Re: [tablatures] Baroque lute tablature

[Laura Conrad <lconrad@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>>>> "Patrick" == Patrick Schmidt <p.l.schmidt@xxxxxx> writes:

    Patrick> Not really. I thought we're talking about a (new) tabmode
    Patrick> entry which allows to enter fret numbers (or letters
    Patrick> signifying frets) instead of letters signifying
    Patrick> notenames.

Yes, we are.

    Patrick> As I understand it the problem is: How to teach LilyPond
    Patrick> how to interpret the fret numbers. The second fret on the
    Patrick> second string could mean a "c sharp" or a "d flat". So
    Patrick> one way could be to write something like "\accidentals
    Patrick> cis" in front of each occurrence of "\2 2". 

But I think in general we should be able to write "\accidentals cis"
at the beginning of the whole piece, or even in a lot of cases have
the program know that a key signature of D minor implies "\accidentals
cis".  

    Patrick> It might be even more comfortable to be able to write
    Patrick> something like "\mode d\major" in front of the first
    Patrick> occurrence of "\2 2" and all the following cis-notes on
    Patrick> any string are engraved correctly. When the melody
    Patrick> modulates back to g-major you would have to change the
    Patrick> mode again.

Not really.  If there isn't a C#, having the "\accidentals cis" in
effect doesn't matter; the only reason you would need to change it
would be if there were a note you wanted to spell as Db.  

I'm saying that asking people to do harmonic analysis on a piece is
asking more than just asking them how to spell the accidentals.  And
anyone reading the transcription would have to think harder to realize
that "\mode g \dorian" means that there should be a Bb rather than an
A# than if it just said "\accidentals bes".  And if someone gets the
analysis wrong and doesn't notice because the accidentals are spelled
right, it will be confusing to a subsequent reader.  This happens
with key signatures all the time -- the fact that the lilypond (or
ABC) key signature contains information that isn't in the printed
music is a good thing when the information is correct, but not so good
when it's wrong.

It's true that if there's a sudden modulation from C major to Db
major, and then to G# major, that's typing a lot of accidentals, but
in real-world tab, I really don't think that happens so often.  I
don't remember a John Dowland piece that uses both G# and Ab, for
instance.  Yes, I'm sure you can find a Bach piece that does, but did
he write it in tablature?

-- 
Laura   (mailto:lconrad@xxxxxxxxxxxx)
(617) 661-8097	233 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139   
http://www.laymusic.org/ http://www.serpentpublications.org

A zen teacher once taught his students, "When drinking tea, just drink
tea."  Later one of them found him drinking tea and reading the
newspaper.  When confronted, the teacher replied, "When drinking tea
and reading the newspaper, just drink tea and read the newspaper."

Quoted by Michelle Poirot in the New York Times, October 11, 2009