Pitch notation

[Hans Aberg]

I think LilyPond's relative pitch system, where the octave of a note  
depends on the one before is problematic, since if one is making an  
error, it ripples through all notes in the environment. So my aim  
here is to open up the discussion, if somebody thinks there might be  
better systems. Here is one input:

(I will use uppercase note names, just make the difference to stand  
out.)

* Absolute pitches are written with a preceding digit 0-9, where the  
middle octave is 4 (follows some standards, I think MIDI). (So an 88- 
key grand piano has the span 0A to 8C, 8C is the highest note of a  
piccolo, and the human ear doesn't hear pitches correctly above about  
7G#.)
** I have put the number ahead of the note name, in order to not  
conflict with other notations, such as chord numbers.

* Relative pitches are entered by first writing an absolute pitch,  
indicating the range where the following relative pitches do not have  
a super- or sub-script. This might be the octave starting at the  
absolute pitch. The relative pitches are always indicated towards the  
latest absolute pitch in the environment.

* This is augmented with commands, facilitating entry.

For example, an upwards C-major scale, followed by one downwards,  
both starting at middle C, might be written
  { 4C D E F G A B C' C B, A, G, F, E, D, C,, }
or (using \hidden, when the absolute pitch note should not be shown)
  { 4C D E F G A B C' \hidden 3C C' B A G F E D C }
or perhaps (combining absolute and relative notation)
  { 4C D E F G A B C' 3C' B A G F E D C }

  Hans Aberg