RE: Fret Diagram markup

[Carl D. Sorensen]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Heikki Johannes Junes [mailto:address@hidden 
> Sent: Monday, May 31, 2004 12:52 AM
> To: Carl D. Sorensen
> Cc: address@hidden
> Subject: RE: Fret Diagram markup
> 

Thanks for your comments!

> Some remarks of the possible syntax:
> - number of ';' marks could give the number of strings,
> - string numbers are not needed; strings may be given from 
> left to right
> - first number could give the fret position
> - space may be used to separate multiple frets in one string

This is possible, but it has less information in it.  I personally
prefer the 
current terse format, which identifies string, fret, and fingering.

> - a number attached with '-' mark could denote the fingering
> - only notes on the same fret position (and also fingering!?) 
> may have a slur
>   (for example, vertical or diagonal slurs are not allowed), 
> therefore, slur
>   notation may be used
> 
> Then there could be some interface to the verbose syntax, what about:
> - an empty 6-string \fret-diagram ";;;;;;"
> - an empty 4-string \fret-diagram ";;;;"
> - muted and open strings in a \fret-diagram "0;x;x;0;0;0;"
> - fis major chord given in a simply filled \fret-diagram 
> "2;2;4;4;4;2;"
> - c major scale given in a multiply filled \fret-diagram 
> ";3;0 2 3;0 2;0 1;;"
> - fingered g major chord in a \fret-diagram "3-1;5-3;5-4;4-2;3-1;3-1;"
> - slurred, fingered c major chord in a \fret-diagram 
> "x;3-1-(;5-4;5-3;5-2;3-1-);

I can see some possibilities with this syntax, but it would require a
major overhaul of the string parser, which is something that it seems
Han-Wen doesn't really want to pursue.  It appears to me that he would
prefer that we move into a FretDiagram context.  I'm a bit torn as to
whether it's worth it to refine the "string" interface for the fret
diagram.

I suppose I'm also a bit hesitant to move away from explicit string
definition because it seems to me to be more likely to be confusing.
For example, if we finger the c major scale you've identified above, we
might get something like:

";3-3;0 2-2 3-3;0 2-2;0 1-1;;"

Which to me is more confusing than

"5-3-3;4-o;4-2-2;4-3-3;3-o;3-2-2;2-o;2-1-1;"

BTW, how would one indicate the open string as part of the scale here in
a fret diagram?  Would there be both an "O" above the string and a one
(or two) numbered fret circles on it?  I don't believe I've ever seen
such a diagram.

> There has been a request to be able to use an user-defined 
> markup in a place of a fret position, see 
> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond->
devel/2004-02/msg00042.html

I know that's there, but I'm not ready to deal with it yet.  I'd like to
get fret-diagrams implemented in a basic way and see how much interest
there is before I jump into this kind of feature, which I don't think I
would ever use (and after all, I started on this because _I_ wanted fret
diagrams).  I agree with you that it's an issue for future release.


>Greetings,
>
>Heikki Junes

Thanks again for your input.  How do we go about resolving differences
of opinion on syntax?

Carl