strange <slash> example in MusicXML standard?

[lemzwerg]

Looking at https://www.w3.org/2021/06/musicxml40/musicxml-reference/examples/slash-element/ I wonder what's going on. How comes that there are four beats shown in the image for a single, whole note in the MusicXML code? Is this really correct?

[mscuthbert]

This is, I believe, correct. The <slash> element specifies at what point the notation will use slashes at regular intervals rather than displaying notation. I think it would be better if the default reference example showed the optional <slash-type>quarter</slash-type> since it would make it less mysterious what is happening. I will make an issue to do that.

[mdgood]

I think the <except-voice> example clearly shows slashes being used where the underlying music is rests.

[lemzwerg]

It does, yes, but IMHO it would be helpful to explicitly mention what you have written above about the 'stemless slash mode', namely that "It doesn't matter what the underlying music is."

[mscuthbert]

I think that in the decades of the specification, we have never heard from jazz users that the specification is unclear. I know that it could be difficult for people who don't play from slash notation, but the same is true for all music notation for people who don't regularly read it.

[lemzwerg]

Well, now you hear that the specification is unclear 🙂

My point of view is that it doesn't hurt if the specification is not as terse as possible but a bit verbose. Obviously, you think differently, but please bear in mind that only a small number of people who are going to implement the MusicXML specification is well-versed in all music styles. What is obvious for me isn't obvious for you and vice versa.

[lemzwerg]

A last issue (at least for now). I wrote:

I wonder what's happening if the note lengths are not integer multiples of the 'beat',

This is still an open question, that is, what happens if a stemless slash section starts or ends off-beat? I know that this belongs into the category 'don't do that', but users probably have the weirdest ideas how to (ab)use a standard, and I like to see border cases handled (even if simply tagged as 'this is undefined behaviour').