Special Markup Within Staff?

[Eric Knapp]

Hello,

I'm trying to use lilypond to do the full notation of my instrument,
the Chapman Stick. The one feature that I'm really struggling with are
String Markers. The Chapman Stick has lots of strings, 8, 10, or 12,
and its notation uses special markers on the staff lines to indicate
strings. This is essentially the combination of Staff notation and Tab
notation and it is called StaffTab. I have attached a small image that
shows the markers. The string markers are the small rectangles above
or below the notes. The marker doesn't have to be a rectangle, it
could be a short thick line, too.

I have tried to implement them with a new Voice with custom noteheads
and no stems. This runs into some collision issues with eighth and
sixteenth and the barlines. I have spent a few days working on custom
noteheads and these string markers. I just can't find a way to add
these to a staff. Does anyone have any ideas? Was I on the right track
treating them as notes in a voice?

Many thanks to the list for all your help.

-Eric

StringMarkers.jpg
Description: JPEG image