\sacredHarpHeads are not recognizable to Sacred Harp Singers

[Laura Conrad]

In Lilypond 2.6.6, \sacredHarpHeads is defined (in
ly/property-init.ly) as:

       \set shapeNoteStyles = ##(#f #f mi #f fa la #f)

This is really wierd.  The shapes aren't going to help anyone
sightread if *three* adjacent notes are going to have the same shape.  The
normal way a shape note singer sings a major scale is "fa so la fa so
la mi fa", which I believe translates to:

       \set shapeNoteStyles = ##(fa #f la fa #f la mi)

My friends who do this all the time tell me that the shapes are
relative to the key signature, not the key, so that a minor scale is
"la  mi fa so la fa sol la", which seems to translate in lily to:

\set shapeNoteStyles = ##( la mi fa #f la fa #f )

It's really nice that this is so configurable, but wouldn't it be even
better if the default were something usable?

I think it might also be good if there were a list of possible head
shapes somewhere that the page that describes shape notes
<http://www.lilypond.org/doc/v2.6/Documentation/user/lilypond/Shape-note-heads.html>
could point to.

-- 
Laura (mailto:address@hidden , http://www.laymusic.org/ )
(617) 661-8097  fax: (501) 641-5011
233 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139