Re: default note duration

[Simon Albrecht]

On 22.01.2016 19:16, Gianmaria Lari wrote:
> Hello,
>
> the lilypond default note duration is 1/4. For example if I write
>
> { a b }
>
> lilypond generates two quarter notes. There is any way to set the 
> _default_ note value to another value for example to 1/8 so that the 
> previous code would generate two 1/8 notes?

I don’t know of a ‘proper’ way. This is something which is done by the 
parser, and can’t be easily customised. However, there is a ‘cheat’: :-)

%%%%%%
\version "2.19.35"
\void { 8 } % for 2.18., use { c8 } or whatever pitch
{ c' }
%%%%%%

\void means that the argument is interpreted, but not returned. Thus, 
Lily won’t print the first music expression, but when the parser reads 
the second music expression and doesn’t find a duration, he will use the 
last one he encountered. Normally, that would be an undesired side 
effect, but here it helps.

HTH, Simon