Quick Start

Note Format

Every note in Gen follows this pattern:

[octave][note][accidental][rhythm]

Part	Description	Example
Octave	^ (up), _ (down)	^C = C one octave up
Note	A-G or $ for rest	C, D, E, $
Accidental	# (sharp), b (flat)	F#, Bb
Rhythm	Duration modifier	/ = eighth, p = half

Examples

C           # Quarter note C
E/          # Eighth note E
Gp          # Half note G
_Ab/        # Ab eighth note, one octave down
^F#//       # F# sixteenth note, one octave up
$           # Quarter rest
$/          # Eighth rest
Gp*         # Dotted half note G

Rhythm Modifiers

Modifier	Duration
(none)	Quarter note
/	Eighth note
//	Sixteenth note
///	32nd note
p	Half note
o	Whole note
*	Dotted (add after rhythm)

Document Structure

Every Gen file has optional metadata at the top, followed by measures (one per line):

---
title: My Song
composer: Me
time-signature: 4/4
key-signature: G
tempo: 120
---

G A B ^C
^D ^E ^F# ^G

Next Steps

• Read the full Gen Basics guide
• See Examples of complete scores
• Learn about the Compiler Architecture