@funindex cross
-Note heads may be altered:
+The appearance of note heads may be altered:
@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=2]
-c4 b a b
+c4 b
\override NoteHead #'style = #'cross
-c4 b a b
+c4 b
+\revert NoteHead #'style
+a b
+\override NoteHead #'style = #'harmonic
+a b
\revert NoteHead #'style
c4 d e f
@end lilypond
-There is a shorthand for diamond shapes which can only be used
-inside chords:
+To see all note head styles, see @ref{Note head styles}.
+
+The @code{cross} style is used to represent a variety of musical
+intentions. The following generic predefined commands modify the
+note head in both staff and tablature contexts and can be used to
+represent any musical meaning:
@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=2]
-<c f\harmonic>2 <d a'\harmonic>4 <c g'\harmonic>
+c4 b
+\xNotesOn
+ a b c4 b
+\xNotesOff
+c4 d
@end lilypond
-To see all note head styles, see @ref{Note head styles}.
+The music function form of this predefined command may be used
+inside and outside chords to generate crossed note heads in both
+staff and tablature contexts:
+@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=2]
+c4 b
+\xNote { e f }
+c b < g \xNote c f > b
+@end lilypond
+
+There is also a shorthand for diamond shapes which can be used
+only inside chords:
+
+@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=2]
+<c f\harmonic>2 <d a'\harmonic>4 <c g'\harmonic>
+@end lilypond
+
+@predefined
+@code{\harmonic},
+@code{\xNotesOn},
+@code{\xNotesOff},
+@code{\xNote}.
+@endpredefined
@seealso
Snippets:
#(define-music-function (parser location note) (ly:music?)
(style-note-heads 'NoteHead 'do note))
-deadNotesOn =
+xNotesOn =
#(define-music-function (parser location) ()
(override-head-style '(TabNoteHead NoteHead) 'cross))
-deadNotesOff =
+xNotesOff =
#(define-music-function (parser location) ()
(revert-head-style '(TabNoteHead NoteHead)))
-deadNote =
+xNote =
#(define-music-function (parser location note) (ly:music?)
(style-note-heads '(TabNoteHead NoteHead) 'cross note))
+% Define aliases of cross-head notes for specific purposes
+deadNotesOn = \xNotesOn
+deadNotesOff = \xNotesOff
+deadNote = #`(xNote)
+
tabFullNotation = {
% time signature
\revert TabStaff.TimeSignature #'stencil