Re: Lilypond and Jazz chords

[Tim McNamara]

On Jun 1, 2009, at 2:33 PM, Carl D. Sorensen wrote:

> A chordnamemode *input* mode has been proposed a couple of times.   
> This mode
> would take only a root (and optionally, a slash or alternate bass  
> note), and
> everything else about the chord would be in the form of a markup.  For
> american jazz chords, this functionality seems to be feasible (but it
> couldn't handle the german practice of making minor chords have a  
> lower case
> root name, instead of an upper case root name for a major chord).

Carl succinctly illuminates another problem, which is that LilyPond  
works with many different musical systems.  I am only familiar with  
what he calls "American jazz chords" and would be out to sea if a  
German chart was placed in front of me- or one of the many other  
notation systems with which I am unfamiliar.  Heck, I am out to sea  
often enough with American jazz charts!  Any changes to the chordname  
function would need to be context-sensitive to the needs of many  
musical systems.

Would it be feasible to make differences in chord naming conventions  
part of language-specific files, like \include english.ly or \include  
german.ly etc.?  Or does that just end up resulting in multiple  
exceptions and complicating things immensely?