Syntax

This is an informal description of the MusiCAD file syntax as well as the internal representation of music.

Every tune starts literally with: melodie "My Tune Name";

Comments

Everything left from an exclamation mark will be ignored (unless the second character is % or #).

Layout

Lines starting with: !# contain layout/setup information in the form:

<NAME1>=<VALUE1>;<NAME2>=<VALUE2>;

each item terminated with a semicolon

Objects

Notes (and other objects) are terminated with a semicolon.

Duration

notate as: 1/8; 3/16; etc or 0 for duration=0

denominators can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 20, 24, 28, 30, 32, 64, 128

Pitch

Every note has a non-zero pitch Rests are notated as R.

A#3 Note A-sharp in 3rd octave

+## shift note to the right

+##+## second parameter is stem length adjustment

R Rest.

R+## shift rest to the right

R+##+## second parameter is is vertical shift.

Enhancements

.	staccato (at rest means"multi rest")
m	mordent
~	prall
c	long prall (MusiCAD2: 0xF7)
r	trill
z	Schleifer
^	fermate
p	non-legato
s	staccatissimo (also expansion-rest due to "multi rest" in a score)
e	roll (MusiCAD2: ê = 0xEA)
e1	single roll
e2	double roll
e3	triple roll
e*
eO	hi-hat open (drums)
O	other (instrument specific signs)
boo	up bow
on	down bow
ok	dynamic accent <
bog	dynamic accent >
Loa	marcato
Q	tenuto
ox	mordent-schleifer
v#	fingering (# can be 0-9,a-Z)
$	enharmonic exchange (duration<>0), hide item (duration=0)
$$	alternate enharmonic exchange
&	following note
{	grace note
'	split cluster-notes
}	clusterize
u	force stem up
d	force stem down
(	start tie
)	end tie
a	courtesy accidental (MusiCAD2: 0xCE)
?	hide note
i	other note-forms (MusiCAD2: 0xA8)
iQ	flageolet open
iZ	flageolet closed
is	cue note (MusiCAD2: 0xF9)
iD	cross-shape (drums)
i/	slash shape (guitar)
f	parenthesize (MusiCAD2: 0xAD)

Further specification for duration non zero

Clef:

=v	treble clef
=b	bass clef
=n	tenor clef
=a	alto clef
=s	drum clef
=e	none (no clef)
=+	8va
=-	8va-basso
=.	loco
=_	15ma-bassa
=*

Key

=Bb	B-flat
=F#m	F-sharp-minor

Meter

=3/4	triple meter
=2+3/8	compound meter 5/8 displayed 2+3/8
=2+3+2)/16	compound meter 7/16 displayed 7/16
=04/4	common meter: C
=002/2	alla-breve, divided common meter

Text

+	Lyrics 1
-	Lyrics 2
T	Lyrics 3
L	Lyrics 4
`	Directions 1
i	Directions 2
P	Directions 3
#	Bar text
,	Dynamics
_	Chord symbols
t	Tempo change (MusiCAD2: ë 0xEB)
M	MIDI-event (MusiCAD2:û 0xFB)
K	color change
Q	Symbols (from MusiCAD-font)
r	cipher at multi rest (MusiCAD2: O 0xF7)
DJ	Section
^	Text-files inclusion

Every text may be shifted: 0-3+4 +"Tekstje"

-3 3 vertical units to the left

+4 4 horizontal units up

Text may be sized: 0 +<3>"Tekstje"

<3> 3 units larger than default for the text..

Special objects

@A	Arpeggio
@<	Crescendo (obsolete)
@>	Decrescendo (obsolete)
@P	Pedal
@X	End-pedal
@K	Comma
@O	Coda
@S	Segno
@B	Paragraph-sign
@C	al Coda
@D	Da-capo
@G	Dal-Segno
@c	Da-capo al Fine
@s	Dal-Segno al Fine
@F	Fine
@I	Intro
@Z	Bar-repeat
@z	Phraze-repeat

example:

0-3+2 @S;

Segno-sign 3 units left and two up

*1
*2
%##	whitespace (obsolete)
/	new line
//	new page
	(pipe-symbol) thick bar line
l	thin bar line
I	conditional line break/page break
:	repeat signs at bar line example: 0-1 l; bar line decreasing automatic bar numbering with one

two-item objects

[<1	start crescendo number 1 (numbering is needed for overlap)
]<1	end crescendo number 1
>	decrescendo
_	line (underscore)
	fat line
p	dotted line
(	slur below
)	slur above
[	hooked line below
]	hooked line above
~	Glissando

example

0+5-2 [>0 start decrescendo number 0, 5 units right and two down.