Re: Jazz notation

[Heikki Johannes Junes]

> Eric makes some good points; however, I think he is missing Carl's 
> point. The point is not that there are jazz scores out there that are 
> beautifully engraved, but that there is a very substantial genre of 
> notation out there -- the jazz leadsheet -- that is not currently 
> handled by Lilypond.

LilyPond could handle this. The implementing consists of the following parts
(can be implemented in random order):

Create fonts (do take a catch!):
- creating font for handwritten text (chord names)
- creating metafonts for handwritten clefs, time signature, rests, 
  articulation etc. (, located at the `mf' directory)

Apply user given chord names (this is implemented already).

An additional, optional feature (not very difficult):
- implementing triplet bracket which is of slur type (instead of angle bracket)

An additional, interesting feature (on the basis of multi-measure rests (?)):
- implementing a so called `multi-measure improvisatory section'
  (, see part D, `Drums 8' in http://www.shermusic.com/bin/brasilified.gif ).

An additional, maybe-not-so-standard feature (is it useful ?):
- writing text in a separate bar in which the staff lines have been taken away
  (, as shown after part D, `Drums 8', see above link ).

I also like the idea that a musical sheet should have two properties:
(a) show relation between musical elements (expressed mathematically)
(b) be beatiful (expressed as engraving rules)

The beautifulness of the musical sheet may also reflect how the piece will be
played. In that manner, one could use fat or thin fonts, decorative or pure,
handwritten or modern style, etc. The effort to extend the variety 
of styles in LilyPond in the form of jazz style is therefore welcome.

Greetings,

-- 
  Heikki Junes