Re: Very Beginner's Guide

[Manuel]

Thank you, Bonnie. I'll change the text with your corrections  as  
soon as I have slept a couple of hours (it has been a long and  
beautiful day).

But I do think you are right: I should stick with instructions for  
Mac OS X and not get into all those Linux and Windows things I don't  
know. It should be easy to add separate steps for the other systems.


Am 25/12/2006 um 01:13 schrieb Bonnie Rogers:

> 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".

Right.

> > 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?


Yes, on the Mac you just save and compile - even I can do it.


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


I see.


> 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.


Well no, all this happens automatically on my Mac - Well done,  
developers!


> > (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!

Thank you.

> > 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'".

I'll do that.

> 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.


I have already corrected my unconscious commata, but some may have  
escaped me...


> 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.


So you are really two countries separated by a common language... How  
do Canadians, New Zealanders and other natives manage in between? I  
think that for us non-natives, "fourth" is logically easier than  
"crochet", though crochet and quaver sound nice. Like the French  
"soupir" for a rest.


> Happy Holidays, everybody!

You too, Bonnie, and good night!

Manuel