Re: Right hand notes have too many ledger lines.

[James Lowe]

Disc Magnet,

-----Original Message-----
From: Disc Magnet <address@hidden>
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:37:04 +0530
To: lilypond-user <address@hidden>
Subject: Right hand notes have too many ledger lines.

>This is the code:
>
>\version "2.12.3"
>\score {
>    \new PianoStaff <<
>        \set PianoStaff.midiInstrument = "acoustic grand"
>        \tempo 4 = 120
>        \new Staff {
>            \relative c' {
>                c d c b
>                a c d c
>                c d c b
>                g c d c
>            }
>        }
>
>        \new Staff {
>            \clef "bass"
>            \relative c {
>                g c e c
>                f, a c a
>                g c e c
>                f, a c a
>            }
>        }
>    >>
>    \midi { }
>    \layout{ }
>}
>
>I have attached the PDF output with this email. In his score, the
>treble clef is supposed to be played with right hand and the bass clef
>with left hand. However, in the treble clef (right hand), we have two
>notes ('a' and 'g') which are below the middle C and thus represented
>by extra ledger lines.
>
>Unfortunately, there are too many of these in the music I am writing
>and the score is full of too many ledger lines. What is the
>recommended way of writing scores like these?

2 legder lines is perfectly acceptable. Actually there is no 'limit'
Indeed many of my flute players show me scores with 4 or more ledger lines
above the stave.

You can use ottava brackets or you can change the clef however this is
'overkill' for two ledger lines and depending on the instrument
remembering to switch up or down an octave or 5th or whatever is much more
inconvenient than a few legder lines.

There is nothing wrong with what you have written.

I suggest you look at

http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.13/Documentation/notation/displaying-pitches#ott
ava-brackets

Or

http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.13/Documentation/notation/displaying-pitches#cle
f

However for something as trivial as this, I wouldn't recommend it.

James