@node Writing pitches
@subsection Writing pitches
-Into text.
+Intro text.
@menu
* Normal pitches::
+* Relative octaves::
* Accidentals::
* Note names in other languages::
@end menu
c d e f g a b c'
@end lilypond
-The note name @code{c} is engraved one octave below middle C.
+There are two different ways to enter these note names with regard
+to octave placement: absolute and relative. The relative mode will
+in most cases be the most convenient, but since the absolute mode
+is most fundamental, it will be presented first.
+
+In absolute mode, the note name @code{c} is engraved one octave
+below middle C, and each note up to @code{b} in the octave above,
+as in the previous example.
@lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,ragged-right]
\clef treble
@funindex '
@funindex ,
-The optional octave specification takes the form of a series of
-single quote (@samp{'}) characters or a series of comma (@samp{,})
-characters. Each @samp{'} raises the pitch by one octave; each
-@samp{,} lowers the pitch by an octave.
+If a note should be in another octave than this, an octave
+specification can be given. It takes the form of a series of
+single quote (@samp{'}) or comma (@samp{,}) characters. Each
+@samp{'} raises the pitch by one octave; each @samp{,} lowers the
+pitch by an octave.
@lilypond[quote,ragged-right,fragment,verbatim]
\clef treble
Snippets: @lsrdir{pitch}
+
+@node Relative octaves
+@unnumberedsubsubsec Relative octaves
+
+@cindex Relative
+@cindex Relative octave specification
+@funindex \relative
+
+When octaves are specified as above by adding @code{'} and
+@code{,} to pitch names, it is easy to accidentally put a pitch in
+the wrong octave. The relative octave mode prevents these errors
+since most of the time it is not necessary to indicate any octaves
+at all. Furthermore, in absolute mode, a single mistake may be
+difficult to spot; in relative mode, a single error puts the rest
+of the piece off by one octave.
+
+@example
+\relative @var{startpitch} @var{musicexpr}
+@end example
+
+In relative mode, each note is assumed to be as close to the
+previous note as possible. This means that the octave of notes
+that appear in @var{musicexpr} are calculated as follows:
+
+@itemize
+@item
+The pitch of the first note is relative to @code{\relative
+@var{startpitch} }.
+
+@item
+If no octave changing marks are used, the basic interval between a
+note and the one that precedes it is always taken to be a fourth
+or less.
+
+@item
+This distance is determined without regarding alterations or the
+actual sounding pitches; a @code{fisis} following a @code{ceses}
+will be put above the @code{ceses}. In other words, a
+doubly-augmented fourth is considered a smaller interval than a
+diminished fifth, even though the doubly-augmented fourth spans
+seven semitones while the diminished fifth only spans six
+semitones.
+
+@item
+The octave changing marks @code{'} and @code{,} can be added to
+raise or lower the pitch by an extra octave from the basic
+interval.
+
+@item
+Multiple octave changing marks can be used. @code{''} will raise
+the pitch by two octaves.
+
+@end itemize
+
+Here is the relative mode shown in action:
+
+@lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim]
+\relative c'' {
+ b c d c b c bes a
+}
+@end lilypond
+
+Octave changing marks are used for intervals greater than a
+fourth:
+
+@lilypond[quote,ragged-right,fragment,verbatim]
+\relative c'' {
+ c g c f, c' a, e''
+}
+@end lilypond
+
+If the preceding item is a chord, the first note of the chord is
+used as the reference point for the octave placement of a
+following note or chord:
+
+@lilypond[quote,ragged-right,fragment,verbatim]
+\relative c' {
+ c <c e g>
+ <c' e g>
+ <c, e' g>
+}
+@end lilypond
+
+The @var{startpitch} (after @code{\relative}) is a note name in
+absolute mode. In principle it can be any note name, but common
+practice is to use @code{c} in various octave positions.
+
+
+@seealso
+
+Snippets: @lsrdir{pitch}
+
+
+@refbugs
+
+The relative conversion will not affect @code{\transpose},
+@code{\chordmode} or @code{\relative} sections in its argument.
+To use relative within transposed music, an additional
+@code{\relative} must be placed inside @code{\transpose}.
+
+@c DEPRECATED
+If no @var{startpitch} is specified for @code{\relative}, then
+@code{c'} is assumed. However, this is a deprecated option and
+may disappear in future versions, so its use is discouraged.
+
+
+
+
@node Accidentals
@unnumberedsubsubsec Accidentals
define are
@cindex note names, other languages
-@c put the rest of the old table into this new format.
+
@example
@multitable @columnfractions .2 .6 .05 .05 .05 .05
@headitem Language
@item netherlands.ly
@tab c d e f g a bes b
@tab -is @tab -es @tab -isis @tab -eses
-@c new stuff here:
-
-
+@item english.ly
+ @tab c d e f g a bf b
+ @tab -s/-sharp @tab -f/-flat @tab -ss/-x/-sharpsharp
+ @tab -ff/-flatflat
+@item deutsch.ly
+ @tab c d e f g a b h
+ @tab -is @tab -es @tab -isis @tab -eses
+@item norsk.ly
+ @tab c d e f g a b h
+ @tab -iss/-is @tab -ess/-es @tab -ississ/-isis
+ @tab -essess/-eses
+@item svenska.ly
+ @tab c d e f g a b h
+ @tab -iss @tab -ess @tab -ississ @tab -essess
+@item italiano.ly
+ @tab do re mi fa sol la sib si
+ @tab -d @tab -b @tab -dd @tab -bb
+@item catalan.ly
+ @tab do re mi fa sol la sib si
+ @tab -d/-s @tab -b @tab -dd/-ss @tab -bb
+@item espanol.ly
+ @tab do re mi fa sol la sib si
+ @tab -s @tab -b @tab -ss @tab -bb
@end multitable
@end example
-@c old table
-@ignore
-@example
- Note Names sharp flat double double
- sharp flat
-
-nederlands.ly c d e f g a bes b -is -es -isis -eses
-english.ly c d e f g a bf b -s/-sharp -f/-flat -ss/-x/ -ff/
- -sharpsharp -flatflat
-deutsch.ly c d e f g a b h -is -es -isis -eses
-norsk.ly c d e f g a b h -iss/-is -ess/-es -ississ/-isis -essess/-eses
-svenska.ly c d e f g a b h -iss -ess -ississ -essess
-italiano.ly do re mi fa sol la sib si -d -b -dd -bb
-catalan.ly do re mi fa sol la sib si -d/-s -b -dd/-ss -bb
-espanol.ly do re mi fa sol la sib si -s -b -ss -bb
-@end example
-@end ignore
-
@noindent
Note that in Dutch, German, Norwegian, and Swedish, the flat
alterations of @samp{a} like for example @code{aes} and
applies to the suffixes for quartertones below).
@noindent
-Some music uses microtones whose alterations are fractions of a
-@q{regular} sharp or flat. The note names for quartertones
+Some music uses microtones whose alterations are fractions of
+a @q{regular} sharp or flat. The note names for quartertones
defined in the various language files are listed in the following
table. Here the prefixes @q{semi-} and @q{sesqui-} mean @q{half}
and @q{one and a half}, respectively. For Norwegian, Swedish,
Catalan and Spanish no special names have been defined yet.
+
@c What about Turkish Maquam music and similar microtonal systems?
@c
@c Note that the term "three-quarter-sharp/-flat" used in lilypond's source code
@subsection Changing multiple pitches
@menu
-* Relative octaves::
* Octave check::
* Transpose::
@end menu
-@node Relative octaves
-@unnumberedsubsubsec Relative octaves
-
-@cindex Relative
-@cindex Relative octave specification
-@funindex \relative
-
-Octaves are specified by adding @code{'} and @code{,} to pitch
-names. When you copy existing music, it is easy to accidentally
-put a pitch in the wrong octave and hard to find such an error.
-The relative octave mode prevents these errors by making the
-mistakes much larger: a single error puts the rest of the piece
-off by one octave
-
-@example
-\relative @var{startpitch} @var{musicexpr}
-@end example
-
-The octave of notes that appear in @var{musicexpr} are calculated
-as follows:
-
-@itemize
-@item
-If no octave changing marks are used, the basic interval between
-this and the last note is always taken to be a fourth or less.
-
-@item
-This distance is determined without regarding alterations; a
-@code{fisis} following a @code{ceses} will be put above the
-@code{ceses}. In other words, a doubly-augmented fourth is
-considered a smaller interval than a diminished fifth, even though
-the doubly-augmented fourth spans seven semitones while the
-diminished fifth only spans six semitones.
-
-@item
-The octave changing marks @code{'} and @code{,} can be added to
-raise or lower the pitch by an extra octave from the basic
-interval.
-
-@item
-Multiple octave changing marks can be used. @code{''} will raise
-the pitch by two octaves.
-
-@item
-The pitch of the first note is relative to @code{\relative
-@var{startpitch} }.
-
-@end itemize
-
-Here is the relative mode shown in action
-
-@lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim]
-\relative c'' {
- b c d c b c bes a
-}
-@end lilypond
-
-Octave changing marks are used for intervals greater than a fourth
-
-@lilypond[quote,ragged-right,fragment,verbatim]
-\relative c'' {
- c g c f, c' a, e''
-}
-@end lilypond
-
-If the preceding item is a chord, the first note of the chord is
-used to determine the first note of the next chord
-
-@lilypond[quote,ragged-right,fragment,verbatim]
-\relative c' {
- c <c e g>
- <c' e g>
- <c, e' g>
-}
-@end lilypond
-
-The pitch after @code{\relative} contains a note name.
-
-@refbugs
-
-The relative conversion will not affect @code{\transpose},
-@code{\chordmode} or @code{\relative} sections in its argument.
-To use relative within transposed music, an additional
-@code{\relative} must be placed inside @code{\transpose}.
-
-@c DEPRECATED
-If no @var{startpitch} is specified for @code{\relative}, then
-@code{c'} is assumed. However, this is a deprecated option and
-may disappear in future versions, so its use is discouraged.
-
-
@node Octave check
@unnumberedsubsubsec Octave check
@code{\dorian}.
This command sets the context property @code{Staff.keySignature}.
-Non-standard key signatures can be specified by setting this
-property directly.
-
-Accidentals and key signatures often confuse new users, because
-unaltered notes get natural signs depending on the key signature.
-For more information, see @ref{Accidentals}, or
-@rlearning{Accidentals and key signatures}.
+on-standard key signatures can be specified by setting this
+property directly. See @internalsref{Key_engraver}, and for an
+example TODO.
+@c TODO: LSR snippet 248. leave this here for now -gp
+
+@warning{The relationship between accidentals and key signatures can
+be confusing to new users who think of the note letters as scale
+steps and not as absolute pitches. The note names that are
+entered in a music expression are the raw material; key signatures
+and clefs decide how this raw material is displayed. Thus,
+unaltered notes may get natural signs depending on the key
+signature. For more information, see @ref{Accidentals} and
+@rlearning{Accidentals and key signatures}.}
@lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2,fragment]
\key g \major
projects / lilypond.git / commitdiff