MusiQwik contains symbols that can represent a simple musical melody. There is a regular and a "bold" font.

Its range of pitch and duration suffices for most popular songs and church hymns: Pitch range extends from two ledger lines below the staff, to one ledger line above it. The regular MusiQwik font can depict durations from whole notes to 1/8 notes, as well as rests from whole to 1/16. Any of these may be dotted. Note triplets can be depicted with help from an ordinary font. The MusiQwik Bold font (not really "bold") extends duration down to 1/16 notes.

MusiQwik works like any True Type font for Windows. Once installed, it may be used in word processing documents or in any other application that allows font selection. It may also be used in web pages. Keep in mind that whoever views or prints your creations will not be able to see music unless the MusiQwik font (and, if necessary, its Bold companion font) is installed in the recipient's computer. You may embed MusiQwik in PDf files (for best appearance, use resolution 600 dpi or higher).

The characters in MusiQwik are arranged so that they make sense when seen with a 16-column, magnifying character map. The character map utility that came with your computer may show 32 columns. If you need a free 16-column character map, one can be found at the usual download sources on the Internet. I recommend Typecase or Characteristica, but others will do.

MusiQwik cannot create chords. Only a few beamed note pairs are in the font. If your music notation needs are complex, then you may need music publishing software, rather than just a font. There are a number of good commercial and shareware products available for trial download.

Here's an example. Until you install MusiQwik on your computer, the line that follows will be unintelligible:

'&=©4=U=!=Uµ=C=S==U=!=Uµ=B=R==S=!=T==U==V==W=!=eµ====

Install MusiQwik, then look at the above music.
It goes with these words: Oh, beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain...
The entire song may been done using MusiQwik. I have included a copy in the download package.

Keep in mind that if the recipient of your file sets margins (or browser window) to a different width, or changes the font size, then the staff may "wrap" in an unintended manner. Different applications display fonts differently. As a result, it is often difficult to align lyrics with notes so that every user sees the same result.

Character Map

MusiQuik is best used with a 16-column, magnifying character map utility, such as the free Windows utilities Typecase or Characteristica downloadable from http://www.simtel.net and other sources. With such a utility, the character map for MusiQuik is organized like the one shown below.

The topmost line of the font contains the space, measure bar, measure double bar, three sizes of upper ties, G-clef, measure bar, repeats, three sizes of lower ties, hyphen, system close, and a blank fretboard. If you use the fretboard, you will have to fill in the dots manually. The upper and lower ties "overhang" the symbols that are placed after them in your music.

The second row contains time signatures, rests, a blank staff segment (equal sign: very important), and fermatas. A fermata overhangs the symbol placed after it in your music.

The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth rows contain 1/8. 1/4, 1/2. and 1/1 notes respectively. The leftmost column is at pitch A3 (two ledger lines below the staff). This is followed by B3, C4, D4 ... to A5 (one ledger line above the staff.) in the next-to-last column. For the 1/8. 1/4, and 1/2 notes, the rightmost column contains an alternative B4 note, with its stem pointing the other way. In the "bold" font, there are 1/16 notes instead of 1/8 notes.

Notice that many of the 1/8 notes have a flag overhanging at right. Either a dot or a blank staff segment must be placed there.

The symbols beginning with code .0161 contain all of the standard key signatures, plus a bass clef.

Following the key signatures are "dots" that may be placed after a note in the same column.

The next row contains beamed 1/8 note pairs. These are the only beamed notes that can be depicted with this font, unless you want to use 1/4 notes then add beams manually. In the "bold" font, these are beamed 1/16 notes.

The next three rows contain accidentals (sharp, flat, natural) that may be placed before a note in the same column. The rightmost column of the rows contains extra long ties, and an alto clef.

Remember: Make liberal use of the blank staff segment ( = ) to position your music.

Although MusiQwik does not contain any triplets, you can insert |-- 3 --| with an ordinary font above your music.