Co-chair meeting minutes: August 3, 2023
MusicXML
Having proposed it some six months ago, there has been no dissention to the idea of deprecating score-timewise, so the co-chairs have decided to officially deprecate this time model in MusicXML 4.1 and plan to remove it altogether in the next release following.
MNX
Adrian has updated the documentation and examples to replace the microsyntax for note duration as discussed at the last co-chairs’ meeting.
Following on from the last meeting, we discussed the note value quantity type, which is currently used to describe the time relationship in tuplets. We have decided to retain the name “note value quantity” and change the object such that it will contain a duration object (as specified in the last meeting) along with a multiple value. This will have the advantage of making the relationship between the inner and outer values in the tuplet clearer, and will also provide us with a generic object that we can use elsewhere.
We also discussed the microsyntax currently specified for pitch, and decided on its replacement. We will describe pitch using three values: step, which will specify the note name; octave, which will specify the octave number, where the octave containing middle C will be numbered 4 (in line with Scientific Pitch Notation); and alter, which will specify the number of half-steps (semitones) by which the written pitch is raised or lowered, either by an explicit accidental or by the key signature. alter will simply use an integer in the range -3 (for a note lowered by three half-steps, e.g. a triple flat) to 3 (for a note raised by three half-steps, e.g. a triple sharp). We have explicitly decided not to handle microtonal pitches or indeed any specifics about how information about the appearance of accidentals should be encoded at this stage, but will return to this in future as needed.
Adrian will work on updating the documentation in line with this new decision ahead of our next meeting.
Next meeting
The next co-chairs’ meeting will be on Thursday 17 August 2023.
