1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
8 @chapter New features in 1.9 since 1.8
13 Quarter tones are now supported. They are entered by suffixing
14 @code{ih} for a half-sharp and @code{eh} for a half-flat. Hence, the
15 following is an ascending list of pitches:
18 ceses ceseh ces ceh c cih cis cisih cisis
22 The following constructs have been removed from the syntax:
25 \duration #SCHEME-DURATION
27 \outputproperty @var{func} @var{symbol} = @var{value}
30 For @code{\outputproperty}, the following may be substituted:
33 \applyoutput #(outputproperty-compatibility @var{func}
34 @var{symbol} @var{value})
38 Clefs may now be transposed arbitrarily, for example
48 The syntax for chords and simultaneous music have changed.
55 while simultaneous music is entered as
58 <<@var{..music list..}>>
61 In effect, the meanings of both have been swapped relative to their 1.8
62 definition. The syntax for lists in @code{\markup} has changed
63 alongside, but figured bass mode was not changed, i.e.:
66 \markup @{ \center <@var{..list of markups..}> @}
67 \figure @{ <@var{figures> @}
70 As chords the more often used than simultaneous music, this change will
74 Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
75 versions from the same music expression. In the following example,
76 we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
77 one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
81 @{ c4 f2 g @} % in the part, we have cue-notes
83 \tag #'score R1 % in the score: only a rest
87 The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
91 -\tag #@var{your-tags}
94 to an articulation, for example,
97 c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
100 This defines a note, which has a conditional fingering and a
101 string-number indication.
104 The settings for chord-fingering are more flexible. You can specify a
105 list where fingerings may be placed, eg.
108 \property Voice.fingeringOrientations = #'(left down)
111 This will put the fingering for the lowest note below the chord, and the
115 The script previously known as @file{ly2dvi} has been renamed to
116 @file{lilypond}. The binary itself is now installed as
120 Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too.
123 Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
124 and @code{\appoggiatura},
131 Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
132 and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
136 Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
137 and may now be set separately from musical content.
140 The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
141 name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
142 necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
143 score may be created by
147 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
148 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
155 Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
162 This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
163 octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
167 All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,
174 is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.
177 The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified. Octaves are
178 now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
183 \repeat "unfold" 3 BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
188 the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
189 BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
192 The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
193 chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
197 #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
205 @chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6
210 The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
211 cleaner and more flexible.
214 A new syntax has been added for text entry. This syntax is more
215 friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
216 robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
217 "Text markup" in the notation manual.
220 The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
221 you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
222 expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.
225 The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
226 and converted to Scheme data structures. The representation may be
230 A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
231 A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as
237 In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
238 available, and the dashes will become optional.
240 This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
241 postfix, in any order.
244 A new syntax has been added for chords:
251 It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
252 using LilyPond version 2.0. In version 2.0, this syntax will be
262 \simultaneous @{ .. @}
265 for simultaneous music.
267 To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
268 included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py
270 This change was introduced for the following reasons
274 It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
275 state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
278 With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
279 articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
280 and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
281 fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
285 User code may now be executed during interpreting. The syntax for
289 \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
293 User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
294 The syntax for this feature is
297 \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
301 SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
302 that is created in the current context.
305 New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
306 can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.
309 Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.
312 R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
316 Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
317 notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
318 hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983. Ligatures are still printed
319 without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.
322 Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.
325 LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is
328 \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
332 For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
336 #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
341 Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:
350 @item Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature. The syntax
358 @item Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.
362 @item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.
366 @item The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.
370 @item Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.
374 @item The emacs support has been extended.
378 The manual has been completely revised and extended.
382 @chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4
388 Support for figured bass and tablature.
391 Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
396 Completely revised and improved music font.
400 Completely rewritten MIDI import support.
403 Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
404 means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.
408 Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
409 cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
410 chord are handled much better.
413 Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
414 details like optical stem spacing.
417 More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
418 (pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.
421 More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
425 Easier music polyphonic music entry.
428 More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes
431 The manual has been thoroughly revised.
434 Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
435 can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.
438 Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
439 which comes with a user-friendly installer.