Re: instrumentSwitch and addInstrumentDefinition use

[Paul Scott]

On Sun, Jan 11, 2015 at 03:36:43PM -0500, Kieren MacMillan wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> >> Is anyone using instrumentSwitch that can explain what the various 
> >> variables in addInstrumentDefinition mean?
> > 
> > Don't use instrumentSwitch.  It is a pointless frustrating waste of time.
> 
> I agree. And I’m particularly irritated about that fact, since I was the one 
> who sponsored (and *paid* Han-Wen) for a point-ful non-frustrating 
> instrument-switching feature back in 2006. =(
> 
> > This is a missing function of LilyPond. 

Thank you to both of you.

What I've been doing works.  I just thought there might be a cleaner way.

Paul


> 
> 
> Agreed — there should be a far better way of switching instruments.
> 
> One should be able to write (e.g.)
> 
>   \switchInstrument “piccolo”
> 
> and the following things happen:
> 
> 1. The clef changes, if necessary.
> 2. The key signature changes, if necessary (and force-reprints, if 
> appropriate).
> 3. The transposition changes, if necessary.
> 4. The instrumentName and shortInstrumentName change, if necessary.
> 5. A [user-defined] markup (e.g., \box “to piccolo”) is printed, if 
> appropriate.
> 6+. ??
> 
> > So LilyPond does not store a global key signature.
> 
> No, but as you well know, many (most?) Lilypounders abstract the key 
> signature (etc.) into their own global(s).
> 
> > We could, I think, keep this organization, and write a variant of
> > "\tranposition bes"  that looks up the old key-signature and old 
> > transposition on the Staff, figures the concert key, applies the new
> > transposition, figures the new key-signature for the new transposition
> > and sets that new key signature.
> 
> Why can that not be rolled into an improved instrumentSwitch?
> 
> > I just write an explicit \key d\major at the instrument switch when needed
> 
> This is one of the great banes of my current Lilypond existence — as a writer 
> of musical theatre and band/orchestral music, I need to change instruments 
> and keys all the time, very often in the middle of a section (w.r.t. key 
> signature). Trying to remember to explicitly add key signatures etc. — and 
> tag them as necessary — is quite frustrating, time-consuming, and error-prone.
> 
> I offer again my help in designing, testing, and paying for a real 
> instrument-switching mechanism that would Do The Right Thing™.
> 
> Thanks,
> Kieren.
> _______________________
> 
> Kieren MacMillan, composer
> www:  <http://www.kierenmacmillan.info>
> email:  address@hidden
> 
> 
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