On Wed, Nov 1, 2023 at 10:59 AM N. Andrew Walsh <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Hi List,
>
Hi Andrew,
> I have a client who's written a piece where he wants the last 16 bars to
> have two different variations, to be freely chosen by the performer. Sort
> of a choose-your-own-adventure score. It's scored for two voices and piano,
> but the ending(s) would only be the piano.
>
> So, grossly simplified, the score would have bars 1-53 as normal music,
> and then the performer adds a coda of either "A" or "B", each of which is a
> 16-bar section of one of the two variations. The bar numbers should be the
> same.
>
> How would I structure the score to do this? I'm thinking it'd be
> preferable to have the two variations on the top and bottom of each page,
> so that it's clear they're parallel, but I'm not sure how to set it up.
>
Well, like many things with Lilypond I'm sure there's more than one way to
do things. My take on this would be something like this:
\version "2.25.9"
length_of_main = #8
length_of_alt = #4
music_main = \relative c' {
\repeat unfold \length_of_main { a4 b c d }
%\break
\repeat unfold \length_of_alt { s1 }
}
music_a = \relative c' {
\repeat unfold \length_of_main { s1 }
\break
\sectionLabel \markup { \bold "A or B - pick one!" }
\repeat unfold \length_of_alt { c4 b a b }
}
music_b = \relative c' {
\repeat unfold \length_of_main { s1 }
\repeat unfold \length_of_alt { e4 d c d }
}
\new StaffGroup
<<
\new Staff \with {
instrumentName = "Main"
shortInstrumentName = "Main"
\RemoveAllEmptyStaves
} \music_main
\new Staff \with {
instrumentName = "A"
shortInstrumentName = "A"
\RemoveAllEmptyStaves
\override VerticalAxisGroup.staff-staff-spacing.padding = #8
} \music_a
\new Staff \with {
instrumentName = "B"
shortInstrumentName = "B"
\RemoveAllEmptyStaves
} \music_b
>>
Here, music_main is the first part of the music running along by itself,
with music_a and music_b the two possible alternates. The main thing will
be to watch the spacer rests at the beginning of music_a and music_b - they
need to be the right number of measures worth. By using the variables in
the unfold statement I find it a bit easier to keep track and make sure the
right numbers are getting where they need to be. Also I've added some extra
space between the two alternates, might reinforce that they're only sorta
kinda together but not really.
Don't know if this is quite what you're after, but maybe it'll at least
serve as a starting point.
--
Michael
