half-dot

[David Bobroff]

Some time ago I posted a query/suggestion/observation regarding a 
notation convention I saw in a piece we were performing in our 
orchestra.  Following a notehead, in the position of a dot, there was a 
small '×'.  Upon examination it became clear that it was, in effect, a 
'half-dot'.  It added one-quarter of the note's value rather than 
one-half.  I thought at the time that the LilyPond developers might be 
interested in supporting this notation.  I recall that Han-Wen seemed 
uninterested in supporting what appeared to be a  "one-off," 
non-standard notation quirk.  Fair enough.

Now, however, this notation convention has appeared again in another 
piece by a different composer.  An example can bee seen here:

http://centrum.is/~bobroff/lilypond/half-dot.png

The piece is the "Concerto" for clarinet and Orchestra by Finnish 
composer Kalevi Aho.  This tiny excerpt is from the Euphonium part.  As 
a musician who has to read this, I find that having, in this instance, 
groups of five 16th notes in a "beat" makes this notation convenient to 
read.  I just wonder why the "half-dot" wasn't also used on the rests in 
the second 15/16 bar in the above example.

So, I offer this again.  Does the development team want to add this 
feature?  I'm not sure that this is important enough to me, personally, 
to make it a feature request.  On the other hand, if this notation 
convention is going to become used more it may well become "accepted" 
and eventually "standard" practice.  LilyPond already does many things 
you don't see in pre-20th century music (feathered beams, cluster 
notation, shaped notehead etc....)

-David