Re: [proposal] easy triplets and tuplets - was [talk] easy tuplets

[Ian Hulin]

On 05/10/12 08:10, James wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> On 5 October 2012 00:19, Ian Hulin <address@hidden> wrote:
>> This is a proposal to move the triplet/tuplet discussion forward.
>>
>> There will be new commands to supplement (or eventually replace) the
>> current \times command.
>>
>> 1. \tuplet n/m {<music expression>}
>> %  does what \times does, but not so easily confused with \time
>> %  command.
>> 2. \triplet {<music expression>} % shorthand for current
>> %  \times 2/3 command
>> 3. \duplet {<music expression} % shorthand for current
>> %  \times 3/2 command
>> 4. \quadruplet {<music expression} % shorthand for current
>> %  \times 6/4 command
>> 5. \sextuplet {<music expression} % shorthand for current
>> %  \times 4/6 command
> 
> Do we need all these commands?
> 
> Can't we just have \tupelet and then a qualifier (or whatever it is
> called) that then determines if it is 3/2. 2/3, 6/4 etc.
> 
It would be \tuplet, I assume that was a typo on your part.
We already have a qualifier, or rather an argument on \times - it's the
fraction.
The name needs to change even if we don't add the shorthands for
triplets etc. because the command looks too closely related to the time
signature command \times when a source score is read by a human being.
> I may be the only one but no one that I play with makes any
> distinction from a musical point of view between a 'tupelet' that is
> 2/3 and one that is, say, 5/3 or 6/4. They are all 'tupelets.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuplet
> 
> Am I missing something Ian (if so, sorry)?
> 
Yes.

'triplet', 'duplet', 'quadruplet' 'quintuplet' and 'sextuplet' are used
in muso-speech to distinguish the commoner forms of tuplet.

See Reinhold's reply as German has a parallel set of similar terms
'Triole', 'Duole' etc.

I fact I think tuplet derives from the end portion of terms like
'sextuplet'.

Also, if my poor addled old dinosaur brain remembers right, at least
some of these are, or have been, taught as part of ABRSM[1] theory in
the UK.

The aim of providing these is to make LilyPond source slightly more
readable to humans.

These are available *in parallel* with \tuplet and \times (though there
migh be a decision later on to deprecate \times)

Cheers,

Ian
[1] Associated Board of the Royals Schools of Music.

> James
>