Re: [Best Practices] instrument changes

[Kieren MacMillan]

Hi James,

Thanks for chiming in! Very helpful.

> 1. Always use music variables and THEN transpose them in the \score, rather 
> than transpose them in the variable (if that makes sense?)

Definitely. This, I think, is Best Practice #1. In fact, "put the notes in 
variables and [try to] do everything else in the score" might be the single 
rule of thumb that I try to live by.

Q: When you have a doubler-switch in the middle of a passage, do you use two 
different variables and combine them [sequentially] later, or do you have a 
single variable with \instrumentSwitch?

> 2. Try to keep the fancy \tweaks and \h-aligns to a minimum [...]
> Keep as many overrides in the \layout { } part of the \score { } as you can 
> as that  makes it much easier (for me anyway) to keep my actual music 'clean' 
> for reviewing in the .ly file.

Also fabulous advice… although I try to keep to that in *ALL* scores, not just 
the extra-problematic doubler scores.

> 3. Make lots of %comments as you go :) this is mainly for #2 above.

Good point.

Q: Do you use \tag for things like clef differences (e.g., bass clarinet 
showing in treble clef in the part, but bass clef in the conductor's C score)? 
I'm trying to avoid \tag when possible -- since it mixes presentation in with 
my content -- but it seems unavoidable.  =(

Thanks!
Kieren.