This page contains a whole series of abc examples starting from notes, beams, etc right through to some fairly complex tunes.

• Notes / pitches
• Note lengths
• Beams
• Bar lines
• Unit note length
• Broken rhythm markers
• Tuplets
• Ties and slurs
• Accidentals
• Chord symbols
• Accents
• Grace notes
• Chords
• Keys and modes
• Speed the Plough
• Paddy O'Rafferty (Jig)
• Kitchen Girl (Reel)
• Dusty Miller (commented)
• Old Sir Simon the King (commented)
• Jericho (chord symbols)
• Jericho (tenor sax)
• Jericho (hidden voice)
• Lyrics
• Polyphony

In each case, the staff notation is given first, followed by its translation into abc version.

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X:1
T:Notes / pitches
M:C
L:1/4
K:C treble
C, D, E, F, | G, A, B, C | D E F G | A B c d | e f g a | b c' d' e' | f' g' a' b' |]

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X:1
T:Note lengths
M:
K:C
A/4 A/2 A/ A A2 A3 A4 A6 A7 A8 A12 A16 |]

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X:1
T:Beams
M:C
K:C
A B c d AB cd | ABcd ABc2 | ABcdABcd |]

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X:1
T:Bar lines
M:C
K:C
[| A4 A4 | A4 A4 || A4 A4 | A4 A4 |]
|: A4 A4 | A4 A4 :: A4 A4 | A4 A4 ::
A4 A4 | A4 A4 |1 A4 A4 :|2 A4 A4 | A4 A4 |]

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X:1
T:Unit note length
T:Same notes / different notation
M:
K:C
L:1/16
A/2 A A2 A4 A8 A16 |]
L:1/8
A/4 A/2 A A2 A4 A8 |]
L:1/4
A/8 A/4 A/2 A A2 A4 |]

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X:1
T:Broken rhythm markers
M:3/4
K:C
A>A A2>A2 | A<A A2<A2 | A>>A A2>>>A2 | A<<A A2<<<A2 |]

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X:1
T:Tuplets
M:C
K:C
(2AB (3ABA (4ABAB (5ABABA (6ABABAB (7ABABABA|]

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X:1
T:Ties and slurs
M:C
K:C
(AA) (A(A)A) ((AA)A) (A|A) A-A A-A-A A2-|A4|]

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X:1
T:Accidentals
M:C
K:C
__A _A =A ^A ^^A |]

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X:1
T:Chord symbols
M:C
K:C
"A"A "Gm7"D "Bb"F "F#"A |]

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X:1
T:Accents
M:C
K:C
~A ~c .A .c vA vc uA uc|]

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X:1
T:Grace notes
M:6/8
K:C
{g}A3 A{g}AA|{gAGAG}A3 {g}A{d}A{e}A|]

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X:1
T:Chords
M:2/4
K:C
[CEGc] [C2G2] [CE][DF] | [D2F2][EG][FA] [A4d4]|]

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X:1
T:Keys and modes
M:4/4
K:C
T:C/CMAJOR/Cmajor
CDEF GABc |\
K:CMAJOR
CDEF GABc |\
K:Cmajor
CDEF GABc |]
T:C maj/ C major/C Major
K:C maj
CDEF GABc |\
K: C major
CDEF GABc |\
K:C Major
CDEF GABc |]
T:C Lydian/C Ionian/C Mixolydian
K:C Lydian
CDEF GABc |\
K:C Ionian
CDEF GABc |\
K:C Mixolydian
CDEF GABc |]
T:C Dorian/C Minor/Cm
K:C Dorian
CDEF GABc |\
K:C Minor
CDEF GABc |\
K:Cm
CDEF GABc |]
T:C Aeolian/C Phrygian/C Locrian
K:C Aeolian
CDEF GABc |\
K:C Phrygian
CDEF GABc |\
K:C Locrian
CDEF GABc |]

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X:1
T:Speed the Plough
M:4/4
C:Trad.
K:G
|:GABc dedB|dedB dedB|c2ec B2dB|c2A2 A2BA|
  GABc dedB|dedB dedB|c2ec B2dB|A2F2 G4:|
|:g2gf gdBd|g2f2 e2d2|c2ec B2dB|c2A2 A2df|
  g2gf g2Bd|g2f2 e2d2|c2ec B2dB|A2F2 G4:|

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X:1
T:Paddy O'Rafferty (Jig)
C:Trad.
O:Irish
R:Jig
M:6/8
K:D
dff cee|def gfe|dff cee|dfe dBA|
dff cee|def gfe|faf gfe|1 dfe dBA:|2 dfe dcB|]
~A3 B3|gfe fdB|AFA B2c|dfe dcB|
~A3 ~B3|efe efg|faf gfe|1 dfe dcB:|2 dfe dBA|]
fAA eAA|def gfe|fAA eAA|dfe dBA|
fAA eAA|def gfe|faf gfe|dfe dBA:|

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X:1
T:Kitchen Girl (Reel)
C:Trad.
O:American
R:Reel
M:C
K:D
[a4c4] [g4B4]|efed c2cd|e2f2 gaba|g2e2 e2fg|
a4 g4|efed cdef|g2d2 efed|c2A2 A4:|
K:G
ABcA BAGB|ABAG EDEG|A2AB c2d2|e3f edcB|
ABcA BAGB|ABAG EGAB|cBAc BAG2|A4 A4:|

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X:1                        % tune no 1
T:Dusty Miller (commented) % title
T:Binny's Jig              % an alternative title
C:Trad.                    % traditional
O:English                  % origin
R:DH                       % double hornpipe
M:3/4                      % meter
K:G                        % key
B>cd BAG|FA Ac BA|B>cd BAG|DG GB AG:|
Bdd gfg|aA Ac BA|Bdd gfa|gG GB AG:|
BG G/2G/2G BG|FA Ac BA|BG G/2G/2G BG|DG GB AG:|
W:Hey, the dusty miller, and his dusty coat;
W:He will win a shilling, or he spend a groat.
W:Dusty was the coat, dusty was the colour;
W:Dusty was the kiss, that I got frae the miller.

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X:1
T:Old Sir Simon the King (commented)
C:Trad.               % composer
S:Offord MSS          % source
N:see also Playford   % notes
M:9/8                 % meter
R:SJ                  % rhythm
Q:1/4=160             % tempo
Z:originally in C     % transcription notes
K:G                   % key
D|GFG GAG G2D|GFG GAG F2D|EFE EFE EFG|A2G F2E D2:|
D|GAG GAB d2D|GAG GAB c2D|[1 EFE EFE EFG|A2G F2E D2:|
M:12/8                % change meter for a bar
[2 E2E EFE E2E EFG|\
M:9/8                 % change back again
A2G F2E D2|]

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X:1
T:Jericho (chord symbols)
T:Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
C:Anon.
M:C
L:1/8
K:Dm
"Dm"D^CDE FF G2|"Dm"A A2 A-A4|"A7"G G2 G-G4|"Dm"A A2 A-A4|
"Dm"D^CDE FF G2|"Dm"A A2 A-A2 FG|"A7"A2 G2 F2 E2|"Dm"D6"^Fine"||dd|
"Dm"dA AA A3 A|"Dm"A A3- "A7"A2 AA|"Dm"AA AA A2 A2|"A7"A6 ^c2|
"Dm"d2 A2 "A7"A A3|"Dm"A2 A2- "A7"A2 AA|"Dm"AA G2 "A7"E2 D2|"Dm"D8|]

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X:1
T:Jericho (tenor sax)
T:Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
N:adapted for transposing instruments such as a tenor sax
N:see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5r0I3xTP6I&t=1230s
C:Anon.
M:C
L:1/8
%%MIDI transpose -14
%%MIDI program 67
%%MIDI chordprog 1 octave=2
%%MIDI bassprog 1 octave=2
R:Hornpipe
K:Dm
"Dm"D^CDE FF G2|"Dm"A A2 A-A4|"A7"G G2 G-G4|"Dm"A A2 A-A4|
"Dm"D^CDE FF G2|"Dm"A A2 A-A2 FG|"A7"A2 G2 F2 E2|"Dm"D6"^Fine"||dd|
"Dm"dA AA A3 A|"Dm"A A3- "A7"A2 AA|"Dm"AA AA A2 A2|"A7"A6 ^c2|
"Dm"d2 A2 "A7"A A3|"Dm"A2 A2- "A7"A2 AA|"Dm"AA G2 "A7"E2 D2|"Dm"D8|]
%%writefields N

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X:1
T:Jericho (hidden voice)
T:Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
N:using a hidden voice to separate out the chord symbols
N:see https://youtu.be/HxLKo4HL19g
C:Anon.
M:C
L:1/8
R:Hornpipe
%%MIDI transpose -14
%%staves (melody chords)
K:Dm
V:melody
%%MIDI program 67
D^CDE FF G2|A A2 A-A4|G G2 G-G4|A A2 A-A4|
D^CDE FF G2|A A2 A-A2 FG|A2 G2 F2 E2|D6"^Fine"||dd|
dA AA A3 A|A A3- A2 AA|AA AA A2 A2|A6 ^c2|
d2 A2 A A3|A2 A2- A2 AA|AA G2 E2 D2|D8|]
V:chords
%%MIDI chordprog 1 octave=2
%%MIDI bassprog 1 octave=2
"Dm"x4     x4 | "Dm"x4     x4 | "A7"x4     x4 | "Dm"x4 x4 |
"Dm"x4     x4 | "Dm"x4     x4 | "A7"x4     x4 | "Dm"x4 x4 |
"Dm"x4     x4 | "Dm"x4 "A7"x4 | "Dm"x4     x4 | "A7"x4 x4 |
"Dm"x4 "A7"x4 | "Dm"x4 "A7"x4 | "Dm"x4 "A7"x4 | "Dm"x4 x4 |]

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X:1
T:Lyrics
N:see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWNeCjid0zc
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C
% use the w: field to add lyrics, with each word lined up on a note
A A A A | A A A A |
w:words line up on notes
%
% to align syllables on notes, use hyphens and/or spaces to split the words up
A A A A | A A A A |
w:syl-la-ble, syl- la- ble
%
% to align two (or more) syllables on a single note, don't split them up or use backslash hypen \-
A2  A2 | A2 A2 | 
w:syllable, syl\-la\-ble
%
% to align two (or more) words on a single note, use a tilde ~ between the words
A4 | A A A A | 
w:word~word syl-la-ble
%
% to align two (or more) notes on a syllable or word, use an underscore
A2  A2 | A A A A  | 
w:word_ syl-la-ble_
%
% to skip one (or more) notes, i.e. to include blank syllables, use an asterisk *
A A A A | A A A A |
w:word * * * syl-la-ble *
%
% to save typing in lots of asterisks, advance to the next barline with a bar symbol |
A A A A | A A A A |
w:word | syl-la-ble |
%
% to include multipe verses, use multiple w: fields
A A A A | A A A A |
w:syl-la-ble | syl- la- ble
w:word | syl-la-ble 
%
% to include more verses underneath use W: fields (upper case)
W: This is verse two of my song
W: Syl-la-ble, word
W: 
W: This is verse three of my song
W: Word, word, syl-la-ble!
W: 
%%writefields N

A good example of lyrics in use (Amazing Grace)

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Polyphony

A number of polyphony examples are discussed in the YouTube video How to write abc notation for multiple voices (polyphony) including:

• A simple example of 2-voice counterpoint (Amazing Grace)
• An example of using a hidden voice for chord symbols (Jericho)
• An example SATB score, using absolute pitching
• An example SATB score, using relative pitching
• A full SATB score (Ding Dong! Merrily On High)

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