Re: removing identical staves

[Phil Holmes]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Helge Kruse" <address@hidden>
To: <address@hidden>
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 5:43 PM
Subject: removing identical staves


> I there, I am typesetting a piece for a small orchestra. There ares voice 
> for the violas and cellos too. These violas play unisono for the first five 
> pages. Then suddenly they play very different voices. I am reluctant to add 
> a Viola I staff and a viola II staff to the whole score. The composer was 
> it too. But at page six I need a new staff group for the violas.
>
> I've have tried this with the RemoveEmptyStaves engraver similar like this 
> (please ignore the wrong clef for the viola):
>
> \version "2.16.0"
> \include "deutsch.ly"
>
> \score {
> <<
>   \new Staff \relative c'' { \repeat unfold 29 { c8 c c c c c c c } }
>   \new StaffGroup <<
>     \new Staff \relative c'' { c1 c c c c c c c c c c c c c c g8 a h c d c 
> h a }
>     \new Staff \relative c'' { R1 R R R R R R R R R R R R R R c8 h a g f g 
> h c }
> >>
> >>
>   \layout {
>     \context {
>       \Staff \RemoveEmptyStaves   }
>   }
> }
>
> This approach has two drawbacks.
> - First I have a staff line with rests at the beginning, where both viola 
> players should play.

  \layout {
    \context {
      \Staff \RemoveEmptyStaves
      \override VerticalAxisGroup #'remove-first = ##t
    }
  }


> - Second I have a measure #15 at the line where they play different 
> melodies. The actual first measure of the line where the different 
> melodies start can not be predicted easily.
>
> I could try to quote the first viola voice in the second to get the 
> correct notes in the first line. But I would prefer to write only one 
> viola line at first page. Further the count of measures could change when 
> I change the paper format.
>
> I could also add a \break before measure #15 to control the lines breaks. 
> But I am looking for a better solution. Is there something like a 
> RemoveIdenticalStaves engraver where I could define which staves may be 
> removed?

If they're almost always playing the same, but there's a little bit where 
they're duet, could you not set them as different voices on a single stave?

--
Phil Holmes