ABC Notation Editor

Input ABC notation code at the bottom, render staff or numbered notation on top

Sheet Music Output

Transpose
semitone(s)

ABC Code Input

Quick Start Guide

Basic Notes

C D E F G A B = C to B (low octave)
c d e f g a b = One octave higher
C, D, E, = One octave lower
^C = C# Sharp
_C = Db Flat

Rhythm (based on L:1/4)

C = Quarter note (1 beat)
C2 = Half note (2 beats)
C4 = Whole note (4 beats)
C/ = Eighth note (half beat)
C3/ = Dotted quarter (1.5 beats)

ABC Notation Guide

What is ABC Notation?

ABC notation is a text-based music notation format using ASCII characters. It's easy to read, edit, and share, making it perfect for internet distribution and programmatic processing.

Basic Structure

ABC notation files typically contain header fields and notes:

X:1          # Reference number
T:Title       # Title
M:4/4        # Time signature
L:1/4        # Default note length
K:C          # Key signature (C major)
C D E F G A B c d e f g a b  # Notes

Common Commands

Header Fields

  • X: Reference number (required)
  • T: Title
  • M: Meter, e.g. 4/4, 3/4, 6/8
  • L: Default note length
  • K: Key signature

Note Representation

  • CDEFGAB Uppercase letters for lower octave
  • cdefgab Lowercase letters for higher octave
  • C, D, Comma for even lower octave
  • ^C Sharp, _C Flat

Rhythm Symbols

  • C2 Double duration (2x)
  • C/2 Half duration (1/2x)
  • z Rest
  • | Bar line
  • || Double bar line
  • |] Ending line
  • |: :| Repeat signs

Repeat Example

|: C D E F | G A B c :|

Play twice: first C D E F G A B c, then repeat from beginning

Ending Example

C D E F | G A B c |]

The ending line |] indicates the end of the piece

Advantages

  1. Cross-platform: Plain text format, works on any device
  2. Easy to edit: Modify with any text editor
  3. Compact: Much smaller than image formats
  4. Programmable: Easy to generate and process programmatically

Official Documentation

To learn more about ABC notation syntax, please refer to the ABC Notation Official Standard Documentation.