ABC to Sheet Music with Flute/Tin Whistle & Fiddle Tablature

A web-based application that converts ABC musical notation into standard sheet music with either tin whistle (Irish flute) or fiddle (violin) tablature display.

• ABC Notation Parser: Enter ABC notation and see it rendered as standard sheet music
• Tin Whistle Tablature: Automatically generates fingering diagrams below the staff
• Fiddle Tablature: Toggle to show violin first-position fingerings with color-coded strings
• Optional Chord Boxes: Show all chords used in the tune as either guitar or piano chord boxes
• Transpose for Different Whistles: Transpose tunes to play on A, G, C, Eb, F, or Bb whistles while keeping the same fingerings
• Audio Playback: Play your tunes with flute or violin sound (based on tab type)
• Adjustable Speed: Control playback tempo from 50% to 150%
• Example Tunes: Built-in examples including scales, jigs, reels, and airs
• Live Preview: Music updates as you type
• Export to PNG: Save your sheet music with tablature as an image

Visit the live version at: https://whistletab.kruskakli.se/

No download or installation required!

1. ⬇️ Download Latest Release
2. Extract the zip file to a folder
3. Open index.html in a web browser
4. Enter ABC notation in the text area
5. Select your whistle key from the "Transpose for:" dropdown
6. The sheet music and tablature will render automatically

The Transpose for: dropdown allows you to play tunes on different whistle keys while using the same fingerings you learned on a D whistle.

Most tin whistle tunes are written for a D whistle. When you select a different whistle key (e.g., A whistle), the application:

1. Transposes the sheet music - The notes and chords are transposed so that the written music shows the actual sounding pitches
2. Keeps the same fingerings - The tablature shows the original D whistle fingerings, which produce the correct transposed notes on your chosen whistle

If you have a tune in D major and select "A whistle":

• The sheet music transposes down a fifth (D → A, E → B, F# → C#, etc.)
• The fingering for what was written as "D" (all holes covered) now produces an "A" on your A whistle
• You play the same fingerings, but the tune sounds in A instead of D

The Fiddle Tab checkbox toggles between flute tablature and violin (fiddle) tablature. This implements the Fiddle Tab notation system - a simple shorthand for first-position violin fingerings.

When enabled:

• Tablature format: Shows string and finger position (e.g., D1 = D string, 1st finger)
• Open strings: Shown as G0, D0, A0, E0
• Low positions: Marked with L (e.g., DL2 = low 2nd finger on D string, placed a half-step lower than the normal 2nd finger position)
• Audio: Playback and MIDI export use violin sound instead of flute
• Note: The transpose dropdown is hidden when Fiddle Tab is enabled, as transposition is specific to whistle fingerings

Each string is displayed in a distinct color (using a colorblind-friendly palette):

• G (Blue) - 4th string (lowest)
• D (Orange) - 3rd string
• A (Pink) - 2nd string
• E (Teal) - 1st string (highest)

The fiddle tablature covers first position (G3 to B5), suitable for most traditional Irish and folk tunes.

If your ABC includes chord annotations (for example "D" or "G" above notes), you can enable Chord Boxes in the controls. Example ABC chord placement: "D"D2 FA | "G"G2 BG | "A7"A2 cA | "D"d4 |

When enabled:

• The app collects all unique chords used in the current tune
• It shows them in an optional chord area below the rendered sheet music
• You can switch the diagram style between Guitar and Piano using the instrument selector

ABC notation is a text-based music notation system. Here's a quick reference:

X:1          - Tune number
T:Tune Name  - Title
C:Composer.  - The Composer
R:Rythm      - The Rythm
M:4/4        - Time signature
L:1/8        - Default note length
K:D          - Key signature

• Octaves: C D E F G A B (lower octave), c d e f g a b (higher octave)
• Octave modifiers: C, (octave down), c' (octave up)
• Sharps: ^F = F#
• Flats: _B = Bb
• Natural: =F = F natural

• A2 = note twice as long
• A/2 = note half as long
• A3/2 = dotted note
• | = bar line
• |] = final bar line
• |: and :| = repeat signs

If you place a > between two notes, it automatically dots the first one and halves the second one:

A>B CD

• A>B: The A becomes a dotted 8th, and the B becomes a 16th (half 8th)
• CD: These remain ordinary 8th notes

To connect an 8th note from the end of one measure to a note in the next, place the hyphen immediately after the first note: A-A

1. Basic Rests (z)

The lowercase z represents a standard visible rest. Its duration is determined exactly like a note:

• z: One rest of the default length (e.g., an 8th rest if L:1/8).
• z2: A rest twice the default length (e.g., a quarter rest if L:1/8).
• z/2 or z/: A rest half the default length (e.g., a 16th rest if L:1/8).

2. Multi-measure Rests (Z)

If you need to indicate that a player should be silent for several entire measures, use an uppercase Z followed by the number of bars.

• Z4: Four full measures of rest.
• Z: One full measure of rest (equivalent to Z1).

3. Invisible Rests (x and X)

Sometimes you want a "pause" in the music's timing without showing a rest symbol on the printed staff (often used for alignment in multi-voice music).

• x: An invisible rest (same duration rules as z).
• X: An invisible multi-measure rest.

Some frequent values you will see in traditional music collections:

The ABC Q: (tempo) field has several formats:

Basic formats:

Q:1/4=60 — 60 quarter notes per minute (60 BPM)
Q:1/8=120 — 120 eighth notes per minute
Q:60 — shorthand for 60 default beats per minute

Examples for different feels:

Q:1/4=60    % Slow ballad/air (60 BPM)
Q:1/4=90    % Moderate waltz
Q:1/4=120   % Standard reel tempo
Q:1/8=200   % Fast reel (100 BPM in quarter notes)
Q:3/8=80    % Jig tempo (80 dotted quarters per minute)

In ABC notation, the parentheses surrounding a sequence of notes—like: (f>age) , indicate a Slur.

What is a Slur?

A slur tells the musician to play those notes in one continuous, smooth breath or movement without re-articulating each one. For a Tin Whistle, that means:

Do not "tongue" the notes inside the parentheses. Only the first note (f) is articulated with the tongue; the following notes (a, g, and e) are played by simply moving your fingers while maintaining a steady stream of air.

The Tilde (~): In ~B3A and ~d3B, the tilde represents a Roll (an Irish ornament). If you are playing this on tin whistle, this is where you would do a flick of the fingers to add that "crackle" to the note.

The Curly Braces ({E}D): This is a Grace Note. It should be played very quickly just before the main D note.

The Triplet ((3AGF): This indicates that the three notes A, G, and F should be squeezed into the time of two 8th notes.

Intersperse each line with: w: the text comes here

1. Hidden Comments (The % symbol)

Anything following a percent sign (%) is ignored by the computer. This is perfect for personal reminders, version history, or explaining a tricky bit of fingering.

2. Printed Header Notes (N:)

If you want to include historical information, performance instructions, or general notes that should appear when the tune is cataloged or printed, use the N: field in the header.

X:1
T:Simple Scale
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:D
D E F G | A B c d |]

The tablature shows a vertical representation of the tin whistle's 6 holes:

●  = Covered hole (finger down)
○  = Open hole (finger up)
◐  = Half-covered hole
+  = Second octave (blow harder)

Holes are numbered from top to bottom:

1. Left hand index finger
2. Left hand middle finger
3. Left hand ring finger
4. Right hand index finger
5. Right hand middle finger
6. Right hand ring finger

The tablature adjusts based on your whistle's key:

• D whistle (most common): Good for keys of D, G, A, Em, Bm
• C whistle: Good for keys of C, F, G, Am, Dm
• G whistle: Good for low G music, often used for slow airs

whistle-tab/
├── index.html      - Main HTML page
├── styles.css      - Styling
├── app.js          - Main application logic
├── flute-tab.js    - Tablature generation module
└── README.md       - This file

• abcjs - ABC notation rendering library (loaded from CDN)

Works in all modern browsers:

• Chrome 60+
• Firefox 55+
• Safari 12+
• Edge 79+

To modify the application:

1. Edit flute-tab.js to add/modify fingerings
2. Edit app.js for application logic changes
3. Edit styles.css for visual changes

In flute-tab.js, add a new entry to fingeringCharts:

'Eb': {
    'Eb4': { holes: ['X', 'X', 'X', 'X', 'X', 'X'], octave: 1 },
    // ... more fingerings
}

MPL-2.0 (Mozilla Public License 2.0) - See LICENSE file for details.

• ABC notation rendering by abcjs
• Tin whistle fingering charts based on standard Irish whistle technique