Hi,
tl;dr: Changing the volume mid-note should be documented as unsupported.
I'd like to write the equivalent of "play the note c with the duration
1, but become quieter and quieter over the course of the duration".
There are some ways to make this appear nicely for \layout{}, but I
can't figure out how to make it work for \midi{}.
I have tried several ways, including "c4\>~ c~ c~ c\ppppp", but the MIDI
output always seems to have constant volume. As a bad workaround, I will
probably use "c4\> c c c\ppppp", which has four audibly-separate
attacks, and therefore not quite what I want.
Did I miss something? What else could I try?
Here's a nearly-minimal example:
----
\version "2.22.1"
notes = \relative e' { \tempo 4 = 60
f4 d8 e f4 g | f4 d8 e f4 b, |
% This "c1" note should not have constant volume for the entire time
c4\>~ c~ c~ c\ppppp | }
\score{\new Staff{\notes} \layout{}}
\score{\new Staff{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"cello" \notes} \midi{}}
----
I got feedback on IRC that you can't have a single midi note change its
volume, and that the MIDI file format doesn't really support it in the
first place.
In that case, I suggest to adapt NR 3.5.1
http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.20/Documentation/notation/supported-notation-for-midi
Original text:
----
* Dynamic markings from ppppp to fffff, including mp, mf and sf
----
Suggested text:
----
* Dynamic markings from ppppp to fffff, including mp, mf and sf (Except
markings that change over the course of a single note; the note will be
played with constant volume instead.)
----
I hope this makes sense, and thank you for making lilypond so easy to
use and well-documented.
Cheers,
Ben