**solfg -- French solfège (pitch) notation

DESCRIPTION

The **solfg representation permits the encoding of Western musical pitches using the common French system for pitch naming.

The **solfg representation distinguishes three types of data tokens: pitches, rests, and barlines. Pitches are encoded using diatonic pitch names, accidentals, and octave indications. In addition, **solfg provides limited capabilities for representing phrasing and slurs.

Pitch tokens consist of three logical parts -- without any intervening spaces. The first part uses the so-called `fixed-do' method of diatonic pitch designations: do, ré, mi, fa, sol, la, and si. The second part is an optional accidental preceded by an tilde. Flats (bémol) and sharps (di\o'e\ga'se) are abbreviated b and d respectively. Hence, `do di\o'e\ga'se' (do~d) for C-sharp, `la b\o'e\aa'mol' (la~b) for A-flat, `sol double-dièse' (sol~dd) for G double-sharp, `si double-bémol' (si~bb) for B double-flat, and so on.

The third part of a pitch token is the octave designation. The number 4 is used to designate all pitches between middle C and the si a major seventh above, inclusive. Octave numbers are incremented by one for each successively higher octave, and are decremented by one for each successively lower octave. Negative octave numbers are not permitted, so the lowest pitch in the **solfg representation is do0 (16.35 Hz). Only a single octave digit is permitted, so the highest **solfg pitch is si9 (15,804 Hz).

Once again, no intervening spaces are permitted within a single note. Notice that the order of signifiers is important for pitch encodings. Pitch letter-name is followed by one or more accidentals (if appropriate), followed by an octave designation.

Several notes may be encoded concurrently in a single spine by using the Humdrum multiple-stop convention: notes within multiple-stops are separated by single spaces. The following example encodes a C-minor chord as four pitches in two **solfg spines -- each spine containing a double-stop.

**solfg	**solfg
do4 mi~b4	sol4 do5
*-	*-

Pitch tokens may be modified by the presence of additional signifiers. The open brace `{' denotes the beginning of a phrase. The closed brace `}' denotes the end of a phrase. The open parenthesis `(' denotes the beginning of a slur. The closed parenthesis `)' denotes the end of a slur. The semicolon `;' denotes a pause.

Rest tokens are denoted by the lower-case letter `r'.

Barlines are represented using the "common system" for barlines -- see barlines.

FILE TYPE

It is recommended that files containing predominantly **solfg data should be given names with the distinguishing `.slg' extension.

SIGNIFIERS

The following table summarizes the **solfg mappings of signifiers and signifieds.

0-9	octave designation, where do4 equals middle C;
doremifasl	diatonic pitches letter names
~	accidental delimiter
~b	flat (bémol)
~d	sharp (dièse)
~bb	double-flat
~dd	double-sharp
n	natural
r	rest
=	barline; == double barline
(	slur start
)	slur end
{	phrase mark (start)
}	phrase mark (end)
;	pause sign

Summary of **solfg Signifiers

A sample document is given below:

!! Claude Debussy
!! "Voiles"
**solfg	**solfg
=1	=1
r	r
{mi5	{sol~d5
re5	fah~d5
do5	mi5
si~b4	re5
=2	=2
la~b4	do5
sol~d5	do6
fa~d5}	si~b5}
=3	=3
*-	*-

The following Humdrum commands accept **solfg encoded data as inputs:

	cents	translate **solfg to **cents
	deg	translate **solfg to **deg
	degree	translate **solfg to **degree
	freq	translate **solfg to **freq
	hint	calculate harmonic intervals from **solfg input
	kern	translate **solfg to **kern
	mint	calculate melodic intervals from **solfg input
	pc	translate **solfg pitch to **pc
	pitch	translate **solfg pitch to **pitch
	semits	translate **solfg pitch to numerical **semits
	solfa	translate **solfg pitch to **solfa
	tonh	translate **solfg pitch to **Tonh
	trans	transpose **solfg score
	vox	determine active and inactive voices in a Humdrum file

The following Humdrum command produces **solfg data as output:

solfg

translates **cents, **degree, **fret, **freq, **kern, **MIDI, **pitch, **semits, **specC, and **Tonh to **solfg

The following tandem interpretations can be used in conjunction with **solfg:

meter signatures	*M6/8
key signatures	*k[f#c#]
key	*c#:
tempo	*MM96.3

Tandem interpretations for **solfg

barlines, **cents, **deg, **degree, **freq, **hint, **kern, **mint, mint, **pc, pc, **pitch, pitch, **semits, **solfa, solfg, **Tonh, tonh

• Pertinent description in the Humdrum User Guide
• Index to Humdrum Representations
• Index to Humdrum Commands
• Table for Contents for Humdrum User Guide