Colin Hall <colingh...@gmail.com> writes:
> David Kastrup writes:
>
>> Martin Tarenskeen <m.tarensk...@zonnet.nl> writes:
>>
>>>>> The idea is that \relative { ... } (namely \relative used without an
>>>>> explicit reference pitch) uses the first note inside as the reference
>>>>> pitch. That is, if the first note happens to be written as fis'' it
>>>>> will sound as fis'' (absolute pitch).
>>>
>>> I wouldn't mind, if I can still use the the old syntax, which is what
>>> I prefer, and if the documentation clearly explains these two ways of
>>> usage. I think the old syntax is easier for me when I want to
>>> copy/paste notes.
>>
>> The only thing that works reliably for copy/paste is absolute pitch.
>> Relative pitch is always prone to octave errors.
>
> In my early days with Lilypond I learned this to my cost. I've never
> used \relative since then.
Well, stuff can get rather wordy, and mixing \transpose c c''' in scores
together with \transposition was a recipe for audible surprises. Quick:
what is the result of
\addQuote "trumpet" { \transpose c f' {
\transposition bes'
c' d' e' f' }
c' d' e' f' }
\quoteDuring "trumpet" { R1*2 }
Now let us think logically: \transposition bes' means that c' will
instead sound like bes', a small seventh higher. So measure two should
start with bes'. In measure 1, we transpose upwards an octave and a
fourth, so instead we should start with es'''.
Checking with 2.17.12, we arrive at pitch bes' for measure one instead
of es''', and at pitch f for measure two. So \transpose failed to
audibly affect the passage it was put on, but after the end of
\transpose, the following bes' moved in the opposite direction, an
octave and a fourth downwards.
With the current source, we get es''' and bes' for measure one and two.
As to be expected. People _did_ find actual recipes for working with
\transposition and \transpose together. Those recipes are not really
corresponding with what we have in our documentation. And you better
not try understanding them or adapting them to other situations.
So there _is_ a point in using only \relative for the sake of reducing
octave marks. Or at least there has been.
Now that \transpose has become more boring in its effects and not an
accident waiting to happen in connection with \transposition, it _might_
be considered for things like not entering a soprano flute passage in
true pitch but rather two octaves lower.
--
David Kastrup
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