Re: N.C. No Chord poll

[Tim's Bitstream]

Or s1 rather than r1.

> On May 19, 2023, at 10:56 PM, David Wright <lilylis@lionunicorn.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> On Fri 19 May 2023 at 22:35:04 (-0400), David Olson wrote:
>> <https://lilypond.org/doc/v2.23/Documentation/notation/displaying-chords> 
>> 
>> 
>> the default setting for LilyPond chord engraving is: whenever there is a 
>> rest, to display "N.C." 
>> Iteration after iteration, this default setting has persisted in all the 
>> versions of Lilypond I have ever used. 
>> 
>> Having always found this bizarre, I'm wondering now what other's think. 
>> 
>> 1. How many Lilyponders think that "N.C." is elegant? 
>> 
>> 2. How many guitar teachers instruct their students to keep strumming when 
>> they see a rest? 
>> 
>> 3. In what genres is it normative for guitars to continue strumming through 
>> every rest? 
>> 
>> 4. If genres exist where it is normative for guitar players to strum 
>> throughout a rest, in these genres is it also normative for the other 
>> musicians to sustain or fiddle throughout a rest? 
>> 
>> 
>> MORE SPECIFICALLY, the <displaying-chords> page has a section: 
>> 
>> Customizing the no-chord symbol 
>> By default, rests in a ChordNames context cause the “N.C.” symbol to be 
>> printed. This markup can be customized. 
>> 
>> • Two options are given for customization: a bar over the rest, and the text 
>> "Ssh!" 
>> 
>> 5. Has anyone ever seen sheet music that uses the convention "Ssh!" over a 
>> rest? 
>> 
>> 6. Has anyone ever seen sheet music that places a bar over the rest? 
>> 
>> 7. The decision with every LilyPond iteration not to allow a third option, 
>> namely, normative blank over the rest, i.e. suppress the "N.C." gimmick -- 
>> what are the reasons which LilyPond insiders have found so persuasive over 
>> the years? 
>> 
>> 8. How many people feel that LilyPond is being clueless when it comes to 
>> making "N.C." the default setting? 
>> 
>> 9. How many people feel frustrated that the <displaying-chords> page does 
>> not contain any information, or links to information, on suppressing the 
>> "N.C." symbol? 
>> 
>> NOTE THAT 
>> 
>> 
>> \set noChordSymbol = "" 
>> \set noChordSymbol = " " 
>> 
>> still results in "N.C." being engraved. 
>> 
>> Even in songs for children, I've never seen "Shh!" appear above a rest in 
>> the chords line. Has anybody? 
>> 
>> Why is this helpful? 
>> 
>> If the intention is not to be helpful, but cute, then it's an insult to 
>> anyone who wants to suppress the "N.C." 
>> 
>> How can it be otherwise? 
> 
> Try   \set noChordSymbol = ##f
> 
> Cheers,
> David.
> 
>