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Re: Multiple markings


From: Thomas Morley
Subject: Re: Multiple markings
Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2017 23:01:15 +0100

2017-02-04 15:10 GMT+01:00 David Sumbler <address@hidden>:
> A text mark in Lilypond is represented by a grob called a
> RehearsalMark; the grob for a tempo marking is called a MetronomeMark.
>
> I wonder whether perhaps these names reflect something about the
> history of Lilypond: they are certainly not accurate descriptions of
> what the objects are used for - e.g. very often tempo markings make no
> reference to a metronome.  I also suspect that history gives a clue to
> why Lilypond allows only one of each of these objects at any point in a
> score unless one performs some sort of programming acrobatics to work
> around the restriction.
>
> In fact this restriction, certainly in the case of RehearsalMark, has
> no logic to it.  So either it is somehow hard-wired at a deep level, or
> it must be there presumably because at one time it did make sense.
>
> The clue is in the names, perhaps.  It generally does not make sense to
> have more than one actual rehearsal mark at a single point in a piece
> of music (although I can think of rare circumstances in which there
> might be editorial reasons for doing so).  But the RehearsalMark object
> is now not used only for rehearsal marks.  For instance, even according
> to the documentation it is used for putting a fermata sign over a
> barline.  Now, there is no reason on earth why a fermata sign and a
> rehearsal mark should never appear at the same point, yet Lilypond
> throws out a warning and refuses to print one of the objects unless we
> go to extra lengths to get what we actually want.
>
> A RehearsalMark is actually a very useful thing for aligning something
> with a barline - just recently I wanted it for the titles of the
> various sections of a piece.  Similarly, there might be times when the
> alignment (or other) characteristics of MetronomeMark are useful for
> some other text, which might or might not occur at the same point as an
> actual tempo marking.
>
> The only case where having more than one of either of these objects
> causes a problem (only for midi output and easy for Lilypond to deal
> with, even then) is if 2 actual metronome marks occur at the same
> point.
>
> Would it not make better sense for Lilypond to accept what is asked for
> without complaining and print all the requested items?  We don't
> actually need to have a warning about the supposed error if we can see
> the result in the output.  If it is a genuine mistake (e.g. putting
> "Allegro" in most parts and "allegro" in another) then we can see that,
> and it won't take long to locate the error.
>
> So my question is: is there any good reason why Lilypond still does not
> allow multiple marks or tempo markings?
>
> If the answer to that question really is "yes", then perhaps we could
> have an additional grob or 2 which have the same characteristics as the
> existing one(s) but without the restriction on numbers.  E.g. could we
> have a TextMark grob in addition to RehearsalMark?
>
> David



To add my 2cts:

Consider:

<<
  \new Staff {
        R1
        \override Score.RehearsalMark.self-alignment-X = #RIGHT
        \mark "whatever"
        R1
  }
  \new Staff {
        R1
        \override Score.RehearsalMark.self-alignment-X = #LEFT
        \mark "whatever-else"
        R1
  }
>>

Where and how should the RehearsalMark(s) be printed?

Meanwhile why not use some of the workarounds?

(1)
\mark \markup <\[center-]column> <args>
(already mentioned)

(2)
http://lsr.di.unimi.it/LSR/Item?id=976
or
http://lsr.di.unimi.it/LSR/Item?id=977

(3)
http://old.nabble.com/Nice-workaround-for-simultaneous-rehearsal-marks-%E2%80%93-thanks-Neil!-td32212763.html

Cheers,
  Harm



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