2 @c - Reinsert subsection commands that were lost in the
3 @c ancient conversion from YODL! /MB
4 @c - Restructure! Separate internal commands from user level commands. /MB
5 @c - Add some words about Guile. /MB
6 @c - Fix indexing (keyindex) so it doesn't add line breaks /MB
8 @node Reference Manual, , , Top
11 * Top level:: Top level
12 * notenames:: notenames
13 * Lexical conventions:: Lexical conventions
14 * Other languages:: notelang
17 * Music expressions:: Music expressions
18 * Atomic music expressions:: Atomic music expressions
19 * Note specification:: notedesc
21 * Manual beams:: Manual beam
22 * stem tremolo:: tremolo
23 * Compound music expressions:: Compound music expressions
26 * transpose:: transpose
27 * Ambiguities:: Ambiguities
28 * Notation conversion specifics:: Notation conversion specifics
30 * lyricprint:: lyricprint
31 * Notation Contexts:: Notation Contexts
32 * Properties:: Changing formatting
33 * Notation output definitions:: Notation output definitions
35 * Paper variables:: papervars
36 * contextdefs:: contextdefs
37 * engravers:: engravers
38 * Sound output:: Sound output
40 * Pre-defined Identifiers:: Pre-defined Identifiers
43 @chapter Reference Manual
47 @node Overview, , , Reference Manual
50 This document@footnote{This document has been revised for
51 LilyPond 1.2.} describes the the GNU LilyPond input format, which is
52 a language for defining music. We call this language @emph{Music
53 Definition Language} or @emph{Mudela}, for short.@footnote{If anybody
54 comes up with a better name, we'd gladly take this. Gourlay already
55 uses a ``Musical Description Language,'' ISO standard 10743 defines a
56 ``Standard Music Description Language.'' We're not being original
59 @emph{Mudela} is a language that allows you to
62 @item create musical expressions by combining pitches, durations
63 @item output those musical expressions to various formats
64 @item give those musical expressions and output definitions names, so
65 you can enter them in manageable chunks.
68 @emph{Mudela} aims to define a piece of music completely, both from
69 typesetting and from a performance point of view.
73 @node Top level, , , Reference Manual
78 This section describes what you may enter at top level.
82 @cindex score definition
84 The output is generated combining a music expression with an output
85 definition. A score block has the following syntax:
88 \score @{ @var{musicexpr} @var{outputdefs} @}
91 @var{outputdefs} are zero or more output definitions. If no output
92 definition is supplied, the default @code{\paper} block will be added.
103 \header @{ @var{key1} = @var{val1};
104 @var{key2} = @var{val2}; @dots{} @}
107 A header describes the file's contents. It can also appear in a
108 @code{\score} block. Tools like @code{ly2dvi}@indexcode{ly2dvi} can use this
109 information for generating titles. Key values that are used by
110 @code{ly2dvi} are: title, subtitle, composer, opus, poet, instrument,
111 metre, arranger, piece and tagline.
113 It is customary to put the @code{\header} at the top of the file.
116 @node notenames, , , Reference Manual
118 Note name tables can be specified using
121 \notenames@keyindex{notenames}
122 @{ @var{assignmentlist} @}
125 @var{assignmentlist} is a list of definitions of the form
128 @var{name} = @var{pitch}
131 Chord modifiers can be set analogously, with
132 @code{\chordmodifiers}@keyindex{chordmodifiers}.
134 A @code{\paper} block at top level sets the default paper block. A
135 @code{\midi} block at top level works similarly.
139 LilyPond contains a Scheme interpreter (the GUILE library) for
140 internal use. The following commands access the interpreter
147 Evaluates the specified Scheme code. The result is discarded.
149 Identifier assignments may appear at top level. Semicolons are
150 forbidden after top level assignments.
154 @node Lexical conventions, , , Reference Manual
155 @section Lexical conventions
157 @cindex lexical conventions
166 A one line comment is introduced by a `@code{%}' character.
167 Block comments are started by `@code{%@{}' and ended by `@code{%@}}'.
168 They cannot be nested.
174 Keywords start with a backslash, followed by a number of lower case
175 alphabetic characters. These are all the keywords.
238 Formed from an optional minus sign followed by digits. Arithmetic
239 operations cannot be done with integers, and integers cannot be mixed
247 Formed from an optional minus sign and a sequence of digits followed
248 by a @emph{required} decimal point and an optional exponent such as
249 @code{-1.2e3}. Reals can be built up using the usual operations:
250 `@code{+}@indexcode{+}', `@code{-}@indexcode{-}', `@code{*}@indexcode{*}', and
251 `@code{/}@indexcode{/}', with parentheses for grouping.
253 A real constant can be followed by one of the dimension
256 @code{\mm}@keyindex{mm},
257 @code{\pt}@keyindex{pt}, @code{\in}@keyindex{in}, or
258 @code{\cm}@keyindex{cm}, for millimeters, points, inches and
259 centimeters, respectively. This converts the number to a real that
260 is the internal representation of dimensions.
267 Begins and ends with the `@code{"}' character. To include a `@code{"}'
268 character in a string write `@code{\"}'. Various other backslash
269 sequences have special interpretations as in the C language. A
270 string that contains no spaces can be written without the quotes.
271 See section XREF-modes [FIXME] for details on unquoted strings; their
272 interpretation varies depending on the situation. Strings can be
273 concatenated with the `@code{+}' operator.
276 The tokenizer accepts the following commands. They can appear
280 \maininput@keyindex{maininput}
283 This command is used in init files to signal that the user file must
284 be read. This command cannot be used in a user file.
287 \include@keyindex{include} @var{file}
290 Include @var{file}. The argument @var{file} may be a quoted string (an
291 unquoted string will not work here!) or a string identifier. The full
292 filename including the @file{.ly} extension must be given,
295 \version@keyindex{version} @var{string} ;
298 Specify the version of LilyPond that a file was written for. The
299 argument is a version string in quotes, for example @code{"1.2.0"}.
300 This is used to detect invalid input, and to aid
301 @code{convert-mudela}, a tool that automatically upgrades input files.
305 @cindex other languages
307 @node Other languages, , , Reference Manual
309 Note name definitions have been provided in various languages.
310 Simply include the language specific init file. For example:
311 `@code{\include "english.ly"}'. The available language files and the
312 names they define are:
315 Note Names sharp flat
316 nederlands.ly c d e f g a bes b -is -es
317 english.ly c d e f g a bf b -s/-sharp -f/-flat
318 deutsch.ly c d e f g a b h -is -es
319 norsk.ly c d e f g a b h -iss/-is -ess/-es
320 svenska.ly c d e f g a b h -iss -ess
321 italiano.ly do re mi fa sol la sib si -d -b
322 catalan.ly do re mi fa sol la sib si -d/-s -b
325 Pitch names can be redefined using the
326 @code{\notenames}@keyindex{notenames} command, see
327 subsection XREF-notenames [FIXME].
331 @cindex lexical modes
335 @node modes, , , Reference Manual
337 To simplify entering notes, lyrics, and chords, @emph{Mudela} has three
338 special input modes on top of the default mode. In each mode, words
339 are identified on the input. If @code{"word"} is encountered, it is
340 treated as a string. If @code{\word} is encountered, it is treated as
341 a keyword or as an identifier. The behavior of the modes differs in
342 two ways: Different modes treat unquoted words differently, and
343 different modes have different rules for deciding what is a word.
349 At the start of parsing, @emph{Mudela} is in Normal mode. In Normal
350 mode, a word is an alphabetic character followed by alphanumeric
351 characters. If @code{word} is encountered on the input it is
357 Note mode is introduced by the keyword
358 @code{\notes}@keyindex{notes}. In Note mode, words can only
359 contain alphabetic characters. If @code{word} is encountered,
360 LilyPond first checks for a notename of @code{word}. If no
361 notename is found, then @code{word} is treated as a string.
363 Since combinations of numbers and dots are used for indicating
364 durations, it is not possible to enter real numbers in this mode.
369 Chord mode is introduced by the keyword
370 @code{\chords}@keyindex{chords}. It is similar to Note mode, but
371 words are also looked up in a chord modifier table (containing
372 @code{maj}, @code{dim}, etc).
374 Since combinations of numbers and dots are used for indicating
375 durations, you can not enter real numbers in this mode. Dashes
376 and carets are used to indicate chord additions and subtractions,
377 so scripts can not be entered in Chord mode.
382 Lyrics mode is introduced by the keyword
383 @code{\lyrics}@keyindex{lyrics}. This mode has rules that make it
384 easy to include punctuation and diacritical marks in words. A
385 word in Lyrics mode begins with: an alphabetic character,
386 `@code{_}', `@code{?}', `@code{!}', `@code{:}', `@code{'}', the
387 control characters @code{^A} through @code{^F}, @code{^Q} through
388 @code{^W}, @code{^Y}, @code{^^}, any 8-bit character with ASCII code
389 over 127, or a two-character combination of a backslash followed
390 by one of `@code{`}', `@code{'}', `@code{"}', or
391 `@code{^}'.@footnote{The purpose of Lyrics mode is that you can
392 enter lyrics in @TeX{} format or a standard encoding without
393 needing quotes. The precise definition of this mode indeed is
394 ludicrous. This will remain so until the authors of LilyPond
395 acquire a deeper understanding of character encoding, or someone
396 else steps up to fix this.}
398 Subsequent characters of a word can be any character that is not
399 a digit and not white space. One important consequence of this
400 is that a word can end with `@code{@}}', which may be confusing if
401 you thought the closing brace was going to terminate Lyrics
402 mode.@footnote{LilyPond will issue a warning, though.} Any
403 `@code{_}' character which appears in an unquoted word is
404 converted to a space. This provides a mechanism for introducing
405 spaces into words without using quotes. Quoted words can also be
406 used in Lyrics mode to specify words that cannot be written with
407 the above rules. Here are some examples. Not all of these words
408 are printable by @TeX{}.
412 2B_||_!2B % not a word because it starts with a digit
413 ``Hello'' % not a word because it starts with `
414 _ _ _ _ % 4 words, each one a space
417 Since combinations of numbers and dots are used for indicating
418 durations, you can not enter real numbers in this mode.
421 It is possible to create words that break the rules by prefixing them
422 with the dollar sign `@code{$}@indexcode{$}'. Regardless of the context, a
423 word beginning with `@code{$}' extends until the next white space
424 character. Such words can contain numbers (even in Note mode), or
425 other forbidden characters. The dollar sign can be used to create
426 and access identifiers that could not otherwise be used.@footnote{Use
427 of `@code{$}' hampers readability and portability to future LilyPond
428 versions, thus the use of the dollar sign is discouraged.}
432 @node Types, , , Reference Manual
435 @cindex types and identifiers
437 @emph{Mudela} has a limited set of types:
443 @item music expressions
444 @item durations of notes and rests (specified with
445 @code{\notenames}@keyindex{notenames})
446 @item note name tables
447 @item context definitions, part of output definitions. See
448 section XREF-contextdefs [FIXME] for more information
449 @item output definitions (like @code{\paper}@keyindex{paper} blocks
450 and @code{\midi}@keyindex{midi} blocks)
451 @item score definitions (@code{\score}@keyindex{score} blocks)
454 Type is a syntactical property: @emph{Mudela} has no real type system,
455 so there is no support for generic expressions, functions, or user
456 defined types. For the same reason, it is not possible to mix reals
457 and integers in arithmetic expressions, and ``type
460 (e.g., using a string identifier to
461 initialize a @code{\paper}@keyindex{paper} block) will yield a ``parse
464 Identifiers allow objects to be assigned to names. To assign an
465 identifier, you use `@var{name}=@var{value}' and to refer to an
466 identifier, you preceed its name with a backslash:
467 `@code{\}@var{name}'. Identifier assignments must appear at top level
468 in the @emph{Mudela} file. Semicolons are forbidden after assignments
469 appearing at top level but they are obligatory after assignments
470 appearing in the @code{\paper} block, see Section XREF-paper [FIXME].
472 @var{value} is any of the types listed above.
474 An identifier can be created with any string for its name, but you
475 will only be able to refer to identifiers whose names begin with a
476 letter, being entirely alphanumeric. It is impossible to refer to an
477 identifier whose name is the same as the name of a keyword.
479 The right hand side of an identifier assignment is parsed completely
480 before the assignment is done, so it is allowed to redefine an
481 identifier in terms of its old value, e.g.
487 When an identifier is referenced, the information it points to is
488 copied. Therefore it only makes sense to put identifiers for
489 translators, output definitions, and @code{\score}@keyindex{score}
490 blocks as the first item in a block. For this reason, if you
491 reference a @code{\foo} variable in a @code{\foo} block, it must be the
492 first item in the list following @code{\foo}.@footnote{@code{\paper@{\one
493 \two@}} does not make sense, because the information of @code{\two}
494 would overwrite the information of @code{\one}, thereby making the
495 reference to the first identifier useless.}
499 @node Music expressions, , , Reference Manual
500 @section Music expressions
502 @cindex music expressions
504 Music in @emph{Mudela} is entered as a music expression. Notes, rests,
505 lyric syllables are music expressions (the atomic
507 @cindex atomic music expressions
508 , and you can combine
509 music expressions to form new ones. This example forms a compound
510 expressions out of the quarter @code{c} note and a @code{d}
514 \sequential @{ c4 d4 @}
517 The meaning of this compound expression is to play the `@code{c}'
518 first, and then the `@code{d}' (as opposed to playing them
519 simultaneously, for instance).
521 Atomic music expression are discussed in
522 subsection XREF-atomicmusic [FIXME]. Compound music expressions are
523 discussed in subsection XREF-compoundmusic [FIXME].
527 @node Atomic music expressions, , , Reference Manual
528 @section Atomic music expressions
538 The syntax for pitch specification is
542 \musicalpitch@keyindex{musicalpitch} @{ @var{octave} @var{note} @var{shift} @}
545 @var{octave} is specified by an integer, zero for the octave
546 containing middle C. @var{note} is a number from 0 to 7, with 0
547 corresponding to C and 7 corresponding to B. The shift is zero for a
548 natural, negative to add flats, or positive to add sharps.
550 In Note and Chord mode, pitches may be designated by names. See
551 section XREF-notelang [FIXME] for pitch names in different languages.
553 The syntax for duration specification is
556 \duration@keyindex{duration}
557 @{ @var{length} @var{dotcount} @}
560 @var{length} is the negative logarithm (base 2) of the duration:
561 1 is a half note, 2 is a quarter note, 3 is an eighth
562 note, etc. The number of dots after the note is given by
565 In Note, Chord, and Lyrics mode, durations may be designated by
566 numbers and dots. See Section XREF-notelang [FIXME] for details.
569 @node Note specification, , , Reference Manual
571 @cindex note specification
575 @cindex entering notes
577 A note specification has the form
580 @var{pitch}[@var{octavespec}][!][?][@var{duration}]
583 The pitch of the note is specified by the note's name.
586 The default names are the Dutch note names. The notes are specified
587 by the letters `@code{c}' through `@code{b}', where `@code{c}' is an
588 octave below middle C and the letters span the octave above that C.
589 In Dutchcindex(notenames!Dutch), a sharp is formed by adding
590 `@code{-is}' to the end of a pitch name. A flat is formed by adding
591 `@code{-es}'. Double sharps and double flats are obtained by adding
592 `@code{-isis}' or `@code{-eses}'. `@code{aes}' and `@code{ees}' are
593 contracted to `@code{as}' and `@code{es}' in Dutch, but both forms will
596 LilyPond has predefined sets of notenames for various languages. See
597 section XREF-notelang [FIXME] for details.
600 The optional octave specification takes the form of a series of
601 single quote (`@code{'}@indexcode{'}') characters or a series of comma
602 (`@code{,}@indexcode{,}') characters. Each @code{'} raises the pitch by one
603 octave; each @code{,} lowers the pitch by an octave.
605 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
606 c' d' e' f' g' a' b' c''
609 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
610 cis' dis' eis' fis' gis' ais' bis'
613 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
614 ces' des' es' fes' ges' as' bes'
617 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
618 cisis' eisis' gisis' aisis' beses'
621 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
622 ceses' eses' geses' ases' beses'
625 Whenever a C-sharp is desired, you must specify a C-sharp. LilyPond
626 will determine what accidentals to typeset depending on the key and
627 context. A reminder accidental
628 @cindex reminder accidental
630 forced by adding an exclamation mark `@code{!}' after the pitch. A
631 cautionary accidental,
632 @cindex cautionary accidental
634 accidental within parentheses can be obtained by adding the question
635 mark `@code{?}@indexcode{?}' after the pitch.
637 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
638 cis' d' e' cis' c'? d' e' c'!
644 Durations are entered as their reciprocal values. For notes longer
645 than a whole note, use identifiers.
651 c'1 c'2 c'4 c'8 c'16 c'32 c'64 c'64
660 \notes \relative c'' {
662 a1 a2 a4 a8 a16 a32 a64 a64
667 \remove "Clef_engraver";
668 \remove "Staff_symbol_engraver";
679 r1 r2 r4 r8 r16 r32 r64 r64
688 \notes \relative c'' {
690 r1 r2 r4 r8 r16 r32 r64 r64
693 loose_column_distance = 2.5 * \staffspace;
697 \remove "Clef_engraver";
698 \remove "Staff_symbol_engraver";
699 \remove "Bar_engraver";
706 If the duration is omitted then it is set equal to the previous
707 duration. If there is no previous duration, a quarter note is
708 assumed. The duration can be followed by a dot (`@code{.}@indexcode{.}')
709 to obtain dotted note lengths.
711 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
715 You can alter the length of duration by writing
716 `@code{*}@var{fraction}' after it. This will not affect the
717 appearance of note heads or rests.
720 Rests are entered like notes, with note name `@code{r}@indexcode{r}',
721 or `@code{R}@indexcode{R}'. There is also a note name
722 `@code{s}@indexcode{s}', which produces a space of the specified
723 duration. `@code{R}' is specifically meant for entering parts: the
724 @code{R} rest can expand to fill a score with rests, or it can be
725 printed as a single multimeasure rest.
727 You can control the expansion by setting the property
728 @code{Score.skipBars}. If this is set to true, Lily will not expand
729 empty measures, and the multimeasure rests automatically adds the
733 @cindex lyrics expressions
735 Syllables are entered like notes, with pitches replaced by text. For
736 example, `@code{Twin-4 kle4 twin-4 kle4}' enters four syllables, each
737 with quarter note duration. Note that the hyphen has no special
738 meaning for lyrics, and does not introduce special symbols. See
739 section XREF-modes [FIXME] for a description of what is interpreted as
742 Spaces can be introduced into a lyric either by using quotes
743 (`@code{"}') or by using an underscore without quotes: `@code{He_could4
744 not4}'. All unquoted underscores are converted to spaces. Printing
745 lyrics is discussed in section XREF-lyricprint [FIXME].
752 \property@keyindex{property}
753 @var{contextname}.@var{propname} = @var{value}
756 Sets the @var{propname} property of the context @var{contextname} to
757 the specified @var{value}. All three arguments are strings.
758 Depending on the context, it may be necessary to quote the strings or
759 to leave space on both sides of the dot.
763 @cindex translator switches
766 \translator@keyindex{translator}
767 @var{contexttype} = @var{name}
770 A music expression indicating that the context which is a direct
771 child of the a context of type @var{contexttype} should be shifted to
772 a context of type @var{contexttype} and the specified name.
774 Usually this is used to switch staffs in Piano music, e.g.
777 \translator Staff = top @var{Music}
781 @cindex output properties
784 These allow you to tweak what is happening in the back-end
785 directly. If you want to control every detail of the output
786 formatting, this is the feature to use. The downside to this is that
787 you need to know exactly how the backend works. Example:
790 @mudela[fragment,verbatim]
792 \context Staff \outputproperty
793 #(make-type-checker 'Note_head)
794 #'extra-offset = #'(5.0 . 7.5)
798 This selects all note heads occurring at current staff level, and sets
799 the extra-offset of those heads to (5,7.5), shifting them up and
802 Use of this feature is entirely on your own risk: if you use this, the
803 result will depend very heavily on the implentation of the backend,
804 which we change unscrupulously.
811 Commands are music expressions that have no duration.
816 @code{\key}@keyindex{key} @var{pitch} @var{type} @code{;}
819 Change the key signature. @var{type} should be
820 @code{\major}@keyindex{major} or @code{\minor}@keyindex{minor} to get
821 @var{pitch}-major or @var{pitch}-minor, respectively. The second
822 argument is optional; the default is major keys. The @var{\context}
823 argument can also be given as an integer, which tells the number of
824 semitones that should be added to the pitch given in the subsequent
825 @code{\key}@keyindex{key} commands to get the corresponding major key,
826 e.g., @code{\minor}@keyindex{minor} is defined as 3. The standard
827 mode names @code{\ionian}@keyindex{ionian},
828 @code{\locrian}@keyindex{locrian}, @code{\aeolian}@keyindex{aeolian},
829 @code{\mixolydian}@keyindex{mixolydian}, @code{\lydian}@keyindex{lydian},
830 @code{\phrygian}@keyindex{phrygian}, and @code{\dorian}@keyindex{dorian}
835 @code{\keysignature}@keyindex{keysignature} @var{pitchseq} @code{;}
838 Specify an arbitrary key signature. The pitches from @var{pitch} will
839 be printed in the key signature in the order that they appear on the
844 \mark@keyindex{mark} @var{unsigned};
848 Prints a mark over or under (depending on the
849 @code{markDirection}@indexcode{markDirection} property) the staff. You must add
850 @code{Mark_engraver}@indexcode{Mark_engraver} to either the Score or Staff context for
853 @node barlines, , , Reference Manual
856 \bar@keyindex{bar} @var{bartype};
859 This is a request to print a special bar symbol. It replaces the
860 regular bar symbol with a special
861 symbol. The argument @var{bartype} is a string which specifies the
862 kind of bar to print. Options are @code{":|"}
863 @cindex "|A@@@code{:|}
866 @cindex "|B@@@code{|:}
868 @cindex "|C@@@code{:|:}
871 @cindex "|D@@@code{||}
873 @cindex "|E@@@code{|.}
876 @cindex "|F@@@code{.|}
878 @cindex "|G@@@code{.|.}
880 These produce, respectively, a right repeat, a left repeat, a double
881 repeat, a double bar, a start bar, an end bar, and a thick double
882 bar. If @var{bartype} is set to @code{"empty"} then nothing is
883 printed, but a line break is allowed at that spot.
885 You are encouraged to use @code{\repeat} for repetitions.
886 See section XREF-sec-repeats [FIXME].
893 \time@keyindex{time} @var{numerator}@code{/}@var{denominator} @code{;}
896 Change the time signature. The default time signature is 4/4.
897 The time signature is used to generate bar lines.
901 \tempo@keyindex{tempo} @var{duration} = @var{perminute} @code{;}
904 Used to specify the tempo. For example, `@code{\tempo 4 = 76;}'
905 requests output with 76 quarter notes per minute.
909 \partial@keyindex{partial} @var{duration} @code{;}
916 This creates an incomplete measure (anacrusis, upbeat) at the start of
917 the music, e.g., `@code{\partial 8*2;}' creates a starting measure
918 lasting two eighth notes.
922 @code{|}@indexcode{|}
927 @cindex shorten measures
931 `@code{|}' is a bar check. Whenever a bar check is encountered during
932 interpretation, a warning message is issued if it doesn't fall at a
933 measure boundary. This can help you finding errors in the input.
934 The beginning of the measure will be relocated, so this can also
935 be used to shorten measures.
940 \penalty@keyindex{penalty} @var{int} @code{;}
943 Discourage or encourage line breaks. See identifiers
944 @code{\break}@keyindex{break} and @code{\nobreak}@keyindex{nobreak} in
945 section [on identifiers] [FIXME].
949 \clef@keyindex{clef} @var{clefname} @code{;}
952 Music expression that sets the current clef. The argument is a
953 string which specifies the name of the clef. Several clef names are
954 supported. If `@code{_8}' or `@code{^8}' is added to the end of a clef
955 name, then the clef lowered or raised an octave will be generated.
956 Here are the supported clef names with middle C shown in each
965 %\property Voice.textStyle = typewriter
966 \clef subbass; c'4-"\kern -5mm subbass"
967 \clef bass; c'4^"\kern -2mm bass"
968 \clef baritone; c'4_"\kern -5mm baritone"
969 \clef varbaritone; c'4^"\kern -6mm varbaritone"
970 \clef tenor; c'4_"\kern -3mm tenor"
971 \clef "G_8"; c'4^"\kern -2mm G\\_8"
986 \clef alto; c'4_"\kern -2mm alto"
987 \clef mezzosoprano; c'4^"\kern -9mm mezzosoprano"
988 \clef soprano; c'4_"\kern -6mm soprano"
989 \clef treble; c'4^"\kern -4mm treble"
990 \clef french; c'4_"\kern -4mm french"
999 The three clef symbols can also be obtained using the names `@code{G}',
1000 `@code{C}' or `@code{F}', optionally followed by an integer which
1001 indicates at which note line the clef is located. An as example, the
1002 @code{mezzosoprano} clef can also be given as `@code{C2}'.
1006 \skip@keyindex{skip} @var{duration} @code{;}
1009 Skips the amount of time specified by @var{duration}. If no other
1010 music is played, a gap will be left for the skipped time with no
1011 notes printed. It works in Note Mode or Lyrics Mode. In Note mode,
1012 this has the same effect as the space rest `@code{s}'.
1017 @node Manual beams, , , Reference Manual
1019 A beam is specified by surrounding the beamed notes with brackets
1020 `@code{[}@indexcode{[}' and `@code{]}@indexcode{]}'.
1022 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1023 [a'8 a'] [a'16 a' a' a']
1026 Some more elaborate constructions:
1028 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1029 [a'16 <a' c''> c'' <a' c''>]
1030 \times 2/3 { [e'8 f' g'] }
1033 Beaming can be generated automatically; see section XREF-autobeam [FIXME].
1037 To place tremolo marks between notes, use @code{\repeat} with tremolo
1039 @cindex tremolo beams
1040 To create tremolo beams on a single note, simply attach
1041 `@code{:}@var{length}' to the note itself (see also section
1042 XREF-tremolo [FIXME]).
1045 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1046 \repeat "tremolo" 8 { c16 d16 }
1047 \repeat "tremolo" 4 { c16 d16 }
1050 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1055 @cindex --@@@code{-}@code{-}
1063 The syntax for an extender mark is `@code{__}'. This syntax can only
1064 be used within lyrics mode. The syntax for a spanning hyphen (i.e.,
1065 a hyphen that will be printed between two lyric syllables) is
1071 A tie connects two adjacent note heads of the same pitch. When used
1072 with chords, it connects all of the note heads whose pitches match.
1073 Ties are indicated using the tilde symbol `@code{~}@indexcode{~}'.
1074 If you try to tie together chords which have no common pitches, a
1075 warning message will appear and no ties will be created.
1077 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1078 e' ~ e' <c' e' g'> ~ <c' e' g'>
1083 [TODO: explain Requests]
1086 @cindex articulations
1092 A variety of symbols can appear above and below notes to indicate
1093 different characteristics of the performance. These symbols can be
1094 added to a note with `@var{note}@code{-\}@var{name}'. Numerous symbols
1095 are defined in @file{script.ly} and @file{script.scm}. Symbols can be
1096 forced to appear above or below the note by writing
1097 `@var{note}@code{^\}@var{name}' and `@var{note}@code{_\}@var{name}'
1098 respectively. Here is a chart showing symbols above notes, with the
1099 name of the corresponding symbol appearing underneath.
1105 c''-\accent c''-\marcato c''-\staccatissimo c''-\fermata
1106 c''-\stopped c''-\staccato c''-\tenuto c''-\upbow
1107 c''-\downbow c''^\lheel c''-\rheel c''^\ltoe
1108 c''-\rtoe c''-\turn c''-\open c''-\flageolet
1109 c''-\reverseturn c''-\trill c''-\prall c''-\mordent
1110 c''-\prallprall c''-\prallmordent c''-\upprall c''-\downprall
1111 c''-\thumb c''-\segno c''-\coda
1113 \context Lyrics \lyrics {
1114 accent__ marcato__ staccatissimo__ fermata
1115 stopped__ staccato__ tenuto__ upbow
1116 downbow__ lheel__ rheel__ ltoe
1117 rtoe__ turn__ open__ flageolet
1118 reverseturn__ trill__ prall__ mordent
1119 prallprall__ prallmordent__ uprall__ downprall
1120 thumb__ segno__ coda
1124 linewidth = 5.875\in;
1131 In addition, it is possible to place arbitrary strings of text or
1132 @TeX{} above or below notes by using a string instead of an
1133 identifier: `@code{c^"text"}'. Fingerings
1136 placed by simply using digits. All of these note ornaments appear in
1137 the printed output but have no effect on the MIDI rendering of the
1140 To save typing, fingering instructions (digits 0 to 9 are
1141 supported) and single characters shorthands exist for a few
1148 \property Voice.textStyle = typewriter
1154 c''4-^_"c-\\^{ }" s4
1161 linewidth = 5.875 \in;
1168 Dynamic marks are specified by using an identifier after a note:
1169 `@code{c4-\ff}' (the dash is optional for dynamics: `@code{c4 \ff})'.
1170 The available dynamic marks are:
1171 @code{\ppp}@keyindex{ppp},
1172 @code{\pp}@keyindex{pp}, @code{\p}@keyindex{p}, @code{\mp}@keyindex{mp},
1173 @code{\mf}@keyindex{mf}, @code{\f}@keyindex{f}, @code{\ff}@keyindex{ff},
1174 @code{\fff}@keyindex{fff}, @code{\fff}@keyindex{ffff},
1175 @code{\fp}@keyindex{fp}, @code{\sf}@keyindex{sf},
1176 @code{\sff}@keyindex{sff}, @code{\sp}@keyindex{sp},
1177 @code{\spp}@keyindex{spp}, @code{\sfz}@keyindex{sfz}, and
1178 @code{\rfz}@keyindex{rfz}.
1183 \textscript@keyindex{textscript} @var{text} @var{style}
1186 Defines a text to be printed over or under a note. @var{style} is a
1187 string that may be one of @code{roman}, @code{italic}, @code{typewriter},
1188 @code{bold}, @code{Large}, @code{large}, @code{dynamic} or @code{finger}.
1190 You can attach a general textscript request using this syntax:
1195 c4-\textscript "6" "finger"
1196 c4-\textscript "foo" "normal"
1201 This is equivalent to `@code{c4-6 c4-"foo"}'.
1208 \script@keyindex{script} @var{alias}
1211 Prints a symbol above or below a note. The argument is a string
1212 which points into the script-alias table defined in @file{script.scm}.
1213 The scheme definitions specify whether the symbol follows notes into
1214 the staff, dependence of symbol placement on staff direction, and a
1215 priority for placing several symbols over one note. Usually the
1216 @code{\script}@keyindex{script} keyword is not used directly. Various
1217 helpful identifier definitions appear in @file{script.ly}.
1222 Slurs connects chords and try to avoid crossing stems. A slur is
1223 started with `@code{(}' and stopped with `@code{)}'. The
1224 starting `@code{(}' appears to the right of the first note in
1225 the slur. The terminal `@code{)}' appears to the left of the
1226 first note in the slur. This makes it possible to put a note in
1227 slurs from both sides:
1229 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1230 f'()g'()a' [a'8 b'(] a'4 g'2 )f'4
1236 A crescendo mark is started with @code{\cr}@keyindex{cr} and terminated
1237 with @code{\rc}@keyindex{rc}. A decrescendo mark is started with
1238 @code{\decr}@keyindex{decr} and terminated with
1239 @code{\rced}@keyindex{rced}. There are also shorthands for these
1240 marks. A crescendo can be started with @code{\<}@keyindex{<} and a
1241 decrescendo can be started with @code{\>}@keyindex{>}. Either one can
1242 be terminated with @code{\!}@keyindex{"!}. Note that @code{\!}
1243 must go before the last note of the dynamic mark whereas @code{\rc}
1244 and @code{\rced} go after the last note. Because these marks are
1245 bound to notes, if you want to get several marks during one note, you
1246 must use spacer notes.
1248 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1249 c'' \< \! c'' d'' \decr e'' \rced
1250 < f''1 { s4 \< \! s2 \> \! s4 } >
1256 \spanrequest@keyindex{spanrequest} @var{startstop} @var{type}
1259 Define a spanning request. The @var{startstop} parameter is either -1
1260 (@code{\start}@keyindex{start}) or 1 (@code{\stop}@keyindex{stop}) and
1261 @var{type} is a string that describes what should be started.
1262 Supported types are @code{crescendo}, @code{decrescendo},
1263 @code{beam}, @code{slur}. This is an internal command. Users should
1264 use the shorthands which are defined in the initialization file
1267 You can attach a (general) span request to a note using
1269 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1270 c'4-\spanrequest \start "slur"
1271 c'4-\spanrequest \stop "slur"
1274 The slur syntax with parentheses is a shorthand for this.
1278 @cindex tremolo marks
1280 @node stem tremolo, , , Reference Manual
1282 Tremolo marks can be printed on a single note by adding
1283 `@code{:}[@var{length}]' after the note. The length must be at
1284 least 8. A @var{length} value of 8 gives one line across
1285 the note stem. If the length is omitted, then the last value is
1286 used, or the value of the @code{tremoloFlags}@indexcode{tremoloFlags} property if there was
1289 @mudela[verbatim,fragment,center]
1295 @node Compound music expressions, , , Reference Manual
1296 @section Compound music expressions
1298 @cindex compound music expressions
1300 Music expressions are compound data structures. You can nest music
1301 expressions any way you like. This simple example shows how three
1302 chords can be expressed in two different ways:
1304 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1305 \notes \context Staff {
1307 <a c'> <b d' > <c' e'>
1308 < { a b c' } { c' d' e' } >
1312 @cindex context selection
1313 @c @keyindex{context}
1316 \context @var{contexttype} [= @var{contextname}] @var{musicexpr}
1319 Interpret @var{musicexpr} within a context of type @var{contexttype}.
1320 If the context does not exist, it will be created. The new context
1321 can optionally be given a name. See
1322 section XREF-contextselection [FIXME] and XREF-contextdefs [FIXME] for more
1323 information on interpretation contexts.
1331 Mode switching keywords form compound music expressions: @code{\notes}
1332 @keyindex{notes} @var{musicexpr}, @code{\chords} @keyindex{chords}
1333 @var{musicexpr}, and @code{\lyrics} @keyindex{lyrics} @var{musicexpr}.
1334 These expressions do not add anything to the meaning of their
1335 arguments. They are just a way to indicate that the arguments should
1336 be parsed in indicated mode. See section XREF-modes [FIXME] for more
1337 information on modes.
1339 More information on context selection can be found in
1340 section XREF-contextselection [FIXME].
1344 @cindex sequential music
1350 \sequential@keyindex{sequential}
1351 @code{@{} @var{musicexprlist} @code{@}}
1354 This means that list should be played or written in sequence, i.e.,
1355 the second after the first, the third after the second. The duration
1356 of sequential music is the the sum of the durations of the elements.
1357 There is a shorthand, which leaves out the keyword:
1361 @code{@{} @var{musicexprlist} @code{@}}
1366 @cindex simultaneous music
1373 \simultaneous@keyindex{simultaneous}
1374 @code{@{} @var{musicexprlist} @code{@}}
1377 It constructs a music expression where all of its arguments start at
1378 the same moment. The duration is the maximum of the durations of the
1379 elements. The following shorthand is a common idiom:
1383 @code{<} @var{musicexprlist} @code{>}
1386 If you try to use a chord as the first thing in your score, you might
1387 get multiple staffs instead of a chord.
1389 @mudela[verbatim,center]
1398 This happens because the chord is interpreted by a score context.
1399 Each time a note is encountered a default Voice context (along with a
1400 Staff context) is created. The solution is to explicitly instantiate
1403 @mudela[verbatim,center]
1405 \notes\context Voice <c''4 e''>
1414 @cindex relative pitch specification
1416 @node relative, , , Reference Manual
1418 It is easy to get confused by octave changing marks and accidentally
1419 putting a pitch in the wrong octave. A much better way of entering a
1420 note's octave is `the relative octave' mode.
1424 \relative@keyindex{relative} @var{startpitch} @var{musicexpr}
1427 The octave of notes that appear in @var{musicexpr} are calculated as
1428 follows: If no octave changing marks are used, the basic interval
1429 between this and the last note is always taken to be a fourth or
1430 less.@footnote{The interval is determined without regarding
1431 accidentals. A @code{fisis} following a @code{ceses} will be put above
1432 the @code{ceses}.} The octave changing marks `@code{'}' and `@code{,}'
1433 can then be added to raise or lower the pitch by an extra octave.
1434 Upon entering relative mode, an absolute starting pitch must be
1435 specified that will act as the predecessor of the first note of
1438 Entering scales is straightforward in relative mode.
1440 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1446 And octave changing marks are used for intervals greater than a fourth.
1448 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1450 c g c f, c' a, e'' }
1453 If the preceding item is a chord, the first note of the chord is used
1454 to determine the first note of the next chord. But other notes
1455 within the second chord are determined by looking at the immediately
1458 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1466 The pitch after the @code{\relative} contains a notename. To parse
1467 the pitch as a notename, you have to be in note mode, so there must
1468 be a surrounding @code{\notes}@keyindex{notes} keyword (which is not
1471 The relative conversion will not affect @code{\transpose} or
1472 @code{\relative} sections in its argument. If you want to use
1473 relative within transposed music, you must place an additional
1474 @code{\relative} inside the @code{\transpose}.
1476 It is strongly recommended to use relative pitch mode: less work,
1477 less error-prone, and more readable.
1481 Chord names are a way to generate simultaneous music expressions that
1482 correspond with traditional chord names. It can only be used in
1483 Chord mode (see section XREF-modes [FIXME]).
1487 @var{tonic}[@var{duration}][@code{-}@var{modifiers}][@code{^}@var{subtractions}][@code{/}@var{inversion}][@code{/+}@var{bass}].
1490 @var{tonic} should be the tonic note of the chord, and @var{duration}
1491 is the chord duration in the usual notation. There are two kinds of
1492 modifiers. One type is @emph{chord additions}, which are obtained by
1493 listing intervals separated by dots. An interval is written by its
1494 number with an optional `@code{+}' or `@code{-}' to indicate raising or
1495 lowering by half a step. Chord additions has two effects: It adds
1496 the specified interval and all lower odd numbered intervals to the
1497 chord, and it may lower or raise the specified interval. Intervals
1498 must be separated by a dot (`@code{.}').
1502 @mudela[fragment,verbatim]
1506 c:9 c:9-.5+.7+ c:3-.5- c:4.6.8
1513 The second type of modifier that may appear after the `@code{:}' is a
1514 named modifier. Named modifiers are listed in the file
1515 @file{chord-modifiers.ly}. The available modifiers are `@code{m}' and
1516 `@code{min}' which lower the 3rd half a step, `@code{aug}@indexcode{aug}' which
1517 raises the 5th, `@code{dim}@indexcode{dim}' which lowers the 5th,
1518 `@code{maj}@indexcode{maj}' which adds a raised 7th, and `@code{sus}@indexcode{sus}'
1519 which replaces the 5th with a 4th.
1523 @mudela[fragment,verbatim]
1526 c1:m c:min7 c:maj c:aug c:dim c:sus
1534 Chord subtractions are used to eliminate notes from a chord. The
1535 notes to be subtracted are listed after a `@code{^}' character,
1538 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1546 Chord inversions can be specified by appending `@code{/}@indexcode{/}' and
1547 the name of a single note to a chord. This has the effect of
1548 lowering the specified note by an octave so it becomes the lowest
1549 note in the chord. If the specified note is not in the chord, a
1550 warning will be printed.
1552 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1561 Bass notes can be added by `@code{/+}@indexcode{/+}' and
1562 the name of a single note to a chord. This has the effect of
1563 adding the specified note to the chord, lowered by an octave,
1564 so it becomes the lowest note in the chord.
1566 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1575 Throughout these examples, chords have been shifted around the staff
1576 using @code{\transpose}.
1578 You should not combine @code{\relative} with named chords.
1584 Tuplets are made out of a music expression by multiplying their
1585 duration with a fraction.
1589 \times@keyindex{times} @var{fraction} @var{musicexpr}
1592 The duration of @var{musicexpr} will be multiplied by the fraction.
1593 In print, the fraction's denominator will be printed over the notes,
1594 optionally with a bracket. The most common tuplet is the triplet in
1595 which 3 notes have the length of 2, so the notes are 2/3 of
1596 their written length:
1598 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1599 g'4 \times 2/3 {c'4 c' c'} d'4 d'4
1608 \grace@keyindex{grace} @var{musicexpr}
1611 A grace note expression has duration 0; the next real note is
1612 assumed to be the main note.
1614 You cannot have the grace note after the main note, in terms of
1615 duration, and main notes, but you can typeset the grace notes to the
1616 right of the main note using the property
1617 @code{graceAlignPosition}@indexcode{graceAlignPosition}.
1619 When grace music is interpreted, a score-within-a-score is set up:
1620 @var{musicexpr} has its own time bookkeeping, and you could (for
1621 example) have a separate time signature within grace notes. While in
1622 this score-within-a-score, you can create notes, beams, slurs, etc.
1623 Unbeamed eighth notes and shorter by default have a slash through the
1624 stem. This behavior can be controlled with the
1625 @code{flagStyle}@indexcode{flagStyle} property.
1629 @mudela[fragment,verbatim]
1631 \grace c8 c4 \grace { [c16 c16] } c4
1632 \grace { \property Grace.flagStyle = "" c16 } c4
1638 At present, nesting @code{\grace}@keyindex{grace} notes, e.g.
1642 @code{\grace @{ \grace c32 c16 @} c4}
1645 may result in run-time errors of LilyPond. Since the meaning of such
1646 a construct is unclear, we don't consider this a loss. Similarly,
1647 juxtaposing two @code{\grace} sections is syntactically valid, but
1648 makes no sense and may cause runtime errors.
1650 Ending a staff or score with grace notes may also generate a run-time
1651 error, since there will be no main note to attach the grace notes to.
1657 @node Repeats, , , Reference Manual
1659 In order to specify repeats, use the @code{\repeat}@keyindex{repeat}
1660 keyword. Since repeats look and sound differently when played or
1661 printed, there are a few different variants of repeats.
1665 Repeated music is fully written (played) out. Useful for MIDI
1669 This is the normal notation: Repeats are not written out, but
1670 alternative endings (voltas) are printed, left to right.
1673 Alternative endings are written stacked, which is useful for
1677 The syntax for repeats is
1681 \repeat @var{variant} @var{repeatcount} @var{repeatbody}
1684 If you have alternative endings, you may add
1688 \alternative@keyindex{alternative}
1689 @code{@{} @var{alternative1}
1691 @var{alternative3} @dots{} @code{@}}
1694 where each @var{alternative} is a Music expression.
1696 Normal notation repeats are used like this:
1700 @mudela[fragment,verbatim]
1702 \repeat volta 2 { c'4 d' e' f' }
1703 \repeat volta 2 { f' e' d' c' }
1708 With alternative endings:
1712 @mudela[fragment,verbatim]
1714 \repeat volta 2 {c'4 d' e' f'}
1715 \alternative { {d'2 d'} {f' f} }
1720 Folded repeats look like this:@footnote{Folded repeats offer little
1721 more over simultaneous music. However, it is to be expected that
1722 more functionality -- especially for the MIDI backend -- will be
1727 @mudela[fragment,verbatim]
1729 \repeat fold 2 {c'4 d' e' f'}
1730 \alternative { {d'2 d'} {f' f} }
1737 @mudela[fragment,verbatim]
1741 \repeat volta 2 { e | c2 d2 | e2 f2 | }
1742 \alternative { { g4 g g } { a | a a a a | b1 } }
1749 If you don't give enough alternatives for all of the repeats, then
1750 the first alternative is assumed to be repeated often enough to equal
1751 the specified number of repeats.
1755 @mudela[fragment,verbatim]
1758 \repeat volta 3 { \partial 4; e | c2 d2 | e2 f2 | }
1759 \alternative { { g4 g g }
1760 {\partial 1; e4 e e }
1761 {\partial 1; a a a a | b1 } }
1768 It is possible to nest @code{\repeat}. This is not entirely
1769 supported: the notes will come be in the right places, but the repeat
1774 @cindex transposition of pitches
1776 @node transpose, , , Reference Manual
1778 A music expression can be transposed with
1779 @code{\transpose}@keyindex{transpose}. The syntax is
1783 \transpose @var{pitch} @var{musicexpr}
1786 This means that middle C in @var{musicexpr} is transposed to
1789 @code{\transpose} distinguishes between enharmonic pitches: both
1790 @code{\transpose cis'} or @code{\transpose des'} will transpose up half
1791 a tone. The first version will print sharps and the second version
1796 @mudela[fragment,verbatim]
1799 { \key e \major; c d e f }
1801 \transpose des'' { \key e \major; c d e f }
1802 \transpose cis'' { \key e \major; c d e f }
1808 If you want to use both @code{\transpose} and @code{\relative}, then
1809 you must use @code{\transpose} first. @code{\relative} will have no
1810 effect music that appears inside a @code{\transpose}.
1814 @cindex automatic lyric durations
1816 If you have lyrics that are set to a melody, you can import the
1817 rhythm of that melody into the lyrics using @code{\addlyrics}.
1818 @keyindex{addlyrics} The syntax for this is
1822 \addlyrics @var{musicexpr1 musicexpr2}
1825 This means that both @var{musicexpr1} and @var{musicexpr2} are
1826 interpreted, but that every non-command atomic music expression
1827 (``every syllable'') in @var{musicexpr2} is interpreted using timing
1828 of @var{musicexpr1}.
1830 If the property @code{automaticMelismata}@indexcode{automaticMelismata} is set in the
1831 context of @var{musicexpr1}, no lyrics will be put on slurred or tied
1836 @mudela[verbatim,fragment]
1839 \property Voice.automaticMelismata = ##t
1840 c8 () cis d8. e16 f2
1842 \context Lyrics \lyrics {
1848 You should use a single rhythm melody, and single rhythm lyrics (a
1849 constant duration is the obvious choice). If you do not, you will get
1850 undesired effects when using multiple stanzas:
1854 @mudela[verbatim,fragment]
1857 c8 () cis d8. e16 f2
1859 \context Lyrics \lyrics
1866 It is valid (but probably not very useful) to use notes instead of
1867 lyrics for @var{musicexpr2}.
1872 @node Ambiguities, , , Reference Manual
1873 @section Ambiguities
1877 The grammar contains a number of ambiguities.@footnote{The authors
1878 hope to resolve them at a later time.}
1881 @item The assignment
1887 can be interpreted as making a string identifier @code{\foo}
1888 containing @code{"bar"}, or a music identifier @code{\foo}
1889 containing the syllable `bar'.
1891 @item The assignment
1897 can be interpreted as making an integer identifier
1898 containing -6, or a Request identifier containing the
1899 fingering `6' (with neutral direction).
1901 @item If you do a nested repeat like
1913 then it is ambiguous to which @code{\repeat} the
1914 @code{\alternative} belongs. This is the classic if-then-else
1915 dilemma. It may be solved by using braces.
1917 @item (an as yet unidentified ambiguity :-)
1922 @node Notation conversion specifics, , , Reference Manual
1923 @section Notation conversion specifics
1927 @cindex automatic beam generation
1929 @node autobeam, , , Reference Manual
1931 By default, LilyPond will generate beams automatically. This feature
1932 can be disabled by setting the @code{Voice.noAutoBeaming}@indexcode{Voice.noAutoBeaming}
1933 property to 1. It can be overridden for specific cases by
1934 specifying explicit beams as described in
1935 section XREF-manualbeam [FIXME].
1937 A large number of Voice properties are used to decide how to generate
1938 beams. Their default values appear in @file{auto-beam-settings.ly}.
1939 In general, beams can begin anywhere, but their ending location is
1940 significant. Beams can end on a beat, or at durations specified by
1941 the @code{Voice.beamAutoEnd}@indexcode{Voice.beamAutoEnd} property. To end beams every
1942 quarter note, for example, you could set
1943 @code{Voice.beamAutoEnd}@indexcode{Voice.beamAutoEnd} equal to `@code{"1/4"}'. To end beams
1944 at every three eighth notes you would set it to `@code{"3/8"}'. The
1945 same syntax can be used to specify beam starting points using
1946 @code{Voice.beamAutoBegin}@indexcode{Voice.beamAutoBegin}.
1948 To allow different settings for different time signatures, these
1949 property names can start with `@code{time}@var{N}@code{_}@var{M}' to
1950 restrict the definition to `@var{N}@code{/}@var{M}' time. For example,
1951 to specify beams ending only for 6/8 time you would use the
1952 property @code{Voice.time6_8beamAutoEnd}. To allow different endings
1953 for notes of different durations, the duration can be tacked onto the
1954 end of the property. To specify beam endings for beams that contain
1955 32nd notes, you would use @code{Voice.beamAutoEnd_32}.
1963 @cindex printing!chord names
1965 For displaying printed chord names, use the @code{ChordNames}@indexcode{ChordNames}
1966 and @code{ChordNameVoice}@indexcode{ChordNameVoice} contexts. The chords may be entered
1967 either using the notation described above, or directly using
1972 @mudela[fragment,verbatim]
1974 \context ChordNames {
1975 \chords{a b c} \notes{<d f g> <e g b>}
1977 \context Staff \notes {
1985 LilyPond examines chords specified as lists of notes to determine a
1986 name to give the chord. By default, LilyPond will not try to
1987 identify chord inversions:
1989 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
1991 \context ChordNameVoice \notes {
1994 \context Thread \notes {
2000 If you want inversions to be recognized, you must set the property
2001 @code{ChordNames.chordInversion}@indexcode{ChordNames.chordInversion}:
2003 @mudela[fragment,verbatim,center]
2005 \property Score.chordInversion = ##t
2006 \context ChordNameVoice \notes {
2009 \context Thread \notes {
2019 @cindex printing!lyrics
2021 @node lyricprint, , , Reference Manual
2023 Lyric syllables must be interpreted within a @code{Lyrics} context
2025 @cindex context!Lyrics
2028 Here is a full example:
2035 \notes \transpose c'' {
2037 e f g2 | e4 f g2 \bar "|.";
2039 \context Lyrics \lyrics {
2040 Va-4 der Ja- cob Va- der Ja- cob
2041 Slaapt gij nog?2 Slaapt4 gij nog?2
2049 You may want a continuous line after the syllables to show melismata.
2050 To achieve this effect, add a `@code{__}' lyric as a separate word
2051 after the lyric to be extended. This will create an extender, a line
2052 that extends over the entire duration of the lyric. This line will
2053 run all the way to the start of the next lyric, so you may want to
2054 shorten it by using a blank lyric (using `@code{_}').
2061 \notes \relative c'' {
2062 a4 () b () c () d | c () d () b () a | c () d () b () a
2064 \context Lyrics \lyrics {
2065 foo1 __ | bar2. __ _4 | baz1 __
2074 If you want to have hyphens centered between syllables (rather than
2075 attached to the end of the first syllable) you can use the special
2076 `@code{-}@code{-}' lyric as a separate word between syllables. This
2077 will result in a hyphen which length varies depending on the space
2078 between syllables, and which will be centered between the syllables.
2086 \notes \transpose c'' {
2088 e f g2 | e4 f g2 \bar "|.";
2090 \context Lyrics \lyrics {
2091 Va4 -- der Ja -- cob | Va -- der Ja -- cob |
2092 Slaapt gij nog?2 | Slaapt4 gij nog?2
2102 @node Notation Contexts, , , Reference Manual
2103 @section Notation Contexts
2105 @cindex notation contexts
2107 Notation contexts are objects that only exist during a run of
2108 LilyPond. During the interpretation phase of LilyPond, the Music
2109 expression contained in a @code{\score} block is interpreted in time
2110 order. This is the order in which humans read, play, and write
2113 A context is an object that holds the reading state of the
2114 expression; it contains information like
2117 @item What notes are playing at this point?
2118 @item What symbols will be printed at this point?
2119 @item In what style will they printed?
2120 @item What is the current key signature, time signature, point within
2124 Contexts are grouped hierarchically: A @code{Voice} context is
2125 contained in a @code{Staff} context (because a staff can contain
2126 multiple voices at any point), a @code{Staff} context is contained in
2127 a @code{Score}, @code{StaffGroup}, or @code{ChoirStaff} context (because
2128 these can all contain multiple staffs).
2130 Contexts associated with sheet music output are called @emph{notation
2131 contexts}, those for sound output are called playing contexts.
2133 Contexts are created either manually or automatically. Initially,
2134 the top level music expression is interpreted by the top level
2135 context (the @code{Score} context). When a atomic music expression
2136 (i.e. a note, a rest, @code{\bar}, or @code{\time} commands), a nested
2137 set of contexts is created that can process these atomic expressions,
2143 \score @{ \notes < c4 > @}
2148 The sequential music, `@code{@{ c4 @}}' is interpreted by @code{Score}
2149 context. When the note `@code{c4}' itself is interpreted, a set of
2150 contexts is needed that will accept notes. The default for this is a
2151 @code{Voice} context, contained in a @code{Staff} context. Creation of
2152 these contexts results in the staff being printed.
2157 You can also create contexts manually, and you probably have to do so
2158 if you want to typeset complicated multiple part material. If a
2159 `@code{\context} @var{name} @var{musicexpr}' expression is encountered
2160 during the interpretation phase, the @var{musicexpr} argument will be
2161 interpreted with a context of type @var{name}. If you specify a name,
2162 the specific context with that name is searched.
2164 If a context of the specified type and name can not be found, a new
2165 one is created. For example,
2171 \notes \relative c'' {
2172 c4 <d4 \context Staff = "another" e4> f
2179 In this example, the @code{c} and @code{d} are printed on the
2180 default staff. For the @code{e}, a context Staff called
2181 `@code{another}' is specified; since that does not exist, a new
2182 context is created. Within @code{another}, a (default) Voice context
2183 is created for the @code{e4}. When all music referring to a
2184 context is finished, the context is ended as well. So after the
2185 third quarter, @code{another} is removed.
2187 Almost all music expressions inherit their interpretation context
2188 from their parent. In other words, suppose that the syntax for a
2193 \keyword @var{musicexpr1} @var{musicexpr2} @dots{}
2196 When the interpretation of this music expression starts, the context
2197 for @var{musicexpr1}, @var{musicexpr2}, etc. is that of the total
2200 Lastly, you may wonder, why this:
2206 \notes \relative c'' @{
2214 doesn't result in this:
2219 \notes \relative c'' {
2226 For the @code{c4}, a default @code{Staff} (with a contained
2227 @code{Voice}) context is created. After the @code{c4} ends, no
2228 music refers to this default staff, so it would be ended, with the
2229 result shown. To prevent this inconvenient behavior, the context to
2230 which the sequential music refers is adjusted during the
2231 interpretation. So after the @code{c4} ends, the context of the
2232 sequential music is also the default @code{Voice} context.
2233 The @code{d4} gets interpreted in the same context
2238 These are the contexts supplied with the package. They are defined
2239 in the initialization file @file{ly/engraver.ly}.
2246 Properties that are set in one context are inherited by all of the
2247 contained contexts. This means that a property valid for the
2248 @code{Voice} context can be set in the @code{Score} context (for
2249 example) and thus take effect in all @code{Voice} contexts.
2251 Properties can be preset within the @code{\translator} block
2252 corresponding to the appropriate context. In this case, the syntax
2257 @var{propname} @code{=} @var{value}
2260 This assignment happens before interpretation starts, so a
2261 @code{\property} expression will override any predefined settings.
2263 The @code{\property} expression will create any property you specify.
2264 There is no guarantee that a property will be used. So if you spell
2265 a property name wrong, there will be no error message.
2267 The property settings are used during the interpretation phase. They
2268 are read by the LilyPond modules where interpretation contexts are
2269 built of. These modules are called @emph{translators}. Translators for
2270 notation are called @emph{engravers}, and translators for sound are
2271 called @emph{performers}.
2273 The precise result of a property is determined by the implementation
2274 of the translator that reads them. Therefore, the result of a
2275 property can vary, since it is implementation and configuration
2278 In order to fully find out what properties are used, you must
2279 currently search the source code for calls to @code{get_property}.
2280 The rest of the section is devoted to an (incomplete) overview of
2281 available properties.
2283 @mbinclude properties.itely
2285 @node Notation output definitions, , , Reference Manual
2286 @section Notation output definitions
2290 @cindex notation output
2292 @cindex output definition
2294 @node paper, , , Reference Manual
2296 The most important output definition is the @code{\paper} block, for
2297 music notation. The syntax is
2301 @code{\paper @{} [@var{paperidentifier}] @var{items} @code{@}}
2304 where each of the items is one of
2307 @item An assignment. The assignment must be terminated by a
2308 semicolon. See section XREF-papervars [FIXME] for information on
2311 @item A context definition. See section XREF-contextdefs [FIXME] for
2312 more information on context definitions.
2317 A margin shape declaration. The syntax is
2321 \shape @var{indent1}@code{,} @var{width1}@code{,}
2322 @var{indent2}@code{,} @var{width2} @dots{} @code{;}
2327 Each pair of @var{indent} and @var{width} values is a dimension
2328 specifying how far to indent and how wide to make the line.
2329 The indentation and width of successive lines are specified by
2330 the successive pairs of dimensions. The last pair of
2331 dimensions will define the characeristics of all lines beyond
2332 those explicitly specified.
2334 @item \stylesheet declaration. Its syntax is
2337 \stylesheet @var{scm}
2341 See font.scm for details of @var{scm}
2346 @cindex changing font size and paper size
2348 The Feta font provides musical symbols at six different sizes. These
2349 fonts are 11 point, 13 point, 16 point, 20 point,
2350 23 point, and 26 point. The point size of a font is the
2351 height of the five lines in a staff when displayed in the font.
2353 Definitions for these sizes are the files @file{paperSZ.ly}, where
2354 @code{SZ} is one of 11, 13, 16, 20, 23 and 26. If you include
2355 any of these files, the identifiers @code{paper_eleven},
2356 @code{paper_thirteen}, @code{paper_sixteen}, @code{paper_twenty},
2357 @code{paper_twentythree}, and @code{paper_twentysix} are defined
2358 respectively. The default @code{\paper} block is also set.
2360 To change the paper size, you must first set the
2361 @code{papersize}@indexcode{papersize} variable at top level. Set it to the strings
2362 @code{a4}, @code{letter}, or @code{legal}. After this specification,
2363 you must set the font as described above. If you want the default
2364 font, then use the 20 point font. The new paper size will not
2365 take effect if the font is not loaded and selected afterwards. Paper
2366 size selection works by loading a file named after the paper size you
2371 @cindex paper variables
2373 @node Paper variables, , , Reference Manual
2375 There is a large number of paper variables that are used to control
2376 details of the layout. These variables control the defaults for the
2377 entire score. Usually, they do not have to be changed; they are by
2378 default set to values that depend on the font size in use. The
2379 values are used by the graphic objects while formatting the score;
2380 they are therefore implementation dependent. Most variables are
2381 accompanied by documentation in the initalization file
2382 @file{params.ly} or @file{paperSZ.ly}, where @code{SZ} is the staff
2385 Nevertheless, here are some variables you may want to use or change:
2388 @item @code{indent}@indexcode{indent}
2389 The indentation of the first line of music.
2391 @item @code{staffspace}@indexcode{staffspace}
2392 The distance between two staff lines, calculated from the center
2393 of the lines. You should use either this or @code{rulethickness}
2394 as a unit for distances you modify.
2396 @item @code{linewidth}@indexcode{linewidth}
2397 Sets the width of the lines. If set to -1.0, a single
2398 unjustified line is produced.
2400 @item @code{textheight}@indexcode{textheight}
2401 Sets the total height of the music on each page. Only used by
2404 @item @code{interscoreline}@indexcode{interscoreline}
2405 Sets the spacing between the score lines. Defaults to 16 pt.
2407 @item @code{interscorelinefill}@indexcode{interscorelinefill}
2408 If set to a positive number, the distance between the score
2409 lines will stretch in order to fill the full page. In that
2410 case @code{interscoreline} specifies the minimum spacing.
2413 @item @code{stafflinethickness}@indexcode{stafflinethickness}
2414 Determines the thickness of staff and bar lines.
2418 @node contextdefs, , , Reference Manual
2420 @cindex context definition
2422 A notation contexts is defined by the following information
2427 @item The LilyPond modules that do the actual conversion of music to
2428 notation. Each module is a so-called
2433 @item How these modules should cooperate, i.e. which ``cooperation
2434 module'' should be used. This cooperation module is a special
2437 @item What other contexts the context can contain,
2439 @item What properties are defined.
2442 A context definition has this syntax:
2446 \translator @code{@{}
2447 @var{translatorinit} @var{translatormodifierlist}
2451 @var{translatorinit} can be an identifier or of the form
2455 \type @var{typename} @code{;}
2458 @var{typename} is one of
2461 @item @code{Engraver_group_engraver}@indexcode{Engraver_group_engraver}
2462 The standard cooperation engraver.
2464 @item @code{Score_engraver}@indexcode{Score_engraver}
2465 This is cooperation module that should be in the top level context.
2467 @item @code{Grace_engraver_group}@indexcode{Grace_engraver_group}
2468 This is a special cooperation module (resembling
2469 @code{Score_engraver}) that is used to created an embedded
2473 @var{translatormodifierlist} is a list of items where each item is
2477 @item @code{\consists} @var{engravername} @code{;}
2478 Add @var{engravername} to the list of modules in this context.
2479 Section XREF-engravers [FIXME] contains an overview of the engravers
2480 available. The order of engravers added with @code{\consists} is
2483 @item @code{\consistsend} @var{engravername} @code{;}
2484 Analogous to @code{\consists}, but makes sure that
2485 @var{engravername} is always added to the end of the list of
2488 Some engraver types need to be at the end of the list; this
2489 insures they are put there, and stay there, if a user adds or
2490 removes engravers. This command is usually not needed for
2493 @item @code{\accepts} @var{contextname} @code{;}
2494 Add @var{contextname} to the list of context this context can
2495 contain. The first listed context the context to create by
2498 @item @code{\remove} @var{engravername} @code{;}
2499 Remove a previously added (with @code{\consists}) engraver.
2501 @item @code{\name} @var{contextname} @code{;}
2502 This sets name of the context, e.g. @code{Staff}, @code{Voice}. If
2503 the name is not specified, the translator won't do anything.
2505 @item @var{propname} @code{=} @var{value} @code{;}
2506 A property assignment. It is allowed to use reals for
2510 In the @code{\paper} block, it is also possible to define translator
2511 identifiers. Like other block identifiers, the identifier can only
2512 be used as the very first item of a translator. In order to define
2513 such an identifier outside of @code{\score}, you must do
2519 foo = \translator @{ @dots{} @}
2526 \translator @{ \foo @dots{} @}
2534 @cindex paper types, engravers, and pre-defined translators
2536 Some pre-defined identifiers can simplify modification of
2537 translators. The pre-defined identifiers are:
2540 @item @code{StaffContext}@indexcode{StaffContext}
2541 Default Staff context.
2543 @item @code{RhythmicStaffContext}@indexcode{RhythmicStaffContext}
2544 Default RhythmicStaff context.
2546 @item @code{VoiceContext}@indexcode{VoiceContext}
2547 Default Voice context.
2549 @item @code{ScoreContext}@indexcode{ScoreContext}
2550 Default Score context.
2552 @item @code{ScoreWithNumbers}@indexcode{ScoreWithNumbers}
2553 Score context with numbering at the Score level.
2555 @item @code{BarNumberingStaffContext}@indexcode{BarNumberingStaffContext}
2556 Staff context with numbering at the Staff level.
2558 @item @code{HaraKiriStaffContext}@indexcode{HaraKiriStaffContext}
2559 Staff context that does not print if it only contains rests.
2560 Useful for orchestral scores.@footnote{Harakiri, also called
2561 Seppuku, is the ritual suicide of the Samourai.}
2563 @item @code{OrchestralPartStaffContext}@indexcode{OrchestralPartStaffContext}
2565 @item @code{OrchestralScoreContext}@indexcode{OrchestralScoreContext}
2568 Using these pre-defined values, you can remove or add items to the
2577 \remove Some_engraver;
2578 \consists Different_engraver;
2586 @node Sound output, , , Reference Manual
2587 @section Sound output
2591 The MIDI block is analogous to the paper block, but it is simpler.
2592 The @code{\midi} block can contain:
2596 @item a @code{\tempo} definition
2597 @item context definitions
2600 Assignments in the @code{\midi} block are not allowed.
2604 @cindex context definition
2606 Context definitions follow precisely the same syntax as within the
2607 \paper block. Translation modules for sound are called performers.
2608 The contexts for MIDI output are defined in @file{ly/performer.ly}.
2612 @cindex MIDI instrument names
2614 @node midilist, , , Reference Manual
2616 The MIDI instrument name is set by the
2617 @code{Staff.midiInstrument}@indexcode{Staff.midiInstrument} property or,
2618 if that property is not set, the
2619 @code{Staff.instrument}@indexcode{Staff.instrument} property. The
2620 instrument name should be chosen from the following list. If the
2621 selected string does not exactly match, then LilyPond uses the default
2627 "acoustic grand" "contrabass" "lead 7 (fifths)"
2628 "bright acoustic" "tremolo strings" "lead 8 (bass+lead)"
2629 "electric grand" "pizzicato strings" "pad 1 (new age)"
2630 "honky-tonk" "orchestral strings" "pad 2 (warm)"
2631 "electric piano 1" "timpani" "pad 3 (polysynth)"
2632 "electric piano 2" "string ensemble 1" "pad 4 (choir)"
2633 "harpsichord" "string ensemble 2" "pad 5 (bowed)"
2634 "clav" "synthstrings 1" "pad 6 (metallic)"
2635 "celesta" "synthstrings 2" "pad 7 (halo)"
2636 "glockenspiel" "choir aahs" "pad 8 (sweep)"
2637 "music box" "voice oohs" "fx 1 (rain)"
2638 "vibraphone" "synth voice" "fx 2 (soundtrack)"
2639 "marimba" "orchestra hit" "fx 3 (crystal)"
2640 "xylophone" "trumpet" "fx 4 (atmosphere)"
2641 "tubular bells" "trombone" "fx 5 (brightness)"
2642 "dulcimer" "tuba" "fx 6 (goblins)"
2643 "drawbar organ" "muted trumpet" "fx 7 (echoes)"
2644 "percussive organ" "french horn" "fx 8 (sci-fi)"
2645 "rock organ" "brass section" "sitar"
2646 "church organ" "synthbrass 1" "banjo"
2647 "reed organ" "synthbrass 2" "shamisen"
2648 "accordion" "soprano sax" "koto"
2649 "harmonica" "alto sax" "kalimba"
2650 "concertina" "tenor sax" "bagpipe"
2651 "acoustic guitar (nylon)" "baritone sax" "fiddle"
2652 "acoustic guitar (steel)" "oboe" "shanai"
2653 "electric guitar (jazz)" "english horn" "tinkle bell"
2654 "electric guitar (clean)" "bassoon" "agogo"
2655 "electric guitar (muted)" "clarinet" "steel drums"
2656 "overdriven guitar" "piccolo" "woodblock"
2657 "distorted guitar" "flute" "taiko drum"
2658 "guitar harmonics" "recorder" "melodic tom"
2659 "acoustic bass" "pan flute" "synth drum"
2660 "electric bass (finger)" "blown bottle" "reverse cymbal"
2661 "electric bass (pick)" "skakuhachi" "guitar fret noise"
2662 "fretless bass" "whistle" "breath noise"
2663 "slap bass 1" "ocarina" "seashore"
2664 "slap bass 2" "lead 1 (square)" "bird tweet"
2665 "synth bass 1" "lead 2 (sawtooth)" "telephone ring"
2666 "synth bass 2" "lead 3 (calliope)" "helicopter"
2667 "violin" "lead 4 (chiff)" "applause"
2668 "viola" "lead 5 (charang)" "gunshot"
2669 "cello" "lead 6 (voice)"
2675 @cindex MIDI types and performers
2677 The types available for MIDI translators are:
2680 @item @code{Performer_group_performer}@indexcode{Performer_group_performer}
2681 @item @code{Score_performer}@indexcode{Score_performer}
2682 @item @code{Staff_performer}@indexcode{Staff_performer}
2685 The performers for MIDI translators are:
2688 @item @code{Key_performer}@indexcode{Key_performer}
2689 @item @code{Time_signature_performer}@indexcode{Time_signature_performer}
2690 @item @code{Note_performer}@indexcode{Note_performer}
2691 @item @code{Lyric_performer}@indexcode{Lyric_performer}
2692 @item @code{Swallow_performer}@indexcode{Swallow_performer}
2697 @node Pre-defined Identifiers, , , Reference Manual
2699 @section Pre-defined Identifiers
2701 @cindex pre-defined identifiers
2704 Various identifiers are defined in the initialization files to
2705 provide shorthands for some settings. Most of them are in
2706 @file{ly/declarations.ly}.
2709 @item @code{\break}@keyindex{break}
2710 Force a line break in music by using a large argument for the
2711 keyword @code{\penalty}.
2713 @item @code{\center}@keyindex{center}
2714 Used for setting direction properties. Equals 0.
2716 @item @code{\down}@keyindex{down}
2717 Used for setting direction setting properties. Is equal
2720 @item @code{\free}@keyindex{free}
2721 Used for setting direction setting properties. Is equal
2724 @item @code{\left}@keyindex{left}
2725 Used for setting text alignment property. Is equal to -1.
2727 @item @code{\nobreak}@keyindex{nobreak}
2728 Prevent a line break in music by using a large negative argument
2729 for the keyword @code{\penalty}.
2731 @item @code{\none}@keyindex{none}
2732 Used for setting @code{Score.beamslopedamping} and
2733 @code{Score.beamquantisation} properties. Is equal to 0.
2735 @item @code{\normal}@keyindex{normal}
2736 Used for setting @code{Score.beamslopedamping} and
2737 @code{Score.beamquantisation} properties. Is equal to 1.
2739 @item @code{\normalkey}@keyindex{normalkey}
2740 Select normal key signatures where each octave has the same key
2741 signature. This sets the @code{Staff.keyoctaviation} property.
2743 @item @code{\right}@keyindex{right}
2744 Used for setting text alignment property. Is set to 1.
2746 @item @code{\shiftoff}@keyindex{shiftOff}
2747 Disable horizontal shifting of note heads that collide. Sets the
2748 @code{Voice.horizontalNoteShift} property.
2750 @item @code{\shiftOn}@keyindex{shiftOn}
2751 Enable note heads that collide with other note heads to be
2752 shifted horiztonally. Sets the @code{Voice.horizontalNoteShift}
2755 @item @code{\slurBoth}@keyindex{slurBoth}
2756 Allow slurs to be above or below notes. This sets the
2757 @code{Voice.slurVerticalDirection} property.
2759 @item @code{\slurDown}@keyindex{slurDown}
2760 Force slurs to be below notes. This sets the
2761 @code{Voice.slurVerticalDirection} property.
2763 @item @code{\slurUp}@keyindex{slurUp}
2764 Force slurs to be above notes. This sets the
2765 @code{Voice.slurVerticalDirection} property.
2767 @item @code{\specialkey}@keyindex{specialkey}
2768 Allow key signatures do differ in different octaves. This sets
2769 the @code{Staff.keyoctaviation} property.
2771 @item @code{\stemBoth}@keyindex{stemBoth}
2772 Allow stems, beams, and slurs to point either upwards or
2773 downwards, decided automatically by LilyPond. This sets the
2774 @code{Voice.verticalDirection} property.
2776 @item @code{\stemdown}@keyindex{stemdown}
2777 Force stems, beams, and slurs to point down. This sets the
2778 @code{Voice.verticalDirection} property.
2780 @item @code{\stemUp}@keyindex{stemUp}
2781 Force stems, beams and slurs to point up. This sets the
2782 @code{Voice.verticalDirection} property.
2784 @item @code{\traditional}@keyindex{traditional}
2785 Used for setting the @code{Score.beamquantisation} property. Is
2788 @item @code{\up}@keyindex{up}
2789 Used for setting various direction properties. Is equal