Re: Some questions from a novice

[Arvid Grøtting]

Mats Bengtsson <address@hidden> writes:

> - It's also a good habit to write one bar per line in the input
>    file.

This is often cited as a good habit, but it's one I always break these
days.

Me, I prefer writing one line of the original manuscript per line in
the input file; that way, I get a considerably more compact file.

If I feel a need to break a line (in the input file) because it gets
too long, I indent a bit more than I usually do, to find the
manuscript line breaks easily.

Also, I tend to define a command "\brk" to aid in proofreading, thus:

    brk = \notes{ \break }

When I'm done, I usually redefine that command, though; e.g.:

    brk = \notes { \mark "/" } % [1]

I use this to break or mark at the line breaks in the original.

Anything very wrong with this way of doing things?


[1] this mark allows performers to find their way even if being told
to look, e.g., on "the beginning of the third system" of a page.

(I also add a comment for each page break in each voice, and often a
rehearsal mark with the page number, if the original manuscript
doesn't have rehearsal marks.)

All of this assumes, of course, identical sheet music for all voices;
this is usually the case for a male choir anyway, and I mostly typeset
music for a male choir.
-- 

Arvid