Error Message when importing ABC Format
I'm new to MuseScore and tried to import a tune written in .abc; it came up with the following message: tag mismatch
at line 5 column 11. Can anyone explain what that might be and where I might find it? ABC is not written in columns.
Comments
FWIW, "columns" just refers to a character position within a line - a computerese term leftover from the days of fixed width fonts. So the message is really saying the error is on the 11th character of the 5th line.
I assume you are using the ABC Import plugin? I have seen this message too. on some files where it didn't seem to make sense. I think it might have actually been complaining about the XML file that is used as an intermediate step? That is, the conversion from ABC to XML went OK, but then MuseScore couldn't read the XML file for whatever reason, and the error was on line 5 column 11 of the generated XML file, not line 5 column 11 of the original ABC source.
Anyhow, I don't seem to be seeing that error now; everything I just tried worked fine. Are you still seeing the error? If so, could you post the ABC file? I believe the plugin sends your input to another machine that is running Willem Vree's abc2xml converter. I have that installed on my own machine so I could test and see if there is a problem with the ABC file itself or with the output of abc2xml.
In reply to FWIW, "columns" just refers by Marc Sabatella
Thanks Marc. The files is enclosed:
X: 1
T: Mr & Mrs MacLean of Snaigow
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: Air
K: Dmaj
|:EF|D4+slide+FG |+slide+A4ed |+slide+B3{c}B AF| E4EF|D2 +slide+F3 G| +slide+A4{a}gf|+slide+e2{g}edB|
+slide+A4(3ABc| cd A2 {B}A G| +slide+F2{A}F G A D|+slide+B3 {A}G F D|+slide+E4 AF| D2 F3 A|+slide+B2 +slide+e2{g}e c|A6-| {B}A4:|fg|+slide+a3g{a}g f| e4 {a}ef|g2 B3 d|c4 fg| a2 f2d2|G4 AB| A6-|{B}A4 fg||
+slide+a3g{a}g f| e4 {a}ef|g2 B3 d|cBAGFE|D2 F3 A|B2 e3 c| A6-|{B}A4||
In reply to Thanks Marc. The files is by Mikethebook
Hi Marc,
I found the on-line converter and converted the file fine into .xml which opened without problem into MuseScore so thanks for that. I assume in future if I get any error messages I should try to convert the file first before opening it in MuseScore.
Cheers
Mike
In reply to Hi Marc, I found the on-line by Mikethebook
Hmm, your file actually imported just fine for me directly from the ABC plugin. But I might be using a different version of the plugin than you. MuseScore 1.2 came with one version, but there is an improved version you can download via the Plugins repository (see link in menu at right of this page). The new version lets you type ABC directly into the dialog; I actually copied and pasted your example into there.
If you do try to convert to XML first on your own, be aware there are actually a couple of different programs out there to do the actual conversion. There was an older program that couldn't handle multiple voices or anything other "newer" extensions to ABC, and some online converts might still use that. The converter at appspot.com - the one used by both the original and improved plugin for MuseScore - uses the newer abc2xml from Willem Vree, which is impressing the heck out of me. That and his xml2abc,. I've been running all sorts of things through the conversion in both directions over the last couple of weeks and am amazed at how well these programs do on fairly complex music.
BTW, I see now that if I enter invalid ABC into the plugin, no matter where the error is, the message always says line 5, column 11. Leading me to suspect my initial guess was true - it's not referring to line 5 column 11 of the (bogus) ABC file, but rather, line 5 column 11 of the (equally bogus) XML file that was generated as an intermediate step.
In reply to Hmm, your file actually by Marc Sabatella
Thanks Marc. I've downloaded the plug-in, the first one on the page, and unzipped it but don't know what I have to do with the contents. Sorry, can you enlighten me. I have a .js file, a .ui file and a ReadMe file that tries to open MuseScore but without succeeding and MS closes with an error message.
In reply to Thanks Marc. I've downloaded by Mikethebook
See the installation instructions for plugins by following the link labeled What is a plugin . The specific directions vary according to what OS you are on.
In reply to See the installation by Marc Sabatella
Thanks Marc. I replaced the old .js file with the new one and hopefully I won't have any further problems.
In reply to Thanks Marc. I replaced the by Mikethebook
You need to copy the UI file too. Like the instructions say, it is best to extract the entire contents of the ZIP file to the plugins folder. You can also create subfolders and place the contents of each in there.
In reply to You need to copy the UI file by Marc Sabatella
Thanks Marc.
Mike
In reply to Thanks Marc. Mike by Mikethebook
Now when I choose ABC Plug-In I get a large box which opens up into which I put the ABC text. That opens fine into MuseScore but now I'm having huge problems with entering Larsen font. I can't get it to print a "cut"; I just get a comma and "strikes" and "rolls", the symbols are okay but they appear just above the note actually on the stave. I don't know what's going on. Your example of Bank of Ireland looks pretty good but I certainly can't produce anything like that. I've attached, by coincidence (or not), Grey Larsen's own version of Bank of Ireland produced on Finale I think. It's a lot more bold and distinct and the symbols are larger but maybe that's just a matter of tweaking. I'm wondering what's gone wrong for me - I work on a Mac keyboard and computer by the way. Maybe my fonts are set up differently from yours but that shouldn't create the problems I'm having. Sorry to be a nuisance.
By the way, Grey Larsen is very keen to get this to work on MuseScore. He had a look at the software yesterday and really liked the possibilities.
In reply to Now when I choose ABC Plug-In by Mikethebook
What steps were you taking to get the imported file to use the Larsen font? I would imahgine at the very least you'd need to put appropriate font directives in the ABC file, although I haven't tried that and don't know if the converter honors them. Text entered with no special font info gets placed in MusicXML as some default, I think - times, usually. And MuseScore honors that. But you should be able to right click a text item, text properties, change the font (including the size), and check the box to apply to all similar elements. But this will change *all* text, which might not be what you want..
In reply to What steps were you taking to by Marc Sabatella
Hi Marc, Okay you've lost me. I didn't understand much of what you'd written. What I did was cut and paste the abc text into the import box, open up the file in MS and then change the font for stave text to Larsen 14 Bold although I was at first puzzled why I couldn't find the name Larsen, just a row of musical icons where Larsen should be. However when I chose it the name Larsen appeared in the font box.
In reply to Hi Marc, Okay you've lost me. by Mikethebook
That looks good. Then you click on a note, Ctrl + T and you press the right key according to the character map you posted in another thread.
In reply to That looks good. Then you by [DELETED] 5
That's what I've done but as I explained to Marc, I get errors, the "cut" symbol doesn't come out as it should and some characters appear on the staff itself.
In reply to That's what I've done but as by Mikethebook
You can drag them out of the staff. Once you have created one, you can select it, Ctrl +C, select a note and ctrl + V.
The cut sign is ’
Not sure how to enter this character on your keyboard, but you can copy paste it from here or from the bank of ireland MuseScore file I sent last time.
In reply to You can drag them out of the by [DELETED] 5
Great! Thanks. That's helpful.
In reply to Great! Thanks. That's by Mikethebook
Just one more thing. If I want to move the symbols a little higher above the stave - some are very close - how do i change the settings? I can't help thinking that with 2.0 being able to import symbols will be a better solution.
In reply to Just one more thing. If I by Mikethebook
Symbols can be moved by dragging.
You can also change the default location for staff text in the same dialog where you set the font.
In reply to Symbols can be moved by by Marc Sabatella
Thanks Marc.