Re: Absolute vs. relative pitches

[Trevor Daniels]

John, you wrote Wednesday, August 13, 2008 5:53 PM


> 2008/8/13 Trevor Daniels <address@hidden>:
> > The Learning Manual is for learning users.  They will
> > usually begin with a simple melody and relative mode
> > -is- easier for this, once you realize all you have to
> > do is count staff spaces.
>
> Counting staff spaces costs much brain power in melodies with big
> intervals (i.e. intervals bigger than a third).

Jumps of more than an octave are fairly rare in most melodies, so in 
relative
mode you usually only need to be able to count to 3.  I find it much easier
to simply count staff spaces than to work out whether the interval is a 
fifth,
an augmented fourth or a diminished fifth.  If there are more than 3 staff
spaces between the notes you need an apostrophe or a comma.

Others more musically gifted than I seem to disagree that this is easier, 
though.

> IMNSHO we *must* discuss absolute vs. relative pitches with usage
> cases in the Learning Manual.

I agree with this.  IIRC I wanted to do so but Graham vetoed it, but
maybe he opposed it just in the early sections of the manual.

>  This is probably too early to do this
> in chapter 3 "Fundamental concepts" (although I intend to prepare the
> mind of the reader with a correction I added recently ;-), but this
> could be done in chapter 5 "Working with LilyPond files".  Trevor, I
> put this on my TODO for after 2.12, unless you have any objection.

That's fine, John - I've plenty of other bits to write after 2.12!

> Cheers,
> John
Trevor