1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
8 @chapter New features in 1.9 since 1.8
12 Quarter tones are now supported. They are entered by suffixing
13 @code{ih} for a half-sharp and @code{eh} for a half-flat. Hence, the
14 following is an ascending list of pitches:
17 ceses ceseh ces ceh c cih cis cisih cisis
22 Clefs may now be transposed arbitrarily, for example
32 The syntax for chords and simultaneous music have changed.
39 while simultaneous music is entered as
42 <<@var{..music list..}>>
45 In effect, the meanings of both have been swapped relative to their 1.8
46 definition. The syntax for lists in @code{\markup} has changed
47 alongside, but figured bass mode was not changed, i.e.:
50 \markup @{ \center <@var{..list of markups..}> @}
51 \figure @{ <@var{figures> @}
54 As chords the more often used than simultaneous music, this change will
58 Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
59 versions from the same music expression. In the following example,
60 we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
61 one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
65 @{ c4 f2 g @} % in the part, we have cue-notes
67 \tag #'score R1 % in the score: only a rest
71 The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
75 -\tag #@var{your-tags}
78 to an articulation, for example,
81 c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
84 This defines a note, which has a conditional fingering and a
85 string-number indication.
88 The settings for chord-fingering are more flexible. You can specify a
89 list where fingerings may be placed, eg.
92 \property Voice.fingeringOrientations = #'(left down)
95 This will put the fingering for the lowest note below the chord, and the
99 The script previously known as @file{ly2dvi} has been renamed to
100 @file{lilypond}. The binary itself is now installed as
104 Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too.
107 Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
108 and @code{\appoggiatura},
115 Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
116 and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
120 Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
121 and may now be set separately from musical content.
124 The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
125 name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
126 necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
127 score may be created by
131 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
132 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
139 Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
146 This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
147 octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
151 All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,
158 is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.
161 The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified. Octaves are
162 now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
167 \repeat "unfold" 3 BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
172 the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
173 BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
176 The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
177 chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
181 #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
189 @chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6
194 The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
195 cleaner and more flexible.
198 A new syntax has been added for text entry. This syntax is more
199 friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
200 robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
201 "Text markup" in the notation manual.
204 The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
205 you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
206 expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.
209 The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
210 and converted to Scheme data structures. The representation may be
214 A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
215 A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as
221 In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
222 available, and the dashes will become optional.
224 This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
225 postfix, in any order.
228 A new syntax has been added for chords:
235 It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
236 using LilyPond version 2.0. In version 2.0, this syntax will be
246 \simultaneous @{ .. @}
249 for simultaneous music.
251 To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
252 included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py
254 This change was introduced for the following reasons
258 It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
259 state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
262 With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
263 articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
264 and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
265 fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
269 User code may now be executed during interpreting. The syntax for
273 \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
277 User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
278 The syntax for this feature is
281 \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
285 SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
286 that is created in the current context.
289 New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
290 can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.
293 Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.
296 R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
300 Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
301 notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
302 hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983. Ligatures are still printed
303 without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.
306 Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.
309 LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is
312 \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
316 For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
320 #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
325 Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:
334 @item Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature. The syntax
342 @item Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.
346 @item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.
350 @item The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.
354 @item Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.
358 @item The emacs support has been extended.
362 The manual has been completely revised and extended.
366 @chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4
372 Support for figured bass and tablature.
375 Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
380 Completely revised and improved music font.
384 Completely rewritten MIDI import support.
387 Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
388 means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.
392 Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
393 cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
394 chord are handled much better.
397 Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
398 details like optical stem spacing.
401 More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
402 (pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.
405 More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
409 Easier music polyphonic music entry.
412 More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes
415 The manual has been thoroughly revised.
418 Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
419 can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.
422 Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
423 which comes with a user-friendly installer.