Re: Lilypond and Jazz chords

[Tim McNamara]

On Jun 12, 2009, at 1:28 AM, Tao Cumplido wrote:

> > I think it's great that you did this.  Have you put this on LSR?
>
> Thanks. I haven't put this on LSR yet because the function hasn't  
> been much tested yet. Maybe I should have done anyway.
> When the function is updated I will upload it there.
>
> > Perhaps we should consider adding this to the distribution.
>
> What exactly do you mean? To which part yould you add it?

Ummm.  Here is a question of software philosophy.  Should there, like  
some computers languages, be many ways to do something or should  
there only be one?  In my opinion, in the long run it makes it harder  
to learn to use something like LilyPond if there are six ways to do  
the same thing.  The documentation becomes more difficult to write  
and to maintain, it becomes harder for new users to learn how to use  
the software, and as the software accretes ways to do things the  
package gets bigger and easier to break.  LilyPond .ly syntax is a  
programming language itself and the clearer and more specific the  
rules are for its operation, the simpler and more reliable its use.

I think that there should be only two ways to enter chords (at least  
in Western music notation systems):  by putting in the notes to be  
placed on the staff or by entering the text name of the chord in a  
single standardized, sensible way.  Once we start adding ways to  
engrave chords using the markup or lyric functions we are heading  
towards chaos IMHO.