https://github.com/eriknyquist/ptttl
Superset of NOKIA's RTTTL which adds polyphony & vibrato. Includes Python and C implementations.
https://github.com/eriknyquist/ptttl
music music-generation music-notation musical-notes nokia polyphony ringtones rttl rtttl tones
Last synced: about 1 month ago
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Superset of NOKIA's RTTTL which adds polyphony & vibrato. Includes Python and C implementations.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/eriknyquist/ptttl
- Owner: eriknyquist
- License: apache-2.0
- Created: 2018-02-25T20:11:44.000Z (over 7 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2025-04-26T20:02:31.000Z (6 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-04-26T21:18:53.589Z (6 months ago)
- Topics: music, music-generation, music-notation, musical-notes, nokia, polyphony, ringtones, rttl, rtttl, tones
- Language: C
- Homepage: https://ptttl.readthedocs.io
- Size: 3.11 MB
- Stars: 16
- Watchers: 2
- Forks: 2
- Open Issues: 2
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.rst
- License: LICENSE
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README
.. contents:: Table of Contents
Polyphonic Tone Transfer Language
#################################
The Polyphonic Tone Text Transfer Language (PTTTL) is a way to describe polyphonic
melodies, and is a superset of Nokia's
`RTTTL `_ format, extending
it to enable polyphony and vibrato.
Python & C reference implementations
####################################
Reference implementations in python and C are provided. The C implementation has
been much more thoroughly tested and fuzzed, and I strongly recommend using the C
version instead of the python version.
API documentation
==================
Python API documentation `can be found here `_.
C API documentation `can be found here `_.
PTTTL format
############
Because PTTTL is a superset of RTTTL, valid RTTTL strings are also valid PTTTL strings.
A parser that properly handles PTTTL can also handle RTTTL.
A PTTTL string is made up of three colon-seperated sections; **name** section,
**default values** section, and **data** section.
Whitespace characters, empty lines, and lines beginning with a "#" character
are ignored.
The initial "name" section is intended to contain the name of the ringtone
in the original RTTTL format. PTTTL requires this field to be present, to
maintain backwards compatibility with RTTTL, but places no constraints on its
contents.
*default values* section
========================
The very first statement is the *default values* section, and it is the same as
the *default values* section from the RTTTL format, except with two additional
vibrato-related settings:
::
b=123, d=8, o=4, f=7, v=10
* *b* - beat, tempo: tempo in BPM (Beats Per Minute)
* *d* - duration: default duration of a note if none is specified
* *o* - octave: default octave of a note if none is specified
* *f* - frequency: default vibrato frequency if none is specified, in Hz
* *v* - variance: default vibrato variance from the main pitch if none is specified, in Hz
*data* section
==============
The PTTTL data section is just like the RTTTL data section, in that a melody
consists of multiple comma-seperated notes to be played sequentially. *Unlike*
RTTTL, PTTTL allows multiple melodys to be defined, separated by the vertical
pipe character ``|``, all of which will be played in unison.
The format of a note is identical to that described by the RTTTL format. Each
note includes, in sequence; a duration specifier, a standard music note, either
a, b, c, d, e, f or g (optionally followed by '#' or 'b' for sharps and flats),
and an octave specifier. If no duration or octave specifier are present, the
default applies.
Durations
---------
Valid values for note duration:
* **1** - whole note
* **2** - half note
* **4** - quarter note
* **8** - eighth note
* **16** - sixteenth note
* **32** - thirty-second note
Dotted rhythm patterns can be formed by adding a period "." either
after the note letter (e.g. ``c#.``, or ``c#.5``), or after the octave
number (e.g. ``c#5.``)
Notes
-----
Valid values for note pitch (non case-sensitive):
* **P** - rest or pause
* **A**
* **A#** / **Bb**
* **B** / **Cb**
* **C**
* **C#** / **Db**
* **D**
* **D#** / **Eb**
* **E** / **Fb**
* **F** / **E#**
* **F#** / **Gb**
* **G**
* **G#** / **Ab**
Octave
------
Valid values for note octave are between **0** and **8**.
Vibrato
-------
Optionally, vibrato may be enabled and configured for an individual note. This is
done by appending a ``v`` to the end of the note, and optionally frequency and variance
values seperated by a ``-`` character. For example:
* ``4c#v`` refers to a C# quarter note with vibrato enabled, using default settings
* ``4c#v10-15`` refers to a C# quarter note with vibrato enabled, using a vibrato frequency of 10Hz,
with a maximum vibrato variance of 15Hz from the main pitch.
Example
-------
Consider the following PTTTL string:
::
# 123 beats-per-minute, default quarter note, default 4th octave
Test Melody:
b=123, d=4, o=4:
16c, 8p, 16c | 16e, 8p, 16e | 16g5, 8p, 16g5
This would play 3 sixteenth notes simultaneously (C, octave 4; E, octave 4;
G, octave 5), followed by an eighth note rest, followed by the same
three sixteenth notes again
Note that the above sample is much easier to read if we put each melody on a new
line and align the notes in columns. This is the recommended way to write
PTTTL:
::
# Nicely aligned
Test Melody:
b=123, d=4, o=4:
16c, 8p, 16c |
16e, 8p, 16e |
16g5, 8p, 16g5
In order to keep things readable for large PTTTL files with multiple
concurrent tracks, a semicolon character ``;`` can be used further break up
melodies into more practical blocks. Just as the veritcal pipe character ``|``
seperates *concurrent* tracks within a single polyphonic melody, the semicolon
character seperates multiple *sequential* polyphonic melodies within a single
data section. Blocks of notes seperated by semicolons will be "stitched together",
or concatenated, in the final output.
The semicolon does not affect any of the timings or pitch of the generated
tones; it just makes the PTTTL source a bit more readable, and gives you more
options for organizing the lines when writing music. Have a look at this larger
PTTTL file, with 4 simultaneous melodies, for a good example of why the
semicolon is useful:
::
All Star but it's a Bach chorale:
d=4,o=5,b=100, f=7, v=10:
#some bo - dy once told me the world was go -
4gb5v, 8db6, 8bb5, 4bb5, 8ab5v, 8gb5, 8gb5, 4b5v, 8bb5, 8bb5 |
4gb4, 8gb4, 8gb4, 4gb4, 8f4, 8gb4, 8gb4, 4ab4, 8g4, 8g4 |
4gb4, 8bb4, 8db5, 4db5, 8db5, 8db5, 8db5, 4eb5, 8db5, 8db5 |
4gb3, 8gb3, 8gb3, 4gb3, 8ab3, 8bb3, 8bb3, 4ab3, 8bb3, 8bb3 ;
#-na roll me, I aint the sharp - est tool in
8ab5, 8ab5v, 4gb5, 8gb5v, 8db6v, 8bb5, 8bb5v, 8ab5, 8ab5v, 8gb5 |
8ab4, 8eb4, 4eb4, 8eb4, 8gb4, 8gb4, 8gb4, 8f4, 8f4, 8eb4 |
8eb5, 8eb5, 4b4, 8b4, 8db5, 8db5, 8db5, 8b4, 8b4, 8bb4 |
8b3, 8b3, 4eb4, 8b3, 8bb3, 8b3, 8db4, 8db4, 8d4, 8eb4 ;
#the she - ed, she was loo - king kind of
8gb5, 4eb5v, 8db5v, 2p, 8gb5, 8gb5, 8db6v, 8bb5, 8bb5, 8ab5 |
8eb4, 4b3, 8ab3, 2p, 8db4, 8db4, 8gb4, 8gb4, 8gb4, 8f4 |
8bb4, 4gb4, 8f4, 2p, 8gb4, 8gb4, 8bb4, 8db5, 8db5, 8db5 |
8db4, 4b3, 8ab3, 2p, 8bb3, 8ab3, 8gb3, 8gb3, 8gb3, 8ab3 ;
#dumb with her fing - er and her thumb in the
8ab5v, 8gb5, 8gb5, 4b5v, 8bb5, 8bb5, 8ab5, 8ab5v, 8gb5, 8gb5 |
8gb4, 8gb4, 8eb4, 4eb4, 8eb4, 8eb4, 8eb4, 8eb4, 8eb4, 8eb4 |
8db5, 8db5, 8bb4, 4ab4, 8db5, 8db5, 8b4, 8b4, 8b4, 8b4 |
8bb3, 8bb3, 8eb4, 4ab4, 8g4, 8g4, 8ab4, 8ab3, 8b3, 8b3 ;
#shape of an L on her for - head
4db6v, 8bb5v, 8bb5v, 4ab5v, 8gb5, 8gb5, 4ab5v, 8eb5 |
4gb4, 8gb4, 8gb4, 4f4, 8f4, 8eb4, 4eb4, 8b3 |
4db5, 8db5, 8db5, 4b4, 8bb4, 8bb4, 4b4, 8ab4 |
4bb3, 8b3, 8db4, 4d4, 8eb4, 8eb4 , 4ab4, 8ab4