Re: transpositions within a global key setting.

[Wols Lists]

On 10/12/19 06:41, Urs Liska wrote:
> 
> Am 09.12.19 um 15:24 schrieb N. Andrew Walsh:
>> Hi List,
>>
>> let us say I have a piece where I want to specify the key signature
>> once for all instruments. I have something like the following:
>>
>> \version = 2.19.82
>> global= {
>>  \key f \minor
>>  \time 4/8
>>   }
>> %% (and whatever other settings I want)
>>
>> oDAMusic = \transpose a c {
>>   \relative c''' {
>>     \key as \minor
>>     {{MUSIC}}
>>   }
>> }
> 
> 
> What this code is trying to convey (different from your intentions) that
> MUSIC is some music in as minor that is then transposed to f minor.
> 
> What you *need* to say is that the music is in f minor (because that is
> your key signature) but transposed *for display* to as minor. It should
> immediately strike you as odd when you seem to need to write \key as
> \minor when you are not actually having polytonality.
> 
> So the key signature in your music should be the f minor specified in
> the global variable (note BTW that it is not ideal practice naming a
> variable "global"), and you can simply include that *within* the music
> expression rather than in teh staff definition.
> 
> You define the music in the original key and then transpose it to the
> key you want it displayed in. If you are dealing with MIDI output (and
> even if not you should consider it) you can then use \transposition to
> re-transpose the MIDI output without affecting the engraved key and
> pitches (see
> http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.19/Documentation/notation/displaying-pitches#instrument-transpositions
> (which is where you should have looked at)).
> 
> This is what you want to do:
> 
> \version  "2.19.82"
> global= {
>   \key f \minor
>   \time 4/8
> }
> 
> oDAMusic = 
> \transpose f as 
> \relative c' {
>   \transposition a
>   \global
>   f g as
> }
> 
> \score {
>   \new Staff = "Staff_oboeDA" <<
>     \oDAMusic 
>   >>
> }
> 
> HTH
> Urs
> 
As a player in a concert band and a brass band, this is my main use of
lilypond. I don't use midi, and I've never got to grips with
transposition (because I don't use midi?)

So when I'm INPUTing music, I always do

voiceTrombone = \transpose c' c' { notes }
or
voiceTrombone = \transpose c' bf { notes }

This then gives me a music variable with all my notes IN CONCERT PITCH.

When outputting, I then do

\Staff {
   \Clef = bass
   \transpose c' c' {
      \key ...
      \voiceTrombone
      ...
   }
}

or

\Staff {
   \Clef = treble_8
   \transpose bf c' {
      \key ...
      \voiceTrombone
      ...
   }
}

That way, everything is always in concert until the last possible
moment, but also, when I'm looking at the music, I can tell whether it
was copied from a concert or a brass part, and the notes in the .ly file
match the notes on the piece of paper.

(And I *always* transpose, even from C to C, because it tells me I
haven't forgotten anything :-)

Cheers,
Wol