes        |        |M:3/4, M:4/4              |
|''N:notes''               |yes    |     |           |        |N:see also O'Neills - 234 |
|''O:origin''              |yes    |     |yes        |index   |O:I, O:Irish, O:English   |
|''P:parts''               |yes    |yes  |           |        |P:ABAC, P:A, P:B          |
|''Q:tempo''               |yes    |yes  |           |        |Q:200, Q:C2=200           |
|''R:rhythm''              |yes    |     |yes        |index   |R:R, R:reel               |
|''S:source''              |yes    |     |           |        |S:collected in Brittany   |
|''T:title''               |second |yes  |           |        |T:Paddy O'Rafferty        |
|''U:user defined''        |yes    |yes  |yes        |        |U: T = !trill!            |
|''W:words''               |       |yes  |           |        |lyrics after tune         |
|''w:words''               |       |yes  |           |        |lyrics aligned with tune  |
|''X:reference number''    |first  |     |           |        |X:1, X:2                  |
|''Z:transcription note''  |yes    |     |           |        |Z:from photocopy          |

Some additional notes on certain of the fields:

==== T - tune title ====
Some tunes have more than one title and  so  this
field  **can  be used more than once per tune** - the first time will
generate the title whilst  subsequent  usage  will  generate  the
alternatives  in  small  print.   The  ''T:''  field **can also be used
within a tune** to name parts of a tune - in this  case  it  should
come before any key or meter changes.

==== K - key ====
The key signature should be  specified  with  a  capital
letter  which  may  be  followed  by  a  ''#'' or ''b'' for sharp or flat
respectively. In addition,  different  scales  or  modes  can  be
specified  and,  for  example,  ''K:F  lydian'',  ''K:C'', ''K:C major'', ''K:C
ionian'', ''K:G mixolydian'', ''K:D dorian'', ''K:A minor'', ''K:Am'', ''K:A aeolian'',
''K:E  phrygian''  and  ''K:B locrian'' would all produce a staff with no
sharps or flats.  The spaces can be left out,  capitalisation  is
ignored for the modes and in fact only the first three letters of
each mode are parsed so that, for example, ''K:F# mixolydian'' is the
same  as  ''K:F#Mix'' or even ''K:F#MIX''.  There are two additional keys
specifically for notating highland bagpipe  tunes;  ''K:HP''  doesn't
put  a  key  signature  on the music, as is common with many tune
books of this music, while ''K:Hp'' marks the stave with F  sharp,  C
sharp  and  G natural.  Both force all the beams and staffs to go
downwards.

**Global accidentals can also be  set**  in  this  field  so
that,  for  example,  ''K:D =c'' would write the key signature as two
sharps (key of D) but then mark every  c  as  natural  (which  is
conceptually  the same as D mixolydian).  Note that the there can
be several global  accidentals,  separated  by  spaces  and  each
specified  with  an  accidental,  ''%%__%%'',  ''_'', ''='', ''^'' or ''^^'', ([[#Accidentals|see below]])
followed by a  letter  in  lower  case.  Global  accidentals  are
overridden  by  accidentals  attached to notes within the body of
the abc tune and are reset by each change of signature.

Finally, the key field can also be used to **specify a clef**, by adding
the name of the clef, separated by a space from the key information,
e.g ''K:Am bass''.  Some programs currently require this to be
written as ''K:Am clef=bass'', but either format should be acceptable.
Where no clef is specified the default is treble.

==== L - unit note length ====
i.e. ''L:1/4'' - quarter note, ''L:1/8'' -
eighth note, ''L:1/16'' - sixteenth, ''L:1/32'' - thirty-second. If
there is no ''L:'' field in the header, a unit note length is set
by default, based on the meter field ''M:'' ([[#M - meter|see below]]).

==== M - meter ====
Apart from the normal meters, e.g.   ''M:6/8''  or  ''M:4/4'',
the symbols ''M:C'' and ''M:C|'' give common time (4/4) and cut time (2/2)
respectively. The symbol ''M:none'' omits the meter entirely (free
meter).

==== P - parts ====
Can be used in the header to state the **order in  which
the  tune parts are played**, i.e.  ''P:ABABCDCD'', and then inside the
tune to mark each part, i.e.  ''P:A'' or ''P:B''.
Within the header, a part can be repeated by following it
with a number e.g. ''P:A3'' is equivalent to ''P:AAA'' and a
sequence can be repeated by using parentheses e.g. ''P:(AB)3'' is
equivalent to ''P:ABABAB''. Nested parentheses are permitted
and dots may be placed anywhere within the header ''P:'' field,
e.g. ''P:((AB)3.(CD)3)2'', to increase legibility and are ignored.

==== Q -  tempo ====
Defines the beat unit (and beats per minute) for setting tempo,
e.g. ''Q:1/2'' means that a half note counts as one beat. The number of beats per
minute can be specified, e.g. ''Q:1/2=120'' means 120 half-note beats per
minute. If no beat unit is given, one is set by default ([[#Metrical beats for setting tempo|see
below]]).

==== G - group ====
To group together tunes for indexing purposes.

==== H - history ====
Can be used for multi-line stories/anecdotes, all of
which will be ignored until the next field occurs.

==== w:lyrics ====
Supplies a line of lyrics to be aligned syllable by syllable below
the previous line of notes. Syllables are not aligned on grace notes and tied
notes are treated as two separate notes. Because lyrics tend to take up more
space than notes, one ''w:'' field and all continuations match one line of notes,
whether or not the line of notes ends with a continuation character. If a
line of notes is followed by several ''w:'' fields, each one supplies alternate
words for the notes (this is typically used for writing the verses of a song).
Within the lyrics, the following words should be separated by one or more
blank spaces and to correctly align them the following symbols may be used:

  * ''-''       break between syllables within a word
  * ''|''       advance to next bar
  * ''_''       (underscore) last syllable is to be held for an extra note
  * ''*''       one note is skipped (i.e. ''*'' is equivalent to a blank syllable)
  * ''~''       appears as a space but connects syllables each side into one
  * ''\-''      appears as - sign in output.
  * ''\''       continuation character; next ''w:'' field is part of the same line
 
Some examples:
  * ''w: syll-a-ble''   is aligned with three notes
  * ''w: %%time__%%''   is aligned with three notes
  * ''w: of~the~day''   is treated as one syllable (i.e. aligned with one note) but appears as three separate words


===== abc tune notation =====

The following letters are used to represent notes:-
<code>

                                                      d'
                                                -c'- ----
                                             b
                                        -a- --- ---- ----
                                       g
 ------------------------------------f-------------------
                                   e
 --------------------------------d-----------------------
                               c
 ----------------------------B---------------------------
                           A
 ------------------------G-------------------------------
                       F
 --------------------E-----------------------------------
                   D
 ---- ---- ---- -C-
            B,
 ---- -A,-
  G,
</code>

and by extension, the notes C, D, E, F, a' and b' are  available.
Notes can be modified in length ([[#Note lengths|see below]]).
**Lower octaves** are reached by using 2 **commas**, 3 commas and so on.
**Higher octaves** are written using 2 **apostrophes**, 3 apostrophes and
so on.

==== Rests ====

Rests are generated with a ''z'' and can be  modified  in  length  in
exactly the same way as notes can.

==== Note lengths ====

NB Throughout this document note lengths are referred as sixteenth, eighth,
 etc. The commonly used equivalents are sixteenth note = semi-quaver, eighth
 = quaver, quarter = crotchet and half = minim.

The unit note length for the transcription is set in the ''L:'' field, e.g.
 ''L:1/8'' sets an eighth note as the unit note length. A single letter in the
 range A-G, a-g represents a note of this length. For example, if the unit
 note length is an eighth note, ''DEF'' represents 3 eighth notes.

Notes of **differing lengths** can be obtained by simply putting a **multiplier
 after the letter**. Thus //if the unit note length is 1/16//, ''A'' or ''A1'' is a
 sixteenth note, ''A2'' an eighth note, ''A3'' a dotted eighth note, ''A4'' a quarter
 note, ''A6'' a dotted quarter note, ''A7'' a double dotted quarter note, ''A8'' a half
 note, ''A12'' a dotted half note, ''A14'' a double dotted half note, ''A15'' a triple
 dotted half note and so on. //If the unit note length is 1/8//,
  * ''A'' is an eighth note
  * ''A2'' a quarter note
  * ''A3'' a dotted quarter note
  * ''A4'' a half note, and so on.

To get shorter notes, either divide them - e.g. if ''A'' is an eighth note, ''A/2''
 is a sixteenth note, and ''A/4'' is a thirty-second note - or change the unit
 note length with the ''L:'' field. Alternatively, if the music has a broken
 rhythm, e.g. dotted eighth note/sixteenth note pairs, use broken rhythm
 markers ([[#Broken rhythms|see below]]). Note that ''A/'' is shorthand for ''A/2'' and similarly ''%%A//%%''
 = ''A/4'', etc.

If no unit note length is given explicitly in the ''L:'' field, a unit note
 length is set by default, based on the meter. This default is calculated by
 computing the meter as a decimal: if it is less than 0.75 the default unit
 note length is a sixteenth note; if it is 0.75 or greater, it is an eighth
 note. For example, 2/4 = 0.5, so, the default unit note length is a
 sixteenth note, while for 4/4 = 1.0, or 6/8 = 0.75, or 3/4= 0.75, it is an
 eighth note. For ''M:C'' (4/4), ''M:C|'' (2/2) and ''M:none'' (free meter), the default
 unit note length is 1/8.

==== Broken rhythms ====

A common occurrence in traditional music is the use of  a  dotted
or broken rhythm. For example, hornpipes, strathspeys and certain
morris jigs all have dotted eighth notes  followed  by  sixteenth
notes  as  well  as  vice-versa  in  the  case of strathspeys. To
support this abc notation uses a ''>'' to mean 'the previous note  is
dotted, the next note halved' and ''<'' to mean 'the previous note is
halved, the next dotted'. Thus the following lines all  mean  the
same thing (the third version is recommended):

<code>
  L:1/16
  a3b cd3 a2b2c2d2

  L:1/8
  a3/2b/2 c/2d3/2 abcd

  L:1/8
  a>b c<d abcd
</code>

As a logical extension, ''>>'' means that the first  note  is  double
dotted and the second quartered and ''>>>'' means that the first note
is triple dotted and the length of the second divided  by  eight.
Similarly for ''<<'' and ''<<<''.

==== Duplets, triplets, quadruplets, etc. ====

These can be simply coded with the notation ''(2ab''  for  a  duplet,
''(3abc''  for  a triplet or ''(4abcd'' for a quadruplet, etc., up to ''(9''.
The musical meanings are:

  * ''(2'' 2 notes in the time of 3
  * ''(3'' 3 notes in the time of 2
  * ''(4'' 4 notes in the time of 3
  * ''(5'' 5 notes in the time of n
  * ''(6'' 6 notes in the time of 2
  * ''(7'' 7 notes in the time of n
  * ''(8'' 8 notes in the time of 3
  * ''(9'' 9 notes in the time of n

If the time signature is compound (6/8, 9/8, 12/8) then
 n is three, otherwise n is two.

More general tuplets can be specified  using  the  syntax  ''(p:q:r''
which  means  'put  p  notes  into  the  time of q for the next r
notes'.  If q is not given, it defaults as above.  If  r  is  not
given,  it  defaults  to p.  For example, ''(3:2:2'' is equivalent to
''(3::2'' and ''(3:2:3'' is equivalent to ''(3:2'' , ''(3'' or even ''(3::'' .   This
can  be  useful  to  include  notes of different lengths within a
tuplet, for example ''(3:2:2G4c2'' or ''(3:2:4G2A2Bc'' and also describes
more precisely how the simple syntax works in cases like ''(3D2E2F2''
or even ''(3D3EF2''. The number written over the tuplet is p.

==== Beams ====

To group notes together under one beam  they  should  be  grouped
together without spaces. Thus in 2/4, ''A2BC'' will produce an eighth
note followed by two sixteenth notes under one beam whilst ''A2 B C''
will  produce  the  same notes separated. The beam slopes and the
choice of upper or lower staffs are generated automatically.

==== Repeat/bar symbols ====

Bar line symbols are generated as follows:

  * ''|''  bar line
  * ''|]'' thin-thick double bar line
  * ''||'' thin-thin double bar line
  * ''[|'' thick-thin double bar line
  * ''|:'' start of repeated section
  * '':|'' end of repeated section
  * ''::'' start & end of two repeated sections

=== First and second repeats ===

First and second repeats can be generated with the symbols ''[1'' and
''[2'',  e.g.  ''faf gfe|[1 dfe dBA:|[2 d2e dcB|]''. When adjacent to bar
lines, these can be shortened to ''|1'' and '':|2'', but with  regard  to
spaces ''| [1'' is legal, ''| 1'' is not.

==== Accidentals ====

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

==== Changing key, meter, and unit note length mid-tune ====

To change key, meter, or unit note length, simply put in a new
line with a ''K:'' ''M:'' or ''L:'' field, e.g.
  ed|cecA B2ed|cAcA E2ed|cecA B2ed|c2A2 A2:|
  K:G
  AB|cdec BcdB|ABAF GFE2|cdec BcdB|c2A2 A2:|

Key changes within the tune may be accompanied by a clef change,
and a change of clef without a key change may be specified by
means of a K: field without key information, e.g.
  K:tenor

To do this without generating a new line of music, put a \ at the
end of the first line, i.e.
  E2E EFE|E2E EFG|\
  M:9/8
  A2G F2E D2|]

Alternately, any field which can be legally used within the tune can also
be specified as an inline field, by placing it within square
 brackets in a line of music, e.g.
   E2E EFE|E2E EFG|[M:9/8] A2G F2E D2|]
 The first bracket, field identifier and colon must be written
 without intervening spaces.  Only one field may be placed within
 a pair of brackets and where appropriate, inline fields
 (especially clef changes) can be used in the middle of a beam
 without breaking it.

 A meter change within the body of the tune will not change the
 unit note length (unlike one in the header where no ''L:'' field is
 present).

====   Ties and slurs ====

You can tie two notes together either across or within a bar with
a  ''-'' symbol, e.g. ''abc-|cba'' or ''abc-cba''.  More general slurs can be
put in with ''()'' symbols.  Thus ''(DEFG)'' puts a slur  over  the  four
notes.  Spaces within a slur are OK, e.g. ''(D E F G)'', but the open
bracket  should  come  immediately  before  a   note   (and   its
accents/accidentals,  etc.)  and  the  close  bracket should come
immediately after a note (and its octave marker or length).  Thus
''(=b c'2)'' is OK but ''( =b c'2 )'' is not.

 It should be noted that although the **tie** "''-''" and **slur** "''()''" produce
 similar symbols in staff notation they have **completely different
 meanings** to player programs and should not be interchanged.  Ties
 connect two successive notes of the same pitch, causing them to
 be played as a single note, while slurs connect the first and
 last note of any series of notes, and may be used to indicate
 phrasing, or that the group should be played legato.  Both ties
 and slurs may be used into, out of and between chords, and in this
 case the distinction between them is particularly important.

==== Gracings ====

 Grace notes can be written by enclosing them in curly braces, ''{}''. For
 example, a taorluath on the Highland pipes would be written ''{GdGe}''. The
 tune 'Athol Brose' (in the file Strspys.abc) has an example of complex
 Highland pipe gracing in all its glory. Although nominally grace notes
 have no melodic time value, expressions such as ''{a2}'' and ''{a>b}'' can be
 useful and are legal although some packages may ignore them.
 The unit duration to use for gracenotes is not specified by the abc
 file, but by the package, and might be a specific amount of time
 (for playback purposes) or a note length (e.g. 1/32 for Highland pipe
 music, which would allow ''{ge4d}'' to code a piobaireachd 'cadence').

 The presence of gracenotes is transparent to the broken rhythm
 construct. Thus the forms ''A<{g}A'' and ''A{g}<A'' are legal and equivalent to
 ''A/2{g}A3/2'' .

Alternatively, the tilde symbol ''~'' represents the general  gracing
of  a  note  which, in the context of traditional music, can mean
different things for different instruments, for example  a  roll,
cran or staccato triplet.


==== Accents and other symbols ====

**Staccato** marks (a small dot above or below the note head) can  be
generated  by  a  **dot before the note**, i.e. a staccato triplet is
written as ''(3.a.b.c''.

For fiddlers, the letters ''u'' and ''v'' can be used  to  denote  **up-bow**
and **down-bow**, e.g. ''vAuBvA''.

Other common symbols are available such as
  * ''T''    trill
  * ''H''    fermata
  * ''L''    accent or emphasis
  * ''M''    lowermordent
  * ''P''    uppermordent
  * ''S''    segno
  * ''O''    coda
 However these symbols (''.uvTHLMPSO'' and the roll ''~'') are just short cuts for
 commonly used accents and can even be redefined (see [[#Redefinable symbols]]).
 More generally accents can be entered using the syntax ''!symbol!'', e.g.
   !trill!A4
 for a trill symbol (tr). The currently defined symbols (and this list may
 grow with time) are:
 
  * ''!trill!''           "tr" (trill mark)
  * ''!lowermordent!''    short /|/|/ squiggle with a vertical line through it
  * ''!uppermordent!''    short /|/|/ squiggle
  * ''!mordent!''         same as !lowermordent!
  * ''!pralltriller!''    same as !uppermordent!
  * ''!accent!''          > mark
  * ''!emphasis!''        same as !accent!
  * ''!fermata!''         fermata or hold (arc above dot)
  * ''!invertedfermata!'' upside down fermata
  * ''!tenuto!''          horizontal line to indicate holding note for full duration
  * ''!0!-!5!''           fingerings
  * ''!+!''               left-hand pizzicato, or rasp for French horns
  * ''!wedge!''           small filled-in wedge mark
  * ''!open!''            small circle above note indicating open string or harmonic
  * ''!thumb!''           cello thumb symbol
  * ''!snap!''            snap-pizzicato mark, visually similar to !thumb!
  * ''!turn!''            a ~ turn mark
  * ''!roll!''            a roll mark (arc) as used in Irish music
  * ''!breath!''          a breath mark (apostrophe-like) after note
  * ''!shortphrase!''     vertical line on the upper part of the staff
  * ''!mediumphrase!''    same, but extending down to the centre line
  * ''!longphrase!''      same, but extending 3/4 of the way down
  * ''!segno!''           2 ornate s-like symbols separated by a diagonal line
  * ''!coda!''            a ring with a cross in it
  * ''!D.S.!''            the letters D.S. (meaning da segno)
  * ''!D.C.!''            the letters D.C. (meaning da coda)
  * ''!fine!''            the word fine
  * ''!crescendo(!''      start of a < crescendo mark
  * ''!crescendo)!''      end of a < crescendo mark, placed after the last note
  * ''!diminuendo(!''     start of a > diminuendo mark
  * ''!diminuendo)!''     end of a > diminuendo mark, placed after the last note
  * ''!p!'' ''!pp!'' ''!f!'' ''!ff!'' ''!mf!'' ''!ppp!'' ''!pppp!'' ''!fff!'' ''!ffff!'' ''!sfz!''    dynamics marks
  * ''!repeatbar!''       repeat previous whole bar, a % symbol
  * ''!repeatbar2!''      repeat previous 2 whole bars, a % symbol with a 2 adjacent,  this can be extended to an arbitrary number of bars
  * ''!upbow!''           V mark
  * ''!downbow!''         squared n mark

==== Redefinable symbols ====
 
 As a short cut to writing accents or other symbols which avoids the ''!symbol!''
 syntax (see [[#Accents and other symbols|Accent]] above), the letters H-Z and h-w and the symbol ''~'' can be
 assigned with the ''U:'' and ''u:'' fields (the ''U:'' defines how the symbols are
 printed and the ''u:'' defines how they are played). For example, to assign the
 letter T to represent the trill, you can write:  
   U: T = !trill!
 
 You can also use "''^text''" etc (see [[#Annotations]] 
 below) in definitions, e.g.
   U: X = "^+"
 to print a plus sign over notes with X before them.
 
 Symbol definitions can be written in the file header, in which
 case they apply to all the tunes in that file, or in a tune header,
 when they apply only to that tune, and override any previous definitions.
 Programs may also make use of a set of global default definitions, which
 apply everywhere unless overridden by local definitions.  You can assign
 the same symbol to two or more letters e.g.
   U: T = !trill!
   U: U = !trill!
 in which case the same visible symbol will be produced by both letters
 (but they may be played differently), and you can de-assign a symbol by
 writing:
   U: T = !nil!
 or
   U: T = !none!
 
 The standard set of definitions (if you do not redefine them) is:
  * ''U: ~ = !roll!''
  * ''U: T = !trill!''
  * ''U: H = !fermata!''
  * ''U: L = !emphasis!''
  * ''U: M = !lowermordent!''
  * ''U: P = !uppermordent!''
  * ''U: S = !segno!''
  * ''U: O = !coda!''
  * ''U: u = !upbow!''
  * ''U: v = !downbow!''

==== Chords and unisons ====

Chords (i.e. more than one note head on a  single  stem)  can  be
coded  with ''[]'' symbols around the notes, e.g. ''[CEGc]'' produces the
chord  of  C  major.  They  can  be  grouped   in   beams,   e.g.
''[d2f2][ce][df]'' but there should be no spaces within a chord.  See
the tune 'Kitchen Girl'  in  the  file  Reels.abc  for  a  simple
example.

If the chord contains two notes  both  of  the  same  length  and
pitch,  such  as ''[DD]'', then it is a unison (e.g. a note played on
two strings of a violin simultaneously) and is shown as note-head
with both upward and downward stems.



==== Accompaniment chords ====

 Accompaniment chords (e.g. chords/bass notes) can be put in under the
 melody line (or above, depending on the package) using **double-quotation
 marks** placed to the left of the note it is sounded with, e.g. ''"Am7"A2D2''.
 
 The chord has the format <note><accidental><type>/<bass>, where <note>
 can be A-G, the optional <accidental> can be b, #, the optional <type>
 is one or more of
  *   m or min   =>  minor
  *   maj        =>  major
  *   dim        =>  diminished
  *   aug or +   =>  augmented
  *   sus        =>  sustained
  *   7, 9 ...   =>  7th, 9th, etc.
 and /<bass> is an optional bass note.
 
 A slash after the chord type is used only if the optional bass note is
 also used, e.g., ''"C/E"''. If the bass note is a regular part of the
 chord, it indicates the inversion, i.e., which note of the chord is
 lowest in pitch. If the bass note is not a regular part of the chord,
 it indicates an additional note that should be sounded with the chord,
 below it in pitch. The bass note can be any letter (A-G or a-g), with
 or without a trailing accidental sign (b or #). The case of the letter
 used for the bass note does not affect the pitch.
 
 Alternate chords can be indicated for printing purposes (but not for
 playback) by enclosing them in parentheses inside the double-quotation
 marks after the regular chord, e.g., ''"G(Em)"''.

==== Annotations ====
 
 General text annotations can be added above, below or on the staff
 in a similar way to accompaniment. In this case, the string within
 double quotes is preceded by one of five symbols ''^'', ''_'', ''<'', ''>''or ''@'' which
 controls where the annotation is to be placed; above, below, to the
 left or right respectively of the following note, rest or bar line.
 Using the ''@'' symbol leaves the exact placing of the string to the
 discretion of the interpreting program. Where two or more such
 annotations are placed consecutively, e.g. for fingerings, the notation
 program should draw them on separate lines, with the first listed at the top.
 These symbols also distinguish annotations from guitar chords, and
 should prevent programs from attempting to play or transpose them.

==== Order of symbols ====

The order of symbols for one note is <guitar  chords>,  <accents>
(e.g. roll, staccato marker or up/downbow), <accidental>, <note>,
<octave>, <note length>, i.e. ''~^c'3'' or even ''"Gm7"v.=G,2''.

Tie symbols, ''-'', should come immediately after a  note  group  but
may  be  followed  by  a space, i.e. ''=G,2- ''. Open and close chord
symbols, ''[]'', should enclose entire  note  sequences  (except  for
guitar  chords),  i.e.  ''"C"[CEGc]''  or ''"Gm7"[.=G,^c']'' and open and
close   slur   symbols,   ''()'',   should    do    likewise,    i.e.
''"Gm7"(v.=G,2~^c'2)''

===== Metrical beats for setting tempo =====

 The standard form of the ''Q:'' field is, for example, ''Q:1/2=120'' which means
 120 half-note beats per minute, however, if a beat unit is given without
 a speed (e.g. ''Q:3/8''), then the speed is usually intended to be set in
 a playback program and this field will then be ignored by typesetting
 programs.

 The beat unit can also be given as a multiple of the unit note length using the
 letter L, e.g. if ''L:1/8'', then ''Q:L3=120'' is equivalent to ''Q:3/8=120''. However,
 it is usually better to specify an absolute note length. (Note that giving
 a tempo in relative to the unit note length may result in unexpected
 behaviour if the unit note length is changed, either explicitly or by
 default mechanisms.) Older versions of the abc standard used the letter C
 instead of L, and this is still a permitted form although not recommended.

 If no beat unit is set in the ''Q:'' field or if the ''Q:'' field is missing, a
 default beat unit is assumed. The default beat unit is the demoninator of
 the meter, except for compound meters (6/8, 9/8 and higher multiples of
 3/8), for which the default beat unit is 3/8. For example, if ''M:2/4'', the
 default beat unit is 1/4. For ''M:C|'' (=''M:2/2'') it is 1/2; for ''M:12/8'' it is
 3/8.

 When giving a tempo, it is preferable to specify a beat unit rather than to
 rely on default mechanisms.

===== Comments =====

A ''%'' symbol will cause the remainder  of  any  input  line  to  be
ignored. The file English.abc contains plenty of examples.

===== Line breaking and justification =====

Generally one line of abc  notation  will  produce  one  line  of
music,  although  if  the music is too long it will overflow onto
the next line. This can look very  effective,  but  it  can  also
completely  ruin  ties  across  bar  lines,  for example. You can
 counteract this by changing either the note spacing (using some 
 package specific command) or break the
line of abc notation. If, however, you wish to use two  lines  of
input  to  generate  one  line  of  music  (see, for example, the
'Untitled Reel' in Reels.abc) then simply put a ''\'' at the  end  of
the first line.  This is also useful for changing meter or key in
the middle of a line of music.