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Re: The importance of a graphical interface.


From: Trevor Bača
Subject: Re: The importance of a graphical interface.
Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 10:00:54 -0600

Warning: off-topic :-)

I think that Valentin's comment here is particularly interesting:

-You've got to think very _VERY_ horizontally, and not vertically like
in Sibelius or Finale. This has been the major difficulty to me. But
if you think about it, you'll realize that it helps you indeed by
making you work on larger sequences instead of just "fill" your score
bar after bar after bar.

Of course there's plenty of horizontal / stratified / contrapuntal
music written in the Anglo-American world, and there's also plenty of
veritcal / chord-based music written in continental Europe. However
(and I know I'm going to get blasted for this, which is OK), there
seems to me to be something of preference for chord-based thinking in
the US (and possibly the UK) and something of a similar preference for
layered thinking in Europe (at least when we're talking about people
study and teach composition in universities and conservatories).
Perhaps I'm wrong about this, or perhaps this is kinda the case and
might have something to do with the emphasis on chordal Roman-numeral
type analysis in conservatory education in the US (versus counterpoint
in Europe).

Anyway, it's fun to observe that Finale and Sibelius are American and
English inventions, respectively, and rather vertical-oriented,
whereas LilyPond is a much more international invention (and very
horizontal in orientation, as Valentin points out).

:-)

Trevor.


On 10/28/06, Valentin Villenave <address@hidden> wrote:
Hello César ;

Just a few words.

I'm using the jEdit editor with the Lilypondtool plugin, which gives
the ability to compile, preview and even play your score with simple
shortcuts (a bit like the lilypond mac version) ; it is quite useable
and very convenient to learn.

I've tried denemo ; it's a bit rude but definitely useable to. I'm
afraid they are'nt developing it anymore, and it's really a pity since
it was the ONLY lilypond-oriented graphical editor.

There's still the possibility to use NoteEdit or canorus to input your
score and then convert it to lilypond. Or a good MusicXML editor (if
anyone knows one....)

But : the lilypond language is a quite attractive language. For
instance, I've begun learning Lilypond just one month ago ; and now
with a /include "italiano.ly" (I'm French moi aussi)  I can read my
scores in genuine lilypond code !

That's why form now one I'm able to code directly in Lilypond
language, without even draw any sketch on a sheet, except for massive
and complex orchestral pages.

Of course, this implies at least two things.
-You've got to get used to "think" your music very globally, there's
hardly a way to wonder "oh, what if I put a G instead of a F?", listen
to it, revert to your F, and so on.
-You've got to think very _VERY_ horizontally, and not vertically like
in Sibelius or Finale. This has been the major difficulty to me. But
if you think about it, you'll realize that it helps you indeed by
making you work on larger sequences instead of just "fill" your score
bar after bar after bar.

One last thing. Lilypond is actually faster to me than Sibelius, as
far as I haven't anymore to correct every little detail by hand to
make my score look good. With Lilypond it does look good  in most
cases "out of the box" ; until now I've never used the \overwrite
command. I'm just way too pleased when I see the work Lilypond has
done.

As a matter of fact, I've switched to linux in the mean time I've
switched to Lilypond... But we can't ask everyone to do so, and
therefore I agree it indeed lacks a decent user interface ; especially
when you're used to Mac/Windows world, and a bit lost when you find
yourself in front of a command line (by the way, I'm under linux and
there is definitely no way to run your ABCedit here...)





2006/10/28, Mats Bengtsson <address@hidden>:
> I hope you have seen the question on graphical user interfaces at
> http://lilypond.org/web/about/faq
>
>    /Mats
>
> Quoting César Penagos <address@hidden>:
>
> > Dears Lilyponders:
> > I'm a very in-love user of Lilypond, actually I have installed the 2.9.26
> > version. I'm attend to update my preferred music score program.
> > For many times i sow  in the user archives, people asking for a graphical
> > interface. I thing there is a powerful reason.
> > When you are "copying" a score, no matter with the instruments, or 
instrument
> > colors in your orchestral score. Every musician knows what instrument will 
be
> > the  most appropriate for the voice that is writing. As the case as the
> > composers that can try every instrument they want.
> > The very real problems comes when you want to arrange a piece; and
> > you need to
> > see the balance of the instrumentation in your score. Every body
> > knows that the
> > simple way is to assign the first and second voices to the violins I and II,
> > the third or tenor voice to the violas and the basses to cellos and
> > contrabass.
> > It is Ok for very small arrange using the strings, but when you add 
woods,and
> > winds you must be carefully what you are doing if don't want
> > undesirable result.
> > If you don't take care of the balance in the use of instruments your
> > score will
> > sound recharged, very dense.
> > For this reason you have to be alert whit your instrumentation, and I
> > hope that
> > in the very close future some of the very smart people in Lilypond team 
takes
> > the time to construct an a graphical interface for your great program.
> > When this happens Finale, Sibelius etc, etc, etc. Will have to close their
> > companies, because nobody will buy their expensiveness programs.
> > I don't know if is the nature of the program that can't permit  an 
interface,
> > but I'm taking the voice of all the people that really needs an interface to
> > properly works in a score.
> > An example would be the ABCedit editor from Prof.Coolgeem, is very nice and
> > usable
> > Please!! consider this.
> >
> > Cheer's
> >
> > César Penagos.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > lilypond-user mailing list
> > address@hidden
> > http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-user
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> lilypond-user mailing list
> address@hidden
> http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-user
>


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Trevor Bača
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