Re: Customizing jazz chord names

[Nick Busigin]

On Fri, 2 Jan 2004, Nick Busigin wrote:

> I am interested in changing the naming of jazz chords for some lead
> sheets we are working on.    For example, I'd like to use the following
> construct to print out chord names above a melody:
> 
>   \context ChordNames \chords { a2:min7 fis:min7.5- g:9+ e:m5-.7 } 
>      
> but with over-rides for a few of the default chord names.
> 
> I've read through the doc's, but am still a little unsure of what to do. 
> I'd appreciate a few pointers on how to do these customizations/
> over-rides.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
>                                     Nick
>                             (a lilypond newbie)

I found out how to do this!  There was an example in the regressions
tests that I found I could use as a starting point, but I had difficulty
in getting the flat symbol to print out, that is until I realized that:

  \musicglyph #"accidentals--2"

has two dashes, not one.  So... just in case another newbie runs into
this and has difficulties, here's a short example:

-------- lilypond code starts below this line -------

\include "paper23.ly"
\paper  {
  raggedright = ##t
  indent = 0.0\mm
}


% 7sus4 denoted with ^7 wahh
chExceptionMusic = \notes {
  <c ees ges bes>1-\markup { "m" \super "7" \smaller \smaller \smaller 
\musicglyph #"accidentals--2" "5" }
}

% add to existing exceptions.
chExceptions = #(append
  (sequential-music-to-chord-exceptions chExceptionMusic #t)
  ignatzekExceptions)

theMusic =    \chords {
      c:m7.5-  d:m7.5-  
      \property Current.chordNameExceptions = #chExceptions
      c:m7.5-  d:m7.5-
      }

  
\score {
  << \context ChordNames \theMusic
     \context Voice \theMusic
  >>  
}

-------- lilypond code ends above this line -------

I'm not sure whether the three invocations of "\smaller" is the best way
of doing things, but it works and gives me the correct size

A small PNG file is attached showing the output.

Maybe an example like this could go in a FAQ?  I suspect I'm not the
first (or last) one to have preferences with respect to chord naming
that requires a little tweaking of the defaults. 

                                Nick

==============------- www.SongBirdofSwing.com -------==================
Nick Busigin                                             address@hidden
            Visit Our Indie Jazz CD Construction Project!

==============------- www.SongBirdofSwing.com -------==================