1ABC2ABC(1) General Commands Manual ABC2ABC(1)
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6 abc2abc - a simple abc checker/re-formatter/transposer
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9 abc2abc file [ -s ] [ -n ] [ -b ] [ -r ] [ -e ] [ -t semitones ] [ -nda
10 ] [ -u ] [ -d ] [ -v ] [ -Vvoice number] [-Pvoice number] [-nokeys] [
11 -nokeyf] [ -usekey(sharps/flats)] [-useclef(treble/clef)] [ -OCC ]
12
14 abc2abc is a simple abc checker/re-formatter/transposer. It will check
15 whether the file given on the command line obeys basic abc syntax.
16 If you want to check an abc tune, it is recommended that you use
18 abc2midi with the -c option. This performs extra checks that abc2abc
19 does not do.
20 The output of abc2abc goes to standard output. Use redirection to save
22 it to a file.
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25 -s Rework spacing in the file (which affects how notes are beamed
26 together when the music is printed out). This option does not
27 appear to be working correctly.
28 -n X Reformats the abc file with line breaks every X bars.
30 -b Don't do bar checking.
32 -r Don't do repeat checking.
34 -e Don't report errors.
36 -t n Transpose tune by n semitones. This function will also work with
38 K: none or one of -nokeys or -nokeyf. If a voice is assigned to
39 channel 10 (drum channel) using a %%MIDI channel 10 command,
40 then this voice is never transposed.
41 -nda Convert double accidentals in guitar chord to another chord
44 though strictly not correct.
45 -u Update notation; the older notation + + for chords is replaced
47 by [] and s s for slurs is replaced by ().
48 -OCC Accept the old notation for chord. Normally this is turned off,
50 since it conflicts with abc draft standard version 2.0 for deco‐
51 rations (eg. +crescendo(+).
52 -d Re-notate the tune with all note lengths doubled. The unit
54 length specified by the L: field command is halved (e.g. L:1/8
55 to L:1/16).
56 -v Re-notate the tune with all note lengths halved. The unit length
58 specified by the L: field command is doubled (e.g. L:1/8 to
59 L:1/4).
60 -ver Prints version number and exits.
62 -V X[,Y...]
64 For multivoiced abc files (i.e. contains V: field commands),
65 only voices X[,Y,...] are copied.
66 -P X,[,Y...]
68 For multivoiced abc files (i.e. contains V: field commands), all
69 voices except X[,Y...] remain the same. Voices X,Y... are modi‐
70 fied according the other runtime parameters.
71 -X n For a file containing many tunes, the X: reference numbers are
73 renumbered sequentially starting from number n.
74 -xref n
76 Only the tune with X: n is processed.
77 -nokeys
79 No key signature will be assumed. Instead, sharps and naturals
80 will be placed wherever they are needed.
81 -nokeyf
83 No key signature will be assumed. Instead, flats and naturals
84 will be placed wherever they are needed.
85 -usekey sf
87 This will force abc2abc to output the notes in the key signature
88 keys[sf] where sf specifies the number of flats (-negative) or
89 sharps (+positive) in the key signature. It is a number between
90 -5 and +5 inclusive.
91 -useclef
93 This works with only the -t (transpose) and provided the abc
94 file does not already have a clef command in the K: field. It
95 does not support voices.
96 * Normally abc2abc will convert the deprecated notation for decorations
98 (eg. !ppp!) to the abc version 2.0 draft standard (eg. +ppp+). If you
99 do not wish to change to this standard include the -OCC flag.
100
103 abcmtex(1), abc2midi(1), midi2abc(1), mftext(1)
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106 This manual page was written by Anselm Lingnau <lingnau@tm.infor‐
107 matik.uni-frankfurt.de> and is now supported by Seymour Shlien
108 <fy733@ncf.ca> for the GNU/Linux system.
109
111 This man page describes abc2abc version 2.04 from January 22 2020.
112 07 June 2011 ABC2ABC(1)