[Denemo-devel] Proof-reading Denemo Scores

[Richard Shann]

One useful way of proof-reading a score is to actually play from it -
this may involve an entire music group getting together and normally I
scribble something on the score to record anything I want to alter.
Later I look through the (paper) score and find the place in the Denemo
score and make the alteration.

However, the advent of lighter, less power-hungry screens and tiny
computers suggests playing directly from a digital display. One of the
advantages that could flow from that would be to mark places in the
score much more quickly (just by tapping on the spot, of clicking with
a mouse if not using a touchscreen). Then a little bit of programming
would mean that you could open the PDF from within the Denemo program
and immediately see and - again with a single click - navigate to the
place to make the alteration.

These thoughts occurred to me because I came across a score which I
couldn't see a way to typeset so that I could both easily read it and
avoid page-turning while playing. This is one of the things that
playing directly from a digital display could avoid - page turning
could be done via some additional interaction, for example foot-pedals.
I looked around at what was available and decided to write something
myself as it is pretty simple stuff. The result was a 764 line program
which is currently to be found here:

http://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=denemo.git;a=blob_plain;f=tools/pageturner.c;hb=HEAD

It is a completely stand-alone program but when I had finished it the
idea of using it to proof-read scores occurred to me and I realised I
could read the annotations and position the cursor for editing from
within Denemo, so I bundled the source code in the "tools" section of
the Denemo source code. As a bonus, the overnight build has created an
executable for use from Windows operating systems which appears to be
completely functional. (The executable is called pageturner.exe and
lives with all the other executable stuff in the bin subdirectory - it
really needs a batch script at the top level to run it with ease.)

As it happens, Denemo already has a proof-reading facility: that one is
for PDF files which you have sent off somewhere to be proof-read and
come back with PDF annotations. So I've enhanced that code so that if
you open a PDF with an associated annotations file (as created by the
pageturner program) then you can navigate and edit from that.

As for the pageturner program itself, there were several ways to write
this but I reasoned that the best use of the (expensive) screen
resource would be to use a single page and turn the top half over on
the page turn signal, turning the rest after either a separate signal
or automatically after a few seconds' delay or, indeed, immediately. I
found a suitable pedal keyboard

DecentGadget® PC USB Foot Control Keyboard Action Switch Pedal HID
Fußpedal

which has three pedals. These could be set to go forward one page,
backward one page and to complete the lower half of a turned page.

I'm not so sure about a suitable screen, though. I've experimented so
far with an ordinary 17" monitor turned on its side. The aspect ratio
is quite reasonable (it would be possible to make the page size to
match from within Denemo) and my (limited) experimentation with that
set-up makes me think it would work ok if it were lighter and slimmer.
I didn't yet buy the foot-pedals as unless I can find a screen it would
be pointless.

One of the things I realised trying out the pageturner program is that
there is a real advantage to being able to place annotations on the
page not just for proof reading. The default annotation is the
eyeglasses sign, "O^O", which is usually scribbled in by orchestral
musicians at points where there is something tricky to watch for. But
adding reminder accidentals or remarks are also possible. One such is a
statement at the end of a repeat to say how many pages to turn back to
find the repeat start.

If anyone would like to try out the pageturner program I would welcome
feedback on how it works for them.

Richard