abcjs-vexflow-renderer

VexFlow renderer for abcjs. Usage:

import { AbcjsVexFlowRenderer, Vex } from 'abcjs-vexflow-renderer';
import abcText from './abc_tune.txt';

const whereToRender = document.getElementById('musicDiv');

// generate a VexFlow renderer & context
const renderer = new Vex.Flow.Renderer(whereToRender, Vex.Flow.Renderer.Backends.SVG);
renderer.resize(500, 500);
const context = renderer.getContext();

// set up rendering options
const renderOptions = {
  xOffset: 3,
  widthFactor: 1.7,
  lineHeight: 185,
  clefWidth: 60,
  meterWidth: 25,
  repeatWidthModifier: 35,
  keySigAccidentalWidth: 10,
  tabsVisibility: 1,
  voltaHeight: 25,
  renderWidth: 500,
  tuning: AbcjsVexFlowRenderer.TUNINGS.GUITAR_STANDARD // see tunings.js for all tunings and instruments
};

// generate the tune object
const tune = AbcjsVexFlowRenderer.getTune(abcText, renderOptions);

// draw to the vexflow context
AbcjsVexFlowRenderer.drawToContext(context, tune);

Testing and Development

git clone https://github.com/MatthewDorner/abcjs-vexflow-renderer

cd abcjs-vexflow-renderer

yarn

Once environment is ready, npm run-script start will launch an HTML visual comparison tool that shows ABC tunes rendered via abcjs' built-in renderer in comparison to this library. To supply a custom set of tunes, place the file at visual-tool/tunes.txt. The jest command will run the test suite, and will produce an HTML test coverage report in the coverage folder.

About

I created this library for my React Native app, React Native Songbook. I decided to write this code because I wanted to include guitar tab, because VexFlow works in React Native, and because I wanted precise control over positioning and spacing to make the content usable on phones and tablets. This library is able to automatically generate tablature for most ABC tunes. "Most" currently means a single voice set to chords. More complex music may not render correctly, and not all ABC features are implemented.

Features currently supported:

Repeat signs
Multiple endings
Chord symbols
Grace Notes
Tuplets
Ties
Slurs
Some ornamentation
Tabs for multiple fretted instruments, fiddle fingerings, tin whistle and harmonica

Features not supported, TODO:

Multiple voices
Lyrics
Non-treble clef
Transposition

Harmonica tabs legend:

b = blow bend (b = half step, bb = whole step, etc.)
d = draw bend
ob = overblow
od = overdraw