Re: "always specify initial duration within { ... }" ?

[Graham Percival]

On Sun, Apr 25, 2010 at 11:33:02PM -0700, Mark Polesky wrote:
> Both
>   LM 1.2.1 "Simple notation" and
>   NR 1.2.1 "Writing rhythms"

> it may be more accurate to
> say "each time lilypond is invoked, the default duration for
> the first note read by the parser is a quarter note."

Rhetorical: what's a "parser" ?  I'm a musician, Jim, not a bloody
doctorate in computer science!
:)

> I'd like to reword both instances of this paragraph to:
> 
>   If the duration is omitted, it is set to the previously
>   entered duration.  The duration of the first note in every
>   { music } block should always be specified explicitly.

Rhetorical: what's a "{ music } block" ?  I'm reading the tutorial
in the order specified, so in Learning 1.2.1, I don't have a clue
what a block is.

I strongly suggest leaving Learning 1.2.1 alone.  I'm ok with
changes to Notation 1.2.1, but I wouldn't want to have "the first
note should always be specific explicitly".  Why not just tell the
truth, namely:

  If the duration is omitted, it is set to the previously
  entered duration.  The default for the first note is a
  quarter note.  If the duration occurs at the beginning
  of a music expression, the @qq{previously entered duration}
  might occur in a different music expression; we recommend
  that the duration of the first note of any music expression
  be specifed explicitly.
  
We've defined "music expression" quite heavily in Learning 2+3, so
that should be fine in the Notation.

Cheers,
- Graham