The str2mid program converts Humdrum files in the
**str format into Standard MIDI Files. Typically data
will be converted from ASCII guitar TAB data using
gptab2str.
If you have git installed, then in a terminal type the commands:
cd # Go to installation directory (home directory in this example).
git clone https://github.com/craigsapp/str2mid
cd str2mid # Go into repository to run make commands.
make update # Make sure you have the most recent humlib/midifile libraries.
make install # Copy executable to /usr/local/binIf you want to download the latest version of the code, but have an existing installation, then use these commands to update:
cd str2mid # Go to the location wherever you placed the repository.
make update
make install
!!!COM: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
!!!OTL: Opening of the theme, "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman"
!!!CDT: 1778
!!!SCT: KV 265
!!!LAR: Sapp, Craig Stuart
**recip **str **str **str **str **str **str
* *AT:E2 *AT:A2 *AT:D3 *AT:G3 *AT:B3 *AT:E4
*M4/4 * * * * * *
*MM84 * * * * * *
=1 =1 =1 =1 =1 =1 =1
4 8 . . . . 8
4 . . 10 . . 8
4 . . 14 . . 15
4 . . 10 . . 15
=2 =2 =2 =2 =2 =2 =2
4 . . 15 . . 17
4 . . 10 . . 17
4 . . 14 . . 15
4 . . 10 . . 15
=3 =3 =3 =3 =3 =3 =3
4 . . 12 . . 13
4 . . 9 . . 13
4 . . 10 . . 12
4 . 12 . . . 12
=4 =4 =4 =4 =4 =4 =4
4 . 8 . . . 10
8. . [10 . . . 10
16 . 10] . . . 12
2 8 . . . . 8
== == == == == == ==
*- *- *- *- *- *- *-
To convert the above example to MIDI:
str2mid examples/twinkle.txtThe file twinkle.mid will be created in the current directory.
The **str representation is a string
tablature format that is similar to Humdrum
fret
representation, but for **str case, each string is in a separate
spine, which makes it easier to edit and manipulate the data. The **str
representation is intended to be roughly equivalent to ASCII
Guitar TAB,
such as used in Guitar Pro and Ultimate
Guitar
Each string is represented by a different spine (column), starting
with **str and ending with *-. The strings should be in order from
"lowest" string on the left to "highest" string on the right. Before the
first notes on a string, the tuning of the open string must be given.
This is done in the form *AT:C4, where C4 is middle C. The strings of
a standard six-string guitar, from lowest to highest string are: *AT:E2,
*AT:A2, *AT:D3, *AT:G3, *AT:B3, *AT:E4. MIDI note numbers can
also be used instead of pitch names, which would be: *AT:40, *AT:45,
*AT:50, *AT:55, *AT:59, *AT:64 for a standard guitars.
Percussion instruments can be specified by setting the tuning to
*AT:0 and using General MIDI Percussion key numbers for the fret
numbers. When representing percussion instruments, also set the MIDI
channel to 10, using the interpretation *CH:10.
To the left of all strings for a particular instrument, a time-line using
the **recip formate needs to be given in order to convert the tablature
to MIDI with the str2mid program. Meter and tempo markings (such as
*M4/4 and *MM84 in the above example) should be placed in the tandem
**recip spine, and this sort of information can also be stored in each
**str spine (but the mid2str program will ignore such extract data.
Similarly the key signature and key designation can be added to the
**recip spine.
Barlines behave similar to the **kern representation.
The str2mid program will convert notes with a default loudness of 64. You
can also change the loudness of individual strings with an interpretation
like *VEL:64. The range for *VEL: values is 1 to 127 (standard MIDI range).
Ties can be encoded in a manner similar to Humdrum **kern data, using
[ to start a tie, _ for the middle note in a tied group and ]
for the last note in a tied group. If a note is not tied, it will be
ended automatically at the next data line that has a note attack in any
of the other strings.
The **str represetation can work with many Humdrum
tools. Here are some
example uses with some of the tools.
Use the timebase tool to space out the data lines evenly. Another tool called minrhy can also be used to calculate the minimum integral rhythmic unit needed for spacing the lines without losing any short-duration lines. For example, running the above example data through the minrhy tool will identify 16th notes as the shortest note time values (other than grace notes):
$ minrhy twinkle.str
16This value can be used to space every data line so that it represents a 16th note duration:
$ timebase -t 16 twinkle.str > twinkle.tb16The result of the above command:
!!!COM: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
!!!OTL: Opening of the theme, "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman"
!!!CDT: 1778
!!!SCT: KV 265
!!!LAR: Sapp, Craig Stuart
**recip **str **str **str **str **str **str
* *AT:E2 *AT:A2 *AT:D3 *AT:G3 *AT:B3 *AT:E4
*M4/4 * * * * * *
*MM84 * * * * * *
*tb16 * * * * * *
=1 =1 =1 =1 =1 =1 =1
4 8 . . . . 8
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
4 . . 10 . . 8
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
4 . . 14 . . 15
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
4 . . 10 . . 15
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
=2 =2 =2 =2 =2 =2 =2
4 . . 15 . . 17
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
4 . . 10 . . 17
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
4 . . 14 . . 15
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
4 . . 10 . . 15
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
=3 =3 =3 =3 =3 =3 =3
4 . . 12 . . 13
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
4 . . 9 . . 13
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
4 . . 10 . . 12
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
4 . 12 . . . 12
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
=4 =4 =4 =4 =4 =4 =4
4 . 8 . . . 10
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
8. . [10 . . . 10
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
16 . 10] . . . 12
2 8 . . . . 8
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
== == == == == == ==
*- *- *- *- *- *- *-
This is similar to Guitar Pro TABS, although they will evenly space notes in the minimal time unit on a measure-by-measure basis.
Individual measures can be extracted using the myank tool, here is an example of extracting meaasures 2 through 3:
!!!COM: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
!!!OTL: Opening of the theme, "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman"
!!!CDT: 1778
!!!SCT: KV 265
!!!LAR: Sapp, Craig Stuart
**recip **str **str **str **str **str **str
=2- =2- =2- =2- =2- =2- =2-
4 . . 15 . . 17
4 . . 10 . . 17
4 . . 14 . . 15
4 . . 10 . . 15
=3 =3 =3 =3 =3 =3 =3
4 . . 12 . . 13
4 . . 9 . . 13
4 . . 10 . . 12
4 . 12 . . . 12
= = = = = = =
*- *- *- *- *- *- *-
Use the extract or extractx tool to extract or add spines to/from the score.
Remove the **recip spine by extracting only the **str spines:
$ extractx -i str twinkle.strResults in:
!!!COM: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
!!!OTL: Opening of the theme, "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman"
!!!CDT: 1778
!!!SCT: KV 265
!!!LAR: Sapp, Craig Stuart
**str **str **str **str **str **str
*AT:E2 *AT:A2 *AT:D3 *AT:G3 *AT:B3 *AT:E4
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
=1 =1 =1 =1 =1 =1
8 . . . . 8
. . 10 . . 8
. . 14 . . 15
. . 10 . . 15
=2 =2 =2 =2 =2 =2
. . 15 . . 17
. . 10 . . 17
. . 14 . . 15
. . 10 . . 15
=3 =3 =3 =3 =3 =3
. . 12 . . 13
. . 9 . . 13
. . 10 . . 12
. 12 . . . 12
=4 =4 =4 =4 =4 =4
. 8 . . . 10
. [10 . . . 10
. 10] . . . 12
8 . . . . 8
== == == == == ==
*- *- *- *- *- *-
Extract the E4 string:
$ extractx -g AT:E4 twinkle.str!!!COM: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
!!!OTL: Opening of the theme, "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman"
!!!CDT: 1778
!!!SCT: KV 265
!!!LAR: Sapp, Craig Stuart
**str
*AT:E4
*
*
=1
8
8
15
15
=2
17
17
15
15
=3
13
13
12
12
=4
10
10
12
8
==
*-
Count the number of times the E4 string is plucked:
$ extractx -g AT:E4 | ridx -H | sortcount -th**count **data
4 15
3 12
3 8
2 17
2 10
2 13
*- *-
!!TOTAL: 16
Plot a histogram of all frets used on all strings:
$ extractx -i str twinkle.str | serialize | ridx -H |
sed 's/[]]//g' | grep -v []_] |\
sortcount -v -T "Frets used" -x "fret number" > plot.htmlThen open plot.html in a web browser to view the plot:
