Element: alter
Description
The alter element represents chromatic alteration in number of semitones (e.g., -1 for flat, 1 for sharp). Decimal values like 0.5 (quarter tone sharp) are used for microtones. The octave element is represented by the numbers 0 to 9, where 4 indicates the octave started by middle C. In the first example below, notice an accidental element is used for the third note, rather than the alter element, because the pitch is not altered from the the pitch designated to that staff position by the key signature.
Derived By
Type semitones
Referenced By
- Complex Type pitch
Example
<note default-x="101">
<pitch>
<step>B</step>
<alter>-2</alter>
<octave>4</octave>
</pitch>
<duration>4</duration>
<voice>1</voice>
<type>eighth</type>
<accidental>flat-flat</accidental>
<stem default-y="-52">down</stem>
<beam number="1">begin</beam>
</note>
<note default-x="131">
<pitch>
<step>B</step>
<alter>-1</alter>
<octave>4</octave>
</pitch>
<duration>4</duration>
<voice>1</voice>
<type>eighth</type>
<accidental>flat</accidental>
<stem default-y="-52">down</stem>
<beam number="1">continue</beam>
</note>
<note default-x="161">
<pitch>
<step>B</step>
<octave>4</octave>
</pitch>
<duration>4</duration>
<voice>1</voice>
<type>eighth</type>
<accidental>natural</accidental>
<stem default-y="-52">down</stem>
<beam number="1">continue</beam>
</note>
<note default-x="191">
<pitch>
<step>B</step>
<alter>1</alter>
<octave>4</octave>
</pitch>
<duration>4</duration>
<voice>1</voice>
<type>eighth</type>
<accidental>sharp</accidental>
<stem default-y="-52">down</stem>
<beam number="1">end</beam>
</note>
<note default-x="222">
<pitch>
<step>B</step>
<alter>2</alter>
<octave>4</octave>
</pitch>
<duration>8</duration>
<voice>1</voice>
<type>quarter</type>
<accidental>double-sharp</accidental>
<stem default-y="-55">down</stem>
</note>
Microtones
<pitch>
<step>B</step>
<alter>-.5</alter>
<octave>4</octave>
</pitch>
