abc tune search

The abc tune search / tune finder gives you access to thousands of folk & traditional tunes from across the web - use the search form below or browse the tunes. [Currently the index contains around 56,000 tunes in 18,000 files.]

You can also browse the tunes page by page or go to titles starting with each letter:

For more information:

• on how to use it, visit the search help page
• on the copyright policy, visit the copyright page

NOTE: Sorry, but there are no scores or lyrics for pop/rock music in the abc tune search (though you could try here). See the search help page for reasons why not.

Note for newcomers: If you've stumbled across this page by accident - perhaps via a web search - welcome, and thanks for visiting the abc web site!

abc is a text based format for music notation, popular all over the world, particularly for folk and traditional music. There are around 56,000 tunes available at this site alone (all of which can be viewed & downloaded in abc or staff notation, or played as midi through a computer sound card), along with loads of free software.

Because the format is so compact, it is easy share tunes via email or on websites such as this one.

Much of the music available in abc is from Irish, Scottish and other Celtic sources but there are also plenty of tunes from America, England, France, Scandinavia and all over Europe. There is even a sizeable collection of Chinese music.

In addition, many well-known historical collections of traditional song & dance music have been transcribed into abc - from collectors, composers & publishers (such as O'Neill, Carolan & Playford, to name but three), and from medieval & renaissance times onwards.

There is plenty of free software to transfer abc into ordinary staff notation or midi files which can be played on a computer.

And because of the popularity of abc amongst folk musicians there is even software which generates tabulature and fingering charts specifically for players of instruments such as guitar, mandolin & banjo (and other fretted, stringed instruments), fiddle / violin / voila, bagpipes, flute & whistle, diatonic accordion, trumpet, horn euphonium & tuba, harmonica and drums.