Does anyone here know any formal music theory?
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This is what I came up with after a lot of googling on the 'fifths' that was mentioned earlier. I use it in my MIDI sequencer. I'm relatively sure I got it right, but not absolutely, so if anyone sees anything I've screwed up, feel free to give me hell! :laugh: (And I see I should have used non-caps for some, from another comment!) - edit: fixed
const KeySignatures::KeySig KeySignatures::keySigsC[] = {
{ "g# min (af min)", 5, true },
{ "g min", -2, true },
{ "f# min", 3, true },
{ "f min", -4, true },
{ "e min", 1, true },
{ "ef min (d# min)", -6, true },
{ "d# min (ef min)", 6, true },
{ "d min", -1, true },
{ "c# min (df min (unused))", 4, true },
{ "c min", -3, true },
{ "b min", 2, true },
{ "bf min (a# min)", -5, true },
{ "a# min (bf min)", 7, true },
{ "a min", 0, true },
{ "af min (g# min)", -7, true },
{ "Af Maj", -4, false },
{ "A Maj", 3, false },
{ "Bf Maj", -2, false },
{ "B Maj (Cf Maj)", 5, false },
{ "Cf Maj (B Maj)", -7, false },
{ "C Maj", 0, false },
{ "C# Maj (Df Maj)", 7, false },
{ "Df Maj (C# Maj)", -5, false },
{ "D Maj", 2, false },
{ "Ef Maj", -3, false },
{ "E Maj", 4, false },
{ "F Maj", -1, false },
{ "F# Maj (Gf Maj)", 6, false },
{ "Gf Maj (F# Maj)", -6, false },
{ "G Maj", 1, false }
};Free Bird!!!
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I don't. It's sad I know, esp considering I just delivered a MIDI library unto the world. Anyway, I have a question for a music nerd, and it has to do with key signatures. Googling led me to some confusion. Basically I'm getting my key signature back as an int and a bool together, where the int is range -7 to 7 and the bool indicates minor or major. The int indicates the number of flats (int is negative) or the number of sharps (int is positive) or C if it's 0. Regarding the int, I'm not sure if I'm translating it correctly in code.
const string FLATS = "FBEADGC";
const string SHARPS = "GDEABFC";if (0 == scode)
return "C " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
if(0>scode)
return FLATS[((-scode)-1)].ToString() + "b " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
else // if(0scodeis the aforementioned int.Real programmers use butterflies
Maybe it's just a typo, but you have two of the major keys transposed (bad choice of words maybe in this context!) Line 2 SHARPS should be "GDAEBFC" However, there are bigger problems! This code will return mostly wrong answers. If we look at the sharps only, your code (assume it's major) would return: C, G# major, D# major, A# major ... which is incorrect. The correct sequence (without all the "majors" shown) would be: C G D A E B F# C# And a sort of reverse applies situation applies to the flats. (C), F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb Hope that helped!
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I don't. It's sad I know, esp considering I just delivered a MIDI library unto the world. Anyway, I have a question for a music nerd, and it has to do with key signatures. Googling led me to some confusion. Basically I'm getting my key signature back as an int and a bool together, where the int is range -7 to 7 and the bool indicates minor or major. The int indicates the number of flats (int is negative) or the number of sharps (int is positive) or C if it's 0. Regarding the int, I'm not sure if I'm translating it correctly in code.
const string FLATS = "FBEADGC";
const string SHARPS = "GDEABFC";if (0 == scode)
return "C " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
if(0>scode)
return FLATS[((-scode)-1)].ToString() + "b " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
else // if(0scodeis the aforementioned int.Real programmers use butterflies
Hi, I'm not sure what language the pretty generic C-style code is in but I guess it's not Javascript as ToString is Pascal case. Anyway, this JS library is brilliant for accessing musical theory in code.
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Accelerando - Conjugation of the infinite "Accelerare" in italian; In English, "to accelerate": The "Gerundio" (a form of the verb), is like the -ing in English. Most of the musical notation currently used was invented in Italy many centuries ago (even the pentagram, for example). In Italy the musical notes are represented by syllables which traditionally are: DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, SI with LA to be the equivalent to A in international notation. All words like crescendo, diminuendo, piano, pianissimo, etc. etc. they are Italian words used as an international jargon for the music.
I wouldn't call it "international jargon for the music", but "established notational conventions". You'll see acc. in all sorts of sheet music. It has been used for centuries. We had a conductor that took pleasure in playing with such terms, like he could ask for an "accelerandissimo" - a small increase in the beat rate. Or "acelerando moltissimo", not a very strong accelerando (like an "accelerando molto") but above average.
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I don't. It's sad I know, esp considering I just delivered a MIDI library unto the world. Anyway, I have a question for a music nerd, and it has to do with key signatures. Googling led me to some confusion. Basically I'm getting my key signature back as an int and a bool together, where the int is range -7 to 7 and the bool indicates minor or major. The int indicates the number of flats (int is negative) or the number of sharps (int is positive) or C if it's 0. Regarding the int, I'm not sure if I'm translating it correctly in code.
const string FLATS = "FBEADGC";
const string SHARPS = "GDEABFC";if (0 == scode)
return "C " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
if(0>scode)
return FLATS[((-scode)-1)].ToString() + "b " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
else // if(0scodeis the aforementioned int.Real programmers use butterflies
SHARPS string is wrong. Should be GDAEBFC. Otherwise looks good
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I wouldn't call it "international jargon for the music", but "established notational conventions". You'll see acc. in all sorts of sheet music. It has been used for centuries. We had a conductor that took pleasure in playing with such terms, like he could ask for an "accelerandissimo" - a small increase in the beat rate. Or "acelerando moltissimo", not a very strong accelerando (like an "accelerando molto") but above average.
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I just realized this is probably regional. Maybe you do it that way in Norway. I have some Le Orme sheet music, and those weird Italians don't write A minor as "a" or "Am". They actually write "La m" (La from do-re-mi... and m = minore). I rarely think in solfege. And if I do, it's relative: "la" = submediant (^6). But they use it absolutely: "la" = A, regardless of the key. Needless to say, I find their annotations useless.
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Accelerando - Conjugation of the infinite "Accelerare" in italian; In English, "to accelerate": The "Gerundio" (a form of the verb), is like the -ing in English. Most of the musical notation currently used was invented in Italy many centuries ago (even the pentagram, for example). In Italy the musical notes are represented by syllables which traditionally are: DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, SI with LA to be the equivalent to A in international notation. All words like crescendo, diminuendo, piano, pianissimo, etc. etc. they are Italian words used as an international jargon for the music.
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I don't. It's sad I know, esp considering I just delivered a MIDI library unto the world. Anyway, I have a question for a music nerd, and it has to do with key signatures. Googling led me to some confusion. Basically I'm getting my key signature back as an int and a bool together, where the int is range -7 to 7 and the bool indicates minor or major. The int indicates the number of flats (int is negative) or the number of sharps (int is positive) or C if it's 0. Regarding the int, I'm not sure if I'm translating it correctly in code.
const string FLATS = "FBEADGC";
const string SHARPS = "GDEABFC";if (0 == scode)
return "C " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
if(0>scode)
return FLATS[((-scode)-1)].ToString() + "b " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
else // if(0scodeis the aforementioned int.Real programmers use butterflies
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I don't. It's sad I know, esp considering I just delivered a MIDI library unto the world. Anyway, I have a question for a music nerd, and it has to do with key signatures. Googling led me to some confusion. Basically I'm getting my key signature back as an int and a bool together, where the int is range -7 to 7 and the bool indicates minor or major. The int indicates the number of flats (int is negative) or the number of sharps (int is positive) or C if it's 0. Regarding the int, I'm not sure if I'm translating it correctly in code.
const string FLATS = "FBEADGC";
const string SHARPS = "GDEABFC";if (0 == scode)
return "C " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
if(0>scode)
return FLATS[((-scode)-1)].ToString() + "b " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
else // if(0scodeis the aforementioned int.Real programmers use butterflies
The closest I've came was writing a few measures of "music" containing abominations like 4096th notes, and notes with a half dozen dots in a highschool class to spite a teacher I disliked. (It was trivial - if a bit tedious - to create iteratively by splitting notes in half and inserting the new one randomly, far harder for the teacher to actually add up to make sure it actually had the correct total. :-\ )
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt
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Hi, I'm not sure what language the pretty generic C-style code is in but I guess it's not Javascript as ToString is Pascal case. Anyway, this JS library is brilliant for accessing musical theory in code.
it's C#.. oooh and thank you. I'll take a look
Real programmers use butterflies
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Or learn German (or a related language, such as Norwegian): In the Germanic tradition, B is called H, and B flat is called B. In any case, it will be less confusing if you use a true musical ♭ sign for the flats, rather than a plain lowercase b letter. B♭ and b♭ isn't that confusing. Bonus joke: What could you get if you drop a piano down a mine shaft? Answer: a♭
What could you get if you drop a piano down a mine shaft?
ab minor (miner)
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I don't. It's sad I know, esp considering I just delivered a MIDI library unto the world. Anyway, I have a question for a music nerd, and it has to do with key signatures. Googling led me to some confusion. Basically I'm getting my key signature back as an int and a bool together, where the int is range -7 to 7 and the bool indicates minor or major. The int indicates the number of flats (int is negative) or the number of sharps (int is positive) or C if it's 0. Regarding the int, I'm not sure if I'm translating it correctly in code.
const string FLATS = "FBEADGC";
const string SHARPS = "GDEABFC";if (0 == scode)
return "C " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
if(0>scode)
return FLATS[((-scode)-1)].ToString() + "b " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
else // if(0scodeis the aforementioned int.Real programmers use butterflies
It's not right: major and minor keys have different numbers of sharps or flats. For example, while B major has 5 sharps: C#, D#, F#, G#, A#, B minor has a D natural, and then, if it's a harmonic minor, a G natural; if it's a melodic minor, a G# and A# for an ascending scale, whereas both those are natural for a descending scale. Minor keys are tricky: there's no fixed answer. More here: musictheory.net[^]
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I don't. It's sad I know, esp considering I just delivered a MIDI library unto the world. Anyway, I have a question for a music nerd, and it has to do with key signatures. Googling led me to some confusion. Basically I'm getting my key signature back as an int and a bool together, where the int is range -7 to 7 and the bool indicates minor or major. The int indicates the number of flats (int is negative) or the number of sharps (int is positive) or C if it's 0. Regarding the int, I'm not sure if I'm translating it correctly in code.
const string FLATS = "FBEADGC";
const string SHARPS = "GDEABFC";if (0 == scode)
return "C " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
if(0>scode)
return FLATS[((-scode)-1)].ToString() + "b " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
else // if(0scodeis the aforementioned int.Real programmers use butterflies
Not sure if this was already mentioned in one of the other responses, but you have E and A in the wrong order for the sharp key signatures. A has 3 and E has 4. I learned the sequence of sharps (aka circle of fifths) back in piano classes many years ago as "Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle". Conveniently, you can reverse the phrase to get the order of flats (ie circle of fourths) and it still makes sense.
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What could you get if you drop a piano down a mine shaft?
ab minor (miner)
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Member 7989122 wrote:
acelerando moltissimo
Accelerando, not acelerando always put double 'c' the correct form in italian.
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The flat key signatures go F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb. The sharp key signatures go G, D, A, E, B, F#, C#. EDIT: That's major. No sharps/flats = C. The minor flat key signatures go D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab. The minor sharp key signatures go E, B, F#, C#, G#, D#, A#. No sharps/flats = A. But that's just major/minor. Then there's Dorian, Phrygian, and others. :laugh:
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I think you may have a typo in the sharp key signatures. I think it should be G, D, A, E, B, F#, C#. That's the way the circle of fifths works. I'm definitely a novice at this stuff.
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I think you may have a typo in the sharp key signatures. I think it should be G, D, A, E, B, F#, C#. That's the way the circle of fifths works. I'm definitely a novice at this stuff.
Thanks. I've fixed it.
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There is a strong tradition for denoting major scales with uppercase letters, and minor scales with lowercase letters. So, The minor flat key signatures go d, g, c, f, bb, eb, ab. The minor sharp key signatures go e, b, f#, c#, g#, d#, a#. No sharps/flats = a. Maybe this tradition is stronger in some musical styles than others. I have never seen guitar chord annotations where it is not followed.
I think there's some potential for confusion here. Regarding key signatures in scores: A score with one sharp is traditionally interpreted to be either G major or E minor. There is no other indication of whether or not the key signature implies G major or E minor unless it is included in the title such as "Polonaise in Ab Minor." (I say traditional because there are non-traditional scoring methods too.) Regarding chords, there are a variety of ways to show chords in a score. For example, a C minor chord can be designated as Cm or C-. A G major 7 can be GMAJ or G^. And so on. Now 7989122's comment about major/minor scales is interesting to me. I've never used a score that does it that way, but it makes sense on a certain level. I don't need that sort of notation in my arranging, but hey, maybe I've learned something new. If you sign up with the Sonic Scores forum (no affiliation) you can ask questions and get a lot of helpful answers from professional musicians. They also know a lot about MIDI. There are other music notation apps that have active forums.
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I don't. It's sad I know, esp considering I just delivered a MIDI library unto the world. Anyway, I have a question for a music nerd, and it has to do with key signatures. Googling led me to some confusion. Basically I'm getting my key signature back as an int and a bool together, where the int is range -7 to 7 and the bool indicates minor or major. The int indicates the number of flats (int is negative) or the number of sharps (int is positive) or C if it's 0. Regarding the int, I'm not sure if I'm translating it correctly in code.
const string FLATS = "FBEADGC";
const string SHARPS = "GDEABFC";if (0 == scode)
return "C " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
if(0>scode)
return FLATS[((-scode)-1)].ToString() + "b " + (IsMinor ? "minor" : "major");
else // if(0scodeis the aforementioned int.Real programmers use butterflies
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To simplify that - there are 12 keys in the chromatic scale, so just put an integer from 0...11. Then you don't have any regional differences. And if you want major / minor, then add a Boolean. Should suffice for the most common "Western" music.
PS
no, this is not even close.
Real programmers use butterflies
