Scoroù is barely two months old, yet a considerable amount of work has already gone into improving it — in particular the score editor. Over the past few weeks, I carried out an in-depth overhaul of the ABC editor to make it more accessible, whether you are an experienced musician or simply curious.
Headers are gone
The headers of an ABC score hold all the context of a tune: title, tempo, key, instrument… Essential information, but one that can seem cryptic to someone unfamiliar with the notation. Here is what a classic ABC score looks like — in this case a bagpipe tune:
X:1
T:Row Me Home to Islay
C:Retreat March
M:3/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=60
%%barnumbers 2
V:1
K:Hp
%%MIDI program 109
%%graceslurs 0
V:1
|: {g}A3/4{d}c1/4 {gef}e {A}e | {ag}a3/4f1/4 {gef}e {A}e | {g}c3/4d1/4 {gef}e {A}e3/4f1/4 | {gef}e3/4c1/4 {gBd}B- -B3/4e1/4|!
c3/4B1/4 {g}A {GAG}A | d3/4f1/4 {gef}e {g}c | {gef}e3/4c1/4 {g}B- B3/4A1/4 | {gcd}c3/4B1/4 {g}A4 :|
To simplify things, I have put in place dedicated interfaces that handle these parameters for you. As a result, the headers have disappeared from the editor. Here is what you now see for that same score:
|: {g}A3/4{d}c1/4 {gef}e {A}e | {ag}a3/4f1/4 {gef}e {A}e | {g}c3/4d1/4 {gef}e {A}e3/4f1/4 | {gef}e3/4c1/4 {gBd}B- -B3/4e1/4|!
c3/4B1/4 {g}A {GAG}A | d3/4f1/4 {gef}e {g}c | {gef}e3/4c1/4 {g}B- B3/4A1/4 | {gcd}c3/4B1/4 {g}A4 :|
Just the notes to deal with! Does it still look cryptic? That is completely normal. But do not worry: I have written a guide to get you started → ABC notation guide. And you will see: once you get the hang of it, writing a score is just a matter of minutes.
Multi-voice support
A score is not always a single-instrument affair! In a bagad or a Celtic circle, it is often useful to bring together on a single sheet the parts for every section: bagpipe, bombarde, snare drum… This is what multi-voice scores are for.
I have therefore integrated a dedicated interface to manage each voice independently — instrument, key, clef… — so that there is still only one thing for you to do in the editor: write the notes.
New instruments: bombarde and snare drum
This update also introduces two new instruments in the editor: the bombarde and the snare drum.
A small note is in order, however: they are available on an experimental basis. The audio rendering is not yet faithful — what you hear will not really sound like a bombarde or a snare drum — and a few transcription bugs remain. But the feature is there, and you can already add them to your scores. Improvements and dedicated guides are coming soon.
I hope you enjoy these new features! As always, your feedback is welcome — it remains the best way to steer the tool in the direction that suits you.