chord symbol typography

[Flaming Hakama by Elaine]

Based on the discussion about minor chords, I had some more general comments about how lilypond does (or does not) handle chord symbol notation.


Regardless of which symbol choice you make for how to identify chord types, there are many details of readable chord notation typography that lilypond does not attempt.  We all seem to complain about symbol choice, but that is not what makes default lilypond chord symbol output wanting.

For example, complaints about not being able to see a dash as a minor could simply mean that your dash is too small and thin, and/or it is not sufficiently separated from the other symbols.  There is nothing "unseeable" about a dash--in fact, em dashes are among the widest characters in any font.  I have seen far more instances of people misreading "G" as "C" or vice versa due to sloppy handwriting than I have with people not seeing or misreading a dash.


Here is some of what I have identified as good typographic standards (based on having to tweak lilypond to reconstruct professional looking chord symbols) that helps clarify the parsing of chord symbols, regardless of what symbols you choose for chord flavor:
 
1) Different relative size between: the letter/symbol used to name the root, the chord type identifiers (maj, min, 7 etc.), and extensions/alterations. (Incidentally, I treat a the "7" for a dominant as a chord type identifier, not an extension).

2) Horizontal space after the chord root name/symbols

3) Vertical space below chord type symbols as well as extensions/alterations


I use a customized chord definition file to handle these treatments, and I also choose a bolder font for chords, and set an appropriate font size.

On the one hand, once you have a decent file to define your chExceptions, you are pretty much done.  However, it might be nice if lilypond could understand these categorical differences in symbol treatment to help make the default output better, as well as to be able to switch fonts without having to retweak symbol placements as much.

I am curious to hear if anyone has considered or encountered these aspects of chord symbol typography.   Or, is there a way to simplify or generalize the tweaks I use so that it is more robust.


I am including my chord file, so you can see how all this fussiness works in practice.

You may note that I prefer the symbols language (triangle=major, dash=minor, circle=diminished, plus=augmented, empty set=half diminished, 7=dominant), because I believe it to be the most consistent, complete, compact and unambiguous set of symbols, and is fully well-understood by the communities that I work with.



\version "2.14.1"
\include "english.ly"

flamingChordNames = {

% Major
<c e g b>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \magnify #0.5 { " " \triangle ##f } \normalsize 7 } }
<c e g b d'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \magnify #0.5 { " " \triangle ##f } \normalsize 9 } }
<c e g b d' a'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \magnify #0.5 { " " \triangle ##f } \normalsize 13 } }
<c e g a d'>1-\markup { \super "6(add9)" }
<c e g b aflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \magnify #0.5 { " " \triangle ##f } \normalsize b13 } }

% Minor
<c eflat g>1-\markup { \raise #0.6 { \magnify #0.2 { "  " } \tiny { \char ##x2013 } \magnify #10 { "  " } } }
<c eflat g a>1-\markup { \raise #0.6 { \magnify #0.2 { "  " } \tiny { \char ##x2013 } \magnify #0.2 { "  " }} \raise #0.7 \normalsize 6 }
<c eflat g bflat>1-\markup { \raise #0.6 { \magnify #0.2 { "  " } \tiny { \char ##x2013 } \magnify #0.1 { "  " }} \raise #0.7 \normalsize 7 }

<c eflat g b>1-\markup { \raise #0.6 { \magnify #0.2 { "  " } \tiny { \char ##x2013 } \magnify #0.1 { "  " }} \raise #0.7 {  \magnify #0.5 { " " \triangle ##f } \small 7 } }

<c eflat g bflat d'>1-\markup { \raise #0.6 { \magnify #0.2 { "  " } \tiny { \char ##x2013 } \magnify #0.1 { "  " }} \raise #0.7 \normalsize 9 }
<c eflat g bflat d' a'>1-\markup { \raise #0.6 { \magnify #0.2 { "  " } \tiny { \char ##x2013 } \magnify #0.1 { "  " }} \raise #0.7 \normalsize 13 }

% minor7 b13 as "-7 b13"
% <c eflat g bflat aflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.6 { \magnify #0.2 { "  " } \tiny { \char ##x2013 } \magnify #0.1 { "  " }} \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 7 } \raise #0.9 { \small b13 } }

% minor7 b13 as "- b13"
<c eflat g bflat aflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.6 { \magnify #0.2 { "  " } \tiny { \char ##x2013 } \magnify #0.1 { "  " }} \raise #0.9 { \small "  b13" } }
<c eflat g bflat d' aflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.6 { \magnify #0.2 { "  " } \tiny { \char ##x2013 } \magnify #0.1 { "  " }} \raise #0.7 \normalsize "9 b13" }

% Dominant (but not lydian dominant)
<c e g a>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 6 } }
<c e g bflat>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 7 } }
<c e g bflat d'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 9 } }
<c e g bflat dflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 7 } \raise #0.9 { \small " b9" } }
<c e g bflat dsharp'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 7 } \raise #0.9 { \small " #9" } }
<c e g bflat csharp' dsharp'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 7 } \raise #3.9 { \tiny \center-column { \lower #1.25 { " b9" } " #9" } } }
<c e g bflat d' a'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 13 } }
<c e g bflat dflat' a'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 13 } \raise #0.9 { \small " b9" } }
<c e g bflat aflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 7 } \raise #0.9 { \small " b13" } }
<c e g bflat d' aflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 9 } \raise #0.9 { \small " b13" } }

% Dominant b5
<c e gflat bflat>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 7 } \raise #1.0 { \small " b5" } }
<c e gflat bflat dflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize 7 } \raise #1.0 { \small " b5" } \raise #1.0 { \small " b9" } }

% Half-diminished
<c eflat gflat bflat>1-\markup { \raise #0.5 { \magnify #0.85 \char ##x2205 } }
<c eflat gflat bflat csharp'>1-\markup { \raise #0.5 { \magnify #0.85 \char ##x2205 } }
<c eflat gflat bflat a'>1-\markup { \raise #0.5 { \magnify #0.85 \char ##x2205 } \raise #0.5 { \normalsize 13 } }

% Augmented
<c e gsharp>1-\markup { \raise #0.4 { \magnify #1.3 { + } } }
<c e gsharp bflat>1-\markup { \raise #0.4 { \magnify #1.3 { + } } \raise #0.5 { \normalsize 7 } }
<c e gsharp bflat d'>1-\markup { \raise #0.4 { \magnify #1.3 { + } } \raise #0.5 { \normalsize 9 } }
<c e gsharp bflat fsharp'>1-\markup { \raise #0.4 { \magnify #1.3 { + } } \raise #0.5 { \magnify #1.2 { \normalsize 7 } } \raise #1.0 \tiny " #11" }
<c e gsharp bflat dflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.4 { \magnify #1.3 { + } } \raise #0.5 { \normalsize 7 } \raise #0.9 { \small " b9" } }
<c e gsharp bflat d' a'>1-\markup { \raise #0.4 { \magnify #1.3 { + } } \raise #0.5 { \normalsize 13 } }

% Lydian
%<c e g b fsharp'>1-\markup { \raise #1.0 \small " lyd" }
<c e g b fsharp'>1-\markup { \raise #1.0 \tiny "  #11" }
<c e g b d' fsharp'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \magnify #0.5 { " " \triangle ##f } } \raise #3.4 { \teeny \center-column { \lower #1.25 { " 9" } " #11" } } }
<c e g b d' fsharp' a'>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \magnify #0.5 { " " \triangle ##f } } \raise #3.4 { \teeny \center-column { \lower #1.25 { "   13" } " #11" } } }
<c e g bflat fsharp'>1-\markup { \raise #0.5 { \magnify #1.2 { \normalsize 7 } } \raise #1.0 \tiny " #11" }

% Suspended
<c f g>1-\markup { \raise #0.7 { \normalsize "sus" } }
<c f g bflat>1-\markup { \raise #0.4 { \small "sus" } \raise #0.5 { \normalsize 7 } }
<c f g bflat d'>1-\markup { \raise #0.4 { \small "sus" } \raise #1.0 \small 9 }
<c f g dflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.4 { \small "sus" } \raise #1.0 \small " b9" }
<c f g bflat dflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.4 { \small " sus" } \raise #0.5 { \normalsize 7 } \raise #1.0 \small " b9" }
<c f gflat bflat dflat'>1-\markup { \raise #0.4 { \small " sus" } \raise #0.5 { \normalsize 7 } \raise #1.0 \small " b5" \raise #1.0 \small " b9" }
}
chExceptions = #(append (sequential-music-to-chord-exceptions
flamingChordNames #t) ignatzekExceptions)

Regards,

David Elaine Alt

415 . 341 .4954                                           "Confusion is highly underrated"

address@hidden

skype: flaming_hakama
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-