On Wed, Nov 19, 2003 at 09:26:40PM -0000, Phil Headford wrote: > I may have missed this from an earlier discussion; apologies if so. > Real, working musicians in bands need to be able to choose (often in a matter of > seconds) a tune to go with the next dance. > With a repertoire of hundreds (or a thousand or two) of tunes, the characteristics > of each tune or set are not always easy to bring to mind. > So, many of us have little 5 or 6 page lists, which give some of our favourite tunes > aranged by the following criteria: > > Tune type (polka, jig, reel, etc) > Key (and modulations) > Bar length > > So which field in ABC do I use for bar structure? I have been putting this info into > a J: header field - eg 32=8*2+8+8 for Galopede, 40=8*2+12*2 for Herbert Smith's > Polka, > 40=8*2+8+8*2 for Waterloo Dance. Some might think this academic, but for practical > musicians, it's the second thing you want to know about a tune.
It's a good question. I've wished, several times, that I'd done such a thing from the start. And maybe one day I'll get round to it, but in the meantime I've occasionally cheated, with things like "R:32-bar Jig"; which is better than nothing, but not the Right Way. As to what would be the Right Thing To Do ... I can't seem to find a definition for J: - I'm probably looking at the wrong standard - but would be reluctant to use up the main namespace (some people would regard this as vital, others will say it's no use to them, cue many of the usual arguments), so I'd think about about using the "%%" to invent my own, for what would be, to start with, an individual usage. Something like "%%PH-barstructure: 40=8*2+12*12", where the "PH" helps mark it as "yours", ie keeps it clear against the day when somebody else invents their own variant with a different layout or subtly diferent meaning. Or you could pick up Barry's proposal for I: , something like "I:PH barstructure:" ?? -- Richard Robinson "The whole plan hinged upon the natural curiosity of potatoes" - S. Lem To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
