ABC Takadimi Player Instructions
Overview
Load, type, or paste ABC tunes and play them with synchronized standard music notation, standard note names, and Takadimi rhythm syllables.
The Note Name & Takadimi pane displays the selected note-name and/or rhythm-syllable information during playback, notation clicks, and note-by-note navigation.
About Takadimi
Takadimi is a system for learning and speaking rhythms using syllables instead of counting numbers.
In simple meter, eighth notes use Ta–Di and sixteenth notes use Ta–Ka–Di–Mi. Triplets and compound-meter rhythms use other syllables.
For more information on Takadimi, please visit:
Takadimi reference:
Learning rhythm with the TAKADIMI system of rhythm solfege (PDF)
Opening and Selecting Tunes
Type or paste a single tune into the ABC editor, open an .abc or .txt file containing one or more tunes, or send tunes directly from ABC Transcription Tools.
For multi-tune files, use the Tune menu to select the tune to display and play. Edits are retained when changing tunes.
The ABC editor intentionally accepts only one pasted tune at a time; multi-tune collections should be opened as a file or transferred from ABC Transcription Tools.
For best results, use single-voice ABC tunes with explicit M: and L: fields. Multiple voices, meter changes, asymmetric meters such as 5/8 or 7/8, bracketed chords, inline key changes, and written 32nd notes or shorter note values are not supported. Compound-meter duplets dividing a complete beat use Ta–Di.
ABC Editing and Notation
The upper-left panel contains editable ABC. The lower-left panel shows standard music notation and playback controls.
The Notation display selector offers Notation Only, Notation + Note Name, Notation + Takadimi, and Notation + Note Name + Takadimi.
Notation + Note Name displays standard note names below the standard notation and in the large live display.
Notation + Takadimi is the default and replaces the note-name labels with rhythm syllables.
Notation + Note Name + Takadimi displays rhythm syllables below the note names in both the notation tablature and large display.
Notation Only omits both sets of labels. The display selection is remembered in this browser.
Editing the ABC rebuilds the notation and audio. Click a rendered note to select the matching ABC text and update the large note-name and/or rhythm display.
The Small / Medium / Large / Largest selector changes the ABC editor text size and remembers the choice in this browser.
Click any note head in the notation and then use ← and → below the Note Name & Takadimi pane to step through notes without playback.
Leave Use arrow keys? checked at the lower right of the note-name panel to navigate with the Left and Right Arrow keys, or jump to the first or last note with Home or End (including compatible Bluetooth keyboard foot pedals).
This option is on by default. Your choice is remembered in this browser, including when you open a shared tune or run a lesson. Share and lesson links do not change this setting.
When enabled, unmodified Left and Right Arrow keys step through notes, and Home and End jump to the first and last notes of the tune.
These keys navigate notes instead of moving the ABC editor cursor.
Keyboard shortcuts are temporarily disabled while dialogs or controls that use these keys are active. When this option is enabled, the shortcuts also work while the ABC editor has focus.
Uncheck the option to restore normal arrow-key behavior.
Note Name & Takadimi Display
The large display shows the current standard pitch name, Takadimi syllable, or both, depending on Notation display, synchronized with playback and note navigation.
Check Show note to also show the current pitch as a quarter note on a staff below the text display. Show note is remembered in this browser and is not included in share links.
Note names are displayed using sharps or flats according to the tune's K: key and mode. When Show note is enabled, the notation below the note name uses the same sharp or flat naming.
Check Hide to hide the entire large note-name/rhythm display for practice. Uncheck it to reveal the display. This setting is remembered during normal use and can be changed without saving during a lesson.
Note names use uppercase letters, octave commas below C4, and octave apostrophes above B4. For example: C3 = C,; C4 (middle C) = C; C5 = C'.
Use the Octave colors select to choose With Colors (the default) or Without Colors.
With Colors displays note names in black below D5, dark red from D5 through C#6, and orange from D6 upward; Without Colors displays note names in black. Takadimi syllables remain dark regardless of octave-color selection.
The octave color preference is remembered in this browser and included in normal share links and lesson links.
Playback and Tempo
As each melody note plays, the notation cursor follows the tune and the Note Name & Takadimi pane updates the current note name and/or rhythm syllable.
Playback uses MIDI program 0 (Acoustic Grand Piano) for the melody, and program 0 for bass and chords, overriding matching playback directives in the source ABC.
Check Metronome to add a meter-appropriate metronome click during playback. Changing this setting stops and rewinds the current tune. The metronome setting is remembered in this browser but is not included in share links.
Check Count in? to show a five-second countdown before playback starts when you click Play while playback is stopped.
The Count in setting is remembered in this browser.
Click Mute Melody in the Notation header to mute the piano melody. This is available for every tune, including tunes without chord symbols, so you can practice with the metronome alone. If the tune contains chord symbols, chord and bass accompaniment remain audible.
Toggling Mute Melody or Unmute Melody stops and rewinds the tune. If it was playing, playback restarts from the beginning after the five-second count-in when Count in? is enabled, or immediately when Count in is disabled. If the tune was stopped, it remains stopped.
The button changes to Unmute Melody; click it again to restore the piano melody.
The melody always starts unmuted when the tool is opened, and the mute setting resets to unmuted any time you change tunes or load a new tune collection.
Click Tempo in the Notation header to set playback tempo from 10% to 200% of the tune's original tempo. The value is remembered in this browser.
You can also click the tempo percentage box on the playback control bar:
Resizing and Full-Page View
On wide screens, drag the vertical divider to resize the left and Note Name & Takadimi panes, and drag the horizontal divider to resize the ABC and notation panes. Double-click a divider to reset it.
Click Full-Page View on the ABC, Notation, or Note Name & Takadimi pane to expand it to the full browser window. Click Exit Full-Page to return to the normal pane view.
Showing All Note Names and Rhythms for a Tune
Click All Note Names, All Rhythms, or All Note Names & Rhythms in the Notation pane header to view a printable sheet for the current tune in a new browser tab. The button title follows the current Notation display selection.
The separate printable sheet now includes its own Export PDF button, with the same Letter/A4 paper and portrait/landscape preferences as the main notation exporter.
The sheet shows standard note names, Takadimi syllables, or both as selected, including barlines, repeats, and endings, with one row per notation staff and no music notation.
The sheet respects the current Octave colors setting for note names, including when printing. In Notation Only mode, the sheet button is disabled.
The All Note Names / Rhythms sheet supports single-voice melodies only. Tunes with multiple voices, multi-note chords (such as [AB]), or inline key changes (such as [K:G]) are not supported; an alert will appear instead.
Use your browser’s print controls to print the sheet or save it as a PDF.
For best results with dense tunes, use landscape orientation when printing.
This feature requires pop-ups to be allowed on your browser.
Click Save to save the complete currently loaded tune collection, including edits. On mobile devices the saved file uses a .txt extension.
Share opens the Sharing Controls dialog. Choose Share Current Tune for the current tune or Share All Tunes for the complete loaded collection. The Sharing Controls dialog closes and the selected link opens in a Share Link dialog where you can copy it, save it as a text file, test it in a new browser tab, or open the ABC in the ABC Transcription Tools. Click Close to close the Share Link dialog.
Open in ABCTT opens the selected ABC in the ABC Transcription Tools ABC Editor in a new browser tab, without instrument-specific formatting. For a Lesson Share Link, lesson-only information is omitted and only the tune is sent to ABC Transcription Tools.
Settings received from a share link are used for that visit without changing your saved preferences. If you change any player setting, the current share-link settings become your saved preferences too. Opening a file with Browse loads its ABC only and does not change player settings.
The Notation display setting is not included in normal share links. Opening a normal share link retains your existing Notation display preference.
When ABC arrives through a share link or direct transfer, click Click to Enable Playback if the browser requires a user gesture before audio can start.
Custom Takadimi Beat Grouping
For meters that can be felt in different ways, use the private ABC directive %%takadimi_grouping anywhere after the tune's X: field to override automatic beat grouping.
Write the grouping as positive numbers separated by plus signs, using the meter denominator as the unit.
For example, in M:6/4, three half-note beats can be specified with:
%%takadimi_grouping 2+2+2
For two dotted-half-note beats, use:
%%takadimi_grouping 3+3
The first grouping places Ta at the start of each half-note beat; the second uses compound-beat syllables with Ta at the start of each dotted-half-note beat.
For six quarter-note beats, use:
%%takadimi_grouping 1+1+1+1+1+1
This allows quarter-note-aligned triplets to begin with Ta on a main beat.
The grouping must add up to the meter numerator, and each group must contain one, two, or three denominator units.
If the directive is invalid, the player uses its usual automatic grouping and shows a small yellow warning banner.
The directive applies only to its tune, is retained in saved and shared ABC, and does not alter the written notation or playback durations.
Use %%takadimi_offbeat_triplet_syllables to customize complete equal-duration triplets that start between main beats; triplets starting on a main beat always use Ta Ki Da.
Specify one to three space-separated syllables to replace Ta Ki Da from left to right, leaving unspecified syllables unchanged; use - to suppress any syllable.
Without the directive, offbeat triplets use Ta Ki Da; invalid or duplicate directives are ignored and display a yellow warning.
This optional pronunciation override is not an established Takadimi convention and does not change notation or playback timing.
Example 1: Two ways to group the same 6/4 measure.
With L:1/8, the following six quarter notes fill one measure, and only the grouping directive changes between these examples.
M:6/4 L:1/8 %%takadimi_grouping 2+2+2 K:C C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 A2|
2+2+2 result: Ta Di Ta Di Ta Di (three half-note beats).
M:6/4 L:1/8 %%takadimi_grouping 3+3 K:C C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 A2|
3+3 result: Ta Ki Da Ta Ki Da (two dotted-half-note beats).
Example 2: An offbeat triplet in 6/4 with 3+3 grouping.
The triplet (3EFG begins on the third quarter-note position, inside the first dotted-half-note beat rather than at its beginning.
M:6/4 L:1/8 %%takadimi_grouping 3+3 K:C C2 D2 (3EFG A2 B2 c2|
Default result: Ta Ki Ta Ki Da Ta Ki Da.
To replace only the triplet's first syllable, add the following directive after the X: field.
M:6/4 %%takadimi_grouping 3+3 %%takadimi_offbeat_triplet_syllables Va
First-syllable replacement result: Ta Ki Va Ki Da Ta Ki Da.
To replace all three syllables, use the following directives instead.
M:6/4 %%takadimi_grouping 3+3 %%takadimi_offbeat_triplet_syllables Va Za Zu
Full replacement result: Ta Ki Va Za Zu Ta Ki Da.
Only the offbeat triplet changes in these examples; syllables for the other notes remain the same.
Export PDF
Use Export PDF to save the current tune as a PDF containing the notation and any displayed tablature.
Choose Letter or A4 paper and Portrait or Landscape orientation.
Each complete staff/tablature system stays together, with systems that do not fit moving to the next page.
For multipage tunes, page numbers appear centered at the bottom of each page.
A status dialog shows progress while the PDF is generated.
On an iPhone or iPad, tap Save PDF when the file is ready to open the iOS share sheet.
Choose Save to Files or another destination from that sheet.
On other devices, the PDF downloads automatically.
PDF export settings are saved locally and are not included in share or lesson links.
Printing Limitations
While running this tool, you can use your browser's Print feature to print the music notation displayed in the notation pane.
Tunes that are longer than one page may be cut off or clipped in the printout.
The browser's print scaling controls will not affect the size of the printed notation.
Experimenting with other paper sizes, such as Tabloid instead of Letter, may allow a longer tune to fit on a single page.
Manually setting larger left and right margins in the browser's Print dialog can often allow more staves to fit on a single page or possibly help with cleaner pagination.
Lesson Information for Music Teachers
Share opens the Sharing Controls dialog. Choose Configure Lesson… to create, edit, save, load, or share a lesson for your students.
A lesson uses the current tune only.
Enter a lesson title and instructions in the Configure Lesson dialog.
The lesson title and instructions are remembered in this browser while you work and are restored the next time you open Configure Lesson.
Save Lesson Configuration saves a reusable text file containing the current tune, lesson title, instructions, and the player settings carried by a normal Takadimi Player share link, plus the lesson-specific Notation display selection.
Load Lesson Configuration can open either a saved Lesson Configuration file or a Lesson Link saved as a text file.
The Octave colors selection is included in lesson links and saved lesson configurations as the initial student setting; students may change it during a lesson without changing their saved preference.
The Notation display selection is included in lesson links and saved lesson configurations as the initial student setting. Students may change it during a lesson without changing their saved preference.
You can also open a saved Lesson Configuration with the main ABC file Browse button. In this case, only the ABC tune is loaded; the lesson title, instructions, and saved player settings are not applied.
If one or more tunes are already loaded, the tool asks for confirmation before replacing them with the lesson tune.
Loading a lesson configuration restores its tune, lesson title, instructions, and saved player settings. The restored player settings also become your saved preferences for future use.
Create Lesson Link creates a share link for the current tune containing the lesson title and instructions plus the player settings carried by a normal share link and the lesson-specific Notation display selection.
The generated lesson link opens in the same Share Link dialog, stacked over the Configure Lesson dialog, where it can be copied to the clipboard, saved as a text file, tested in a new browser tab, or opened in the ABC Transcription Tools with lesson-only parameters removed. Click Back to close the Lesson Share Link dialog and return to Configure Lesson.
The Hide checkbox beside Show note lets you prepare a lesson with the note-name and/or rhythm display initially hidden. Its checked or unchecked state is included in Lesson Links and saved Lesson Configurations. Students can change Hide during the lesson.
Lesson Information for Students
Your music teacher may provide you with a Takadimi Player lesson link.
Open the lesson link in your web browser to load the tune, lesson instructions, and the player settings chosen by your teacher.
Read the lesson information that appears, then click Start Lesson when you are ready to begin.
After clicking Start Lesson, click Click to Enable Playback to enable the audio playback controls.
The tune selector is initially disabled for the teacher's assigned tune, but the Notation display and Octave colors selectors remain available.
The Browse and Save controls remain available while you are using a lesson, but the Share control is hidden so you cannot create share links or lessons.
You can use the normal notation, note-name/rhythm display, playback, tempo, metronome, count-in, and full-page controls while working on the lesson. The Notation display and Octave colors settings start with your teacher's selections, but you can change them during the lesson without changing your saved preferences for normal player use.
You can edit the ABC if your teacher asks you to make changes.
Click Save to save your edited ABC.
You can use Browse to load a saved ABC file back into the player or open another ABC file. After you load an ABC file, the tune selector is unlocked so you can select any tune in that file.
The Hide checkbox beside Show note may be initially checked by your teacher to let you practice without seeing note names or Takadimi syllables. Uncheck Hide to reveal the display, or check it again to practice without it. Changing Hide during a lesson does not change your saved preference for normal player use.
About
This tool was created by Michael Eskin
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