not too bad for a beginner ... but i need help

[David Pirotte]

Hello,

i am trying to typeset some piece i wrote several years ago, and so far so good,
i got the first 2 mesures! have a couple of thing to ask (or say) (my lilypond
file content is below) before to go ahead

   i use GNU LilyPond 1.5.14.jcn1

   [it's ok for me to wait for bug corrections, i could not install guile 1.4
    anyway and quite like to help people on this list to test their fantastic
    tool]

   [there are many things i do by copying things i have seen, i don't always
    understand what i do]

1.

i wanted to have no time signature, and used the following commands

         \property Score.timing = ##f
         \property Staff.TimeSignature \override #'style = #'()
           
         but it did not produced the expected result: i was unable to ask
         lilypond not to display any sign at all, it always draws the "C" or 4/4
         
         it 'refuse' to let it without and to start to draw notes closer to the
         clef, how can i ask for that?
        
2.

if point 1. can be solved, i would like to place bar-lines myself, and wish to
be able to have dash-bar-lines (thin dashed barline, for visual help for the
musiciens, not for real beat weight distinction)

           does this feature exists? [the bar-lines i saw in examples are always
           'traditional' ones, couldn't find thin dashed ones]

3.

in the metronome piece of text:

       #(define note '(columns
          ((font-relative-size . -2) (music "noteheads-2" ((kern . -0.1) 
"flags-stem")))))

       the note is reduced, but not the stem? also, the stem is not exactly well
       positioned, it seems to calculate its position based on the 'normal' note
       size (it is slightly in the note)

       in my example, it clashes (the stem) with the text on the above line, i'm
       sure its possible to reduce its size, but i don't know how

also, i wanted to have "<=" to 42, not "=", but couldn't compile (and couldn't
find the mathematical sign for it, nicer then the text "<="

4.

it does not draw ties neither decrescendo, may be this is known problem in 
1.5.14

5.

the chord does not get drawn properly: although acceptable, it would be nice to
have what Han-Wen suggested:

     all pitches between two pitches:  We could make special notation for the
     latter, eg:
                
                   | 
                   |
                  X|
                  ||
                  || 
                  X
                
                (X = notehead).

6.

the piano staff name clashes with the bracket: i red about it, but couldn't find
a solution in examples (or may be i am blind?) of course all staff names should
be written with same indent, slightly left shifted, couldn't find such an
example, sorry to ask

7. 

in the header, intrument names, i wanted to use:

   #(define title-instr `("pour Piano et 2 Cl. en Si" ,text-flat))
   ...
   \header{
     ...
     instrument = `,title-instr
   }

     but it didn't like it      

8.

very important:

    where can i find description of all strings i can use in
           (music "...")                
    
    where can i find exhaustive list of properties?


many thanks for help
lilypond is really great
david


;; -- prelogique.ly content

papersize = "a4"
\include "paper16.ly"

stemDown = \property Voice.Stem \override #'direction = #-1
stemUp = \property Voice.Stem \override #'direction = #1
stemBoth = \property Voice.Stem \revert #'direction

% shiftI = \property Voice.NoteColumn \override #'horizontal-shift = #0
% shiftII = \property Voice.NoteColumn \override #'horizontal-shift = #1
% shiftIII = \property Voice.NoteColumn \override #'horizontal-shift = #2
% shiftIV = \property Voice.NoteColumn \override #'horizontal-shift = #3
% shiftV = \property Voice.NoteColumn \override #'horizontal-shift = #4

#(define note '(columns
  ((font-relative-size . -2) (music "noteheads-2" ((kern . -0.1) 
"flags-stem")))))
#(define eight-note `(columns ,note ((kern . -0.1)
  (music ((raise . 10.0) "flags-u3")))))
#(define dotted-eight-note
  `(columns ,eight-note (music "dots-dot")))


#(define text-flat '((font-relative-size . -2) (music "accidentals--1")))
#(define title-instr `("pour Piano et 2 Cl. en Si" ,text-flat))
#(define f '((bold italic) "f"))
#(define f3corde `(lines ,f \treCorde))
#(define ppp '((bold italic) "ppp"))
#(define p '((bold italic) "p"))

#(define 2ped-legend "(*) UC + Péd. droite")
#(define 2ped '(italic "2 Péd."))
#(define 2ped1 `(lines ,ppp ,2ped "(*)"))
#(define 2ped2 `(lines ,ppp ,2ped))
#(define pup '(italic "---/"))
#(define uc '(italic "UC"))
% #(define uc '\unaCorda)
#(define puc `(lines ,p ,uc))

#(define init `((lines "lent: sans réelle pulsation,"
  (columns "simplement " ,note " = 42"))))

\header {
  title = "Prélogique"
  subtitle = "à Leila Bouzalgha"
  composer = "David PIROTTE"
  opus = "Test 1"
  piece = "(p)"
  poet = "(p)"
  % instrument = `,title-instr
  instrument = "(i)"
  meter = "(m)"
  arranger = "(a)"
  tagline = "prélogique"
  footer = "prélogique"
}

\score {
  \notes <
    \context Staff = "Cl1" {
      \property Staff.instrument = #`(lines "Cl. 1" (columns "(Si" ,text-flat 
")"))
      % \property Score.timing = ##f
      % \property Staff.TimeSignature \override #'style = #'()
      \time 12/4        
      \clef violin
      {r2. r2. r2 r1
       r2. r2. r2 r1
      }
    }
    \context Staff = "Cl2" {
      \property Staff.instrument = #`(lines "Cl. 2" (columns "(Si" ,text-flat 
")"))
      % \property Score.timing = ##f
      % \property Staff.TimeSignature \override #'style = #'()
      \time 12/4        
      \clef violin
      {r2. r2. r2 r1
       r2. r2. r2 r1
      }
    }    
    \context PianoStaff \notes <
      \context Staff = up < 
        \property Staff.instrument = "Piano"
        % \property Score.timing = ##f
        % \property Staff.TimeSignature \override #'style = #'()
        \time 12/4
        \clef violin
        {r2.^#`,init r2. fis'2_#`,ppp ~ fis'1^\fermata
         r2. r2. r2 r1
        }
      >
      \context Staff = mid <
        % \property Score.timing = ##f
        % \property Staff.TimeSignature \override #'style = #'()
        \time 12/4
        \clef bass      
        { % s1 \break
          r2. r2. r2 r1
          r2. r2. r2 r1
         }
      >
      \context Staff = down <
        \time 12/4
        % \property Score.timing = ##f
        % \property Staff.TimeSignature \override #'style = #'()
        \clef bass
        \property Staff.clefOctavation = #-15
        \property Staff.OctavateEight \set #'text = #"15"
        \property Staff.centralCPosition = #13
        % \property Staff.pedalSustainStrings = #'("-" "-P" "P")
        \relative c,
        {\stemDown 
         <a?2. \decr b_#`,2ped2 c ais> <a?2. \rced b_#`,pup c ais> a?2_#`,puc r1

         <a?2. \decr b_#`,2ped2 c ais> <a?2. \rced b_#`,pup c ais> a?2_#`,f ~ 
a1^\fermata
         }
        >
      >
    >
    \paper {
            % indent = 0.0
            % \translator {
            %   \StaffContext
            %   BarLine \override #'transparent = ##t
            %   } 
            \translator {
              \HaraKiriStaffContext
              }
            }
}