Hello World

This example shows a simple score for one instrument: a Ranat Ek (ระนาดเอก) playing the first line of a song.

Example XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<thai-score version="0.1">
  <header>
    <title>Lao Duang Duen</title>
  </header>
  <structure>
    <section id="s1" number="1" name="ท่อน 1" />
  </structure>
  <ensemble>
    <part id="P1">
      <instrument-name>Ranat Ek</instrument-name>
    </part>
  </ensemble>
  <part-data id="P1">
    <section-ref id="s1">
      <line number="1">
        <measure number="1">
          <rest/><rest/><rest/><rest/>
        </measure>
        <measure number="2">
          <rest/><rest/><rest/><rest/>
        </measure>
        <measure number="3">
          <rest/><note pitch="ด"/><note pitch="ร"/><note pitch="ม"/>
        </measure>
        <measure number="4">
          <rest/><note pitch="ซ"/><rest/><note pitch="ดํ"/>
        </measure>
        <measure number="5">
          <rest/><rest/><rest/><note pitch="รํ"/>
        </measure>
        <measure number="6">
          <note pitch="ดํ"/><note pitch="ดํ"/><note pitch="ดํ"/><note pitch="ดํ"/>
        </measure>
        <measure number="7">
          <note pitch="ซ"/><note pitch="ล"/><note pitch="ดํ"/><note pitch="ล"/>
        </measure>
        <measure number="8">
          <note pitch="ซ"/><note pitch="ม"/><rest/><note pitch="ซ"/>
        </measure>
      </line>
    </section-ref>
  </part-data>
</thai-score>

Explanations

The following sections explain each element.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

This XML declaration identifies the document as XML and specifies UTF-8 encoding.

<thai-score version="0.1">

The <thai-score> element is the root of a ThaiMusicXML document. Its version attribute identifies the ThaiMusicXML version.

<header>
  <title>Lao Duang Duen</title>
</header>

The <header> element contains score metadata. It must include a <title>, which is the title of a Thai song in this example.

<structure>
  <section id="s1" number="1" name="ท่อน 1" />
</structure>

The <structure> element defines the score layout. Each <section> has an id that <section-ref> uses later to attach music data. The number attribute gives the section order, and name is a label for readers.

<ensemble>
  <part id="P1">
    <instrument-name>Ranat Ek</instrument-name>
  </part>
</ensemble>

The <ensemble> element lists the instruments. Each <part> has a unique id and an <instrument-name>. This example has one Ranat Ek (ระนาดเอก, a Thai xylophone).

<part-data id="P1">
  <section-ref id="s1">
    <line number="1">
      <measure number="1">
        <rest/><rest/><rest/><rest/>
      </measure>
      <measure number="2">
        <rest/><rest/><rest/><rest/>
      </measure>
      <measure number="3">
        <rest/><note pitch="ด"/><note pitch="ร"/><note pitch="ม"/>
      </measure>
      ...
    </line>
  </section-ref>
</part-data>

The <part-data> element holds the music for a part. Its id matches a part in <ensemble>. Inside it, <section-ref> links to a section in <structure>. The music is organized into <line> elements, each containing <measure> elements with a number attribute.

Notes use Thai scale names in the pitch attribute:

Number	Thai	Romanized	Sound (C Major)
1	ด	Do	C
2	ร	Re	D
3	ม	Mi	E
4	ฟ	Fa	F
5	ซ	Sol	G
6	ล	La	A
7	ท	Ti	B

Adding ํ (Nikhahit) after a note name raises it by an octave. Adding ฺ (Pinthu) lowers it by an octave. For example, ดํ is ด one octave higher, and ทฺ is ท one octave lower.

<rest/>

A rest is a self-closing element with no attributes. Its duration comes from the context, one beat in this score.

This is a complete ThaiMusicXML file. Next, see File Structure to learn how to add multiple instruments, sections, and performance directions.