Re: Why is midiInstrument a Staff property

[Jan Nieuwenhuizen]

Bernd Warken <address@hidden> writes:

> > If you want different instruments for two voicess, you must put them
> > on different staffs, ie, you probably need a dedicated midi score
> > definition:
>  
> That is very bad.  So you are forced to write different source files
> for graphical and midi output.

No, in these cases you need just a dedicated midi score block, see my
previous message.

> For example, take J.S.Bach's Art of the Fugue written for four voices,
> usually notated in two staffs for keyboard.  It is common to play
> it on piano, organ, but also for string quartett.  With making
> midiInstrument a voice property, it is possible to use the two-staff
> score for all kinds of instrument combinations.

Just put each voice on a different midi `staff'.  I think the current
mapping of staff->track is the best we can do.

> By usual speaking, a voice is identified as an instrument in music,
> whereas staffs are only an arbitrary notation concept that is not
> inherent to the music.

Well, yes.  MIDI sucks.  What's new?

-- 
Jan Nieuwenhuizen <address@hidden> | GNU LilyPond - The music typesetter
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jantien       | http://www.lilypond.org