Re: absolute pitch entry: accept an offset octave (issue 235010043 by address@hidden)

[Paul Morris]

Another thought, how about the name \regular?  It works in two senses:

1. Instead of contrasting relative and absolute the contrast is between 
relative and plain "{…}" entry, which is LilyPond's default, standard, or 
“regular” mode of note entry.  So \regular makes it explicit that the notes are 
entered in the regular entry mode rather than the relative one.

2. “regular” also refers to the consistency or regularity of the octave 
indications in this entry mode, as contrasted with relative mode — the 
regularity where ,,,  ,,  ,  ’  ’’  ’’’ each refers to the same octave within 
the {…}.  As in this dictionary definition of “regular”:  "arranged in or 
constituting a constant or definite pattern, especially with the same space 
between individual instances”.

(3. A mostly-trivial poetic bonus: regular and relative are easy to remember as 
a pair because the alliteration of them both starting with “re".)

Since \regular doesn’t have the “absolute pitch" connotations of \absolute it 
doesn’t present the same cognitive dissonance when its notes are shifted in 
relation to a reference octave (with an optional argument).  And I’d say its 
descriptiveness or intuitiveness is at least as good as \fixed, maybe better.  
Worth considering.

\relative { c'' g' e c }
\regular { c'' g'' e'' c'' }
\regular c'' { c g e c }

-Paul