Re: ways of using Lilypond?

[James Lowe]

Hello,

On 19/12/2010 01:27, Ludo Beckers wrote:
> I guess I asked this question because I'm not sure whether or not I
> should first learn Lilypond syntax and then see if I want/need to use
> tools besides it.

My own experience of LilyPond was quite, no make that VERY frustrating 
to start with. The syntax seemed awkward, I am not a programmer so all 
the 'funny commands' with the seemingly excessive brackets, braces and 
parentheses were very alien to me.

I could see LilyPond's potential and what it could do and had managed to 
produce a very simple score using just Windows wordpad (which I still 
use) and on my Mac, the editor that comes with Lilypond (LilyPad) which 
again I still use to this day. I don't use Linux as my LilyPond engraver.

I tried to use the other tools like Jedit and Frescobaldi and a few 
others that the manuals mentioned but I found myself struggling with 
those tools more than I was getting LilyPond to work.

It was very frustrating at first.

I must have given up on LilyPond about 3 or 4 times over a couple of 
years before I decided to 'pull up a chair and have a proper go' without 
worrying about the editor.

I kept it simple and used the most basic text editor that I could that 
came with the OS I was using and set myself tasks on copying music that 
I had lying about - admittedly single system Trumpet/Clarinet or Sax 
scores. All with a basic editor.

The user forums were helpful and the documentation while patchy in some 
parts usually had what I needed in it if I would only take a few minutes 
to read it.

Since then I have gone back to the 'GUI' tools but frankly find the ease 
and speed of these simple text editors better.

I do sometimes wish that the editors I use had better hi-lighting (i.e. 
showing me where I have missed a closing '}' for instance and yes I know 
there are many editors out there that do that :) but I like the 
discipline that using a basic editor instils.

However that all said, having an understanding of the fundamental 
LilyPond syntax and layout really is worth taking some time to 
understand, it doesn't take that long and means that I don't have to 
worry about which platform I use LilyPond on just because the 'tools' I 
use on one OS don't exist on another.

I can pick up any editor and go which is nice when I visit friends who 
want me to help them 'make those fancy scores' with that weird 'Duck 
pond program' I use, whether they have Windows or a Mac.

James