Re: Very Beginner's Guide

[Bonnie Rogers]

Manuel wrote:
> Here is the whole thing again, including Jay's suggestions and other
>  corrections
>
> Manuel
>
>
>
>
>
> LilyPond's
>
> Beginners Guide
>
> for the
>
> Very Beginner

Just a quibble, but in English we'd be more likely to say "Complete 
Beginner" or maybe "Absolute Beginner" or even "Complete and Absolute 
Beginner".


> Chapter One.
>
>
> If you are using a Mac, open a new LilyPond window. If you are
> working with Linux...

I suggest a separate introductory chapter for each operating system. 
Trevor Daniels is right.  Most Windows beginners who aren't trained
programmers wouldn't get past this point without extra help. Many 
Windows users have never had any occasion to use a text editor or a 
command window.  Windows has some advantages too, but the new user isn't 
likely to know how to exploit them without guidance.


> Then write this inside:
>
>
> { c'  d'  e'  f'  g'  a'  b'  c' ' }
>
>
> Save the file 

On the Mac OS does the file automatically get saved with the .ly 
extension?  If not, you should tell the complete and absolute beginner 
to do that.  On Windows, a new user might be using Notepad. The Windows 
instructions need to give further details about how to save a .ly file 
in Notepad.  It isn't easy.

and then select "Typeset file" from the "Compile" menu.
>
No such menu or option in Windows.

In Windows, if you have succeeded in saving the file as a .ly file, and 
if you can find the file, and if you recognize it when you do find it, 
you simply double-click the file icon.

> A small window will open, where you can follow the proceedings, 

Actually, in 2.8 in Windows you can't follow the proceedings.  A blank 
window flashes open, stays blank, and then closes.  If you already have 
a real command window open, nothing happens in it.  I think that's a 
bug, don't know if it has been fixed in 2.10.  It doesn't much matter, 
but a beginner will worry if they expect something they don't get.

and
> then a ".pdf" document will appear, with this result:
You might want to mention that you also get a .txt file called a "log 
file" and a .ps file, and you have to double-click the .pdf icon to open 
the document.  At least that's how it is in Windows.

> (insert graphic here)
>
>
> It is a little C-major scale. Let us consider it:
>
> The so-called "curly braces"
>
> {
>
> and
>
> }
>
> are essential. You must always write your music inside such brackets.
This is really good, clear beginner information, as is the following. 
My compliments!
> Also, LilyPond is "case sensitive", which means that in our little 
> example, "c" (that's lower case) is right, but "C" (that's upper
> case) would be wrong.
>
> Then, LilyPond has certain pre-set values, called "defaults", which
> will apply whenever you do not ask for something different. In our
> present example, for instance: the treble clef, 4/4 time signature,
> quarter notes.
>
> You can, of course, change these and all other defaults, indeed you
> can engrave old plainchant, contemporary notation, orchestral scores,
> do MIDI files, and more. But all that lies further down the road. For
> the moment, we will teach you how to engrave a simple melody.
>
> First, we'll give you a very useful tool to input your notes, called
> the "relative mode".
>
> In our example, we have written each note with an octave
> denomination: one apostrophe:
>
> '
>
> for the so-called "first octave", which is the octave immediately
> above and including the central c,  

You might want to say "the central c on the piano keyboard, called 
'middle c'".

and two apostrophes:
> ''
>
> for the "second octave", the one immediately above the first octave.
>
> But now, using the "relative mode", you will save yourself a lot of 
> work. Erase what you wrote before in the LilyPond window and write
> this instead:
>
>
> \relative
>
> { c d e f g a b c }
You might want to point out that \relative goes outside those curly 
brackets.

> Save the document again, close the .pdf and select "Typeset file"
> from the "Compile" menu. 

Again, I think these details apply only to the Mac OS.

The result will be the same C-major scale.
> (insert graphic here)
>
> But now, with the
>
> \relative
>
> command, the first note is automatically engraved as close as
> possible to the central c and every further note will be engraved as
> close as possible to the previous note. "As close as possible" means
> calculating the smallest interval. Thus if you modify your input to
> this:
>
>
> \relative
>
> { e g c b g f d c  }
>
>
> (Don't forget to always save the file and close the previous .pdf
> before compiling)
This is a better way to put the reminder for users of all systems.

> You will get this result:
>
>
> (insert graphic here)
>
>
> You can analyze the exercise and see that a third has been preferred
> to a sixth, a fourth to a fifth, etc. Now in this mode, when you add
> an apostrophe, it makes the note appear one octave higher as 

In English "higher than"

it would
> have appeared without the apostrophe. Two apostrophes make for two
> octaves, and so forth.
>
> To make a note one octave lower as it would otherwise appear, add a
> coma:

In English, "one octave lower *than* it would otherwise appear, add a 
*comma*". Remember the punctuation is spelled "comma" with two m's. 
"Coma" with one m is what you are in when you are unconscious near 
death.  That's another example of why you can't wholly rely on 
spell-check in English.  Both spellings are good English words - they 
just mean something different.

But I really like your explanation of \relative.  I never quite 
understood it before.
> c,
>
> or two or more for more octaves:
>
> c,,,
>
> See it here:
>
>
> \relative
>
> { c' g e' d c c, d c  }
>
> (insert graphic here)
>
>
>
> Good. Now let's see how to select the following:
>
>
> Clefs
>
> Time signatures
>
> Keys major and minor
>
> Rhythmic values
>
> Sharps and flats
>
> Double bars and repeat bars.
>
>
>
> These are simple things to do. Write this example:
>
>
> \relative
>
> {
>
> \clef treble \key c \major \time 4/4
>
> c d e f g a b c }
>
>
> (insert graphic here)
Maybe this would be a good place to explain what goes inside the curly 
brackets and what goes outside.

> The result is our first example of a C-major scale, but this time you
>  see the way some defaults are set. Change them easily, like this:
>
>
> \relative
>
> {
>
> \clef alto \key cis \minor \time 2/2
>
> c d e f g a b c }
>
>
> This should look thus:
>
> (insert graphic here)
>
>
> Don't worry just yet about the naturals. We'll come to it in a
> moment.
>
> You change the clef changing the denomination "treble" for
>
>
> alto
>
> tenor
>
> bass
>
>
> or other, no less important clefs, like:
>
>
> french (G clef on the first line)
>
> soprano (C clef on the first line)
>
>
> mezzosoprano (C clef on the second line)
>
> baritone (C clef on the fifth line)
>
> varbaritone (F clef on the third line)
>
> subbass (F clef on the fifth line)
>
> percussion (percussion clef)
>
> tab (tablature clef)
>
>
>
> To set the key, proceed in this way:
>
> \key (name of the tonic) \(major or minor)
>
> like for instance:
>
>
> \key g \minor
>
>
> And similarly for the time signature, like this:
>
>
> \time x/y
>
> For instance:
>
> \time 6/8
>
>
> Now for the rhythmic values.
>
> You specify these values with a number after the name of the note:
> "c1" will make a whole note; "d8" an eighth note, etc.
>
> Add full stops (called "periods" in american English) 

For consistency, you probably should decide which version of English you 
will use, American or British, and whether you will give both versions 
every time or just the first time you use a term that is different in 
British and American usage.  "Stops" is British English, "periods" is 
American (note capital A) English, but elsewhere you are using the 
American term "quarter note". In British English a "quarter note" is a 
"crotchet."  For what it's worth, most of us ignorant Americans need a 
translation of the British terms.  I don't know if the reverse is true.

for dotted or
> double doted notes:
>
> g4.
>
> for a dotted quarter note,
>
> a8..
>
> for a double dotted eighth note, and so on.
>
> Insert rests with the letter "r" and specify their duration with
> numbers:
>
> r4.
>
> will be a dotted fourth rest.


"dotted quarter rest"
> Once a rhythmic value is entered it remains the same for all the 
> following notes or rests until you change it. This applies for rests
> as well. Lets see this with an example:
>
>
> \relative
>
> {c4 r8 e g4 c r8 g c r c,4 r}
>
> (insert graphic here)
>
> Analyze this and see how the rhythmic values are automatically
> repeated.
>
> You can amuse yourself writing all possible and also impossible
> examples of simple melodies, and see what happens. Don't worry,
> whatever you type, you can't break it...
>
> Working fine? Then let's go for sharps and flats. Just name the
> notes:
>
>
> cis
>
> dis
>
> eis
>
> fis
>
> gis
>
> ais
>
> bis
>
>
> for sharps, and
>
>
> ces
>
> ees
>
> fes
>
> ges
>
> aes
>
> bes
>
>
> for flats.
>
>
> (Please note that this is not necessarily the way you are used to
> name the notes)
>
> "cisis" and "ceses" will give you double alterations. Get it?
>
> Whatever key you have chosen, you must always input the exact name of
>  the note you wish to have printed. For example in the key of D-Major
> you must type in fis and cis for f-sharp and c-sharp otherwise a
> natural sign will be printed before the note. This is not a
> disadvantage, as you will surely notice after a time.

> Insert double bars and repeats like this:
>
>
> \relative
>
> {
>
> \clef treble \key c \major \time 2/4
>
> c d
>
> \bar "|:"
>
> e f
>
> \bar ":|:"
>
>
> g a
>
> \bar ":|"
>
> b c
>
> \bar "||"
>
> }
>
> (insert graphic here)
>
>
>
> The exercises you have done so far should enable you to write any
> simple melody. As you are surely aware, we have not said anything yet
> about tuplets, lyrics, polyphony and many other things. If you wonder
> whether you can do this or that with LilyPond, the answer is very
> probably "YES!"
>
> Look for it in the other tutorials or in the next chapters, as soon
> as they are written. Any unsolved questions can be directed to the
> mailing list, including an example of your problem. Take great care
> where you put your { and } around your music, and
>
> have fun!


In spite of my various quibbles and nitpicks, I want to stress that 
you've really done a great job!

Happy Holidays, everybody!