Other Resources

Tune Collections :

[See below for a discussion of the abc tune format.]

Another good way to find a tune, if you know its name, is to use a search engine (like Google) and search for the tune name followed by the word "abc". For example, if you are looking for The Rolling Wave, type in :

rolling wave abc

You should get a list of locations where The Rolling Wave can be found as an abc file.

Most of these tune collection sites provide the tunes in several different file formats: ABC (see below); GIF, PDF (a graphic representation of the sheet music); and sometimes MIDI (a simple music file). If you find a tune only in abc format, and you would like to see the sheet music, here are a few conversion applications:

EasyABC (available for both Windows and Mac computers)
ABCExplorer (for Windows computers only)

Tunes in abc Format :

"abc" is a character notation for writing tunes in a portable and easy way, and is used for sending tunes via e-mail, for putting tune books on the internet, and for typesetting tunes. More information about the abc format is available at Chris Walshaw's

In addition to the description of the abc format itself, this site also has a huge list of other tune collections, as well as links to software designed to manage abc files.


For additions or corrections to the website, please send email to .