Tentative typeset of tablatures

using MusiXT

E

X and lutefonts of Wayne Cripps

This pages results of a combination of T

E

X, MusiXT

E

X from Daniel Taupin (taupin@lps.u-psud.fr) and the

lute fonts of Wayne Cripps (wbc@cs.dartmouths.edu). Being an enthousiast user of the tab program of Wayne,

I de�nitively encourage everybody who is confronted with the need for typesetting lute tablatures, to use this

program : it o�ers both the inherent advantages of T

E

X and a simplicity of use, dedicated to the preparation of

lute tablatures. I consider the present work as a more or less scholar exercice, pretexting to reach some features

not directly available in Wayne's tab.

It results from this not only that the encoding of a tablature sheet by my method is a tedious and time

consuming job, but also that a big programming e�ort should still be spent in order to make simple features

available. This can be related to the general fascination power of the lute : the most di�cult steps you go in

approaching it are nothing compared to the di�culty of playing the instrument: : :

This document is intended to be printed on a 600 dpi printer.

MusiXT

E

X is a character based musical typeset tool, based on systems, sta�s, clefs, time symbols, bars and

notes (themself consisting of a head, a stem and some ag). Each note has a pitch which determines its position

on the sta� in combination with the clef. Here, I decided to disconnect notes from their pitch : the tab sta� is well

a musical sta�; time symbols above the tab-sta� are well MusiXT

E

X notes (with or without heads, and with some

speci�c layout parameters in order to obtain a certain aesthetic result); but, on the opposite, note symbols (letters

or �gures) are alpha-numeric characters drawn on a position one has to encode. Here are a few bars of Anthony

Holborne.

a

b

²

a

(

�

f

(

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²

²

c

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c

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a

b

b

c

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a

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f

a

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b

²

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a

c

c

(

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a

�

Old printed tablature books look sometimes very primitive compared to some manuscript tablatures,

maybe because of the relatively limited possibilities of the very �rst printing techniques. With such a modern

tool as MusiXT

E

X one can try to imitate manuscripts. There are at least two reasons for doing so : �rstly some

manuscripts are in very bad conservation status, the music must be re-written; secondly manuscripts are very

e�cient in making the music clear to understand while using a minimum of signs. This results sometimes in

tablatures which are more confortable to play. For instance, slant grids do make the grouping of notes more visual.

And long downward stems do better show the synchronism between upper and lower part of the music. From

Danyel's Rosa (Add. 3056) :

Lute

a

b

c

a c

��

��

a

b

²

)

b ²

a

²

*

² b

��

��

��

²

a

b ²

�

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a

a

b

c

b

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(etc: : : )

c

a

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a

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c a

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a

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f ² c a

a c

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a

a

a c

¨

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²

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(etc: : : )

(m.caprace@brussels.saitrh.com { October 1996) 1

Note spacing and line breaking are basic problems in musical typesetting. At the beginning of music

printing, lines were �lled with notes, equally spaced; line break occurred when the line was �lled, whatever the

position of bars. For confortable playing, you need rather longer spacing for notes with longer duration. And

automatic line breaking relies generally on integer numbers of bars in each line. Herebelow are some measures of

a tablature for renaissance guitar by Fuenllana. First using equal spacing like in the original printed book, and

manual line breaking.

F~ata�a D.

�

Ø

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Now, the same music typeset with proportional spacing and automatic line breaking.

F~ata�a D.

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Obviously, manuscripts can present an unlimited number of variations in the notation of speci�c musical

elements. For instance, the Thysius manuscript is handwritten on printed empty staves of 7 lines; in vocal pieces,

the bass courses (diapasons) are indicated by the letter a on the seventh line, subscripted with a �gure that indicates

the rank of the bass course (nothing or 1 for the seventh course, 2 for the eighth course and so on).

Psal. 23

Goudimel

a

a

c

a

)

c

*

a

.

c

c

.

a c

.

a

c

²

a

a

.

c ²

.

a

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²

a

²

.

a c

.

a

b

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.

a

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.

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a

.

c

a

.

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.

b ²

.

a

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.

a c

.

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c

)

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.

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.

c e

.

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.

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)

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)

c a

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3

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.

a c

.

Except for songs, multiple systems under each other are rarely found in old books. But they are nowadays

2 (m.caprace@brussels.saitrh.com { October 1996)

frequently used, for lyrics or text simutlaneously with instruments, or for the separation of voices in a polyphonical

tablature. Here follows an excerpt from John Dowland with a keyboard transcription of the tablature.

¨

Keyboard

transcription

Lute

I

G

2

2

R

R

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)

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8

a

(

The following piece is a canon for two lutes attributed to Francesco da Milano. The original manuscript

contains only a single line of tablature. Writing both musical lines one above the other makes the counterpoint

more visible and easier to synchronize during actual playing.

Lute 2

Lute 1

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Lute duets have sometimes been typeset in the past in a very practical layout : one part on the left page, the

other one on the right page but bottom-up, so that both players could share the same book, playing one in front

of the other, on both sides of the same table. One may prefer to have both parts the one above the other on the

same page. The next piece was published by Phalese in 1578. In the same book he gives also a version for solo lute.

Here, the �rst musical phrase of the lute duet is compared with the original vocal version by Claudin de Sermisy

(CMM 52 - IV). Diminutions in the lute version can clearly be distinguished. In order to underline di�erences in

(m.caprace@brussels.saitrh.com { October 1996) 3

the treatment of the musica �cta, I added some un-necessary accidents in the vocal staves. The text is written in

accordance with the superius voice.

�

�

Lute 2

Lute 1

Ad Quartam

T.

B.

S.

A.

I

G

2

2

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R

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It has been a pleasure for me to do this work and I would like to express my gratefulness to the persons

who introduced me into the world of the lute and the typesetting of music.

Michel Caprace

4 (m.caprace@brussels.saitrh.com { October 1996)