creating Schenkerian Graphs in Lilypond

[Alexander De Sina]

To Whom It May Concern,
 
Hello, I'm wondering if you can help me. I installed Lilypond with the 
intention of using it for representations of Schenkerian analyses. I am very 
confused as to how to do this, however. I've been experimenting with the codes 
shown on Kris Schaffer's website for the Bach Chorale: 
http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8364 but I get either all sorts of error 
messages or nothing at all. I'm not a computer programming-type person, just a 
theorist, so I wonder the extent to which I could ever master all the commands 
required for Lilypond, and the tutorial on your website is not helpful enough 
for my limited knowledge of program writing for the advanced commands employed 
for a graph. In light of this, I am trying to set up some templates into which 
I can just insert the relevant notes. For example, I typed in this recreation 
myself of Mr. Schaffer's code for the Urline of the Bach:  staffPiano = new 
PianoStaff { \set Score.timing = ##f\set PianoStaff.followVoice = ##t<< 
\context Staff = ''RH'' {  % Right Hand\clef treble\key g \major\relative to 
c'' { \override Staff.NoteCollision#'merge-differently-headed = ##t<<  {    
\override Beam  #'positions = #'(8 . 8)    \override NoteHead #'transparent = 
##t    s1 b8[ s4. s1 a8 s4. s2 g8] s4.    \revert Beam #'positions    \revert 
NoteHead #'transparent    }\\  {    \override Stem #'transparent = ##t    s1 b2 
s1 a2 s2 g2    \revert Stem #'transparent    }>> but got nothing at all. My 
computer (windows vista-based) doesn't even respond. I tried making a pdf 
directly from the complete source code for the Bach, and that worked fine, so I 
assume the problem is not concerned with the installation of Lilypond on my 
computer in the first place. Can you glean some wisdom as to what I'm simply 
not getting here? I'm considering going back to paper and pen once and for all 
lol. Sincerely, -Alexander De SinaThe University of Chicago