Re: Weird spacing related to barlines

[Keith OHara]

Phil Holmes <mail <at> philholmes.net> writes:

> Can anyone explain what's going on here?
> 
> \score {
>  \new MensuralStaff {

>  \layout {
>   \context {
>       \Score
>       \override SpacingSpanner #'spacing-increment = #0
>       \remove "Default_bar_line_engraver"
>  }}}

The "Default_bar_line_engraver" works oddly, in that it turns bar lines
on and off.  Without it, when you say \bar"|" in the music, you start
getting barlines after every note, and a double barline after every
measure.  We don't see them because the MensuralStaff sets barlines 
to be invisible.

\override SpacingSpanner #'spacing-increment = #0.0
asks for zero space between notes, but there is no ragged-right,
so LilyPond tries to stretch out the lines, and the space between
barlines is the only space that can stretch.

The barlines use a different setting for spacing
\override BarLine #'space-alist #'first-note = #'( fixed-space . 0.0)
for historical reasons, and unfortunately.

If you don't have measures, maybe leave "Default_bar_line_engraver" 
in place, and just stop the measure-counting with
  \context {\Score     timing = ##f  }
and put \bar"" wherever a break would be allowable.