Re: [Feature Request] \compressFullBarRests improvement(s)

[James Harkins]

On Sunday, December 22, 2013 5:07:11 PM HKT, Simon Bailey wrote:
> > I also support this request.  Another reason is that in many parts of
> > percussion instruments, say, there is `tacet' for a very long time,
> > e.g. from rehearsal number 20 to 76.  A potential new implementation
> > of \compressFullBarRests (or a variant as suggested by David K.)
> > should allow compression of everything (including measure changes!)
> > into a single MM rest to span these two rehearsal numbers.
>
> as a victim of such parts (orchestral bass trombone), this 
> shouldn't be the default behavior. I've had such parts, and it 
> is REALLY annoying when your part jumps from say mark G to mark 
> Q (with 137 bars rest) and the conductor asks for the rehearsal 
> to start 3 bars before P. unless you _know_ how many bars P has 
> or _exactly_ when you're supposed to come in, such parts are 
> useless. 

Note that this is a side suggestion, tangentially related to the main 
request.

The main request is to avoid multi-measure rests that are broken only by a 
bar line and nothing else. It's okay to break a multi-measure rests for a 
double bar line, a key or meter change, or a rehearsal mark. It's really 
questionable to break a multi-measure rest into two when there is no 
notationally evident reason to do so.

| = barline
+ = Multi-measure rest delimiter

| +--- 2 ---+ | 3/4 +--- 2 ---+ |    <<-- this is necessary

| +--- 2 ---+ | +--- 2 ---+ |    <<-- this is pointless

| +--- 4 ---+ |  <<-- this is the same as the second, but more efficient

For the side request, I totally agree that it shouldn't be the default 
handling. Rests should not be notated such that the duration is ambiguous. 
"Tacet al fine" would be fine, though.

Just my opinions. I'll defer to experts if I'm wrong.

hjh