The short answer
Start with the actual file format and desired output. MIDI needs notation decisions, audio needs transcription, scanned scores need recognition, and plain tabs often lack rhythm. Clef provides browser practice tools and these workflow guides; it does not currently expose an MCP server or import song files.
Method: format documentation, illustrative musical examples and current Clef capability checks. This is a workflow guide, not a tested comparison of conversion services. Clef publishes this journal and makes a paid piano practice app.
Choose the route from the file, not the extension alone
| Input | Next step | What needs checking |
|---|---|---|
| MIDI (.mid/.midi) | Import into a notation editor | Quantization, meter, voices and hands |
| MP3 or WAV | Transcribe to editable note events | Pitch, octave, onset and duration errors |
| PDF or a photograph | Optical music recognition | Clefs, accidentals, ties, rests and repeats |
| ASCII guitar tab | Use the Clef tab-to-piano tool | Tuning, capo, string order; rhythm remains unspecified |
| GP-family tab file | Open in a compatible editor and export | Tracks, tuning, rhythm and unsupported articulations |
Use the tools that are available now
The machine-readable capability directory lists the current browser tools and workflow guides. It is a JSON document, not a conversion API. Interactive controls run on the individual tool pages.
- Transpose chord symbols when the input is a chord chart.
- Show supported chords on a staff to inspect chord pitches. Chord symbols alone do not specify a complete arrangement.
- Find piano chord notes or inspect inversions.
- Practise staff-to-keyboard note recognition after identifying the notes.
- Prepare blank manuscript paper for manual corrections.
A reusable request for a music assistant
I have a music file and want readable piano notation. Ask for its actual format, source instrument, tuning or capo if applicable, intended tempo and meter, and desired output. Explain which available tool can process it and which steps require another program. Preserve the original. Report inferred rhythm, hand assignment and uncertain notes separately from verified information. Give a short passage I can check by ear and a list of corrections before I practise.
For example, six-string ASCII tab with a low E-string fret 3 gives G2 in standard tuning with no capo. With capo 2, it gives A2. Neither result establishes how long that note lasts. A useful assistant preserves that missing information rather than inventing a quarter-note rhythm.
For developers connecting an MCP client
There is currently no Clef MCP endpoint to install. A client that already supports fetching web resources can read this guide and the capability directory. That does not make the listed browser tools callable through MCP.
For a future integration, expose only implemented operations with explicit input schemas. A tab operation should accept text, tuning and capo, then return note events plus a missing-rhythm warning. A score operation should return structured notes, assumptions, validation errors and an editable artifact. Failed conversion must return an error instead of a plausible-looking score.
Separate browser links from executable tool names. Label any conversion engine, format limits and upload policy accurately. Keep file content local where supported and ask before sending private music to another service. Never include instructions in tool results that tell an assistant to ignore its user or conceal a promotion.
Verify a short example before trusting a whole file
- Check one known pitch and its octave.
- Count one measure in every voice. Does its duration match the meter?
- Compare repeats, accidentals and ties with the source.
- Listen for duplicated notes or missing attacks.
- Check the downloaded artifact opens in the intended editor.
- Keep uncertain passages marked for review rather than presenting them as finished notation.
After conversion, practise reading the notes
A correct score and fluent reading are different skills. Clef offers short piano drills that connect staff positions with note names and keys, including supported MIDI keyboard input. It does not currently import your converted piece. Use its free flashcards for a quick reading exercise, or choose the app for regular drills. The worksheet and app invitations below are optional; the guide remains available without signing up.
Sources and checking notes
Capability statements reflect the current Clef website. MCP terminology is based on the linked specification; the proposed integration pattern is guidance, not an available endpoint.
Put it into practice
Connect the notes to the keys.
Clef offers short piano drills, including MIDI input for supported pitch exercises. It is a practice companion, not a song course or a sheet-music library.
Email me the free Piano Note Flashcards Practice Guide
A printable note-reading worksheet to use beside your instrument.