Notation attaches inside note { ... } blocks using repeated notation-family blocks. Partitura distinguishes between note-state relations (like tie) and notation spans (like tied).

Tie vs Tied

tie is a note-state relation; tied is a notation-span family. They MUST remain distinct:

note n1 {
  pitch { step c; alter 0; octave 4 }
  duration 1/4

  tie start number 1
  tied t1 start number 1
}

Span Notations

Span notations preserve start/stop/continue/single identity and numbering:

note n1 {
  pitch { step c; alter 0; octave 4 }
  duration 1/4

  tied t1 start number 1
  slur s1 start number 1
  tuplet t2 start number 1
  glissando g1 continue number 1
  slide s2 stop number 1
}

Boundary roles are: start, stop, continue, single.

Articulations

note n1 {
  pitch { step c; alter 0; octave 4 }
  duration 1/4

  articulations {
    staccato true
    accent true
    tenuto true
    staccatissimo true
    spiccato true
    scoop true
    plop true
    doit true
    falloff true
    breath-mark true
    caesura true
    stress true
    strong-accent true
  }
}

Technical

note n1 {
  pitch { step c; alter 0; octave 4 }
  duration 1/4

  technical {
    up-bow true
    down-bow true
    harmonic true
    open-string true
    thumb-position true
    fret 3
    string 2
    hammer-on true
    pull-off true
    bend true
    tap true
    heel true
    toe true
    fingering 3
    pluck "p"
    double-tongue true
    triple-tongue true
  }
}

Ornaments

note n1 {
  pitch { step c; alter 0; octave 4 }
  duration 1/4

  ornaments {
    trill-mark true
    turn true
    delayed-turn true
    inverted-turn true
    delayed-inverted-turn true
    vertical-turn true
    inverted-vertical-turn true
    shake true
    wavy-line true
    mordent true
    inverted-mordent true
    schleifer true
    tremolo 3
    haydn true
    other-ornament "custom"
  }
}

Dynamics

note n1 {
  pitch { step c; alter 0; octave 4 }
  duration 1/4

  dynamics {
    p true
    pp true
    ppp true
    pppp true
    f true
    ff true
    fff true
    ffff true
    mp true
    mf true
    sf true
    sfp true
    sfpp true
    fp true
    rf true
    rfz true
    sfz true
    sffz true
    other-dynamics "custom"
  }
}

Fermata

note n1 {
  pitch { step c; alter 0; octave 4 }
  duration 1/4

  fermata normal
}

Fermata values: normal, angled, square, double, inverted, inverted-angled, inverted-square, inverted-double, other.

Arpeggio

note n1 {
  pitch { step c; alter 0; octave 4 }
  duration 1/4

  arpeggiate start
  non-arpeggiate stop
}

Accidental Mark

note n1 {
  pitch { step c; alter 0; octave 4 }
  duration 1/4

  accidental-mark sharp
}

Other Notation

For notation constructs without a dedicated surface form:

note n1 {
  pitch { step c; alter 0; octave 4 }
  duration 1/4

  other-notation "custom"
}

Canonical Notation Order

Within a note, notation-related fields follow this canonical order:

1. tied
2. slur
3. tuplet
4. glissando
5. slide
6. ornaments
7. technical
8. articulations
9. dynamics
10. fermata
11. arpeggiate
12. non-arpeggiate
13. accidental-mark
14. other-notation

Rules

• tie and tied semantics MUST remain distinct
• Span notations MUST preserve start/stop/continue/single identity
• Span notations MUST preserve numbering or identity where MusicXML uses it
• All MusicXML notation families MUST be expressible in canonical .pta
• Notation syntax MUST preserve both attachment semantics and span semantics
• The preferred authoring surface SHOULD keep common ties, tuplets, slurs, and articulations close to the note they modify

Next Steps

• Attributes — key signatures, time signatures, clefs, transposition
• Config Block — defaults, appearance, print, import-detail, links, bookmarks