Re: improved display of chord names

> On Mar 8, 2026, at 11:51 AM, Werner LEMBERG <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> 
> Folks,
> 
> 
> Merge Request !2972 aims to improve the display of chord names, in
> particular the display of accidentals, by using text variants of
> accidental glyphs.
> 
>  https://gitlab.com/lilypond/lilypond/-/merge_requests/2972
> 
> Attached you can find two images that show the current and the planned
> appearance of some chords.
> 
> Please comment.
> 
> 
>    Werner

To my eyes, the lower example is quite a bit better. The changes are not loud and yet are noticeable. I like shortening the vertical dimension of the sharps and raising them slightly so that the baseline of the right side vertical line in the glyph is the same as the alphanumerics. The flat in the Eb chordname looks disproportionately large to me in both examples and I wonder if it should have a slightly higher baseline, closer to that of the alphanumerics it modifies, as well as being a little shorter.

Is it an inconsistency that the + in the final A augmented triad is on the baseline with the alphanumeric; should it be raised like the diminished symbol in the chord preceding it?

Now that I am scrutinizing, it is somewhat visually inconsistent with the major chord symbol and the diminished symbol not being in a music font and having different line weights. I suppose there are no music font glyphs specifically for either of those and that they are drawn from the text font.  I think if the triangle had a heavier line like the diminished symbol, that would improve its appearance.

This example also made me realize that part of why I like the Lilyjazz font, and use it exclusively, is that the typeface style of the accidentals and the alphanumerics is visually consistent and also consistent with the style of the notes, ties, slurs, barlines, clefs, etc.


> Chords = \chordmode {
>  c4 c4:maj7.11+ b4:7.5+9+ es4:2 |
>  g4:m dis4:maj7 a4:dim7 a4:aug |
> }
> 
> <<
>  \new ChordNames \Chords
>  \new Staff \Chords
>>>