Embed sheet music in your articles. Write it as text, play it in your browser.
- In PinotWalk, you can write sheet music using ABC notation, a text-based format.
- It may look complicated, but you can learn the basics in just a few minutes. You can also ask the Secretary Muse to create it for you.
๐ต What is ABC Notation?
ABC notation is an international standard format for representing sheet music as text.
X:1
T:Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C
C C G G | A A G2 | F F E E | D D C2 |
โ This displays and plays as sheet music like this:
X:1
T:Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C
C C G G | A A G2 | F F E E | D D C2 |
- Easy to copy, paste, and edit since it's text
- Muse (AI Secretary) can compose automatically
- Instant sheet music display + MIDI playback in your browser
๐ How to Write in PinotWalk
In the article editor, specify music as the language for the code block:
```music
X:1
T:Title
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C
C D E F | G A B c |
```
That's all it takes to display sheet music and play it with the โถ Play button.
๐๏ธ How to Write Headers
Write "header" information at the beginning of your sheet music.
| Field | Meaning | Example | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
X: |
Tune number (sequence number) | X:1 |
โ |
T: |
Title | T:Twinkle Twinkle |
โ |
M: |
Time signature | M:4/4 |
โ |
L: |
Default note length | L:1/4 |
โ |
K: |
Key signature | K:C |
โ |
C: |
Composer | C:John Smith |
โ |
Q: |
Tempo (BPM) | Q:1/4=120 |
โ |
Minimal Header Example
X:1
T:Untitled
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C
๐ผ How to Write Notes
Basic Note Names
C D E F G A B
Lowercase letters are one octave higher:
c d e f g a b โ Higher octave
For even higher octaves, add ' after the note name:
c' d' e' โ Even higher octave
To go one octave lower, add ,:
C, D, E, โ Lower octave
Note Length
When L:1/4 (default length = quarter note):
| Notation | Length | Note Type |
|---|---|---|
C |
1x (default) | Quarter note |
C2 |
2x | Half note |
C4 |
4x | Whole note |
C/2 |
1/2x | Eighth note |
C3/2 |
1.5x | Dotted quarter note |
Rests
z โ 1-beat rest
z2 โ 2-beat rest
Z โ Full measure rest
Bar Lines and Separators
C D E F | G A B c | โ | is a bar line
๐น Common Time Signatures
M:4/4 โ 4/4 time (most common)
M:3/4 โ 3/4 time (waltz)
M:2/4 โ 2/4 time (march)
M:6/8 โ 6/8 time
M:C โ Common time (same as 4/4)
๐ต Key Signature
K:C โ C major (no sharps or flats)
K:G โ G major (1 sharp)
K:D โ D major (2 sharps)
K:F โ F major (1 flat)
K:Am โ A minor (no sharps or flats)
K:Em โ E minor (1 sharp)
Adding Accidentals to Notes
^C โ C# (sharp)
_E โ Eb (flat)
=F โ F natural (cancels previous accidental)
๐ Repeats
|: C D E F | G A B c :|| โ Repeat this section
|: C D E F :|: G A B c :| โ Two sections, each repeated
First and Second Endings
|: C D E F |1 G A B c :|2 G G G2 ||
โ1st time โ2nd time
โก Tempo
Q:1/4=120 โ Quarter note = 120 BPM (standard tempo)
Q:1/4=60 โ Slow
Q:1/4=180 โ Fast
๐ป Instrument Selection
You can specify General MIDI instruments using %%MIDI program.
%%MIDI program 0 โ Piano (default)
%%MIDI program 40 โ Violin
%%MIDI program 41 โ Viola
%%MIDI program 42 โ Cello
%%MIDI program 73 โ Flute
%%MIDI program 56 โ Trumpet
%%MIDI program 24 โ Acoustic Guitar
%%MIDI program 19 โ Church Organ
Place it in the header (before K:):
X:1
T:Air on the G String (style)
%%MIDI program 42
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
D4 G3 A | B3 A B d | e4 d3 c |
๐น Writing Multiple Voices / Ensemble Parts
Using the V: (Voice) field, you can write multiple voices or instruments in a single score.
Basic Syntax
Declare voices in the header, then switch between them using [V:1] [V:2] in the body.
X:1
T:ใฟใคใใซ
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C
V:1 name="Violin"
V:2 name="Cello"
[V:1] c2 B2 | c4 |
[V:2] C,2 G,2 | C,4 |
Piano Right Hand + Left Hand
X:1
T:Piano Piece
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C
V:1 clef=treble name="Right Hand"
V:2 clef=bass name="Left Hand"
[V:1] e2 d2 | c4 | d2 c2 | B4 |
[V:2] C,2 G,2 | C,4 | G,,2 G,2 | G,,4 |
clef=treblespecifies treble clef,clef=bassspecifies bass clef- Left hand uses lower notes, so
C,(comma lowers by one octave) is used
Violin + Cello Ensemble
X:1
T:String Duo
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:G
V:1 name="Violin"
V:2 name="Cello"
[V:1] d2 B | G3 | A2 G | D3 |
[V:2] G,2 D | G,3 | D2 D | G,3 |
โ ๏ธ Risks with Per-Voice Instrument Assignment
When you want different instruments for each voice (e.g., separate sounds for violin and cello),
you can write %%MIDI program for each voice, but behavior is unstable.
Syntax you can try (not guaranteed to work):
[V:1] %%MIDI program 40
d2 B | G3 |
[V:2] %%MIDI program 42
G,2 D | G,3 |
Risk Details:
| Risk | Description |
|---|---|
| Per-voice settings ignored | All voices may play as the same instrument (piano) |
| Non-standard syntax | %%MIDI is not part of the official ABC v2.1 spec; depends on ABCJS implementation |
| Browser differences | Behavior may vary between Chrome / Firefox / Safari |
| Score layout impact | %%MIDI lines may affect sheet music layout |
Practical Solutions:
- If you don't need different sounds per voice, use a single
%%MIDI programin the header for all voices - If sound is important, write each instrument in separate score blocks (separate
```musicblocks)
Example of Separate Blocks:
Violin Part:
```music
X:1
T:String Duo (Violin)
%%MIDI program 40
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:G
d2 B | G3 | A2 G | D3 |
```
Cello Part:
```music
X:1
T:String Duo (Cello)
%%MIDI program 42
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:G
G,2 D | G,3 | D2 D | G,3 |
```
๐ผ Practical Examples
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
X:1
T:Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
M:4/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=120
K:C
C C G G | A A G2 | F F E E | D D C2 |
G G F F | E E D2 | G G F F | E E D2 |
C C G G | A A G2 | F F E E | D D C2 |
G Major Melody (Violin)
X:1
T:G Major Piece
C:Muse (PinotWalk)
%%MIDI program 40
M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
K:G
D2 G2 A2 | B4 AG | A2 B2 c2 | d6 |
e2 d2 B2 | G4 AB | c2 B2 A2 | G6 |
C Minor Piece
X:1
T:C Minor Piece
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Cm
G2 ^F2 G2 =B2 | c4 G4 | _E2 D2 C4 | G,8 |
โถ Playback Controls
How to use the buttons displayed below the sheet music:
| Button | Function |
|---|---|
| โถ Play | Start playback |
| โ Stop | Stop (click to return to โถ Play) |
๐ค Let Muse (AI Assistant) Create It for You
If writing it yourself is difficult, call Muse from the editor toolbar and simply request what you want.
Request examples:
- "Create a simple 8-bar melody in C major"
- "A slow, sad melody for violin in 4/4 time"
- "Transpose Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to G major"
Muse generates sheet music in ABC notation and inserts it directly into your article.
โ FAQ
Q: No sound is playing
โ Check if your browser has audio permissions enabled. A browser confirmation dialog may appear on first playback.
Q: Sheet music isn't displaying
โ There may be a syntax error in the ABC notation. Make sure all headers (X:, T:, M:, L:, K:) are present.
Q: Note pitches are wrong
โ Uppercase (CโB) and lowercase (cโb) indicate different octaves. Verify you're using the intended octave.
Q: I want to change the key signature mid-piece
โ Write [K:G] in the body to change the key signature partway through.
๐ Reference Links
-
ABC Notation Official Tune Archive
- About 800,000 tunes. The main ABC repository. Rich in Irish & Scottish traditional tunes, plus classical
-
- Over 1,000 folk songs
-
- Strong in folk & traditional music
- Specializes in Irish traditional music. High-quality ABC curated by the community
Last updated: 2026-02-17 (Added multiple voices / ensemble section)
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