Re: Italian & international chord names.

[Giancarlo Niccolai]

Alle 01:32, giovedì 25 novembre 2004, Han-Wen Nienhuys ha scritto:
> address@hidden writes:
> > For this reason I went for just a "change" of the names. In fact it is
> > theoretically possible to use the german system with italian names (I
> > suppose this can be done write down german ancient music); so I wouldn't
> > mix the concept of "chord system" (german/jazz/standard)  with "chord
> > names" (same system, just change of names).
>
> The German system refers to the naming of the root pitch. In Germany,
> the B (italian: ti ?)  is written as H.  It is not a system for
(Italian SI).
> denoting chords analogous to jazz/standard.   This is exactly what you
> need, isn't it?


Yes and no; a specific override function for german chords is needed because 
german B is international B-flat (italian SI-bemolle). As there is a 1:1 
correspondency between chord name systems (english/italian/french) and as 
they change only the name of the root chord and as if you enter notes there 
is no need for a complete transformation function. 

Let me understand: do you mean that we could use something like 
\germanChordName command or \ItalianChordNames and so on? Or do you mean that 
we should use the chordNameRoot override?

Mine is just a question as a newcomer; I just need to print LAm instead of Am 
in every piece of music I do.

I understand it is important to provide switchable chord names; I mean, 
suppose that I want to publish on the internet the pieces I wrote for my 
fellow musichans; then I wouldn't want to change the whole notation, but use 
the international chord names; so having switchable chord names independently 
from notes names may be important.

However, a scheme function calling (set! ...) and changing the chord name 
vector, maybe aliased with a command like \italianChordName would be as 
effective as an override for the chordNameRoot function. However, I would 
rather prefer to have it as a file-wide setting. In a score (and in a 
publication in general), you are not going to switch chord name engraving 
unless you have special purpose (i.e. didattic), and so something like

\include "italiano.ly"
( in "italiano.ly" \setItalianChordNames )

...

\chordMode { la:m si:7 }
...
\setEnglishChordNames
\chordMode { la:m si:7 } % demo here
\setItalianChordNames % back to doc default

will do.

However, my understanding of this system is limited, so if you say that 
something like

\chordMode { 
   \italianChords la:m si:7 
} 

is better, i'll belive you... but a document wide settings would seem to fit 
better.

Giancarlo.