Rests can be considered as notes with no pitch, so in LDP notes and rests are instances of a more general concept: noterests. A noterest is either a note or a rest.
The minimum information required to represent notes is its pitch and its duration. For rests only its duration is needed.
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The pitch is represented by combining the note name, the octave and the accidentals.
The note name is a letter that represents the diatonic step:
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The octave is an integer number indicating the octave of the note, where octave 4 is the central one (a4 = 440Hz). All octaves start with note name c and ends in note name b, so note c4 is the c note just below the a4 note. Octaves range is 0 to 9.
Accidentals are represented by combinations of the signs plus (+), minus (-), equal (=) and the letter x (x). They represent, respectively, sharps, flats, naturals and the double sharp symbol. So, for example, ++ represents two sharps, x a double sharp, and =- represents a natural flat.
With all this, the pitch is just the combination of the previous signs. Examples:
+c4 a sharp C4 note (C of octave 4, the central C) --b3 a double flat B3 note (B of octave 3, the B immediately below C4)
![[Important]](../figures/important.png) | Important |
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| Accidentals are relative to the context. That is, you have to write only those accidentals that are not implied by the key signature or that are not implied by a previous accidental in the same measure. |
Then, in the following example:
(key F)(n b4 q)(barline)
the quarter b4 note will be a flat b4, as it is in F major key.
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There are two possibilities two designate durations:
- By numbers and dots: Durations are written as an apostrophe followed by
the reciprocal value of the duration. For example, a quarter note is written as
'4(since it is a 1/4 note), while a 16th note is entered as'16(since it is a 1/16 note). The number is followed by dots in case the note or rest is dotted. This method using numbers is language independent and can be always mixed with next method. - By a letter and dots: Each note duration is designated by a character from following table, and is followed by optional dots. This method is language dependent as a different set of characters can be defined for each supported language.
Designating notes by numbers is only allowed for notes shorter or equal than a whole. For notes longer than a whole you must use the letter notation.
Examples:
'8.. double dotted eighth note e.. also double dotted eighth note '128 128th note o also 128th note
Letters to designate durations are as follows:
| Duration | English US (English UK) |
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| l | long (longa) |
| d | double whole (breve) |
| w | whole (semibreve) |
| h | half (minim) |
| q | quarter (crochet) |
| e | eighth, 8th (quaver) |
| s | sixteenth, 16th (semiquaver) |
| t | 32th (demisemiquaver) |
| i | 64th (hemidemisemiquaver) |
| o | 128th (semihemidemisemiquaver) |
| f | 256th (?) |
For example: q. means a dotted quarter note and e.. means
a double dotted eighth note
The abbreviated syntax is formed as follows:
- For pitch, the octave number can be omitted; if so, it is inherited from the preceding note.
- Duration can be omitted; if so, it is inherited from the preceding note or rest.
- Eliminate parenthesis and spaces preceding pitch and duration. Separate any other element using a comma (,).
Abbreviated and full notation can be mixed. Octave number and duration can only be omitted in abbreviated notation, not inside a full notation element.
Example 1:
Full notation: (n +c4 q)(n e4 q)(r e)(n g4 e)(n =c5 q) Abbreviated notation: n+c4q ne re ng n=c5q
Example 2:
Full notation: (n +c4 e g+ t+)(n e4 e)(n f4 e g- t-)(r s)(n g4 s)(n =c5 e) (n +c4 '8 g+ t+)(n e4 '8)(n f4 '8 g- t-)(r '16)(n g4 '16)(n =c5 '8) Abbreviated notation: n+c4e,g+,t+ ne nf,g-,t- rs ng n=c5e n+c4'8,g+,t+ ne nf,g-,t- r'16 ng n=c5'8 Mixed notation: n+c4e,g+,t+ ne (n f4 e g- t-) rs ng (n =c5 e) n+c4'8,g+,t+ ne (n f4 '8 g- t-) r'16 ng (n =c5 '8) n+c4e,g+,t+ ne (n f4 '8 g- t-) r'16 ng (n =c5 e)