Dear Harm,
Thank you very much for your prompt and detailed response. I truly
appreciate the effort you’ve put into explaining the solution.
However, after following your suggestions, I tried looking for the latest
2.25.22 version on GitLab but was unable to find a downloadable release. Is
it perhaps still in the process of being published, or should I be looking
elsewhere?
I’m really excited to see that you’ve already come up with a solution for
such issues, and I’m eager to try it out once the appropriate version is
available. It’s reassuring to know that this feature is being actively
developed, and I’m hopeful it will resolve the problem I’ve been facing.
Could you kindly confirm if I should wait a bit longer for the 2.25.22
release, or if there is another way to access it? Additionally, if my
understanding is incorrect, please let me know how best to proceed.
Thanks again for your patience and continued support!
Warm regards,
Peter
On Sun, Nov 10, 2024 at 4:16 AM Thomas Morley <thomasmorle...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Am Sa., 9. Nov. 2024 um 20:25 Uhr schrieb Peter X <peterandu...@gmail.com
> >:
> >
> > Dear LilyPond Development Team,
> >
> >
> > I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out with a feature
> > request that I believe would significantly enhance the usability of
> > LilyPond for guitarists, particularly in the context of guitar education
> > and accompaniment.
> >
> >
> > *Feature Request Overview*
> >
> >
> > Currently, tablature in LilyPond (and most other notation software like
> > Guitar Pro and MuseScore) focuses on displaying fret numbers, directly
> > derived from standard notation. While this approach works well for
> general
> > purposes, there is a specific use case in guitar education—particularly
> for
> > beginners learning accompaniment techniques—where a different approach
> > would be more effective.
> >
> >
> > *Example: A chord progression-based accompaniment, featuring variations
> in
> > the right-hand thumb (p) plucking positions according to the changing
> chord
> > roots, along with a fill or riff at the end of the phrase.*
> > [image: image.png]
> >
> >
> > I would like to suggest the addition of an option to *display right-hand
> > fingerings (p, i, m, a)* directly on the TabStaff, *instead of fret
> numbers*.
> > This feature would be highly beneficial for teaching guitar
> accompaniment,
> > fingerstyle patterns, and arpeggios, especially for students focused on
> > learning strumming and plucking techniques rather than complex note
> reading.
> >
> >
> > *The Educational Benefits*
> >
> >
> > 1. *Simplifying Tablature for Beginners*:
> >
> > When beginners are learning guitar, especially for accompaniment, they
> > often only need to focus on the chord shapes for the left hand and the
> > plucking patterns for the right hand. Displaying *right-hand fingerings
> (p,
> > i , m, a)* directly on the tablature, instead of fret numbers, would
> allow
> > students to concentrate on which fingers to use on which strings, without
> > the distraction of redundant fret information.
> >
> > 2. *Reducing Redundant Information*:
> >
> > In typical guitar accompaniment, the player is usually following a set
> > plucking pattern while holding down chord shapes. Showing fret numbers on
> > the tablature in this context can be redundant, as it provides no
> > additional value. Instead, showing the right-hand fingerings (e.g., p for
> > thumb, i for index, m for middle, a for ring finger) would make the
> > tablature clearer and more directly useful.
> >
> > 3. *Focusing on Key Learning Aspects*:
> >
> > By replacing fret numbers with right-hand fingerings, students can better
> > understand the relationship between the root notes of the chords and
> which
> > fingers to use. This helps them develop a more intuitive understanding of
> > how to accompany songs, particularly when learning fingerstyle or
> arpeggio
> > patterns.
> >
> >
> > *Use Case Example*
> >
> >
> > Currently, when teaching beginners how to accompany songs, I emphasize
> > focusing on:
> >
> >
> > • The chord shapes for the left hand.
> >
> > • The plucking pattern for the right hand (using P, I, M, A).
> >
> > • The importance of plucking the correct string for playing the root
> notes
> > with the thumb (p).
> >
> >
> > In most existing tablature systems, the students are presented with fret
> > numbers, which are not necessary for accompaniment-focused learning. If
> > instead, the tablature showed p, i, m, and a for the right-hand fingers,
> > the students could more efficiently learn which fingers to use on which
> > strings, while ignoring unnecessary fret number information.
> >
> >
> > *Proposed Solution*
> >
> >
> > Would it be possible to introduce an option, such as
> > ShowRightHandFingeringsOnTab, that would:
> >
> >
> > • Replace fret numbers on the TabStaff with right-hand fingerings (p, i,
> m,
> > a).
> >
> > • Allow users to toggle this feature on or off, depending on the context
> > (e.g., for teaching vs. standard tablature use).
> >
> >
> > This suggestion is based on the fundamental principle of *fingerstyle
> > guitar accompaniment*, where the right-hand fingers are typically
> assigned
> > specific strings:
> >
> >
> > • *i (index finger)*, *m (middle finger)*, and *a (ring finger)* are
> > generally used for plucking the highest three strings (the thinner,
> > higher-pitched strings).
> >
> > • *p (thumb)* is responsible for plucking the lower three strings (the
> > thicker, lower-pitched strings).
> >
> > This principle is highly effective for beginners, as it establishes a
> > consistent pattern for plucking that can be relied upon for a long period
> > of learning. Of course, there are occasional exceptions to this rule, but
> > those can be easily addressed using other existing features of the
> > tablature notation.
> >
> >
> > *Example: A riff-style accompaniment.*
> > [image: image.png]
> >
> >
> > *Excerpt from the Russian folk song ‘Troika’.*
> > [image: image.png]
> >
> >
> >
> > This feature would greatly benefit guitar teachers and students, making
> the
> > learning process more intuitive and efficient.
> >
> >
> > Thank you very much for considering this request. I would be happy to
> > provide further clarification or examples if needed. I truly appreciate
> the
> > work you all do in continuously improving LilyPond.
> >
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Peter
>
> Here a first shot.
> Please report back about bugs, missing features etc
>
> Cheers,
> Harm
>
>
> \version "2.25.22"
>
> Tst_eng =
> #(lambda (ctx)
> (let ((tab-note-heads '()))
> (make-engraver
> ((start-translation-timestep this)
> (set! tab-note-heads '()))
> (acknowledgers
> ((tab-note-head-interface this grob source)
> (set! tab-note-heads (cons grob tab-note-heads)))
> ((note-column-interface this grob source)
> (for-each
> (lambda (tab-nhd strg-fret)
> (let ((details (ly:grob-property tab-nhd 'details)))
> (when (assoc-get 'fingering-right details)
> (ly:grob-set-property! tab-nhd 'stencil
> (centered-stencil
> (grob-interpret-markup tab-nhd
> (case (car strg-fret)
> ((1) "a")
> ((2) "m")
> ((3) "i")
> (else "p"))))))))
> (reverse tab-note-heads)
> (ly:context-property ctx 'stringFretFingerList)))))))
>
> \include "predefined-guitar-fretboards.ly"
>
> <<
> \new ChordNames
> \chordmode { c1 f2 c c1 g1:7 }
> \new FretBoards
> \chordmode { c1 <f_3 a_2 c'_1 f'_1>2 c c1 g1:7 }
> \new TabVoice
> \with { \consists #Tst_eng }
> { \tabFullNotation \music }
> >>
>
