Transcription notes for "The Musician's Companion" by Elias Howe, published 1843 in Boston by Elias Howe transcribed 2015 by John Chambers = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = This collection is in 3 volumes, which Elias Howe called "Parts". They are under the EliasHowe directory in subdirectories called "MusiciansCompanionPN" where N is a digit (1-3). This file is linked into all of them, to simplify adding to these notes. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The individual tunes are in files with the name VPPPN_Tune_Title.abc, where V is the volume ("part") number, PPP is the page number (1-150), N is the tune number within the page, and the title has underscores separating the words. This gives a very readable system that puts the tunes in the same order as in the book. For the cotillions, I've appended "tune" and the tune number that's to the left of the first staff, to help in associating each tune with its position within the set (or SETT, as the book has it). A number of tunes are transcribed in two version, with _V1 or _V2 appended to the file name. The V2 versions use ABC 2.0 features such as voice overlays, crescendo/diminuendo symbols, tremolos, and other things not present in early versions of ABC. The V1 versions follow ABC 1.* rules, and attempt to handle voice overlays with chords; tremolos are written out; "cresc..." and "dim..." are used and so on. At the time of transcription (late 2015), there is still a lot of ABC software that doesn't handle the ABC 2.* extensions, to the V1 files should work better. In a few cases, the V1 versions actually produce slightly more-readable printed music than the V2 versions. These files also have '-' or '=' instead of the '_' after the initial number, for ease of distinguishing them in the Makefiles that are used to create the large "all tunes" files. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Most of these tunes have been proofread by using the original abc2ps or my own jcabc2ps clone for the V1 files, and Jef Moine's abcm2ps for the V2 files. Some have been tested with other software, such as abc2midi (to check the transcription of complex repeats). = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = This collection doesn't use begin-repeat symbols, only the end-repeats are used. This has sometimes been copied in the transcription, mostly when the intended repeat pattern isn't clear, though it doesn't agree with the usual modern usage. In many cases, initial repeats or double bars have been added to clarify the start of the strain. In many cases, the correct repeat pattern isn't obvious, and the ABC shows the original notation as closely as is possible. In any case, musicians should determine the repeat patterns by working with a dance leader. A lot of the dance terms are known to represent somewhat different figures, and sometimes different repeat patterns are needed for different groups. This is especially true with groups of experienced "vintage" dancers that may use more complex figures. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Most of the transcriptions here have the same staff breaks as the original. Some have too many notes per staff line at to be printed this way even in our small-scale (0.50) format for proofreading, so the staffs have been reformatted. Usually this in a multiple of 2 or 4 bars, but sometimes otherwise for tunes with irregular phrasing. In any case, long staffs are normally transcribed as multiple 4-bar (or 2-bar) lines, with '\' used to join them together for making PS/PDF/PNG/... images. This is normal practice in ABC, to prevent damage by software like mailers that like to wrap long lines at 72 or 80 chars to make them fit on 1970-era screens. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The dances are mostly transcribed with one line of text per phrase, usually split at the commas and periods. This is solely for convenience in proof reading, and should be printed however is convenient for the modern readers. Oddly, the dance descriptions in the book are mostly between the first and second staffs. Below the tune would be more usual. But this is up to the music formatter that you use, and has no musical significance. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = This collection uses "D.C." a lot, usually after the double bars or final repeat symbols. Much ABC software likes to position "D.C." with the "D" above the final bar line, sticking out to the right of the staffs, and this causes problems on some printers or screens. To help fix this problem, "D.C." in the ABC is usually placed before/above the last symbol (note or rest) before the bar line. Sometimes a final y pseudo-rest is introduced, or a final dotted note is transcribed as two tied notes, to get the "D.C." positioned close to the right edge. Again, this has no musically significance, and publishers are notoriously sloppy in such positioning; it's solely to encourage software to position the "D.C." inside the display/printable area so it's visible. Similar comments apply to the occasional "FINE" above a double bar line. The !fine! notation may be used in a V2 versions of a tune, but this isn't reliable in much ABC software (and usually doesn't honor the capitalization), so I haven't used it much. Similarly for Coda symbols. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =