Re: Four Bars per Line/System, again :)

[Trevor Daniels]

Nils you wrote Friday, May 18, 2012 7:45 PM

> I am currently looking at Realbook layouts and user expectations.
> "Four Bars per Line" in a Leadsheet seems to be a pretty common request.
>
> I know there is the method with a invisible voice that breaks the staffs. 
> But this seems like a hack. Using content to force the layout. And it gets 
> tiresome if you have longer pieces or time signature changes.
>
> So, is there a different method, probably more layout oriented? I saw 
> there is  a way to force the systems per page. So is there a bars per 
> lines layout command? Or isn't there one?

I usually have a variable called something like timeline in which I place 
all things which apply to the score as a whole rather than to individual 
staves or voices, things like breaks, key changes, time signature changes, 
special bar lines, etc.  The individual items are positioned with spacer 
rests, and the variable is included in parallel with at least one of the 
music voices.

So for your particular case I would define

timeline = \repeat unfold nnn { s1*4 \break }

where nnn is determined by the length of the piece.

I don't consider this a hack.  It allows the actual notes to be kept 
separate and clean.

Trevor