Re: Tight spacing in mensural notation (was: Re: Cadenza Senza Tempo Problem)

[Graham King]

> On 29 Oct 2019, at 22:12, Thomas Morley <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> Am Di., 29. Okt. 2019 um 16:28 Uhr schrieb Graham King
> <address@hidden>:
>> 
>> "...and most important you want tight space between all notes as
>> though it's not allowing the space for barlines and more."
>> 
>> This unanswered part of Reggie's question in [1] lead me to re-scratch an 
>> old itch.  In manuscripts and old printed editions of mensural notation, 
>> notes and rests are horizontally densely-spaced without regard for their 
>> musical duration.  I have struggled to reproduce this in lilypond, and the 
>> nearest I can get is this:
>> 
>> \version "2.19.82"
>> 
>> \new Score \with {
>>  \omit TimeSignature
>>  \override SpacingSpanner.spacing-increment = #0.0
>>  \override SpacingSpanner.packed-spacing = ##t
>>  \override NoteHead.style = #'petrucci
>> }
>> 
>> {
>>  \cadenzaOn c'\longa \breve 1 \breve 1 2 2 1 4 4 1 2
>>  % \bar "" \break % uncomment to observe effect
> 
> Don't understand and not sure _which_ effect you mean ...
Oops.  That was a note to myself that I should have deleted before posting.  I 
was thinking that I might have to fake the spacing by using manual 
line-breaking (with ragged-right = ##f).
> 
>>  2 8 8 8 8 c''1 b' a' g'
>> }
>> 
>> It would be good to be able to impose a small amount of horizontal space 
>> between the noteheads, but I'm at a loss to see how that can be done.  Any 
>> ideas?
>> 
>> -- Graham
>> 
>> [1] https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2019-10/msg00420.html
> 
> Probably below may be of some help?
> 
> \paper { ragged-right = ##t }
> 
> \new Score \with {
>  \omit TimeSignature
>  \override SpacingSpanner.spacing-increment = 1
>  \override SpacingSpanner.base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment -3)
>  \override SpacingSpanner.common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment -3)
>  \override NoteHead.style = #'petrucci
> 
>  %% play around with below, probably useful are settings between 2 and ~10
>  \override SpacingSpanner.shortest-duration-space = #2
> }
> 
> {
>  \cadenzaOn
>  c'\longa \breve 1 \breve 1 2 2 1 4 4 1 2
>  %\bar "" \break % uncomment to observe effect
>  2 8 8 8 8 c''1 b' a' g'
> }

That's lovely. \override SpacingSpanner.shortest-duration-space = #3.5 results 
in something that could almost be from Cantiones Sacrae or any of the 
movable-type printed editions of the period.

It will take me a little while to understand fully what you've done, but thanks!

-- Graham