Re: Notation for drums

[Zdeněk Böhm]

Hello,

Jan Nieuwenhuizen wrote:
> However, we got complaints that certain midi players
> on windows refuse to set an instrument on channel 10.

You can't set instrument on channel 10. You don't need this. The truth is
what Mats wrote:
'drum channel translated different "pitches" to different percussion
instruments. '

You can't use channel 10 for any other instrument than percussion and you
can't use other channel for percussion. Drums are group of different
instruments, and every one from thouse has only one pitch.

Here is a list of instruments on channel 10:

General MIDI unpitched percussion by pitch number

81 Open Triangle          80 Mute Triangle            79 Open Cuica
78 Mute Cuica              77 Low Woodblock      76 High Woodblock
75 Claves                      74 Long Guiro               73 Short Guiro
72 Long Whistle            71 Short Whistle            70 Maracas
69 Cabasa                    68 Low Agogo               67 High Agogo
66 Low Timbale            65 High Timbale             64 Low Conga
63 Open High Conga    62 Mute High Conga      61 Low Bongo
60 High Bongo              59 Ride Cymbal 2          58 Vibraslap
57 Crash Cymbal 2       56 Cowbell                    55 Splash Cymbal
54 Tambourine              53 Ride Bell                   52 Chinese Cymbal
51 Ride Cymbal 1         50 High Tom                  49 Crash Cymbal 1
48 High-Mid Tom         47 Low-Mid Tom          46 Closed High-hat
45 High Floor Tom       44 Pedal High-hat           43 High Floor Tom
42 Closed High-hat       41 Low Floor Tom         40 Electric Snare
39 Hand Clap               38 Acoustic Snare           37 Side Stick
36 Bass Drum 1            35 Acoustic Bass Drum

And here is table lists the numbers corresponding to notes for use in note
on and note off commands.

Octave||       Note Numbers
   #  ||
       || C    | C#  | D     | D#  | E     | F    | F#  | G     | G#   | A
| A#  | B
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
   0  ||   0   |  1    |   2   |  3    |   4   |  5    |   6   |  7    |   8
|  9    |  10  | 11
   1  ||  12  | 13   |  14  | 15   |  16  | 17   |  18  | 19   |  20  | 21
|  22  | 23
   2  ||  24  | 25   |  26  | 27   |  28  | 29   |  30  | 31   |  32  | 33
|  34  | 35
   3  ||  36  | 37   |  38  | 39   |  40  | 41   |  42  | 43   |  44  | 45
|  46  | 47
   4  ||  48  | 49   |  50  | 51   |  52  | 53   |  54  | 55   |  56  | 57
|  58  | 59
   5  ||  60  | 61   |  62  | 63   |  64  | 65   |  66  | 67   |  68  | 69
|  70  | 71
   6  ||  72  | 73   |  74  | 75   |  76  | 77   |  78  | 79   |  80  | 81
|  82  | 83
   7  ||  84  | 85   |  86  | 87   |  88  | 89   |  90  | 91   |  92  | 93
|  94  | 95
   8  ||  96  | 97   |  98  | 99   | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106
| 107
   9  || 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 |
119
  10 || 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 |

This means, if you send midi event "note on " with parameter 46 (note A#,
octave 3) to channel 10, you hear Closed High-hat, if you send midi event
"note on " with parameter 50 (note D, octave 4) to channel 10, you hear High
Tom. Understand? I'm missing english words for better explanation.

Second problem is a note position. For example, notes for High-hat lays up
five line. If you interested about it, I send you complete picture.

Mats wrote:
> How is this handled in other notation software?

I don't now, but most of other software cannot set note head to cross (it is
need for notes for cymbals). This software probably fully ignored drums.

regards Zdenek