Re: midiinstrument and clefs

[David Raleigh Arnold]

On Sunday 21 March 2004 02:25, David Bobroff wrote:
> > Why does lilypond do small clefs in the middle of a line by default
> > instead of regular?
>
> It is common engraving practice.  As to why it is common practice I
> can only speculate that a full sized clef would appear bulky and out
> of place, or that it would have appeared bulky and out of place to
> the engravers who established the practice.
>
> >  Aren't small clefs supposed to be for changing clef
> > without having to change the key signature,
>
> That is, in effect, what happens when you change clefs in the middle
> of a system without changing keys.  But that is because the key isn't
> changing.
>
> >  so the whole idea is *not*
> > to have a new key sig appear?  Isn't that what they're for?
>
> No, the two are not really linked.  The small clefs are for
> mid-system clef changes as per common engraving practice.  Clef
> changes are not linked to key changes.
>
> >   If you
> > change keys in midstream, so to speak, don't you need a regular
> > clef?
>
> No.  You don't need a clef at all.
>
> > So wouldn't \smallclef make more sense when you want no new key sig
> > to appear,
>
> This is what happens now, isn't it?  But again, you appear to be
> assuming that the two are linked.  They are not.
>
> >  and \key when you want both clef and key sig?
>
> No.  \key and \clef do not always have to appear together.  At a
> mid-line key change:
>
> clef = no
> key = yes
>
> At a mid-line clef change:
>
> clef = yes
> key = no
>
> \key and \clef are two different and separate bits of information. 
> The \key indicates the basis of the harmonic structure of the piece
> (c major, e minor, etc.).  The \clef simply indicates what absolute
> pitches are represented by the lines/spaces of the staff.
>
> -David

Thanks.  Guilty of expecting something to make sense.  ;-)

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