Re: Towards a new pitch representation

[Hans Aberg]

On 31 Dec 2010, at 16:19, Felipe Gonçalves Assis wrote:

> Thanks for the code, Hans!
>
> There are many things I am curious about. Now that I have the sources,
> I will spend some time analysing them, and then contact you.
>
> While I need some time to study your considerations, what I can say  
> now is:
>
> . If, under a given musical system, what is printed on the score is  
> enough to
>  determine the precise tuning of a pitch, and if LilyPond supports  
> the notation
>  used, then it is possible to write an engraver that produces the  
> correct sound
>  output without changing the pitch representation. As I said, using  
> the number
>  1/2 to represent a sharp does not bind you to ET.
>
> . Otherwise, I need to carefully study tuning systems and their use.
>
> So, while I am proposing a somewhat fundamental change, it is still  
> something
> relatively simple, that will hopefully not break much user code, and  
> might
> make some microtonalists happy. I have good hope that this job may be
> finished before the Equinox.

Graham Breed haas already extended it to arbitrary ETs within the  
current LilyPond pitch model - I have added some of his stuff to the  
link I put up before. In the file regular.ly, he somehow recomputes  
it. I do not know how it works, only that for key signatures of the  
form \key ..., there is a problem if the accidentals are not in E24.  
So those must be written out explicitly.

> That being pointed, I must express that I would very much appreciate  
> to
> further bridge your ideas into LilyPond so as to make it an even more
> powerful software. We actually have plenty of time for that, since  
> work for
> 2.15 has not even officially started yet.

My proposal involve an entirely new model, but I think it would be  
simpler to use, and also be able to make the most of the staff  
typesetting system.

> I then suggest we proceed with this conversation in a different  
> branch,
> in private or in public, as you prefer, and keep this thread to  
> discuss
> how the simpler ideas I am proposing might get into LilyPond.

Post it to this list so others know, but cc me if you want to be sure  
I see it.

> I look forward to keeping in contact with you.

Just shoot.

  Hans