1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
3 Translation of GIT committish: FILL-IN-HEAD-COMMITTISH
5 When revising a translation, copy the HEAD committish of the
6 version that you are working on. See TRANSLATION for details.
10 @unnumbered Introduction
12 @divClass{column-center-top}
15 @imageFloat{flat-design.png,right}
17 The inspiration for LilyPond came when two musicians became
18 annoyed with the bland and boring look of computer-printed
19 sheet music. All musicians prefer reading beautiful music, so why
20 couldn't programmers write software to produce better printed
23 This software just does that: it prints music in the best
24 traditions of classical engraving with minimum fuss. Don't waste
25 time on tuning spacing, moving around symbols, or shaping slurs.
26 Impress friends and colleagues with sharp sheet music!
29 @divClass{column-left-top}
30 @subheading Why use LilyPond?
35 @ref{Features}: What can LilyPond do?
38 @ref{Examples}: I want to see some music!
41 @ref{Freedom}: LilyPond is Free Software.
46 @divClass{column-right-top}
47 @subheading Who uses it?
52 @ref{Productions}: Real-life use of LilyPond.
55 @ref{Testimonials}: What do people say?
60 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
61 @subheading Why not use LilyPond?
66 @ref{Text input}: You write music as @emph{text}?!
75 * Features:: What can LilyPond do?
76 * Examples:: I want to see some music!
77 * Freedom:: Freedom and the GPL.
78 * Productions:: Real-life use of LilyPond.
79 * Testimonials:: What do people say about it?
80 * Text input:: You write music as text?!
87 @unnumberedsec Features
89 @help{hoping to delegate this. Desired: an enthusiastic
90 attempt to sway people towards trying lilypond. The warnings
91 about writing music as text come in Crash Course, not here. Maybe
93 http://lilypond.org/web/about/features
95 http://lilypond.org/web/switch/tour
97 http://lilypond.org/web/switch/advantages
100 @subheading Why switch to LilyPond?
103 @subsubheading Excellent classical engraving
105 @imageFloat{flat-design.png,right}
107 The point of using LilyPond is to produce elegant sheet music that
108 is easy to read. LilyPond's developer community has spent
109 thousands of hours developing powerful music engraving software
110 that results in beautifully engraved music. All of LilyPond's
111 style settings, font designs and algorithms have been inspired by
112 the finest hand-engraved music. LilyPond output has the same
113 strong, balanced and elegant look as the best-engraved classical
117 @subsubheading No fiddling
119 Don't waste time with tweaking the output; LilyPond gets the
120 formatting correct right from the start. It determines spacing by
121 itself, and breaks lines and pages to provide a tight and uniform
122 layout. Clashes between lyrics, notes, and chords are resolved
123 and slurs and beams are sloped, automatically!
126 @subsubheading Text-based input
128 LilyPond takes ASCII input, which you can produce in your favorite
129 text editor, quickly and comfortably. No more futzing with the
130 mouse. The input contains all the information, so there is no
131 need to remember complex command sequences. Simply save an input
135 @subsubheading Mix music and text
137 @imageFloat{lilypond-book.png,right}
139 Put fragments of music into texts without cutting and pasting
140 pictures. Integrate music into LaTeX or HTML seamlessly, or add
141 music to OpenOffice.org with ooolilypond.
145 @subsubheading Free software
147 LilyPond can be downloaded free of charge! Yep - It's free. Get
148 it from the download page.
150 It's also free (as in @qq{speech}) software. It comes with source
151 code, and permission to change and copy it. So, are you irritated
152 by a bug, or yearning for a feature? Simply add it yourself, or
153 pay someone else to do it.
156 @subsubheading Extensible design
158 All settings can be changed to suit your personal
159 typographical taste. If that still is not enough, there is always
160 the built-in scripting language, a dialect of the powerful
161 language LISP. Settings, variables and functions are all
162 documented in the comprehensive program reference manual.
165 @subsubheading Excellent support
167 LilyPond runs on all popular platforms: Linux, MacOS X, and
168 Windows. LilyPond comes with extensive documetation and hundreds
169 of example files. There is an active user community answering
170 questions on the Lilypond user mailing list, while the development
171 team makes sure that problems are solved quickly.
175 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
176 @subheading Where now?
178 Still not convinced? Look at some neat @ref{Examples}. If you've
179 already decided to try LilyPond, first read about our
186 @unnumberedsec Examples
188 Lilypond is a powerful and flexible tool for engraving tasks of
189 all kinds. Please browse our gallery of examples and be inspired!
192 Here is a passage from Franz Liszt's solo piano transcription
193 of the Overture to Wagner's @emph{Tannhäuser}. The spacing
194 in this example was all performed by Lilypond's formatting
195 algorithms, without tweaks of any kind. It
196 handles cross-staff beaming gracefully and puts the system brace
197 perfectly around all three staves.
199 @imageClickable{liszt-wagner-small.png, (click to enlarge),
200 liszt-wagner.png, center}
204 @subsubheading Classical Music
205 This organ work by J.S. Bach is a fairly typical engraving project
208 @imageClickable{bach-bwv610-small.png, (click for longer
209 excerpt), bach-bwv610.png, center}
213 @subsubheading Complex Notation
215 This example from @emph{Goyescas} by Enrique Granados shows some
216 of the more advanced features of typesetting, including kneed
217 beams, cross-staff stems, and voice-follow lines.
219 @imageClickable{granados-small.png, (click to enlarge),
220 granados.png, center}
224 @subsubheading Early Music
225 Lilypond also supports various types of ancient notation, such
226 as this passage of Gregorian chant.
228 @imageClickable{ancient-headword-small.png, (click to enlarge),
229 ancient-headword.png, center}
233 @subsubheading Modern Music
234 Contemporary composers find Lilypond well-suited to displaying
235 unusual notation. Here is an excerpt from Trevor Bača's
236 @emph{Čáry}, for unaccompanied bass flute.
238 @imageClickable{cary-small.png, (click to enlarge),
244 @subsubheading Efficient, flexible creation of performance materials
245 Various performance materials can be created from the same source
246 code. This is an excerpt of @uref{http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/,
247 Nicolas Sceaux's} engraving of Handel's @emph{Giulio Cesare}, in
248 full score, piano-vocal reduction, and a violin part.
250 @imageClickable{sesto-small.png, (click to enlarge),
253 @imageClickable{sesto-1-small.png, (click to enlarge),
256 @imageClickable{sesto-2-small.png, (click to enlarge),
261 @help NEED BETTER TABLATURE EXAMPLE!!
264 @subsubheading Tablature
265 Lilypond supports tablature notation, which can be customized to
266 suit any instrument that reads from tablature. Here is a passage
267 from a Bach Lute Suite, with tablature generated automatically
268 from the notes entered for the traditional staff.
270 @imageClickable{bach-tab-example-small.png, (click to enlarge),
271 bach-tab-example.png, center}
275 @subsubheading Schenker Graphs
276 Standard output can be modified heavily. Here someone has created
277 an impressive Schenkerian analysis.
279 @imageClickable{bach-schenker-small.png, (click to enlarge),
280 bach-schenker.png, center}
284 @subsubheading Vocal Music
285 Lilypond is excellent for vocal music of all kinds, from sacred
286 hymns to opera. Here is a medieval motet with slightly unusual
287 requirements. The tenor voice is written in a different meter
288 than the others, but must line up as if it were in the same meter.
289 Lilypond handles this most elegantly. Note also the incipits with
290 Vaticana style clefs, the slashed stems indicating plicated notes,
291 and the ligature braces above certain groups of notes.
293 @imageClickable{aucun-snippet-small.png, (click to enlarge),
294 aucun-snippet.png, center}
298 @subsubheading Educational Applications
299 Lilypond is perfectly suited for educational purposes as well.
300 Here is an example of a simple counterpoint exercise.
302 @imageClickable{theory-small.png, (click to enlarge),
306 @help NEED BETTER POP EXAMPLE!! Also a better theory example would be nice.
309 @subsubheading Popular Music
310 It is simple to create pop lead sheets with melody, lyrics,
311 chord names, and fretboards. In this example you see some of the
312 predefined fretboard diagrams, but these can be heavily customized
313 to suit nearly any situation.
315 @imageClickable{chart-small.png, (click to enlarge),
319 @help NEED DIFFERENT ORCHESTRAL OR OPERA EXAMPLE?!
322 @subsubheading Large Projects
323 Lilypond is excellent for large projects like operas or works for
324 full symphony orchestra, as well. Score, parts, piano reductions,
325 and conductors' scores can be produced from the same source files.
327 @imageClickable{orchestral-small.png, (click to enlarge),
328 orchestral.png, center}
332 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
333 @subheading Where now?
335 Still not convinced? LilyPond is Free software, granting you
336 @ref{Freedom}. If you've already decided to try LilyPond, first
337 read about our @ref{Text input}.
342 @unnumberedsec Freedom
344 @divClass{column-center-top}
345 @subheading Free Software
347 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/, GNU} LilyPond is written and maintained
348 by a community of enthusiasts. It is published under the
349 @ref{GPL, GNU General Public License} and the @ref{FDL, GNU Free
350 Documentation License}, giving everybody the freedom to fix,
351 modify, and extend the program. Creating beautiful music should
352 not require hundreds of dollars of software!
356 @c @divClass{column-left-top}
358 @divClass{keep-bullets}
359 @subheading What are the benefits to users?
364 No cost: download and try it out! What do you have to lose?
367 Sharing: if you like the program, give a copy to your friends,
368 teachers, students, and colleagues!
371 Source available: if you are curious about how LilyPond creates
372 some notation, you can see exactly how it is done.
375 Extendible: you can add features, fix bugs, and change the
376 functionality. If you are not a programmer, you can hire somebody
379 This may not seem appealing to casual musicians, but the ability
380 to extend software can be highly valuable to serious composers,
381 companies, and academics.
384 Future safety: if a commercial company goes bankrupt, what happens
385 to any electronic music which depends on their products? This is
386 not a concern with LilyPond; even if the entire development team
387 quits (extremely unlikely), the program will still be legally
388 available for copying, modifications, and distribution.
397 @c @divClass{column-right-top}
399 @divClass{keep-bullets}
400 @subheading Why do LilyPond developers @qq{give away} their work for free?
402 Most of us view LilyPond development as a hobby or volunteer work.
403 So this question is really asking @qq{why do people volunteer}?
408 Fun: working towards a goal can be enjoyable, especially when you
412 Shared goals: we all want beautiful sheet music, but few people
413 have the expertise (and nobody has the time!), to create a program
414 which can handle all situations. By working together -- one
415 person improves the automatic beaming code, another person
416 improves the shape of slurs, and a third person writes
417 documentation explaining how to use these features -- we can
418 achieve our goal with only a fraction of the individual effort.
421 @qq{Gift culture}: the Free Software (or @qq{Open Source})
422 movement has created many great software projects, such as
423 @uref{http://kernel.org/, GNU/Linux},
424 @uref{http://www.getfirefox.com/, Mozilla Firefox}, and
425 @uref{http://www.wesnoth.org/, Battle for Wesnoth}. Having
426 benefitted from these projects, some developers want to @qq{give
427 back} to the community.
430 Work experience: contributing to open-source projects is a great
431 way to practice programming, documentation writing, or design.
432 This experience has helped some developers gain job offers or
442 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
443 @subheading Where now?
445 Still not convinced? Read about some of our users'
446 @ref{Productions} and sheet music. If you've already decided to
447 try LilyPond, first read about our @ref{Text input}.
452 @unnumberedsec Productions
454 @help{more references to publishers who use lilypond}
456 @divClass{column-left-top}
459 Lilypond engravings have been used for performances around the world.
462 @divClass{keep-bullets}
466 @emph{Affaire Étrangère}, an opera by Valentin Villenave, with
467 libretto by Lewis Trondheim, premiered February 1, 2009, by
468 @uref{http://www.orchestre-montpellier.com/, L'Opéra Montpellier}.
471 @uref{http://www.mercurybaroque.org/02/02109.aspx, Mercury Baroque}'s
472 performance of Lully's @emph{Armide}, May 15-16, 2009, in Houston,
473 Texas (engraving by @uref{http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/,
477 Instrumental excerpts from Rameau's @emph{Hippolyte et Aricie} at
478 St. James's Church in Manhattan, May 8, 2009, by Frederick Renz
479 and his ensemble @uref{http://www.earlymusicny.org/, Early Music
480 New York} (engraving by Nicolas Sceaux).
488 @divClass{column-right-top}
489 @subheading Published sheet music
491 @divClass{keep-bullets}
495 @uref{http://www.adoromusicpub.com/, Adoro Music Publishing},
496 high-quality scores of sacred music, available for immediate
497 download or in traditional paper format.
504 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
505 @subheading Where now?
507 Still not convinced? Read some of our users' @ref{Testimonials}.
508 If you've already decided to try LilyPond, first read about our
514 @unnumberedsec Testimonials
516 @divClass{testimonial-item}
517 @imageFloat{carter-brey.jpg, right}
518 @subsubheading @uref{http://nyphil.org/meet/orchestra/index.cfm?page=profile&personNum=7, Carter Brey}, Principal Cellist, New York Philharmonic
520 @qq{... I've written a couple of encore pieces for solo cello
521 which I've printed with LilyPond and which I'm going to submit to
522 Schirmer for publication. I'll bet their engraved version wouldn't
523 look half as sharp as mine!}
527 @divClass{testimonial-item}
528 @imageFloat{orm-finnendahl.jpg, left}
529 @subsubheading @uref{http://icem-www.folkwang-hochschule.de/~finnendahl/, Orm Finnendahl}, professor of Composition, Musikhochschule Freiburg
531 @qq{Although I don't know [LilyPond] very well yet, I'm *very*
532 impressed. I used the program to input a motet of Josquin Desprez
533 in mensural notation and there's no doubt that lilypond outscores
534 all other notation programs easily concerning speed, ease of use
539 @divClass{testimonial-item}
540 @imageFloat{darius-blasband.jpg, right}
541 @subsubheading Darius Blasband, composer (Brussels, Belgium)
543 @qq{[..after the first orchestra rehearsal] I got numerous
544 compliments about the quality of the scores. Even more
545 importantly, while Lilypond provides numerous hacks to improve the
546 way its scores look, what the orchestra got from me is basically
547 the raw, untouched output.}
552 @divClass{testimonial-item}
553 @subsubheading Kieren MacMillan, composer (Toronto, Canada)
555 @qq{thanks and kudos to the development team for their incredible
556 work. I've never seen anything approaching the output that I get
557 from Lilypond -- I'm totally confident that my music publishing
558 needs will be fulfilled beyond my expectations using this great
559 application. [..] basically untweaked Lilypond output [..] looks
560 better than most recent "professional" publications I've compared
561 it to (q.v., just about any Warner Bros. score, and even many of
562 the most recent by "the old houses"). [..]}
564 @qq{Beat that, Finale/Sibelius/Igor/whatever!!!}
568 @divClass{testimonial-item}
569 @subsubheading Chris Cannam, lead programmer of the @uref{http://www.rosegardenmusic.com/, RoseGarden} project.
571 @qq{Lilypond is obviously the zillion-ton gorilla [of great music
576 @divClass{testimonial-item}
577 @subsubheading Chris Snyder, @uref{http://www.adoromusicpub.com/, Adoro Music Publishing}
579 @qq{The way that music is entered for LilyPond causes me to think in a
580 more musical way -- there have been times when I've been stumped as
581 to how to tell Lily to engrave something, only to realize that
582 even if I did get it exactly as the composer wanted, the music
583 would be confusing to read. LilyPond makes it much easier for me
584 to work in my dual editor+engraver role.}
586 @qq{I've been using LilyPond exclusively for my fledgling music
587 publishing business. Virtually without exception, every composer
588 has been blown away by the quality of the engraving when presented
589 with the proofs of their music about to be published. I deserve
590 some of the credit for this -- I spend a lot of time tweaking
591 output, especially ties (mainly in chords) -- but LilyPond gives
592 me an excellent starting point, a very intuitive interface, and
593 the ability to modify absolutely anything if I want to take the
594 time. I'm convinced that no commercial product can come close.}
598 @divClass{testimonial-item}
599 @subsubheading David Bobroff, Bass Trombone, Iceland Symphony Orchestra
601 @qq{I think Lilypond is great [..] The more I learn about LilyPond
606 @divClass{testimonial-item}
607 @subsubheading Vaylor Trucks, Electric guitar player (Yes, @uref{http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=userpage&file=content&page_id=12, related to})
609 @qq{I am super impressed with LilyPond [..]}
611 @qq{THIS IS THE BEST PROGRAM EVER!!!}
613 @qq{Thank you all SO MUCH for your hard work and dedication!}
617 @divClass{testimonial-item}
618 @subsubheading @uref{http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/, Nicolas Sceaux}, @uref{http://www.mutopiaproject.org/, Mutopia} contributor
620 @qq{I had a kind of hate-passion relationship with it. Passion
621 because the first score I saw was so amazing! The description of
622 LilyPond lies about its beautifulness, it is too modest! [..] as
623 LilyPond is getting always better, and as I look closer how things
624 are done in scheme, I have less and less frustrations. Anyway,
625 what I mean is: thank you for providing LilyPond, it is really
630 @divClass{testimonial-item}
631 @subsubheading @uref{http://www.troff.org/whoswho.html#werner, Werner Lemberg}, Conductor at the Theatre in Koblenz, Germany and distinguished GNU Hacker.
633 @qq{Anyway, LilyPond does an amazingly good job!}
637 @divClass{testimonial-item}
638 @subsubheading Paul Davis, developer of @uref{http://jackaudio.org/, JACK} and @uref{http://www.ardour.org/, Ardour}.
640 @qq{I think [LilyPond is] an incredible program, and it produces
641 wonderful, wonderful output. when i read an interview about it
642 last year, i was raving to several friends of mine about its
647 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
648 @subheading Where now?
650 Read about our @ref{Text input}.
656 @unnumberedsec Text input
658 @c TRANSLATORS: so far it's mostly from
659 @c http://lilypond.org/web/switch/howto
661 @subheading @qq{Compiling} Music
663 @imageClickable{nereid-shot-small.png, (click to enlarge),
664 nereid-shot.png, right}
666 LilyPond is a @emph{compiled} system: it is run on a text file
667 containing the notes. The resulting output is viewed on-screen or
668 printed. In some ways, LilyPond is more similar to a programming
669 language than graphical score editing software.
671 You do not write music by dragging notes from a graphical toolbar
672 and placing them on a dynamically refreshing score; you write
673 music by typing text. This text is interpreted (or @qq{compiled})
674 by LilyPond, which produces beautifully engraved sheet music.
676 People accustomed to graphical user interfaces might need to learn
677 a new way of working, but the results are definitely worth it!
679 @warning{We present a quick overview of our text input -- it's not
680 as complicated as it sounds! Don't worry about understanding
681 every detail in these examples; our beginner documentation covers
682 everything at a much more gradual pace.}
685 @subsubheading It's as simple as A B C
687 Notes are encoded with letters and numbers. Special commands are
688 entered with backslashes.
690 @imageFloat{text-input-1-annotate.png,center}
691 @imageFloat{text-input-1-output.png,center}
693 Alterations are made with different names: add @code{-is} for
694 sharp, and @code{-es} for flat (these are Dutch note names, other
695 languages are available). LilyPond figures out where to put
698 @imageFloat{text-input-2-annotate.png,center}
699 @imageFloat{text-input-2-output.png,center}
702 @subsubheading Pop music
704 Put chords and lyrics together to get a lead sheet:
706 @help{change the lyrics. svg available}
708 @imageFloat{text-input-pop-annotate.png,center}
709 @imageFloat{text-input-pop-output.png,center}
713 @subsubheading Orchestral parts
715 The input file contains the notes of piece. Score and parts can
716 be made from a single input file. So, changing a note always
717 affects both parts and score. To share the notes, the music is
718 assigned to a variable:
720 @imageFloat{text-input-parts-both-annotate.png,center}
723 This variable is then used in a single part (here transposed, with
724 condensed multi rests):
726 @imageFloat{text-input-parts-single-annotate.png,center}
727 @imageFloat{text-input-parts-single-output.png,center}
730 The same variable is used in the full score (here in concert
733 @imageFloat{text-input-score-annotate.png,center}
734 @imageFloat{text-input-score-output.png,center}
737 @subsubheading Beginner Documentation
739 We realize that many users find this way of entering music a bit
740 odd. For this reason, we have written extensive documentation to
741 help new users, beginning with @ref{Learning}.
743 Please read the Learning Manual before complaining about bugs!
744 New users occasionally believe that LilyPond is not working
745 correctly, when in fact it is working precisely as designed.
747 @help{any suggestions for a picture here?}
750 @subsubheading Easier editing environments
752 LilyPond is primarily concerned with producing top-quality
753 engraved sheet music; creating a Graphical User Interface (GUI)
754 would distract us from this goal. However, there are other
755 projects aimed at making it easier to create LilyPond input files.
757 Some editing environments include syntax highlighting, automatic
758 command completion, and pre-made templates. Other programs
759 actually provide a GUI which allows direct manipulation of a
760 graphical score. For more information, see our documentation
761 about @@ref@{FIXME alternate editing environments@}.
764 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
765 @subheading Where now?
767 You are now ready to @ref{Download, Download LilyPond}.
769 Still not convinced? Many composers, musicians, and conductors
770 have learned how to write music in our input format. Experienced
771 users even report that they can enter a full score in LilyPond
772 faster than with a piano keyboard or mouse+GUI! Perhaps you would
773 like to review the @ref{Features}, @ref{Examples}, or
774 @ref{Freedom} that LilyPond provides, or read about users'
775 @ref{Productions} and @ref{Testimonials}.