\lyrics, was Re: Vertical spacing of figured bass

[David Wright]

On Sat 04 Nov 2017 at 02:10:53 (+0100), David Kastrup wrote:
> Jérôme Plût <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> > I tried applying the contents of
> > http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.19/Documentation/notation/flexible-vertical-spacing-within-systems
> > to move the figured bass a bit closer to the staff:
> >
> > \version "2.19.54"
> > \score { { \new StaffGroup <<
> >       \new Staff { \clef "F" c d e f }
> >   \new Lyrics \with {
> >       \override VerticalAxisGroup.nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing =
> >       #'((basic-distance . 1) (stretchability . 0))
> >   } \lyrics { "c"4 "d" "e" "f" }
> >   \new FiguredBass \with {
> >       \override VerticalAxisGroup.nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing =
> >       #'((basic-distance . 1))
> >   } \figures { <5>4 <5>4 <5> <5> }
> >>> } \layout { indent = 0 \cm } 
> >
> > Yet this stupid figured bass does not move, even if I input a
> > ridiculously large value for 'basic-distance.
> >
> > What is happening?
> 
> \lyrics is the same as \new Lyrics \lyricmode ... so your own \new
> Lyrics is contentless.  Same with \figures and \new FiguredBass
> \figuremode ...
> 
> I find that overriding the settings (both!) in the Lyrics context works
> fine.
> 
> Either use the \...mode constructs or use \lyrics \with { ... } ... and
> \figures \with { ... } ... .

\lyrics is new to me so I thought I'd look it up. It took a while
to find it in the NR as it's rather hidden away under §5.4 (and
with no index entry).

I've yet to figure out the paragraph in changes.pdf starting
"\lyricsto and \addLyrics have been harmonized." There seems
to be quite a lot in it. (I assume \addLyrics there and on
p290 of NR are typos.)

But in the example on p142 of the LM, is that a mistake?
Would I be right in thinking that
words = \lyrics { the text }
is a more expensive construction than
words = \lyricmode { the text }

BTW is there a move towards \voice, \staff, \grandstaff, etc?

Cheers,
David.