1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
8 @chapter New features in 2.1 since 2.0
11 @item Collision resolution for dots in chords has been improved greatly.
14 Spacing following barlines was improved for widely stretched lines.
17 Lyric hyphens now conform to standard typesetting practice.
20 Lyrics are now aligned under note heads conforming to engraving
21 standards. The responsible code has been rewritten, and is drastically
22 simpler from the previous version. To aid this rewrite, the syntactic
23 function of the extender line ( __ ) has been changed: it is now
24 attached to the lyric syllable.
27 When redefining a context, the associated identifier is also
28 updated. For example, after reading following the snippet,
35 the definition of @code{ScoreContext} is updated to include the changed
40 The weight of the stafflines is now heavier at smaller staff sizes.
41 The font has been modified to match this look: at smaller sizes, the
42 font is heavier and the note heads are more rounded.
44 @item Processing scores is now done while parsing the file. New
45 Scheme functions give more flexibility: for example, it is now possible
46 interpret a score, collecting synchronized musical events in a list, and
47 manipulate that information using inline Scheme. For an example, see
48 @file{input/no-notation/recording.ly}.
50 @item Font sizes can now truly be scaled continuously: the @code{font-size}
51 is similar to the old @code{font-relative-size}, but may be set to
52 fractional values; the closest design size will be scaled to achieve
53 the desired size. As a side-effect, there are now no longer
54 limitations in using smaller fonts (eg. grace notes) at small staff
57 @item The appearance of stem tips is now also engraved with rounded corners.
60 The placement of accidentals on chords and ledgered notes is improved.
65 @chapter New features in 2.0 since 1.8
70 Crescendos can now be drawn dotted or dashed.
73 Quarter tones are now supported. They are entered by suffixing
74 @code{ih} for a half-sharp and @code{eh} for a half-flat. Hence, the
75 following is an ascending list of pitches:
78 ceses ceseh ces ceh c cih cis cisih cisis
82 The following constructs have been removed from the syntax:
85 \duration #SCHEME-DURATION
87 \outputproperty @var{func} @var{symbol} = @var{value}
90 For @code{\outputproperty}, the following may be substituted:
93 \applyoutput #(outputproperty-compatibility @var{func}
94 @var{symbol} @var{value})
98 Clefs may now be transposed arbitrarily, for example
108 The syntax for chords and simultaneous music have changed.
109 Chords are entered as
115 while simultaneous music is entered as
118 <<@var{..music list..}>>
121 In effect, the meanings of both have been swapped relative to their 1.8
122 definition. The syntax for lists in @code{\markup} has changed
123 alongside, but figured bass mode was not changed, i.e.:
126 \markup @{ \center <@var{..list of markups..}> @}
127 \figure @{ <@var{figures}> @}
130 As chords the more often used than simultaneous music, this change will
134 Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
135 versions from the same music expression. In the following example,
136 we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
137 one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
141 @{ c4 f2 g4 @} % in the part, we have cue-notes
143 \tag #'score R1 % in the score: only a rest
147 The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
151 -\tag #@var{your-tags}
154 to an articulation, for example,
157 c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
160 This defines a note, which has a conditional fingering and a
161 string-number indication.
164 The settings for chord-fingering are more flexible. You can specify a
165 list where fingerings may be placed, eg.
168 \property Voice.fingeringOrientations = #'(left down)
171 This will put the fingering for the lowest note below the chord, and the
175 The script previously known as @code{ly2dvi} has been renamed to
176 @code{lilypond}. The binary itself is now installed as
180 Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too.
183 Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
184 and @code{\appoggiatura},
191 Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
192 and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
196 Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
197 and may now be set separately from musical content.
200 The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
201 name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
202 necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
203 score may be created by
207 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
208 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
215 Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
222 This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
223 octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
227 All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,
234 is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.
237 The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified. Octaves are
238 now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
243 \repeat "unfold" 3 BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
248 the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
249 BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
252 The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
253 chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
257 #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
261 Windows users can double click a @code{.ly} file to process and view
262 it automagically through the new @code{lily-wins} frontend.
269 @chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6
274 The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
275 cleaner and more flexible.
278 A new syntax has been added for text entry. This syntax is more
279 friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
280 robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
281 "Text markup" in the notation manual.
284 The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
285 you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
286 expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.
289 The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
290 and converted to Scheme data structures. The representation may be
294 A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
295 A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as
301 In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
302 available, and the dashes will become optional.
304 This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
305 postfix, in any order.
308 A new syntax has been added for chords:
315 It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
316 using LilyPond version 2.0. In version 2.0, this syntax will be
326 \simultaneous @{ .. @}
329 for simultaneous music.
331 To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
332 included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py
334 This change was introduced for the following reasons
338 It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
339 state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
342 With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
343 articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
344 and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
345 fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
349 User code may now be executed during interpreting. The syntax for
353 \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
357 User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
358 The syntax for this feature is
361 \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
365 SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
366 that is created in the current context.
369 New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
370 can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.
373 Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.
376 R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
380 Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
381 notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
382 hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983. Ligatures are still printed
383 without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.
386 Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.
389 LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is
392 \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
396 For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
400 #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
405 Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:
414 @item Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature. The syntax
422 @item Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.
426 @item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.
430 @item The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.
434 @item Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.
438 @item The emacs support has been extended.
442 The manual has been completely revised and extended.
446 @chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4
452 Support for figured bass and tablature.
455 Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
460 Completely revised and improved music font.
464 Completely rewritten MIDI import support.
467 Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
468 means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.
472 Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
473 cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
474 chord are handled much better.
477 Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
478 details like optical stem spacing.
481 More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
482 (pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.
485 More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
489 Easier music polyphonic music entry.
492 More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes
495 The manual has been thoroughly revised.
498 Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
499 can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.
502 Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
503 which comes with a user-friendly installer.