Tune editor help

Using the editor
  • Music and text stay together. Click a note in the music and its code is selected in the text; put the cursor on a code in the text and its note lights up.
  • Type the music. Type or change codes in the text box; the music redraws when you pause. To add or remove a note, type or delete its code. The tables below are everything you need. → ¶ shows the tabs, spaces and line ends that BWW is fussy about.
  • The note builder builds a note from drop-downs and draws it; Insert puts it at the cursor, or in place of what is selected. A new tune's bars hold rests: click a rest in the music, build the note, Insert.
  • Notes (band editor) at the top are yours: where you are with the tune, what's checked, what's left. They save as you type, don't make a new version, and carry on to the next save.
  • Warnings under the music give the line and column of anything that doesn't read or doesn't add up (for example a bar that is a dot short). The last good drawing stays on screen while you fix it.
  • The command reference at the bottom of the editor searches every embellishment the editor knows, including piobaireachd. Insert puts a code at the cursor.
  • Free SettScribe: your tune is kept in this browser as you type, and nowhere else. Download .bww keeps a copy of your own; Download PDF prints it.
  • In a band's library, nothing is saved until you press Save as new version. Every save is a new version; the previous four are kept behind History on the tune's page. To throw your changes away, leave without saving.
  • Play plays the tune at the tempo you set, with drones and a metronome if you want them. Proportional / Compact above the music changes how the notes are spaced.
  • Save as chart (band editor) turns the tune into a PDF chart for the stage viewer. Give it a part (melody, harmony) and choose Portrait or Landscape paper first.
Typing notes

A note is its pitch, an underscore, and its length: LA_4 is a quarter-note low A. Pitches are in capitals. Separate every code with a space.

Whole Half Quarter Eighth 16th 32nd
High A HA_1 HA_2 HA_4 HA_8 HA_16 HA_32
High G HG_1 HG_2 HG_4 HG_8 HG_16 HG_32
F F_1 F_2 F_4 F_8 F_16 F_32
E E_1 E_2 E_4 E_8 E_16 E_32
D D_1 D_2 D_4 D_8 D_16 D_32
C C_1 C_2 C_4 C_8 C_16 C_32
B B_1 B_2 B_4 B_8 B_16 B_32
Low A LA_1 LA_2 LA_4 LA_8 LA_16 LA_32
Low G LG_1 LG_2 LG_4 LG_8 LG_16 LG_32

A bar of a 4/4 march, with a doubling on B and a dotted eighth and sixteenth:

& sharpf sharpc 4_4 I! LA_4 dbb B_4 C_8 'c D_16 E_4 !

Bars, dots, rests and the rest

Codes after a note (a dot, a fermata) belong to that note. An embellishment goes just before the note it decorates.

WhatTypeFor example
Start a staff line&& sharpf sharpc 4_4 ...
Key signature (the pipe key), straight after &sharpf sharpc& sharpf sharpc
Time signature, after the key signature2_4 3_4 4_4 6_8 9_8 12_8& sharpf sharpc 6_8
Common time / cut time, in place of 4_4 / 2_2C C_& sharpf sharpc C_
Dot a note (once / twice)' or '' + pitch, lowercaseLA_8 'la D_4 ''d
RestREST_ + lengthREST_4 REST_8
Sharp / natural / flat on one notesharp natural flat + pitch, lowercasenaturalc C_4
Fermata (pause)fermat + pitch, lowercaseLA_2 fermatla
Tie^ts ... ^te^ts LA_4 LA_4 ^te
Triplet^3s ... ^3e^3s LA_8 B_8 C_8 ^3e
Barline!LA_4 B_4 ! C_4
End of a staff line!t... E_4 !t
Double bar at end of line!!t
Heavy bar: start / end of a partI! !I
Repeat: start / endI!'' ''!II!'' ... ''!I
First / second time ending'1 ... _' '2 ... _''1 E_4 C_4 _'
Beam direction (optional)r / l after the pitchLAr_8 'la Bl_16
Extra spacespace
Tempo, on a line of its ownTuneTempo,90

Title, tune type and composer are lines of their own above the music, e.g. "Scotland the Brave",(T,C,0,0,Times New Roman,16,700,0,0,18,0,0,0) — T is the title, Y the tune type, M the composer, F a footer.

Embellishments

Type the code just before its note: dbe E_4. Each is drawn on a note it suits, with its grace notes listed in playing order in the same names you type (HG is high G). Piobaireachd movements are not on this sheet; the command reference in the editor has them.

Single gracenote
ag
LA
on LG
bg
B
on LA
cg
C
on LA
dg
D
on LA
eg
E
on LA
fg
F
on LA
gg
HG
on LA
tg
HA
on LA
Double gracenote
db
D B
on LA
dc
D C
on LA
dla
D LA
on LG
dlg
D LG
on LA
eb
E B
on LA
ec
E C
on LA
ed
E D
on LA
ela
E LA
on LG
elg
E LG
on LA
fb
F B
on LA
fc
F C
on LA
fd
F D
on LA
fe
F E
on LA
fla
F LA
on LG
flg
F LG
on LA
gb
HG B
on LA
gc
HG C
on LA
gd
HG D
on LA
ge
HG E
on LA
gf
HG F
on LA
gla
HG LA
on LG
glg
HG LG
on LA
tb
HA B
on LA
tc
HA C
on LA
td
HA D
on LA
te
HA E
on LA
tf
HA F
on LA
thg
HA HG
on LA
tla
HA LA
on LG
tlg
HA LG
on LA
Doubling
dbb
HG B D
on B
dbc
HG C D
on C
dbd
HG D E
on D
dbe
HG E F
on E
dbf
HG F HG
on F
dbha
HA HG
on HA
dbhg
HG F
on HG
dbla
HG LA D
on LA
dblg
HG LG D
on LG
hdbb
half
B D
on B
hdbc
half
C D
on C
hdbd
half
D E
on D
hdbe
half
E F
on E
hdbf
half
F HG
on F
hdbla
half
LA D
on LA
hdblg
half
LG D
on LG
tdbb
thumb
HA B D
on B
tdbc
thumb
HA C D
on C
tdbd
thumb
HA D E
on D
tdbe
thumb
HA E F
on E
tdbf
thumb
HA F HG
on F
tdbla
thumb
HA LA D
on LA
tdblg
thumb
HA LG D
on LG
Strike
gstb
G gracenote
HG B LG
on B
gstc
G gracenote
HG C LG
on C
gstd
G gracenote
HG D LG
on D
gste
G gracenote
HG E LA
on E
gstf
G gracenote
HG F E
on F
gstla
G gracenote
HG LA LG
on LA
hstb
half
B LG
on B
hstc
half
C LG
on C
hstd
half
D LG
on D
hste
half
E LA
on E
hstf
half
F E
on F
hsthg
half
HG F
on HG
hstla
half
LA LG
on LA
lgstd
G gracenote, light
HG D C
on D
lhstd
half, light
D C
on D
ltstd
thumb, light
HA D C
on D
strb
B
on B
strc
C
on C
strd
D
on D
stre
E
on E
strf
F
on F
strhg
HG
on HG
strla
LA
on LA
strlg
LG
on LG
tstb
thumb
HA B LG
on B
tstc
thumb
HA C LG
on C
tstd
thumb
HA D LG
on D
tste
thumb
HA E LA
on E
tstf
thumb
HA F E
on F
tsthg
thumb
HA HG F
on HG
tstla
thumb
HA LA LG
on LA
Double strike
gst2b
G gracenote
HG B LG B LG
on B
gst2c
G gracenote
HG C LG C LG
on C
gst2d
G gracenote
HG D LG D LG
on D
gst2e
G gracenote
HG E LA E LA
on E
gst2f
G gracenote
HG F E F E
on F
gst2la
G gracenote
HG LA LG LA LG
on LA
hst2b
half
B LG B LG
on B
hst2c
half
C LG C LG
on C
hst2d
half
D LG D LG
on D
hst2e
half
E LA E LA
on E
hst2f
half
F E F E
on F
hst2ha
half
HA HG HA HG
on HA
hst2hg
half
HG F HG F
on HG
hst2la
half
LA LG LA LG
on LA
lgst2d
G gracenote, light
HG D C D C
on D
lhst2d
half, light
D C D C
on D
lst2d
light
C D C
on D
ltst2d
thumb, light
HA D C D C
on D
st2b
LG B LG
on B
st2c
LG C LG
on C
st2d
LG D LG
on D
st2e
LA E LA
on E
st2f
E F E
on F
st2ha
HG HA HG
on HA
st2hg
F HG F
on HG
st2la
LG LA LG
on LA
st2lg not in the engine yet
tst2b
thumb
HA B LG B LG
on B
tst2c
thumb
HA C LG C LG
on C
tst2d
thumb
HA D LG D LG
on D
tst2e
thumb
HA E LA E LA
on E
tst2f
thumb
HA F E F E
on F
tst2hg
thumb
HA HG F HG F
on HG
tst2la
thumb
HA LA LG LA LG
on LA
Triple strike
gst3b
G gracenote
HG B LG B LG B LG
on B
gst3c
G gracenote
HG C LG C LG C LG
on C
gst3d
G gracenote
HG D LG D LG D LG
on D
gst3e
G gracenote
HG E LA E LA E LA
on E
gst3f
G gracenote
HG F E F E F E
on F
gst3la
G gracenote
HG LA LG LA LG LA LG
on LA
hst3b
half
B LG B LG B LG
on B
hst3c
half
C LG C LG C LG
on C
hst3d
half
D LG D LG D LG
on D
hst3e
half
E LA E LA E LA
on E
hst3f
half
F E F E F E
on F
hst3ha
half
HA HG HA HG HA HG
on HA
hst3hg
half
HG F HG F HG F
on HG
hst3la
half
LA LG LA LG LA LG
on LA
lgst3d
G gracenote, light
HG D C D C D C
on D
lhst3d
half, light
D C D C D C
on D
lst3d
light
C D C D C
on D
ltst3d
thumb, light
HA D C D C D C
on D
st3b
LG B LG B LG
on B
st3c
LG C LG C LG
on C
st3d
LG D LG D LG
on D
st3e
LA E LA E LA
on E
st3f
E F E F E
on F
st3ha
HG HA HG HA HG
on HA
st3hg
F HG F HG F
on HG
st3la
LG LA LG LA LG
on LA
st3lg not in the engine yet
tst3b
thumb
HA B LG B LG B LG
on B
tst3c
thumb
HA C LG C LG C LG
on C
tst3d
thumb
HA D LG D LG D LG
on D
tst3e
thumb
HA E LA E LA E LA
on E
tst3f
thumb
HA F E F E F E
on F
tst3hg
thumb
HA HG F HG F HG F
on HG
tst3la
thumb
HA LA LG LA LG LA LG
on LA
Grip
ggrpb
G gracenote
HG B LG D LG
on B
ggrpc
G gracenote
HG C LG D LG
on C
ggrpd
G gracenote
HG D LG D LG
on D
ggrpdb
G gracenote
HG D LG B LG
on B
ggrpe
G gracenote
HG E LG D LG
on E
ggrpf
G gracenote
HG F LG F LG
on F
ggrpla
G gracenote
HG LA LG D LG
on LA
ggrplg
G gracenote
 not in the engine yet
grp
LG D LG
on LA
grpb
LG B LG
on B
hgrp
half
D LG
on LA
hgrpb
half
B LG D LG
on B
hgrpc
half
C LG D LG
on C
hgrpd
half
D LG D LG
on D
hgrpdb
half
D LG B LG
on B
hgrpe
half
E LG D LG
on E
hgrpf
half
F LG F LG
on F
hgrpha
half
HA LG D LG
on HA
hgrphg
half
HG LG D LG
on HG
hgrpla
half
LA LG D LG
on LA
hgrplg
half
 not in the engine yet
tgrpb
thumb
HA B LG D LG
on B
tgrpc
thumb
HA C LG D LG
on C
tgrpd
thumb
HA D LG D LG
on D
tgrpdb
thumb
HA D LG B LG
on B
tgrpe
thumb
HA E LG D LG
on E
tgrpf
thumb
HA F LG F LG
on F
tgrphg
thumb
HA HG LG F LG
on HG
tgrpla
thumb
HA LA LG D LG
on LA
tgrplg
thumb
 not in the engine yet
Taorluath
htar
half
D LG E
on LA
tar
LG D LG E
on LA
tarb
LG B LG E
on LA
Bubbly
bubly
LG D LG C LG
on LA
hbubly
half
D LG C LG
on LA
Birl
abr
LA LG LA LG
on LA
brl
LG LA LG
on LA
gbr
G gracenote
HG LA LG LA LG
on LA
tbr
thumb
HA LA LG LA LG
on LA
Throw on d
hhvthrd
half, heavy
D LG C
on D
hthrd
half
D C
on D
hvthrd
heavy
LG D LG C
on D
thrd
LG D C
on D
Pele
hpelb
half
B E B LG
on B
hpelc
half
C E C LG
on C
hpeld
half
D E D LG
on D
hpele
half
E F E LA
on E
hpelf
half
F HG F E
on F
hpelhg
half
HG HA HG F
on HG
hpella
half
LA E LA LG
on LA
lhpeld
half, light
D E D C
on D
lpeld
light
HG D E D C
on D
ltpeld
thumb, light
HA D E D C
on D
pelb
HG B E B LG
on B
pelc
HG C E C LG
on C
peld
HG D E D LG
on D
pele
HG E F E LA
on E
pelf
HG F HG F E
on F
pella
HG LA E LA LG
on LA
tpelb
thumb
HA B E B LG
on B
tpelc
thumb
HA C E C LG
on C
tpeld
thumb
HA D E D LG
on D
tpele
thumb
HA E F E LA
on E
tpelf
thumb
HA F HG F E
on F
tpelhg
thumb
HA HG HA HG F
on HG
tpella
thumb
HA LA E LA LG
on LA
Cadence
cadae not in the engine yet
cadaed not in the engine yet
cadaf not in the engine yet
cade not in the engine yet
caded not in the engine yet
cadge not in the engine yet
cadged not in the engine yet
cadgf not in the engine yet
fcadae
fermata
 not in the engine yet
fcadaed
fermata
 not in the engine yet
fcadaf
fermata
 not in the engine yet
fcade
fermata
 not in the engine yet
fcaded
fermata
 not in the engine yet
fcadge
fermata
 not in the engine yet
fcadged
fermata
 not in the engine yet
fcadgf
fermata
 not in the engine yet