@section Note entry
@cindex Note entry
-The most basic forms of music are notes. Notes on their own don't
-form valid input, but for the sake of brevity we omit @code{\score}
-blocks and @code{\paper} declarations.
+Notes constitute the most basic form of music, but they do not form
+valid input on their own. Yet for the sake of brevity and simplicity,
+we'll generally omit @code{\score} blocks and @code{\paper} declarations.
@menu
LilyPond has predefined sets of note names for various other languages.
To use them, simply include the language specific init file. For
example: @code{\include "english.ly"}. The available language files and
-the names they define are:
+the note names they define are:
@example
Note Names sharp flat
@node Chromatic alterations
@subsection Chromatic alterations
-Normally, accidentals are printed automatically, but you may force
-accidentals in the following ways: A reminder accidental
+Normally, accidentals are automatically printed, but you may force
+them in the following ways: a reminder accidental
@cindex reminder accidental
@cindex @code{?}
can be forced by adding an exclamation mark @code{!} after the pitch. A
question mark `@code{?}' after the pitch.
The automatic production of accidentals can be tuned in many
-ways. Refer to @ref{Accidentals} for more information.
+ways. For more information, refer to @ref{Accidentals}.
@c . {Rests}
@node Rests
@subsection Rests
@cindex Rests
-A rest is entered like a note, with note name `@code{r}':
+Rests are entered like notes, with an `@code{r}' note name:
@lilypond[singleline,verbatim]
r1 r2 r4 r8
@end lilypond
-Whole bar rests centered in the bar are specified using @code{R}, see
+Whole bar rests, centered in the bar, are specified using @code{R}, see
@ref{Multi measure rests}. See also @seeinternals{Rest}.
-For polyphonic music, it can be convenient to specify the rest position
-directly. You can do that by entering a note, with the keyword
-@code{\rest} appended, e.g. Rest collisions will leave these rests alone.
+For polyphonic music, it can be convenient to explicitly specify the rest's
+vertical position. This can be achieved by entering a note, with the @code{\rest}
+keyword appended. Rest collision testing will leave these rests alone.
@lilypond[singleline,verbatim]
a'4\rest d'4\rest
a2 s4 a4 \skip 1 a4
@end lilypond
-The @code{s} syntax is only available in Note mode and Chord mode.
-In other situations, you should use the @code{\skip} command, and it is
-only available in Note mode and Chord mode.
+@c FIXME: in Lyrics mode, we have " " and _
-@c FIXME: in lyrics mode, we have " " and _
-
-In Lyrics mode, you can use `@code{" "}' and `@code{_}':
+In Lyrics mode, invisible rests are entered using either `@code{" "}'
+or `@code{_}':
@lilypond[singleline,verbatim]
<
\context Lyrics \lyrics { lah2 di4 " " dah2 _4 di }
>
@end lilypond
-The unabbreviated `@code{\skip} @var{duration}' also works outside of
-note mode:
+Note that the @code{s} syntax is only available in Note mode and Chord
+mode. In other situations, you should use the @code{\skip} command, which
+also works outside of those two modes:
@lilypond[singleline,verbatim]
\score {
}
@end lilypond
-The skip command is merely a empty musical placeholder. It does not
+The skip command is merely an empty musical placeholder. It doesn't
produce any output, not even transparent output.
+
@c . {Durations}
@node Durations
@subsection Durations
@cindex @code{\duration}
-In Note, Chord, and Lyrics mode, durations may be designated by numbers
+In Note, Chord, and Lyrics mode, durations are designated by numbers
and dots: durations are entered as their reciprocal values. For notes
longer than a whole you must use identifiers.
@end lilypond
-If the duration is omitted then it is set to the previous duration
-entered. At the start of parsing a quarter note is assumed. The
-duration can be followed by dots (`@code{.}') to obtain dotted note
-lengths.
+If the duration is omitted then it is set to the previously entered
+duration. At the start of parsing, a quarter note is assumed. The
+duration can be followed by dots (`@code{.}') in order to obtain dotted
+note lengths:
@cindex @code{.}
@lilypond[fragment,verbatim,center]
@cindex @code{r}
@cindex @code{s}
-You can alter the length of duration by a fraction @var{N/M} by
+You can alter the length of duration by a fraction @var{N/M}
appending `@code{*}@var{N/M}' (or `@code{*}@var{N}' if @var{M=1}). This
-will not affect the appearance of the notes or rests produced.
+won't affect the appearance of the notes or rests produced.
Durations can also be produced through GUILE extension mechanism.
@lilypond[verbatim,fragment]
@cindex @code{~}
A tie connects two adjacent note heads of the same pitch. The tie in
-effect extends the length of a note. A tie is entered with @code{~}.
+effect extends the length of a note. Ties should not be confused with
+slurs, which indicate articulation, and phrasing slurs, which indicate
+musical phrasing. A tie is entered using the tilde symbol `@code{~}'.
@lilypond[fragment,verbatim,center]
e' ~ e' <c' e' g'> ~ <c' e' g'>
@end lilypond
-When ties are used with chords, all note heads whose pitches match are
-connected. Ties are indicated using the tilde symbol `@code{~}'. If
-you try to tie together chords which have no common pitches then no
-ties will be created.
+When a tie is applied to a chord, all note heads, whose pitches match, are
+connected. If you try to tie together chords that have no common pitches,
+no ties will be created.
-If you want less ties created for a chord, you can set
-@code{Voice.sparseTies} to true. In this case, a single tie is used
+If you want less ties created for a chord, you can set
+@code{Voice.sparseTies} to true. In this case, a single tie is used
for every tied chord.
@lilypond[fragment,verbatim,center]
\property Voice.sparseTies = ##t
@lilypond[fragment, singleline]
\time 3/4 c'2. c'2 ~ c'4
@end lilypond
-Ties should not be confused with slurs, which indicate articulation,
-and phrasing slurs, which indicate musical phrasing.
+And if you need to tie notes over bars, it may be easier to use
+@ref{Automatic note splitting}.
See also @seeinternals{Tie}.
@refbugs
At present, the tie is represented as a separate event, temporally
-located in between the notes. Tieing only a subset of the note heads
+located in between the notes. Tying only a subset of the note heads
of a chord is not supported in a simple way. It can be achieved by
moving the tie-engraver into the Thread context and turning on and off
ties per Thread.
@subsection Automatic note splitting
@c FIXME: This subsection doesn't belong in @ref{Note entry}.
-There is a facility for automatically converting long notes to tied
+There is a facility for automatically converting long notes to tied
notes. This is done by replacing the @code{Note_heads_engraver} by the
@code{Completion_heads_engraver}.
@cindex triplets
@cindex @code{\times}
-Tuplets are made out of a music expression by multiplying all duration
+Tuplets are made out of a music expression by multiplying all durations
with a fraction.
@cindex @code{\times}
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