What I don't understand is why I need both the 8th-note and 16th-note entries.  The name "beamExceptions" implies that one only needs to specify the exceptional beaming - but the 16th note version is already the default.  Is it the case that if /any/ exception is described, then one has to describe all cases?  If so, then the name beamExceptions is a bit misleading.

Also I don't quite understand the underlying rules which mean (I assume) that defining the 16th-note beaming as above, covers bars such as | [8 16 16] [8 8] | and  | [16 8 16] [8. 16] |.


The information is in the notation reference manual although it does need careful reading to spot it all. You can find this note about the need to specify beamExceptions completely:

*Note:*A|beamExceptions|value must be/complete/exceptions list. That is, every exception that should be applied must be included in the setting. It is not possible to add, remove, or change only one of the exceptions. While this may seem cumbersome, it means that the current beaming settings need not be known in order to specify a new beaming pattern.

And in the section "How automatic beaming works",

if a beam ending rule is defined in|beamExceptions|for a longer beam type, use it to determine the valid places where beams may end

Applying this to your case, without an explicit rule for 16th notes, the rule for 8th notes (beam the whole bar) is used for 16th notes as well.

--
Timothy Lanfear, Bristol, UK.

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