Re: Disappearing hyphens (endashes) in lyrics

[David Rogers]

Kieren MacMillan <address@hidden> writes:

> Hi Peter, 
>
> > So, I want to keep the en-dashes in the typeset lyrics, but I 
> > do not 
> want them to be matched to any notes, but rather have them 
> occupy the space between the words, and under the space between 
> the notes. 
>
> Then you should probably use hidden notes, and attach the 
> en-dash as a "lyric" to the hidden note. 


I agree that this would be how to do what you've asked for. But 
I'm not so sure that what you've asked for will be easier or 
better for someone reading the music. I would use the 
previously-mentioned solution of having the syllable that comes 
before the dash typed like "la -" . You could even put two or 
three spaces between the syllable and the dash, if you don't want 
the dash to be so close. (And there is a good way to change the 
alignment of your syllable so that the letters, not the empty 
space, go under the note. See the notation manual, section 2.1.2, 
under "techniques specific to lyrics"). This syllable re-alignment 
is clumsy & troublesome, but much less clumsy & troublesome than 
adding an invisible note.

This will alert the singer, at the time they need to know, "this 
is only half of the word". In your proposal, if another voice (or 
the accompaniment) has a lot of notes, the dash could end up "in 
the middle of nowhere", even potentially on the next line.

--
David