You should first specify whether you want to typeset music in size 20pt per staff or 16pt. This only optional, the default value being 20pt. If you want the 16pt size, then you have to say:
normalshapemediumseriesnormalshapemediumseries\musicsizenormalshapemediumseries=16
Then, the first compulsory declaration is:
normalshapemediumseries\def
normalshapemediumseriesnormalshapemediumseries\nbinstrumentsnormalshapemediumseries{ n}
where n is the number of instruments, used by
MusicTEX to performs loops building staffs, setting signatures, meters,
etc. Therefore, it must be defined before any other statements. An instrument
may consist of several staffs, e.g. the piano. The difference between one
instrument of several staffs and several instruments is as follows:
If the number of staffs (in French ``portées'') is not
equal to one, this number must be specified by:
normalshapemediumseries
normalshapemediumseriesnormalshapemediumseries\nbporteesr=pnormalshapemediumseries\relax
where p is the number of staffs, and where r is the
roman numeral of the instrument considered (e.g.
normalshapemediumseriesnormalshapemediumseries\nbporteesiii
for the 3rd instrument, starting from the bottom). This value may be zero, in
which case the staff lines are omitted, and this instrument may be used to
code the lyrics of a song, below the actual ``instrument''
representing the notes of the song.
Unless all your instruments only use the violin clef, you
have to specifiy all the clefs used for all the instruments. This is done by
coding:
normalshapemediumseries
normalshapemediumseriesnormalshapemediumseries\cleftoksr={ { s1} { s2} { s3} { s4} } %
where r is the roman numeral of the instrument, s1
specifies the clef of the lower staff, s2 the clef of the second staff,
etc. One must always give four values with the above syntax, otherwise...
s1 = 0 means the violin clef (clef de sol in French), s1 = 1
through s1 = 4 mean the alto clef (clef d'ut in French) set on
first (lower) through fourth (next to upper line of the staff), s1 = 5 means
the bass clef at third (middle) line, and s1 = 6 means the usual
bass clef (clef de fa in French) at the usual fourth line.
As an example, a
standard piano score should include:
normalshapemediumseries
normalshapemediumseriesnormalshapemediumseries\cleftoksi={ { 6} { 0} { 0} { 0} } % or normalshapemediumseries\
cleftoksi={ 6000} %
If the signature is not void, one should code:
normalshapemediumseries
normalshapemediumseriesnormalshapemediumseries\generalsignaturenormalshapemediumseries{ s} normalshapemediumseries\relax
where s > 0 indicates the number of sharps in the
signature and s < 0 the number of flats2.1.
If there a meter indication is to be posted, it should be
specified using the macro
normalshapemediumseries
normalshapemediumseriesnormalshapemediumseries\generalmeter{ m} %
where m is the description of the meter indication which should
appear on each staff. If it is a fraction (e.g. 3/4) on should code
normalshapemediumseries\generalmeter{ normalshapemediumseries\meterfrac{ 3} { 4} } %
or, in a simpler way (if the numbers are less than 10):
normalshapemediumseries\generalmeter{ normalshapemediumseries\meterfrac 34} %
Special denotations can be used, such as
normalshapemediumseriesnormalshapemediumseries\allabreve to
get and
normalshapemediumseriesnormalshapemediumseries\meterC to get .
However, not all music scores have the same meter in each staff.
Especially, some staffs may have ternary meters while others have
binary. This can be specified by using the
normalshapemediumseriesnormalshapemediumseries\generalmeter macro
to set the meter for most of the scores and overriding it by means of a more
sophisticated command:
normalshapemediumseries\metertoksii={ { normalshapemediumseries\
meterfrac{ 12} 8} { normalshapemediumseries\
allabreve} { } { } } %
which sets the meter to 12/8 for the first (lower)
staff, and alla breve for the second staff of the instrument number 2
(ii). Note that there is room for 4 staffs and that void items must be
specified, otherwise TEX weird errors occur.