lmNotation

This guide is version 0.1 of the lmNotation standard.

In short: Leitmotif Notation, a compact way to write short phrases of music in a key-relative, intervallic format. Much of its syntax is inspired by solfège and the Lilypond file format.

What is lmNotation?

lmNotation, or Leitmotif Notation, is a way of writing phrases of music (or motifs) in a way that is key-relative, or without key. It assumes the following holds true:

• The intended phrase adheres (at least loosely) to the diatonic scale, or is a derivative/relative of the diatonic scale
• The phrase has a tonal center (lmNotation is not ideal for atonal or twelve-tone music)
• [More to be added...]

It shares slight similarities with LilyPond notation, although it is less strict in that all notes are relative to a relative tonic center, and a key signature is not a prerequisite.

This also means that lmNotation follows movable do, where the pitch of do shifts based on where the tonic center is located for that particular motif.

For example, where in traditional notation programs, a key of C major would be defined, lmNotation only requires that the motif contain a tonic, centered on the solfège do.

Examples

As examples are often the best way to dive into a new concept, let's begin with a couple basic phrases, and example how they can be expressed in lmNotation.

Example One: Diatonic Major Scale

A typical diatonic major scale in 4/4 time would be written thusly:

{4/4|do4 re4 mi4 fa4 sol4 la4 ti4 do4}

There are several basic features to note:

1. Each motif begins and ends with curly braces: { }.
2. The first section of a motif is the time signature. In this example, the time signature in this example is 4/4 time.
3. A pipe ("|") separates the time signature with the next section.
4. This next section contains the actual notes of the motif.
   • Each note is separated by a single space
   • Each note contains two pieces of information, a solfège representation of the note, and its length, relative to the time signature defined in the previous section.
5. The note length behaves much like you would expect. A 4 in 4/4 time is a typical quarter note, and is held for exactly one beat.

A defining feature of lmNotation is the fact that every motif is key-relative. It differs from traditional notation methods in that a motif can be written without a key in mind, and can be transposed at will when needed. Other notation software (e.g. LilyPond, or Sibelius) depend on having a discrete key signature, which means that later transposition requires processing and translation.

Example Two: Non-Diatonic Scales

Nothing stops you from writing other motifs in other scale system. Here is a major pentatonic scale:

{4/4|do4 re4 mi4 sol4 la4 do4 la4 sol4 mi4 re4 do1}

... and a minor pentatonic scale:

{4/4|la4 do4 re4 mi4 sol4 la2.}
or...
{4/4|do4 mey4 fa4 sol4 tey4 do2.}

This last example also introduces the dot, which, like LilyPond notation, behaves much like a dot in regular music. It extends the length of the note by half of its base value. In the above case, a half note (2, or two beats, in 4/4 time) is held for three beats.

Also, the second minor pentatonic scale motif contains two accidentals: mey and tey. Solfège containing the suffix -ey are lowered a half-step, while solfège with the suffix -i are raised a half step (e.g. si, ti).

Contribute

Contributions are always welcome, although in its infancy, the lmNotation spec is intentionally sparse, as it will grow in tandem with lmNotation parsers and translators.

To request changes to the spec, fork this project, make changes, and create a pull request. If required, the changes will be discussed before it is implemented into the spec as a new version.

Related Projects

• lmNotation-php – A PHP class library containing:
  • a parser that reads lmNotation strings (not started)
  • a translator that outputs LilyPond notation (not started)

Version History

• [Proposed] v0.1.1 – Additions to the lmNotation spec
  • Support for transpositions (^sol to transpose up a fifth, _sol to transpose down a fouth?)
  • Force upward/downward interval (do2 'sol2 and do2 ,fa2 – like LilyPond)
  • Triplets (how does LilyPond support triplets?)
  • Support for alternate spellings of solfège: doh, ra, me, se, so, le, and te
• v0.1 – Codified the base format of an lmNotation motif
  • {} start/end
  • Spaces for note separation
  • Example: {4/4|do2 sol2 mi1}
  • Accepted solfège: do, di/rah, re, ri/may, mi, fa, fi/say, sol, si/ley, la, li/tey, and ti