Re: Documentation - 8.2.4 Bar numbers

[Anthony W. Youngman]

In message <address@hidden>, Graham Percival 
<address@hidden> writes
> On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 13:06:17 +0100
> "Anthony Youngman" <address@hidden> wrote:
>
> > This section should contain a reference to
> > bar-number-every-five-reset.ly. After the "Barnumbers can be typeset
> > at regular intervals ..." text and fragment, could we also add
>
> Err, it already does!  Look at the "see also" section.
As I noticed after I'd posted - oops - BUT !!! imnsho it should be there 
as an example, not a "see also". Indeed, if there's only one example it 
should be this one not the other one.

<rant mode=on>
As a professional programmer, I see it as my job to make life easy for 
my users. All too often, however, I come across workmanship which makes 
it clear the workman was out to make life easy for himself! The modern 
practise of printing bar-numbers every fourth or fifth bar falls clearly 
into this category!

Ask yourself - *as* *a* *musician* - is that any use to you, or would 
you be better off if it was done a bit differently?

As a conductor, nine times out of ten you want to refer to the start of 
a phrase (the remaining tenth time being when you're pointing out a 
problem to just one musician (or section)). So as a musician, 99 times 
in 100, you're looking for the start of a phrase.

Now if every fourth bar is marked, what are the chances of it being the 
start of a phrase? Pretty near nil, I'd say. If it's every fifth, the 
chances rise to about 25%. So. Almost every time, the poor conductor has 
to find the bar he's looking for, count forwards or backwards to a 
numbered bar and tell the musicians. Who then have to find a numbered 
bar and count forwards or backwards to the bar they want. WHAT A WASTE 
OF EFFORT - all to save the computer typesetter a few minutes!
<\rant>

Han-Wen's preface says he believes in beautiful music. imho, bar numbers 
every fourth or fifth bar is very ugly. I asked about numbering the 
start of every phrase back in the 2.4 days, and got the impression I'd 
have to work it out for myself (maybe that's why 
bar-number-every-five-reset.ly was written). imnsvho, we should be 
saying to people "this is how it *should* be done, and we can do it!". 
Please make bar-number-every-five-reset.ly a showcased example, and if 
it means relegating the current showcased example to a "see also", then 
so be it.

I know there's a conflict between a simple example and a good example, 
but when the simple example sets a bad example (which imho this does), 
then I'd rather have a good example.

Cheers,
Wol
--
Anthony W. Youngman - wol at thewolery dot demon dot co dot uk
HEX wondered how much he should tell the Wizards. He felt it would not be a
good idea to burden them with too much input. Hex always thought of his reports
as Lies-to-People.
The Science of Discworld : (c) Terry Pratchett 1999