[Perform-Talk] DottedNotes update: braille-in-braille-out part extraction, plus BANA-aware error checking

[judith at judithlung.com]

On 2026-07-25 14:25, Judith Lung via Perform-Talk wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> 
> Some exciting updates to DottedNotes:
> 
> 1. Single-line braille parsing – DottedNotes now detects single-line 
> pieces and prompts you to select an instrument after translation. It 
> auto-suggests one based on the title (e.g., "Capriccio for Flute" as 
> Flute), but you can accept, skip, or pick a different one.
> 
> 2. MIDI playback for Lilypond output – Translating to Lilypond now 
> includes a preloaded media player so you can catch errors (commonly 
> octave drifts or missing accidentals) before sharing. Note: playback 
> uses html-midi-player via CDN, so its accessibility is outside my 
> control.
> 
> 3. Help documentation links – Added links to the GitHub README, 
> covering both the web interface and the command-line tool for local 
> use.
> 
> Let me know if you have any questions, and please report bugs!
> Best,
> Judith
> On 2026-07-24 23:05, Judith Lung via Perform-Talk wrote:
>> Hi Leslie,
>> Yes DottedNotes transcribes cello music. It can convert to braille 
>> from MusicXML and Lilypond, and it's also possible to extract the 
>> cello part from an ensemble score in braille, MusicXML, or Lilypond. I 
>> just converted a piece of cello music from MusicXML on MuseScore and 
>> another piece from Lilypond from Mutopia, and they both look normal 
>> (but I am not a cello player, so you'll have to take what I say with a 
>> grain of salt).
>> It's currently not possible to upload a braille file in single-line 
>> format for conversion. However I am working on this feature right now 
>> and will hopefully have it done by tomorrow.
>> Also here is a reference doc with all the symbols DottedNotes 
>> currently supports:
>> https://github.com/judithhinlung/DottedNotes/blob/main/docs/bana_reference.md
>> Best,
>> Judith
>> 
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Hey everyone,
Glad to see some folks trying out DottedNotes.
Here are some quick updates to the program:
1. Fix an error in which piano scores were missing a MIDI instrument for 
the left hand, leading to weird playback when imported into a DAW like 
Logic.
2. Added support for minor mode. Previously, the number of sharps or 
flats specified in a braille score's key signature all map to major 
keys. Now a dialog pops up to inquire whether the mode is major or 
minor, so it's encoded correctly in MusicXML and Lilypond output.
3. Added support for metronome markings. Now you can specify bpm like 
quarter-note = 120 (in BANA-formatted braille music) and set the tempo. 
Previously, you could only specify Italian tempos like Allegro or 
Presto.
Hope you all find DottedNotes helpful, and please feel free to share 
your feedback with me so that I can address bugs and improve the program 
for everyone!
Best,
Judith