Re: \lyrics, was Re: Vertical spacing of figured bass

[David Kastrup]

David Wright <address@hidden> writes:

> 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

It's very thinly documented since it just confuses people.  As you can
see.  At one time it was entirely undocumented even I think.

> 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).

Intentionally I think.

> 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.)

I just came back from a conference where I had two talks about music
creation under GNU/Linux.  So if nobody else can be bothered, trigger me
again in a few days.

> 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 }

The former is short for

words = \new Lyrics \lyricmode { the text }

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

I have no idea what you are even talking about here.

-- 
David Kastrup