Re: divisi parts and another general question

[Hwaen Ch'uqi]

Greetings Sarah,
     First, to base your music around middle c, you want to use

c'

However, you might also try leaving out the c indicator altogether, so
that it would look like

\relative { MUSIC }

In past versions, this had the same effect, and, though I believe that
was meant to be deprecated, I am pretty sure it still works in the
latest stable version.
     Second, there are still plenty of errors, regarding both pitch
and rhythm, in this latest example. In the former case, remember
always to write the pitch which you _want_ to be _heard._ If you want
to hear an E-flat, write an E-flat. If you want to hear an E-natural,
simply write e. This rule of coded notation applies no matter which
key signature you indicate at the beginning of your score. LilyPond,
being mightily well designed, will consider the pitches which you have
written and will interpret and display them visually according to the
rules of the key signature which you have indicated. So, because, I
trust, you will have begun your piece with the indication

\key c \minor

the E-flat which you have written will be placed appropriately on the
staff _without_ any accidentals - that is, without a flat sign -
because it is understood (via the visual indicator at the beginning of
the piece, where the modified pitches of the key signature are
actually shown) to be an E-flat. Continuing with this example in c
minor, an E-natural, having been written simply as e, will be
displayed in the printed score in the correct place on the staff with
a natural sign accompanying it: You do not need to include in your
code an exclamation point, because LilyPond already knows that
E-natural does not belong in that key and will automatically place a
natural sign in the score; this is why LilyPond was telling you that
you were using unexpected exclamation points. In music of the common
practice, these exclamation points - or courtesy accidentals - should
be used very sparingly. Regarding the latter case of rhythm, the
result is that you are notating as if the Prelude is written in 5/4
rather than 4/4.
     Third, I very much understand your frustrations, having also made
the transition from Braille to printed music via LilyPond. In
actuality, many of the underlying principles of coded notation are
strikingly similar; this makes the points of difference at times hard
to remember or even to process. In the case of key signatures and
accidentals, for example, what you read on the Braille page is nearly
exactly what one reads on the printed page; both operate under the
same rules of accidentals relative to the key signature. LilyPond,
however, needs the most raw material with which to work - meaning, in
this case, the actual pitches which you want to be heard, not seen or
read. It will then do its magic correctly based upon the key signature
which you have given. To extend this slightly, having supplied
LilyPond with the correct raw material, if you then changed nothing
but the key signature, the visual output would look different,
according to the rules of the new key signature: what you would _hear_
would remain unchanged. So, while the learning curve of LilyPond may
admittedly be steep (in large measure because you will have to become
acquainted with the general rules of visual layout in order to use
LilyPond most effectively), I encourage you never to flag in your
resolve; for, though its inception was centered around a different
need and demand, it has certainly proven to be a godsend to a wider
clientelle.
     I hope this has been somewhat helpful to you, and best of luck to you.
Hwaen Ch'uqi



On 3/1/13, Sarah k Alawami <address@hidden> wrote:
> Ok. one more question for the night then I'll be done with this for tonight
> as I want to at least get the 2 violin parts written  then work on viola,
> cello and bass tomorrow and sunday.
>
> I will be having divici parts for the second violin parts. I know odd but
> there you go. I tried the text thing
>
> Here  is what I'm trying to accomplish. Realize and I did not say this
> before that I read braille music so what I see is different from what the
> print people see. We have the text and dynamics before the notes like divisi
> and  unison and stuff. in parenthesis. but here is what I was going for.
>
>
> {
> <c e>4 <c e> <b! e>4."divisi" d8 c4"unis" |
>  "divisi" <a c> <aes c> <g c>4. "unis" b8 a4 |
>  }
>
> Am I making this harder then it really is? I want to try and finish the
> second violin part tonight if I have the head to do so lol! I read the
> manual on voicing but I don't think that was the right section as it did not
> seem like what I wanted.
>
> Oh btw another question. I like to try and bass everything around  middle c,
> so what would be the relative of that would it be
>
> c'' or c'?
>
> I get a bit confused there but I will get this.
>
> Thanks all.
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