Re: Relative mode

[David Raleigh Arnold]

On Sunday 26 October 2003 10:18 am, Mats Bengtsson wrote:
> You can do exactly what David suggests in version 2.0
> using the following syntax:
>
> \octave a,, a b c d e \octave a,, a b c d e
>
> see
> http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.0/Documentation/user/out-www/lilypond/Octa
>ve-check.html Note that the \octave command both provides a warning
> and corrects the octave of the following notes.
>
> Personally, I prefer this explicit syntax instead of reusing
> the symbol ':' which is already used in the current syntax to
> mean tremolo, c8:32. Even if we might find some other symbol that
> hasn't already been used in the current syntax, I prefer a
> descriptive command name for these things that most users don't
> use every day. Of course, it's always a compromise between using
> a compact syntax that's quick to enter and a more verbose syntax
> that's easier to understand and remember.

Making it available to people who would use it a lot would do no harm.  
I would be willing to insert a colon every measure if it were useful to 
me, but starting every measure with \octave?  Forget it.  \octave is 
better than nothing, though, for those who use relative mode.
>
> Regarding Aaron's suggestion, it seems that you have missed the
> main point of his suggestion, namely that he wants to be able to
> specify and octave range that doesn't start with a C. For example
> (as far as I understand), he wants to be able to specify that the
> melody is mainly in the range a to a' and then write, for example,
> Twinkle twinkle as
> a4 a e e fis fis e2 d4 d cis cis b b a2
> instead of (current relative mode):
> a4 a e' e fis fis e2 d4 d cis cis b b a2
> or (current absolute mode):
> a,4 a, e e fis fis e2 d4 d cis cis b, b, a2,
>
>     /Mats

That can't be done already?  You can't write \relative a ?
I had no idea.  It is certainly a desirable feature.  daveA