1.9.4 released/Request for comments: chord syntax!

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1.9.4 is an experimental release: the documentation does NOT compile!




Hi there,

I have just put up 1.9.4. For this release I have changed the chord
syntax: effectively, <<  >> and < > have been swapped. I would like to
hear your commments on this change.

* Chords are more often used than simultaneous music. Hence, using < >
  for chords saves keystrokes.  However, the benefit is not large,
  since << and >> are rather easy to type.

* How does readability change?  I have the impression that the old
  syntax is more readable than the new one, i.e. that

        bes'8 <<bes' f'>>[ <<f' as>> <<bes, f'>> <<f' as>> <<bes, f'>>] |
        es,8 <<bes' es>>[ <<es g>> <<bes es>> <<es g>> <<bes es>>] |
        <<g, g'>>2 r4 |
        <<c c'>>2 r4 |
        <<as as'>>2 r4 |
        <<es es'>>2 r4 |
        <<bes' bes'>>8 <<f'' bes>>[ <<bes d>> <<f bes>> <<bes d>> <<f bes>>] |
        <<es,, es'>>8 <<es'' g bes>>[ <<g bes es>> <<es g bes>> <<g bes es>> <<es g bes>>]

  is better readable than

        bes'8 <bes' f'>[ <f' as> <bes, f'> <f' as> <bes, f'>] |
        es,8 <bes' es>[ <es g> <bes es> <es g> <bes es>] |
        <g, g'>2 r4 |
        <c c'>2 r4 |
        <as as'>2 r4 |
        <es es'>2 r4 |
        <bes' bes'>8 <f'' bes>[ <bes d> <f bes> <bes d> <f bes>] |
        <es,, es'>8 <es'' g bes>[ <g bes es> <es g bes> <g bes es> <es g bes>] |


  My feeling is that << >> stands out better in the text, and that in
  the < > version the chord-pitches do not appear to form groups.


Since readability is more important than efficient typing, my own
feeling is that this change might not be a good idea.


What is your opinion? Is this a good change or not?





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Han-Wen Nienhuys   |   [email protected]   |   http://www.xs4all.nl/~hanwen