Alignment of (double) whole notes

[OCTO]

It does like this, I like:

shot 5.jpg (39.98 KiB) Viewed 11505 times

[tisimst]

And here's how LilyPond does those same combinations (plus one more):

LilyPond-notehead-alignment.png (34.91 KiB) Viewed 11504 times

[DatOrganistTho]

So, @OCTO and @tisimst, it would be important to layout a philosophy of these notes.

Clearly, Lilypond, unless it is a whole note, prefers to align slightly to the left of the note column, while in MuseScore it is clearly the center column. Could either of you give justification for your preference?

[tisimst]

So, @OCTO and @tisimst, it would be important to layout a philosophy of these notes.

Clearly, Lilypond, unless it is a whole note, prefers to align slightly to the left of the note column, while in MuseScore it is clearly the center column. Could either of you give justification for your preference?

Absolutely! I can definitely see how pleasant it appears to have them center-aligned, but after playing around with both, here's my preference philosophy.

I prefer the left-aligned forms, not because that's the way LilyPond does it, but because 1) I'm used to seeing it this way, and 2) it is easier for me to distinguish each glyph more accurately at first-sight because the horizontal difference in size is (usually, but depends on the font) larger when left-aligned than when they are center-aligned with the space divided equally on both sides:

horizontal-alignment-of-notes-difference.png (32.02 KiB) Viewed 11487 times

[OCTO]

So, @OCTO ..., while in MuseScore it is clearly the center column. Could either of you give justification for your preference?

Well, as tisimst says, first it is pleasant for my eyes.
But one thing I believe that motivates this is that and noteheads are already centered. There is no other possibility, of course, but if all notes are centered, there is no reason not to have others as well.
A very practical example:

shot 2.jpg (39.44 KiB) Viewed 11477 times

@tisimst, how would you notate this with your preferences?

[John Ruggero]

Even though centered alignment appears more visually pleasing, I am having trouble finding actual examples of centered half notes over whole notes in the standard literature, either on the same staff or between staves. I have looked at German, French, and American editions in the public domain in various genres without success. Even in early editions of Chopin where the whole notes occur at the beginning of the measure (rather than being centered or off-centered in the older style, which avoids the problem nicely), there is left alignment. I will keep looking, but, at this point, centered alignment seems rare.

[OCTO]

That can be absolutely true.
I might change my opinion though.

[tisimst]

@tisimst, how would you notate this with your preferences?

Just like you'd expect:

triple-voices-horizontal-alignment.png (26 KiB) Viewed 11456 times

[DatOrganistTho]

I think at this point it is important to consider a parallel problem in word typesetting.

Perhaps you do not see center aligned notes of this kind because of the same reasons you don't see books typeset in center justification: it's just hard to read over and over.

Center justification being nice for titles, etc, but not for details and body text.

Here, perhaps identifying notes in the most consistent manner is what enables a to be distinguished from a . Suffice it to say, I'm of the opinion that these notes should be generally left-aligned.

[OCTO]

I think at this point it is important to consider a parallel problem in word typesetting.

Perhaps you do not see center aligned notes of this kind because of the same reasons you don't see books typeset in center justification: it's just hard to read over and over.

Center justification being nice for titles, etc, but not for details and body text.

Here, perhaps identifying notes in the most consistent manner is what enables a to be distinguished from a . Suffice it to say, I'm of the opinion that these notes should be generally left-aligned.

You are absolutely right. I definitely change my mind regarding this! Good that we have this forum...