Music Score Feature Test

This article demonstrates the music score rendering feature using ABC notation in RST files.

Simple Melody

Here's a simple melody using ABC notation:

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Another classic children's song:

Scale Practice

A simple C major scale:

Features

The music score renderer supports:

• ABC notation: Text-based music notation format
• Titles: Display titles above the music score
• Staff lines: Automatic rendering of 5-line staff
• Clefs: Treble clef display
• Time signatures: Displayed at the beginning of each staff
• Key signatures: Automatic key signature display
• Notes: Simplified note rendering with stems
• Bar lines: Visual separation of measures
• Download: Click the download button to save as SVG with copyright

How to Use

To add a music score to your RST content, use the musicscore directive:

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Supported Options

• title: Display title above the music score (optional)

ABC Notation Basics

ABC notation uses simple text characters to represent music:

• X: Index number
• T: Title
• M: Meter (time signature)
• L: Default note length
• K: Key signature
• Notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B (lowercase for higher octave)
• Bar lines: |
• Note lengths: 2 (half note), 4 (quarter note), 8 (eighth note)

Future Enhancements

Planned features for the music score renderer:

• Full ABC notation support (chords, repeats, multi-measure rests)
• LilyPond notation support
• MusicXML import/export
• Audio playback using Web Audio API
• Transposition capabilities
• Multiple clefs (bass, alto, tenor)
• Multi-staff support for piano and orchestral scores

For more information, see the :doc:`/features/music_scores/music_scores_design_spec`.