View source for Alternative symbols for ups and downs notation

{{main|Ups and downs notation}}

This article discusses about an alternative set of symbols based on current practice of microtonal music with some experimental extrapolation. The notation is, in essence, [[Ups and downs notation|ups and downs notation]] with a different look. 

Alternative symbols may be useful for the following reasons: 
# One may prefer a more conventional look of the score; 
# The up and down symbols may not be quite accessible in computer-aided score typing. 
All symbols proposed in this article are available in [[MuseScore|MuseScore 3]], and is used by the [https://github.com/euwbah/musescore-microtonal-edo-plugin Microtonal plugin for Musescore 3.4+]. (Feel free to address others.) 

== Symbol set ==
The symbol set comprises traditional accidentals (sharps, flats, and naturals), Stein–Zimmermann quartertone accidentals (semisharps and semiflats) with and up and down arrows via Gould arrow quarter tone symbols or [[Helmholtz–Ellis notation|Helmholtz–Ellis just intonation accidentals]].  

The traditional accidentals, as specified in ups and downs notation, modify the note by the sharpness value, which equals the steps of a chromatic semitone (apotome, [[2187/2048]]).  

The Stein–Zimmermann quartertone accidentals modify the note by half the sharpness value. They apply to [[edo]]s of even sharpness value only.  

The Gould arrow accidentals are up and down arrows attached to sharps, flats, or naturals, and modify the note by one step. They appear very similar to Helmholtz–Ellis accidentals, and are fully interchangeable with them.

== Usage guide for each sharpness value ==
{{See also| Sharpness }}
A usage guide for edos of sharpness value below 8 will be provided here. 

=== Sharp-1 ===
Sharp-1 edos have a sharp that raises 1 step. Edos of this category are {{EDOs| 5, 12, 19, 26, and 33 }}.
Traditional notation can be used since an up is exactly equivalent to a sharp.
{{Sharpness-sharp1}}

=== Sharp-2 ===
Sharp-2 edos have a sharp that raises 2 steps. Edos of this category are {{EDOs| 10, 17, 24, 31, 38, 45, and 52 }}.
As are commonly seen in 24edo and 31edo, semisharps and semiflats could be used for a substitution of the tilde. 
{{Sharpness-sharp2}}

=== Sharp-3 ===
Sharp-3 edos have a sharp that raises 3 steps. Edos of this category are {{EDOs| 8, 15, 22, 29, 36, 43, 50, 57, and 64 }}.
This is where you ''really'' want to use ups and downs. 
{{Sharpness-sharp3}}
In some cases, some notes or intervals may be best spelled with double arrows:
{{Sharpness-sharp3-extended}}

=== Sharp-4 ===
Sharp-4 edos have a sharp that raises 4 steps. Edos of this category are {{EDOs| 13, 20, 27, 34, 41, 48, 55, 62, 69, and 76 }}.
Many consider a full combination of semisharps, semiflats, ups and down to appear very neat. 
{{Sharpness-sharp4}}

=== Sharp-5 ===
Sharp-5 edos have a sharp that raises 5 steps. Edos of this category are {{EDOs| 18, 25, 32, 39, 46, 53, 60, 67, 74, 81, and 88 }}.
{{Sharpness-sharp5}}

In some cases, some notes or intervals may be best spelled with triple arrows:
{{Sharpness-sharp5-extended}}

=== Sharp-6 ===
Sharp-6 edos have a sharp that raises 6 steps. Edos of this category are {{EDOs| 30, 37, 44, 51, 58, 65, 72, 79, 86, 93, and 100 }}.
{{Sharpness-sharp6}}

Attaching arrows to semi- and sesquisharps and flats is also another option instead of using double arrows:
{{Sharpness-sharp6-qt}}

=== Sharp-7 ===
Sharp-7 edos have a sharp that raises 7 steps. Edos of this category are {{EDOs| 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77, 84, 91, 98, and 105 }}. 
{{Sharpness-sharp7}}

=== Sharp-8 ===
Sharp-8 edos have a sharp that raises 8 steps. Edos of this category are {{EDOs| 54, 61, 68, 75, 82, 89, 96, 103, 110, and 117 }}.
{{Sharpness-sharp8}}

=== Higher sharpness values ===
Provided with more stacks of arrows, or the ability to attach arrows to demi- and sesqui-sharps and flats, edos of higher sharpness value can be notated in the same method as above.

{{w|SMuFL}} curently supplies [https://w3c.github.io/smufl/latest/tables/extended-stein-zimmermann-accidentals.html extended Stein-Zimmermann accidentals (U+E290–U+E29F)], which contains demi- and sesqui-sharps and flats with a single arrow. 
The rest will be discussed below.

==== Sharp-10 (example) ====
Sharp-10 edos have a sharp that raises 10 steps. Edos of this category are {{EDOs| 71, 78, 85, 92, 99, 106, 113, 120, 127, 134, and 141 }}.
{{Sharpness-sharp10-qt1}}

==== Sharp-14 (example) ====
Sharp-14 edos have a sharp that raises 14 steps.
{{Sharpness-sharp14-qt1}}

=== Flat-1 ===
For edos such as {{EDOs| 9, 16, 23, and 30 }}, if you notate them as if their native antidiatonic scales were diatonic, you would find that the sharp actually ''lowers'' by one step. If one wishes to "translate" diatonic songs into these edos, this is useful. 
{{Sharpness-flat1}}
However, a much more intuitive solution is to swap the meaning of sharps and flats in regards to fifthspan (so that sharp still raises and flat still lowers), allowing the accidentals to more naturally notate these edos' native antidiatonic (in this case, the normal set of sharp-1 accidentals would be used).  

=== Flat-2 ===
Flat-2 edos (virtually [[11edo]] only), if you pretend their native antidiatonic scales are diatonic, have a sharp that ''lowers'' 2 steps. So besides the special flavor of the sharps and flats, there are also semisharps and semiflats to fill up the spaces between. It makes the most sense to notate them as subsets. 
{{Sharpness-flat2}}

=== Zero ===
On the other hand, the lower five multiples of 7 ({{EDOs| 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35}}) are known as "perfect" or sharp-0 edos, since, by tempering out the Pythagorean apotome of [[2187/2048]], the traditional sharps and flats are redundant and cannot raise or lower the pitch. Here, the notes can only be modified by arrows.
{{Sharpness-0}}

== Limitations ==
Some edos have odd-numbered sharpness values 9 and above, and are difficult to notate due to the lack of support for the stacks of arrows required. Edos below 72 known to be impractical for this reason are {{EDOs| 59 and 66 }}. Therefore, such edos are capped from their full strength.   

Conclusively, this set of symbols still covers most edos up to 72. 

{{Navbox notation}}

[[Category:Notation]]
[[Category:Ups and downs notation]]