View source for ABC Notation Examples

= ABC Notation Examples =

This page collects ready-to-use ABC notation snippets. Copy any example into a song's ABC field in JustChords and it will render as a musical score. For an overview of what ABC notation is, see [[ABC Notation]].

== A minimal melody ==

The smallest useful score: a few notes with a title, meter, and default note length.

<pre>
X:1
T:Simple Scale
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C
C D E F | G A B c |
</pre>

* '''X:''' tune number — '''T:''' title — '''M:''' meter — '''L:''' default note length — '''K:''' key.
* Letters A–G are notes; lowercase letters are one octave higher.

== Note lengths and rests ==

Numbers lengthen a note, a slash shortens it, and <code>z</code> is a rest.

<pre>
X:1
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:G
G2 A2 | B4 | c/2 c/2 d/2 d/2 e2 | z2 d2 |
</pre>

* <code>G2</code> = half note, <code>B4</code> = whole note, <code>c/2</code> = eighth note, <code>z2</code> = half rest.

Note lengths and rests are '''relative to the default note length''' set with <code>L:</code>, so the same number means a different duration depending on <code>L:</code>:

* With <code>L:1/4</code>, <code>z2</code> is a half-note rest (1/4 × 2).
* With <code>L:1/8</code>, <code>z4</code> is a half-note rest (1/8 × 4).

== Sharps, flats, and octaves ==

<pre>
X:1
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:D
^F _B =C C, | c' d' |
</pre>

* <code>^</code> sharp, <code>_</code> flat, <code>=</code> natural.

'''Octaves:''' uppercase <code>C</code> is Middle C. A comma after a note lowers it one octave (<code>C,</code> is the octave below Middle C), and a lowercase letter is one octave above (<code>c</code> is the octave above Middle C). So <code>C, C c</code> covers three octaves.

== Chord symbols above the staff ==

Chord names in quotes appear above the notes, so the score doubles as a lead sheet.

<pre>
X:1
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C
"C"C E G c | "G"B, D G B | "Am"A, C E A | "F"F, A c F |
</pre>

== Chords (stacked notes) ==

Chords — what classical Western notation shows as multiple note heads on a single stem — are written by enclosing the notes in square brackets <code>[ ]</code>, with no spaces inside the brackets. Length and pitch modifiers can be included as needed, and by convention the notes are listed in ascending order, for example <code>[Acea]</code>.

Chords can be arranged into beamed groups using spaces, exactly like individual notes:

<pre>
X:1
T:Chords
M:2/4
K:C
[CEGc] [C2G2] [CE][DF] | [D2F2][EG][FA] [A4d4]|]
</pre>

Note the difference from the section above: <code>"C"</code> is a chord ''name'' printed above the staff, while <code>[CEG]</code> is a chord ''played'' as stacked notes on the staff.

== Lyrics under the melody ==

A <code>w:</code> line aligns syllables to the notes above it. Use a hyphen to split a word across notes and a space to move to the next note.

<pre>
X:1
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C
C C G G | A A G2 |
w: Twin-kle twin-kle lit-tle star
</pre>

== Multiple verses ==

Stack several <code>w:</code> lines to add more verses; each renders on its own row beneath the staff.

<pre>
X:1
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:A
z2 "A"E E | F E3 | z2 "F#m"F E | F A3 |
w: 1.~Al-most Hea-ven. West Vir-gin-ia.
w: 2.~All my mem'-ries gath-er round her.
</pre>

* <code>~</code> keeps a syllable and the following word joined under one note.

== Repeats and bar lines ==

<pre>
X:1
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:G
|: G A B c | d c B A :| G4 |]
</pre>

* <code>|:</code> and <code>:|</code> mark a repeated section; <code>|]</code> is a final bar line.

== Tips ==

* JustChords can generate guitar tablature automatically from any of these examples — enable it in the song's notation settings.
* Keep each staff line short so the score stays readable on smaller screens.
* You can freely mix chord symbols, lyrics, and multiple verses in the same tune.

== Online ABC editors ==

These free web editors let you type ABC notation and see the score update live — handy for drafting and checking a tune before pasting it into JustChords. Because JustChords renders with the abcjs engine, the abcjs-based editors will most closely match how your score looks in the app.

* [https://editor.drawthedots.com/ abcjs Editor (drawthedots.com)] — the official abcjs live editor; the closest match to JustChords' rendering.
* [https://www.abcjs.net/abcjs-editor.html abcjs.net Editor] — another abcjs-powered editor with side-by-side text and score.
* [https://michaeleskin.com/abctools/abctools.html ABC Transcription Tools] — full-featured editor with playback, transpose, and export options.
* [https://abc.rectanglered.com/ ABC Sandbox (rectanglered)] — a lightweight, no-frills live editor.
* [https://abcnotation.com/ abcnotation.com] — the reference home of the ABC standard, with the full format specification and a large searchable tune library.