Re: Stem direction with ties

[Phil Holmes]

"Per Starbäck" <address@hidden> wrote in message 
news:address@hidden
> With
>
> \version "2.16.2"
>
> \relative c'' {
>  b~ b8 a b4~ b8 c
>  a8 b~ b4 c8 b~ b4
> }
>
> the stems of every b goes downwards. I think it would be better if tied
> notes had the same direction, to make it clearer visually that they belong
> together. Then two of these stems should go up instead.
>
> With beams it does work like that. Shouldn't ties be even more so than
> beams? I have no references saying that it should be so, but here is the
> actual example where I encountered it:
>
>  b4~(-> b8. g16 \times 2/3 { fis8 e dis) }
>
> This is RH 3rd measure of Carl Nielsen's Alfedans, and has the b-stem up 
> in
> the original.
>
> (That original also has the b-stem up in the following measure
>
>  cisis4.( dis8 b')\staccato r
>
> though. Maybe it treats even slurs as a reason to get the same direction
> when it's a b that is in the middle anyhow.)

\new Staff \with { \consists "Melody_engraver" }
\relative c'' {
\override Stem #'neutral-direction = #'()
b~ b8 a b4~ b8 c
a8 b~ b4 c8 b~ b4
}

moves closer to what you want - it considers the note direction of 
surrounding notes when deciding the direction of the note on the middle 
staff line.

--
Phil Holmes
Bug Squad