Re: Why does \skip extend an extender

[Cynthia Karl]

> On Nov 29, 2014, at 9:51 AM, Phil Holmes <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patrick or Cynthia Karl" <address@hidden>
> To: <address@hidden>
> Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2014 3:41 PM
> Subject: Why does \skip extend an extender
> 
> 
>> In the following snippet:
>> 
>> music = \relative b' {
>> c4 d e f
>> f g a b
>> c,1
>> }
>> 
>> Lyrics = \lyricmode {
>> c d e __ _
>> _ \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1
>> C
>> }
>> 
>> \score {
>> \new Staff \music
>> \addlyrics \Lyrics
>> \layout { }
>> }
>> 
>> I want the three skips to skip past the notes "g a b".  That is, I want the 
>> singing of “e” to terminate with the 2nd “f”.  But for some reason the 
>> extender is extended through the notes “g a b”.  How can I fix this?
> 
> Clearly the extender continues since the expectation is that the singer has 
> to do something with these notes, and continuing to sing "e" is the only 
> option.  If the extender ended on the 2nd f, I would have no idea what is 
> intended for the next 3 notes.  It would be very confusing.

I guess I don’t really understand the thinking here.  Does it not frequently 
happen that an instrument performer and a singer “play” the same notes, the 
performer on his instrument and the singer with his voice?  And if that ever 
does happen, wouldn’t it be conceivable that there might come a time when the 
singer should be silent while the performer continues on with the notes?

I just ran into this again this morning with the song by Anonymous, "Si de vos 
mi bien me aparto”, from Venice in the 1500s.  The cantus part has a second 
verse in the first staff of the piece, then silence until the last staff of the 
piece, when the second verse reappears.

Expectations aside, I have been unable to find documentation supporting this 
quirk of \skip.  I don’t see why \skip has to take on the duties of “_” in 
extending an extender another note.
> 
> However, if you want to do this, replace \skip with "".
> 
> --
> Phil Holmes