Re: Stem Combining

[James E. Bailey]

Am 04.09.2008 um 03:57 schrieb Daniel Cheramie:

> Hi All,
>
> I am typesetting a number of SATB hymns and noticed that mine look  
> quite ugly
> because of not combining stems in the desired manner. The hymnals I  
> have seen
> combine most stems on the SA and TB parts except for:
>
> * Notes less than 2 steps apart
> * Notes of different durations
> * Eighth or sixteenth notes that are beamed ar enot combined if the  
> other beamed
> note isn't.
>
> I would like to be able to specify each part individually and have  
> them combined
> automatically. Is there some simple way to achieve this with  
> Lilypond? I can
> provide an example if needed of one I have done by hand.
>
> Thanks,
> Daniel

Automatically? That would be kind of difficult. (Except with Scheme, I  
don't know a thing about it, but I'm convinced now that anything  
that's difficult or cumbersome in lilypond becomes infinitely easier  
if you know Scheme.) The problems, as I see them are this:
1) Part combine would combine the notes that are the same into one  
stem, but also all notes that are the same rhythmic value and only has  
stems in opposite directions when they are different rhythmic values.
2) Multiple voices (which is probably what you're using) has all stems  
opposite on all notes (and has the problem of two rests which looks  
reeally ugly)

The best solution I can think of would be to do it yourself, and code  
it like piano music with lyrics. Because, if you're looking at two  
stave-hymnals, while it's good for a choir, the stems as they are are  
an aid to an accompanist, as a singer, I hate not having my stems  
clearly show me which part I'm looking at.