You can open the Music Scripting Window by running MNEditor open. in your Workspace.
To open the corresponding Preview Window click on open preview in the scripting window's options menu.
Whenever the script is saved, it is run automatically and the preview window is updated.
The basic syntax for adding notes in a script is name of pitch / duration where name of pitch consists of the step, octave and optionally the alter (e.g. c3f, g4, a5s) and duration is the inverse of the note's duration. This should be a power of 2 and can be modified by the dot method. Notes can be repeated using the * operator (e.g. c4 / 8 * 4). The alter can also be set via the messages f, n and s.
Rests can be created in a similar fashion by using r instead of the name of a pitch (e.g. r / 4).
To create chords you can either put them together manually by combining pitches with the + operator (e.g. c4 + e4 + g4) or by using chord messages (e.g.c maj).
Each measure can have a key which can be set with the keyFifths: message using the circle of fifths. Alternatively, keyCustom: or key: can be used to set a custom key manually. If the key of a measure is not set then it will use the key of the previous measure. By default, the time signature is set to 4/4 but can be changed with the message timeNumerator:denominator: (e.g. self measure timeNumerator: 5 denominator: 4.).
To add a new part, put in the following code:
self project addPart: (MNPart new addMeasure: MNMeasure new).All following notes will be added in the new part. To make the clef of the new part into a bass clef, use: self addFClef.
Notes, measures, parts and projects can be transposed using the transpose:, transposeFlat: and transposeSharp: messages.
To add a tie, type self startTie after the note from which it shall start and self stopTie after the note, at which it shall end.
Analougly, to add a slur, type self startSlur after the note from which it shall start and self stopSlur after the note, at which it shall end.
To add a prelude, type self prelude after the notes that shall belong to the prelude.
Eights are automatically grouped together. If you want to make three notes a triplet, type self triole after the creation of the three notes.
To add volume notation, like piano (p), forte (f), mezzoforte (mf), ... , write self setDynamics: 'mf'. The implemented volume signs reach from 'ppp' to 'fff'.
You can use local variables just like in every smalltalk method after declaring them in pipes in the beginning.
The resulting music can be played by adding the line project asSound play. (Note: This will result in the project playing whenever it is saved) and converted into MusicXML with project asXMLString or project asXMLElement or directly saved with project writeXMLWithFileChooser.
As another feature, you can click on the symbols in the preview. They will be highlighted both in the editor and the preview then, so you can easily see, which code lines create which symbols in the preview.
This is a short example script:
"Example Script"
| notes1 |
a3 / 1.
self measure keyFifths: 5.
c4 / 4 * 4.
self measure keyCustom: {$d -> -1}.
project addPart: (MNPart new addMeasure: MNMeasure new).
a4 + a3 / 4.
g4 s min / 2 dot.
d5 f maj7 / 2 dot dot.
g4 aug / 8.
project addPart: (MNPart new addMeasure: MNMeasure new).
notes1 := {c4 . d4 . e4 . f4}.
2 timesRepeat: [ notes1 / 4 ].
self measure transposeSharp: 2.
This is an example song, which implements mostly newer functionalities (you can also see it when you execute MNEditor openTutorial in a workspace):
"Smoke On The Water"
| lickOne |
"set key"
self measure keyFifths: 1.
"easy way to create chords"
d4 + g4 / 4.
"set dynamics"
self setDynamics: 'mf'.
"enter notes"
f4 + a4s / 4.
g4 + c5 / 4 dot.
d4 + g4 / 8.
"create tie"
self startTie.
d4 + g4 / 8.
self stopTie.
f4 + a4s / 4.
g4s + c5s / 8.
g4 + c5 / 2.
d4 + g4 / 4.
f4 + a4s / 4.
g4 + c5 / 4 dot.
f4 + a4s / 8.
self startTie.
f4 + a4s / 8.
self stopTie.
d4 + g4 / 2 dot dot.
"add new track"
project addPart: (MNPart new addMeasure: MNMeasure new).
"change clef"
self addFClef.
self measure keyFifths: 1.
"enter notes"
g1 / 8.
self setDynamics: 'ff'.
g1 / 8.
"create pattern"
lickOne := { g1 . g1 . g1 . g1 . g1 . g1 }.
2 timesRepeat: [ lickOne / 8 ].
g1 / 8 * 2.
g1 / 8 * 2.
"create slur"
self startSlur.
a1s / 8.
self stopSlur.
self startSlur.
a1s / 8.
self stopSlur.
c2 / 8 * 2.
c2 / 8.
a1s / 8.
self startTie.
a1s / 8.
self stopTie.
g1 / 8 * 4.
e1 / 8.
f1 / 8.
f1s / 8.
"play the song"
project asSound play.