Microtonal symbols for Unicode

Unicode has had a space in Plane 1 for Western and Byzantine musical notation, and just recently added ancient Greek symbols. The Western block is described in PDF format:

http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1D100.pdf

Since this is in Plane 1, outside the 16-bit range, these cannot be used in UTF-7, -8 or -16. Hopefully soon Windows and Mac can work in UTF-32.

All the familiar modern symbols are included, including Gregorian chant staff notation. But not much in the way of microtonal. There are quarter-tone sharps and flats, both of which have a numeral 4 attached to a vertical line in the sharp or flat. There are also sharps, naturals and flats with small arrows attached pointing up or down, called "sharp up", "flat down" etc., but it doesn't say anything else about them. (See positions 1D12C to 1D133.)

Unicode is reluctant to include anything that hasn't been widely accepted and used (they rejected adding the Klingon alphabet, for instance). I do think there is a case for including the slashed flat, reversed flat and half-sharp (one vertical stroke, two diagonal) since they're all used in printed Arabic music. Other symbols used in Turkish notation, such as the double-stroke flat and three-diagonal stroke sharps, and the p-shaped half-flat and the half-sharp shaped like a greater-sign sign with two vertical strokes (koron and sori) used in Iranian music, should also be considered.

Now not just any joe can propose additions to Unicode; one has to get sponsored and present a nice professional proposal, and it takes a while to work through the process. Michael Everson comes to mind, since he handles a lot of this, but he may just work with scripts for languages.

Fonts are *not* my expertise at all; I like fonts but I can't create them. Whoever wants to take this up, I think this is a good idea.

~Danny~

Danny, you forgot to include Ur-Quan and Kohr-Ah dialects from Star Control II (my favorite dos game of all time) with Unicode!

BTW, I have designed the Kantemir font you know, which is based on the arabic script notation by Wallaschian Prince and Ottoman Viceroy Dimitrie Cantemir of the 18th century. It's in my website, in the academical studies section.

Another font is my own assortment of microtonal sharps and flats by the dozens, which I can send on demand.

Cordially,
Ozan
----- Original Message -----
From: Danny Wier
To: tuning@yahoogroups.com
Sent: 15 Nisan 2005 Cuma 0:54
Subject: [tuning] Microtonal symbols for Unicode

Unicode has had a space in Plane 1 for Western and Byzantine musical
notation, and just recently added ancient Greek symbols. The Western block
is described in PDF format:

http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1D100.pdf

Since this is in Plane 1, outside the 16-bit range, these cannot be used in
UTF-7, -8 or -16. Hopefully soon Windows and Mac can work in UTF-32.

All the familiar modern symbols are included, including Gregorian chant
staff notation. But not much in the way of microtonal. There are
quarter-tone sharps and flats, both of which have a numeral 4 attached to a
vertical line in the sharp or flat. There are also sharps, naturals and
flats with small arrows attached pointing up or down, called "sharp up",
"flat down" etc., but it doesn't say anything else about them. (See
positions 1D12C to 1D133.)

Unicode is reluctant to include anything that hasn't been widely accepted
and used (they rejected adding the Klingon alphabet, for instance). I do
think there is a case for including the slashed flat, reversed flat and
half-sharp (one vertical stroke, two diagonal) since they're all used in
printed Arabic music. Other symbols used in Turkish notation, such as the
double-stroke flat and three-diagonal stroke sharps, and the p-shaped
half-flat and the half-sharp shaped like a greater-sign sign with two
vertical strokes (koron and sori) used in Iranian music, should also be
considered.

Now not just any joe can propose additions to Unicode; one has to get
sponsored and present a nice professional proposal, and it takes a while to
work through the process. Michael Everson comes to mind, since he handles a
lot of this, but he may just work with scripts for languages.

Fonts are *not* my expertise at all; I like fonts but I can't create them.
Whoever wants to take this up, I think this is a good idea.

~Danny~

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Danny Wier" <dawiertx@s...> wrote:

> Fonts are *not* my expertise at all; I like fonts but I can't create
them.
> Whoever wants to take this up, I think this is a good idea.
>
> ~Danny~

I have a long time WIP font called Accidentals (this group,
particularly Joe Pehrson and Manuel have greatly contributed to it).
An earlier beta used to be in the files sections but I deleted it and
shall not upload again due to Yahoo's policy. However, it's free for
anyone who wishes to try and critique or use it to his pleasure.

Email to ertugrulinanc at superonline dot com for a copy. I can't file
a proper represantation for Unicode but the numerous accidental marks
in my font might prove useful.

Ertugrul

Hi all,

Thanks again to Danny for all this good information!

I agree that it does make sense to include all microtonal
symbols already in common use in Arabic, Iranian and
Turkish music.

Is there anyone willing and able to take up the proposal
of microtonal symbols to the Unicode body?

Regards,
Yahya

Danny Wier wrote :
________________________________________________________________________
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 16:54:44 -0500
From: "Danny Wier" <dawiertx@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Microtonal symbols for Unicode

Unicode has had a space in Plane 1 for Western and Byzantine musical
notation, and just recently added ancient Greek symbols. The Western block
is described in PDF format:

http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1D100.pdf

Since this is in Plane 1, outside the 16-bit range, these cannot be used in
UTF-7, -8 or -16. Hopefully soon Windows and Mac can work in UTF-32.

All the familiar modern symbols are included, including Gregorian chant
staff notation. But not much in the way of microtonal. There are
quarter-tone sharps and flats, both of which have a numeral 4 attached to a
vertical line in the sharp or flat. There are also sharps, naturals and
flats with small arrows attached pointing up or down, called "sharp up",
"flat down" etc., but it doesn't say anything else about them. (See
positions 1D12C to 1D133.)

Unicode is reluctant to include anything that hasn't been widely accepted
and used (they rejected adding the Klingon alphabet, for instance). I do
think there is a case for including the slashed flat, reversed flat and
half-sharp (one vertical stroke, two diagonal) since they're all used in
printed Arabic music. Other symbols used in Turkish notation, such as the
double-stroke flat and three-diagonal stroke sharps, and the p-shaped
half-flat and the half-sharp shaped like a greater-sign sign with two
vertical strokes (koron and sori) used in Iranian music, should also be
considered.

Now not just any joe can propose additions to Unicode; one has to get
sponsored and present a nice professional proposal, and it takes a while to
work through the process. Michael Everson comes to mind, since he handles a
lot of this, but he may just work with scripts for languages.

Fonts are *not* my expertise at all; I like fonts but I can't create them.
Whoever wants to take this up, I think this is a good idea.

~Danny~
________________________________________________________________________

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