ABC converter help.

[narrowdog]

Hi
I'm in need of an ABC converter that I can put guitar chords into the pdf
I've been using http://www.mandolintab.net/abcconverter.php but when I type in the chords eg: e|"Em" B2e G2e|
it won't accept them, in this case it puts an extra 'E' in.

Any ideas? is there a way of putting guitar chords in using mandolintab.net?

Nick

[narrowdog]

I think I've sorted it

I've been using 'Word' to write out my ABCs and Mandolintab.net doesn't like 'words' " symbals so I'll have to put them in manually

[Kypfer]

I think I've sorted it

I've been using 'Word' to write out my ABCs and Mandolintab.net doesn't like 'words' " symbals so I'll have to put them in manually

Microsoft's "Word", as with most other word processor-type applications, often does a lot of "behind the scenes" stuff with the text you see on the screen just so it's got the flexibility to adjust and modify it when it comes to printing (changing font-styles and sizes etc.)

For the purposes of writing ABC, you're effectively writing computer programming code, which specifically wants "just what you see in the script", with no hidden jiggery-pokery trying to confuse things. To this end you can be far better served using "Notepad" (in Windows) or some other plain-text editor to prepare your scripts.

Hope this helps

[s1m0n]

I'll second that. You'll have better control on anything you can do outside of Word. It's great for a lot of applications, but if formatting matters - as it does in abc - then word is nigh uncontrollable. It'll do weird sh*t for no obvious reason, unless you're typing a business letter or a bulleted list. As long as you don't want a different style of bullets. Then, you're screwed. But have a wonderful life.

[cboody]

EasyABC might be a solution....

[narrowdog]

Thanks for the suggestions, I've moved on to 'Notepad'. Just a simple thing like copy and paste can be a trial with 'word'

[sfmans]

+1 for EasyAbc, which amongst other features has the advantage that it draws the sheet music in real time as you enter your abc making error-spotting a lot easier.

Other editors, many other editors, are available, but IMNSHO EasyAbc is by far the best raw abc editor around at the moment.

https://sourceforge.net/directory/?q=Easyabc

[Steve Bliven]

Darn, now I'll have to transition from my old stand-by, Barfly (which I liked in part because of the name, once I realized it was Bar-fly not Barf-ly) And that probably means I should upgrade my vintage computer.

Best wishes.

Steve

[Mr.Gumby]

To me Barfly has always conjured up the image of Charles Bukowski. Or perhaps more correctly, Mickey Rourke's interpretation of him.

[narrowdog]

I really miss the concertina.net Tune-a-Tron,
I could write out title pages,index pages and as many pages of music with numbered pages all in one file, it was complicated but once I got used to it I could pretty much type away without using any reference.
I produce small traditional English music books for a slow session we run, I'm currently on book 3 but it's the first one without Tune-a-Tron and it's not as easy.

[Steve Bliven]

.... it's not as easy.

Easy you say? Listen to cboody and try EasyABC at https://sourceforge.net/projects/easyabc/

Best wishes.

Steve

[cboody]

I really miss the concertina.net Tune-a-Tron,
I could write out title pages,index pages and as many pages of music with numbered pages all in one file, it was complicated but once I got used to it I could pretty much type away without using any reference.
I produce small traditional English music books for a slow session we run, I'm currently on book 3 but it's the first one without Tune-a-Tron and it's not as easy.

Quite easy in EasyABC, except for index which is easy with an add on. Once my format file is set it takes about 5 minutes from abc file to PDF ready to print.

[benhall.1]

I use AbcNavigator2. I think it does everything you want. I find it very easy to use, but I don't do chords or tunebooks. However, it has the ability to put in guitar chords, using exactly the format you were using in Tune-o-tron; and, since it has the ability to put tunes in sets, you can organise them into one big set - a book.

It really is about as easy as it's possible to be, and I think would be very little work for you to change over from Tune-o-tron. And it's free. I haven't used Easy ABC, but AbcNavigator2 also writes the staff notation in real time as you type in the ABC. Printing tunes in AbcNavigator2 is one click, and you can save to pdf as well. I don't know about title pages, index pages etc, because I've never tried. I bet there's a way ...

[ytliek]

I use ABCexplorer and was a extreme beginner music and software. Still learning the broader capabilities of the free converter. If I can learn it anyone can. I depend on the software now.

And for any of you individuals responsible for writing any of these softwares for ABCs... thank you... I mean THANK YOU!