1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
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13 @node General input and output
14 @chapter General input and output
16 This section deals with general LilyPond input and output issues,
17 rather than specific notation.
21 * Titles and headers::
22 * Working with input files::
23 * Controlling output::
29 @section Input structure
31 The main format of input for LilyPond are text files. By convention,
32 these files end with @code{.ly}.
35 * Structure of a score::
36 * Multiple scores in a book::
37 * Multiple output files from one input file::
43 @node Structure of a score
44 @subsection Structure of a score
48 A @code{\score} block must contain a single music expression
49 delimited by curly brackets:
57 @warning{There must be @strong{only one} outer music expression in
58 a @code{\score} block, and it @strong{must} be surrounded by
61 This single music expression may be of any size, and may contain
62 other music expressions to any complexity. All of these examples
63 are music expressions:
69 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
76 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
78 \new Staff { c'4 c' c' c' }
79 \new Staff { d'4 d' d' d' }
87 \new Staff @{ \flute @}
88 \new Staff @{ \oboe @}
91 \new Staff @{ \violinI @}
92 \new Staff @{ \violinII @}
98 Comments are one exception to this general rule. (For others see
99 @ref{File structure}.) Both single-line comments and comments
100 delimited by @code{%@{ .. %@}} may be placed anywhere within an
101 input file. They may be placed inside or outside a @code{\score}
102 block, and inside or outside the single music expression within a
105 Remember that even in a file containing only a @code{\score} block, it
106 is implicitly enclosed in a \book block. A \book block in a source
107 file produces at least one output file, and by default the name of the
108 output file produced is derived from the name of the input file, so
109 @file{fandangoforelephants.ly} will produce
110 @file{fandangoforelephants.pdf}.
112 (For more details about @code{\book} blocks, see
113 @ref{Multiple scores in a book},
114 @ref{Multiple output files from one input file} @ref{File structure}.)
118 @rlearning{Working on input files},
119 @rlearning{Music expressions explained},
120 @rlearning{Score is a (single) compound musical expression}.
123 @node Multiple scores in a book
124 @subsection Multiple scores in a book
127 @cindex movements, multiple
129 A document may contain multiple pieces of music and text. Examples
130 of these are an etude book, or an orchestral part with multiple
131 movements. Each movement is entered with a @code{\score} block,
139 and texts are entered with a @code{\markup} block,
149 All the movements and texts which appear in the same @code{.ly} file
150 will normally be typeset in the form of a single output file.
164 One important exception is within lilypond-book documents,
165 where you explicitly have to add a @code{\book} block, otherwise only
166 the first @code{\score} or @code{\markup} will appear in the output.
168 The header for each piece of music can be put inside the @code{\score}
169 block. The @code{piece} name from the header will be printed before
170 each movement. The title for the entire book can be put inside the
171 @code{\book}, but if it is not present, the @code{\header} which is at
172 the top of the file is inserted.
176 title = "Eight miniatures"
177 composer = "Igor Stravinsky"
181 \header @{ piece = "Romanze" @}
184 ..text of second verse..
187 ..text of third verse..
191 \header @{ piece = "Menuetto" @}
197 Pieces of music may be grouped into book parts using @code{\bookpart}
198 blocks. Book parts are separated by a page break, and can start with a
199 title, like the book itself, by specifying a @code{\header} block.
205 subtitle = "First part"
212 subtitle = "Second part"
219 @node Multiple output files from one input file
220 @subsection Multiple output files from one input file
222 If you want multiple output files from the same .ly file, then you can
223 add multiple @code{\book} blocks, where each such \book block will
224 result in a separate output file. If you do not specify any
225 @code{\book} block in the input file, LilyPond will implicitly treat
226 the whole file as a single \book block, see @ref{File structure}.
228 When producing multiple files from a single source file, Lilypond
229 ensures that none of the output files from any @code{\book} block
230 overwrites the output file produced by a preceding @code{\book} from
233 It does this by adding a suffix to the output name for each
234 @code{\book} which uses the default output file name derived from the
237 The default behaviour is to append a version-number suffix for each
238 name which may clash, so
243 \layout @{ @dots{} @}
247 \layout @{ @dots{} @}
251 \layout @{ @dots{} @}
255 in source file @file{eightminiatures.ly}
260 @file{eightminiatures.pdf},
262 @file{eightminiatures-1.pdf} and
264 @file{eightminiatures-2.pdf}.
267 @node Output file names
268 @subsection Output file names
270 @funindex \bookOutputSuffix
271 @funindex \bookOutputName
273 Lilypond provides facilities to allow you to control what file names
274 are used by the various back-ends when producing output files.
276 In the previous section, we saw how Lilypond prevents name-clashes when
277 producing several ouputs from a single source file. You also have the
278 ability to specify your own suffixes for each @code{\book} block, so
279 for example you can produce files called
280 @file{eightminiatures-Romanze.pdf}, @file{eightminiatures-Menuetto.pdf}
281 and @file{eightminiatures-Nocturne.pdf} by adding a
282 @code{\bookOutputSuffix} declaration inside each @code{\book} block.
286 \bookOutputSuffix "Romanze"
288 \layout @{ @dots{} @}
291 \bookOutputSuffix "Menuetto"
293 \layout @{ @dots{} @}
296 \bookOutputSuffix "Nocturne"
298 \layout @{ @dots{} @}
302 You can also specify a different output filename for @code{book} block,
303 by using @code{\bookOutputName} declarations
307 \bookOutputName "Romanze"
309 \layout @{ @dots{} @}
312 \bookOutputName "Menuetto"
314 \layout @{ @dots{} @}
317 \bookOutputName "Nocturne"
319 \layout @{ @dots{} @}
323 The file above will produce these output files:
329 @file{Menuetto.pdf} and
336 @subsection File structure
346 A @code{.ly} file may contain any number of toplevel expressions, where a
347 toplevel expression is one of the following:
351 An output definition, such as @code{\paper}, @code{\midi}, and
352 @code{\layout}. Such a definition at the toplevel changes the default
353 book-wide settings. If more than one such definition of
354 the same type is entered at the top level any definitions in the later
355 expressions have precedence.
358 A direct scheme expression, such as
359 @code{#(set-default-paper-size "a7" 'landscape)} or
360 @code{#(ly:set-option 'point-and-click #f)}.
363 A @code{\header} block. This sets the global header block. This
364 is the block containing the definitions for book-wide settings, like
365 composer, title, etc.
368 A @code{\score} block. This score will be collected with other
369 toplevel scores, and combined as a single @code{\book}.
370 This behavior can be changed by setting the variable
371 @code{toplevel-score-handler} at toplevel. The default handler is
372 defined in the init file @file{../@/scm/@/lily@/.scm}.
375 A @code{\book} block logically combines multiple movements
376 (i.e., multiple @code{\score} blocks) in one document. If there
377 are a number of @code{\score}s, one output file will be created
378 for each @code{\book} block, in which all corresponding movements
379 are concatenated. The only reason to explicitly specify
380 @code{\book} blocks in a @code{.ly} file is if you wish to create
381 multiple output files from a single input file. One exception is
382 within lilypond-book documents, where you explicitly have to add
383 a @code{\book} block if you want more than a single @code{\score}
384 or @code{\markup} in the same example. This behavior can be
385 changed by setting the variable @code{toplevel-book-handler} at
386 toplevel. The default handler is defined in the init file
387 @file{../@/scm/@/lily@/.scm}.
390 A @code{\bookpart} block. A book may be divided into several parts,
391 using @code{\bookpart} blocks, in order to ease the page breaking,
392 or to use different @code{\paper} settings in different parts.
395 A compound music expression, such as
400 This will add the piece in a @code{\score} and format it in a
401 single book together with all other toplevel @code{\score}s and music
402 expressions. In other words, a file containing only the above
403 music expression will be translated into
419 This behavior can be changed by setting the variable
420 @code{toplevel-music-handler} at toplevel. The default handler is
421 defined in the init file @file{../@/scm/@/lily@/.scm}.
424 A markup text, a verse for example
427 2. The first line verse two.
431 Markup texts are rendered above, between or below the scores or music
432 expressions, wherever they appear.
442 This can be used later on in the file by entering @code{\foo}. The
443 name of a variable should have alphabetic characters only; no
444 numbers, underscores or dashes.
448 The following example shows three things that may be entered at
453 % Don't justify the output
465 At any point in a file, any of the following lexical instructions can
469 @item @code{\version}
470 @item @code{\include}
471 @item @code{\sourcefilename}
472 @item @code{\sourcefileline}
474 A single-line comment, introduced by a leading @code{%} sign.
477 A multi-line comment delimited by @code{%@{ .. %@}}.
483 Whitespace between items in the input stream is generally ignored,
484 and may be freely omitted or extended to enhance readability.
485 However, whitespace should always be used in the following
486 circumstances to avoid errors:
489 @item Around every opening and closing curly bracket.
490 @item After every command or variable, i.e. every item that
491 begins with a @code{\} sign.
492 @item After every item that is to be interpreted as a Scheme
493 expression, i.e. every item that begins with a @code{#} sign.
494 @item To separate all elements of a Scheme expression.
495 @item In @code{lyricmode} to separate all the terms in both
496 @code{\override} and @code{\set} commands. In particular, spaces
497 must be used around the dot and the equals sign in commands like
498 @code{\override Score . LyricText #'font-size = #5} and before and
499 after the entire command.
506 @rlearning{How LilyPond input files work}.
509 @node Titles and headers
510 @section Titles and headers
512 Almost all printed music includes a title and the composer's name;
513 some pieces include a lot more information.
517 * Custom headers footers and titles::
518 * Reference to page numbers::
519 * Table of contents::
523 @node Creating titles
524 @subsection Creating titles
526 Titles are created for each @code{\score} block, as well as for the full
527 input file (or @code{\book} block) and book parts (created by
528 @code{\bookpart} blocks).
530 The contents of the titles are taken from the @code{\header} blocks.
531 The header block for a book supports the following
537 The dedicatee of the music, centered at the top of the first page.
541 The title of the music, centered just below the dedication.
545 Subtitle, centered below the title.
547 @funindex subsubtitle
549 Subsubtitle, centered below the subtitle.
553 Name of the poet, flush-left below the subsubtitle.
557 Name of the instrument, centered below the subsubtitle. Also
558 centered at the top of pages (other than the first page).
562 Name of the composer, flush-right below the subsubtitle.
566 Meter string, flush-left below the poet.
570 Name of the arranger, flush-right below the composer.
574 Name of the piece, flush-left below the meter.
578 Name of the opus, flush-right below the arranger.
580 @cindex page breaks, forcing
581 @funindex breakbefore
583 This forces the title to start on a new page (set to ##t or ##f).
587 Copyright notice, centered at the bottom of the first page. To
588 insert the copyright symbol, see @ref{Text encoding}.
592 Centered at the bottom of the last page.
596 Here is a demonstration of the fields available. Note that you
597 may use any @ref{Formatting text}, commands in the header.
599 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,line-width=11.0\cm]
602 paper-height = 10.0\cm
607 dedication = "dedicated to me"
608 title = \markup \center-column { "Title first line" "Title second line,
610 subtitle = "the subtitle,"
611 subsubtitle = #(string-append "subsubtitle LilyPond version "
614 composer = \markup \center-column { "composer" \small "(1847-1973)" }
615 texttranslator = "Text Translator"
616 meter = \markup { \teeny "m" \tiny "e" \normalsize "t" \large "e" \huge
618 arranger = \markup { \fontsize #8.5 "a" \fontsize #2.5 "r" \fontsize
619 #-2.5 "r" \fontsize #-5.3 "a" \fontsize #7.5 "nger" }
620 instrument = \markup \bold \italic "instrument"
644 As demonstrated before, you can use multiple @code{\header} blocks.
645 When same fields appear in different blocks, the latter is used.
646 Here is a short example.
650 composer = "Composer"
658 piece = "New piece" % overwrite previous one
663 If you define the @code{\header} inside the @code{\score} block, then
664 normally only the @code{piece} and @code{opus} headers will be printed.
665 Note that the music expression must come before the @code{\header}.
667 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,line-width=11.0\cm]
671 title = "title" % not printed
678 @funindex print-all-headers
680 You may change this behavior (and print all the headers when defining
681 @code{\header} inside @code{\score}) by using
685 print-all-headers = ##t
692 The default footer is empty, except for the first page, where the
693 @code{copyright} field from @code{\header} is inserted, and the last
694 page, where @code{tagline} from @code{\header} is added. The default
695 tagline is @qq{Music engraving by LilyPond (@var{version})}.@footnote{Nicely
696 printed parts are good PR for us, so please leave the tagline if you
699 Headers may be completely removed by setting them to false.
709 @node Custom headers footers and titles
710 @subsection Custom headers, footers, and titles
712 A more advanced option is to change the definitions of the following
713 variables in the @code{\paper} block. The init file
714 @file{../@/ly/@/titling@/-init@/.ly} lists the default layout.
717 @funindex bookTitleMarkup
718 @item bookTitleMarkup
719 This is the title added at the top of the entire output document.
720 Typically, it has the composer and the title of the piece
722 @funindex scoreTitleMarkup
723 @item scoreTitleMarkup
724 This is the title put over a @code{\score} block. Typically, it has
725 the name of the movement (@code{piece} field).
727 @funindex oddHeaderMarkup
728 @item oddHeaderMarkup
729 This is the page header for odd-numbered pages.
731 @funindex evenHeaderMarkup
732 @item evenHeaderMarkup
733 This is the page header for even-numbered pages. If unspecified,
734 the odd header is used instead.
736 By default, headers are defined such that the page number is on the
737 outside edge, and the instrument is centered.
739 @funindex oddFooterMarkup
740 @item oddFooterMarkup
741 This is the page footer for odd-numbered pages.
743 @funindex evenFooterMarkup
744 @item evenFooterMarkup
745 This is the page footer for even-numbered pages. If unspecified,
746 the odd header is used instead.
748 By default, the footer has the copyright notice on the first, and
749 the tagline on the last page.
759 The following definition will put the title flush left, and the
760 composer flush right on a single line.
764 bookTitleMarkup = \markup @{
766 \fromproperty #'header:title
767 \fromproperty #'header:composer
773 The header and footer are created by the functions
774 @code{make-header} and @code{make-footer}, defined in
775 @code{\paper}. The default implementations are in
776 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly} and @file{ly/titling-init.ly}.
778 This example centers page numbers at the bottom of every page.
782 print-page-number = ##t
783 print-first-page-number = ##t
784 oddHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
785 evenHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
786 oddFooterMarkup = \markup @{
789 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
790 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string
793 evenFooterMarkup = \markup @{
796 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
797 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string
804 @node Reference to page numbers
805 @subsection Reference to page numbers
807 A particular place of a score can be marked using the @code{\label}
808 command, either at top-level or inside music. This label can then be
809 referred to in a markup, to get the number of the page where the marked
810 point is placed, using the @code{\page-ref} markup command.
812 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=11.0\cm]
813 \header { tagline = ##f }
819 \pageBreak \mark A \label #'markA
824 \markup { The first score begins on page \page-ref #'firstScore "0" "?" }
825 \markup { Mark A is on page \page-ref #'markA "0" "?" }
829 The @code{\page-ref} markup command takes three arguments:
831 @item the label, a scheme symbol, eg. @code{#'firstScore};
832 @item a markup that will be used as a gauge to estimate the dimensions
834 @item a markup that will be used in place of the page number if the label
838 The reason why a gauge is needed is that, at the time markups are
839 interpreted, the page breaking has not yet occurred, so the page numbers
840 are not yet known. To work around this issue, the actual markup
841 interpretation is delayed to a later time; however, the dimensions of
842 the markup have to be known before, so a gauge is used to decide these
843 dimensions. If the book has between 10 and 99 pages, it may be "00",
844 ie. a two digit number.
855 @node Table of contents
856 @subsection Table of contents
857 A table of contents is included using the @code{\markuplines \table-of-contents}
858 command. The elements which should appear in the table of contents are
859 entered with the @code{\tocItem} command, which may be used either at
860 top-level, or inside a music expression.
863 \markuplines \table-of-contents
866 \tocItem \markup "First score"
870 \tocItem \markup "Some particular point in the first score"
875 \tocItem \markup "Second score"
883 The markups which are used to format the table of contents are defined
884 in the @code{\paper} block. The default ones are @code{tocTitleMarkup},
885 for formatting the title of the table, and @code{tocItemMarkup}, for
886 formatting the toc elements, composed of the element title and page
887 number. These variables may be changed by the user:
891 %% Translate the toc title into French:
892 tocTitleMarkup = \markup \huge \column {
893 \fill-line { \null "Table des matières" \null }
896 %% use larger font size
897 tocItemMarkup = \markup \large \fill-line {
898 \fromproperty #'toc:text \fromproperty #'toc:page
903 Note how the toc element text and page number are referred to in
904 the @code{tocItemMarkup} definition.
906 New commands and markups may also be defined to build more elaborated
909 @item first, define a new markup variable in the @code{\paper} block
910 @item then, define a music function which aims at adding a toc element
911 using this markup paper variable.
914 In the following example, a new style is defined for entering act names
915 in the table of contents of an opera:
919 tocActMarkup = \markup \large \column {
921 \fill-line { \null \italic \fromproperty #'toc:text \null }
927 #(define-music-function (parser location text) (markup?)
928 (add-toc-item! 'tocActMarkup text))
931 @lilypond[line-width=11.0\cm]
932 \header { tagline = ##f }
934 tocActMarkup = \markup \large \column {
936 \fill-line { \null \italic \fromproperty #'toc:text \null }
942 #(define-music-function (parser location text) (markup?)
943 (add-toc-item! 'tocActMarkup text))
946 \markuplines \table-of-contents
947 \tocAct \markup { Atto Primo }
948 \tocItem \markup { Coro. Viva il nostro Alcide }
949 \tocItem \markup { Cesare. Presti omai l'Egizzia terra }
950 \tocAct \markup { Atto Secondo }
951 \tocItem \markup { Sinfonia }
952 \tocItem \markup { Cleopatra. V'adoro, pupille, saette d'Amore }
959 Init files: @file{../@/ly/@/toc@/-init@/.ly}.
963 @funindex \table-of-contents
964 @code{\table-of-contents},
970 @node Working with input files
971 @section Working with input files
974 * Including LilyPond files::
975 * Different editions from one source::
977 * Displaying LilyPond notation::
981 @node Including LilyPond files
982 @subsection Including LilyPond files
985 @cindex including files
987 A large project may be split up into separate files. To refer to
991 \include "otherfile.ly"
994 The line @code{\include "otherfile.ly"} is equivalent to pasting the
995 contents of @file{otherfile.ly} into the current file at the place
996 where the @code{\include} appears. For example, in a large
997 project you might write separate files for each instrument part
998 and create a @qq{full score} file which brings together the
999 individual instrument files. Normally the included file will
1000 define a number of variables which then become available
1001 for use in the full score file. Tagged sections can be
1002 marked in included files to assist in making them usable in
1003 different places in a score, see @ref{Different editions from
1006 Files in the current working directory may be referenced by
1007 specifying just the file name after the @code{\include} command.
1008 Files in other locations may be included by giving either a full
1009 path reference or a relative path reference (but use the UNIX
1010 forward slash, /, rather than the DOS/Windows back slash, \, as the
1011 directory separator.) For example, if @file{stuff.ly} is located
1012 one directory higher than the current working directory, use
1015 \include "../stuff.ly"
1019 or if the included orchestral parts files are all located in a
1020 subdirectory called @file{parts} within the current directory, use
1023 \include "parts/VI.ly"
1024 \include "parts/VII.ly"
1028 Files which are to be included can also contain @code{\include}
1029 statements of their own. By default, these second-level
1030 @code{\include} statements are not interpreted until they have
1031 been brought into the main file, so the file names they specify
1032 must all be relative to the directory containing the main file,
1033 not the directory containing the included file. However,
1034 this behavior can be changed by passing the option
1035 @code{-drelative-includes} option at the command line
1036 (or by adding @code{#(ly:set-option 'relative-includes #t)}
1037 at the top of the main input file). With @code{relative-includes}
1038 set, the path for each @code{\include} command will be taken
1039 relative to the file containing that command. This behavior is
1040 recommended and it will become the default behavior in a future
1041 version of lilypond.
1043 Files can also be included from a directory in a search path
1044 specified as an option when invoking LilyPond from the command
1045 line. The included files are then specified using just their
1046 file name. For example, to compile @file{main.ly} which includes
1047 files located in a subdirectory called @file{parts} by this method,
1048 cd to the directory containing @file{main.ly} and enter
1051 lilypond --include=parts main.ly
1054 and in main.ly write
1062 Files which are to be included in many scores may be placed in
1063 the LilyPond directory @file{../ly}. (The location of this
1064 directory is installation-dependent - see
1065 @rlearning{Other sources of information}). These files can then
1066 be included simply by naming them on an @code{\include} statement.
1067 This is how the language-dependent files like @file{english.ly} are
1070 LilyPond includes a number of files by default when you start
1071 the program. These includes are not apparent to the user, but the
1072 files may be identified by running @code{lilypond --verbose} from
1073 the command line. This will display a list of paths and files that
1074 LilyPond uses, along with much other information. Alternatively,
1075 the more important of these files are discussed in
1076 @rlearning{Other sources of information}. These files may be
1077 edited, but changes to them will be lost on installing a new
1078 version of LilyPond.
1080 Some simple examples of using @code{\include} are shown in
1081 @rlearning{Scores and parts}.
1086 @rlearning{Other sources of information},
1087 @rlearning{Scores and parts}.
1092 If an included file is given a name which is the same as one in
1093 LilyPond's installation files, LilyPond's file from the
1094 installation files takes precedence.
1098 @node Different editions from one source
1099 @subsection Different editions from one source
1101 Several mechanisms are available to facilitate the generation
1102 of different versions of a score from the same music source.
1103 Variables are perhaps most useful for combining lengthy sections
1104 of music and/or annotation in various ways, while tags are more
1105 useful for selecting one from several alternative shorter sections
1106 of music. Whichever method is used, separating the notation from
1107 the structure of the score will make it easier to change the
1108 structure while leaving the notation untouched.
1115 @node Using variables
1116 @unnumberedsubsubsec Using variables
1118 @cindex variables, use of
1120 If sections of the music are defined in variables they can be
1121 reused in different parts of the score, see @rlearning{Organizing
1122 pieces with variables}. For example, an @notation{a cappella}
1123 vocal score frequently includes a piano reduction of the parts
1124 for rehearsal purposes which is identical to the vocal music, so
1125 the music need be entered only once. Music from two variables
1126 may be combined on one staff, see @ref{Automatic part combining}.
1129 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
1130 sopranoMusic = \relative c'' { a4 b c b8( a) }
1131 altoMusic = \relative g' { e4 e e f }
1132 tenorMusic = \relative c' { c4 b e d8( c) }
1133 bassMusic = \relative c' { a4 gis a d, }
1134 allLyrics = \lyricmode {King of glo -- ry }
1136 \new Staff = "Soprano" \sopranoMusic
1137 \new Lyrics \allLyrics
1138 \new Staff = "Alto" \altoMusic
1139 \new Lyrics \allLyrics
1140 \new Staff = "Tenor" {
1144 \new Lyrics \allLyrics
1145 \new Staff = "Bass" {
1149 \new Lyrics \allLyrics
1152 \set Staff.printPartCombineTexts = ##f
1158 \set Staff.printPartCombineTexts = ##f
1168 Separate scores showing just the vocal parts or just the piano
1169 part can be produced by changing just the structural statements,
1170 leaving the musical notation unchanged.
1172 For lengthy scores, the variable definitions may be placed in
1173 separate files which are then included, see @ref{Including
1177 @unnumberedsubsubsec Using tags
1180 @funindex \keepWithTag
1181 @funindex \removeWithTag
1183 @cindex keep tagged music
1184 @cindex remove tagged music
1186 The @code{\tag #'@var{partA}} command marks a music expression
1187 with the name @var{partA}.
1188 Expressions tagged in this way can be selected or filtered out by
1189 name later, using either @code{\keepWithTag #'@var{name}} or
1190 @code{\removeWithTag #'@var{name}}. The result of applying these filters
1191 to tagged music is as follows:
1192 @multitable @columnfractions .5 .5
1196 Tagged music preceded by @code{\keepWithTag #'@var{name}}
1197 @tab Untagged music and music tagged with @var{name} is included;
1198 music tagged with any other tag name is excluded.
1200 Tagged music preceded by @code{\removeWithTag #'@var{name}}
1201 @tab Untagged music and music tagged with any tag name other than
1202 @var{name} is included; music tagged with @var{name} is
1205 Tagged music not preceded by either @code{\keepWithTag} or
1206 @code{\removeWithTag}
1207 @tab All tagged and untagged music is included.
1210 The arguments of the @code{\tag}, @code{\keepWithTag} and
1211 @code{\removeWithTag} commands should be a symbol
1212 (such as @code{#'score} or @code{#'part}), followed
1213 by a music expression.
1215 In the following example, we see two versions of a piece of music,
1216 one showing trills with the usual notation, and one with trills
1217 explicitly expanded:
1219 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
1220 music = \relative g' {
1222 \tag #'trills { d8.\trill }
1223 \tag #'expand { \repeat unfold 3 { e32 d } }
1228 \keepWithTag #'trills \music
1231 \keepWithTag #'expand \music
1236 Alternatively, it is sometimes easier to exclude sections of music:
1238 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
1239 music = \relative g' {
1241 \tag #'trills { d8.\trill }
1242 \tag #'expand {\repeat unfold 3 { e32 d } }
1247 \removeWithTag #'expand
1251 \removeWithTag #'trills
1256 Tagged filtering can be applied to articulations, texts, etc. by
1260 -\tag #'@var{your-tag}
1263 to an articulation. For example, this would define a note with a
1264 conditional fingering indication and a note with a conditional
1269 c1-\tag #'warn ^"Watch!"
1272 Multiple tags may be placed on expressions with multiple
1273 @code{\tag} entries:
1275 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1276 music = \relative c'' {
1277 \tag #'a \tag #'both { a4 a a a }
1278 \tag #'b \tag #'both { b4 b b b }
1281 \keepWithTag #'a \music
1282 \keepWithTag #'b \music
1283 \keepWithTag #'both \music
1287 Multiple @code{\removeWithTag} filters may be applied to a single
1288 music expression to remove several differently named tagged sections:
1290 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
1291 music = \relative c'' {
1292 \tag #'A { a4 a a a }
1293 \tag #'B { b4 b b b }
1294 \tag #'C { c4 c c c }
1295 \tag #'D { d4 d d d }
1304 Two or more @code{\keepWithTag} filters applied to a single music
1305 expression will cause @emph{all} tagged sections to be removed, as
1306 the first filter will remove all tagged sections except the one
1307 named, and the second filter will remove even that tagged section.
1312 @rlearning{Organizing pieces with variables}.
1315 @ref{Automatic part combining},
1316 @ref{Including LilyPond files}.
1320 @c This warning is more general than this placement implies.
1321 @c Rests are not merged whether or not they come from tagged sections.
1322 @c Should be deleted? -td
1326 Multiple rests are not merged if you create a score with more
1327 than one tagged section at the same place.
1332 @subsection Text encoding
1336 @cindex non-ASCII characters
1338 LilyPond uses the character repertoire defined by the Unicode
1339 consortium and ISO/IEC 10646. This defines a unique name and
1340 code point for the character sets used in virtually all modern
1341 languages and many others too. Unicode can be implemented using
1342 several different encodings. LilyPond uses the UTF-8 encoding
1343 (UTF stands for Unicode Transformation Format) which represents
1344 all common Latin characters in one byte, and represents other
1345 characters using a variable length format of up to four bytes.
1347 The actual appearance of the characters is determined by the
1348 glyphs defined in the particular fonts available - a font defines
1349 the mapping of a subset of the Unicode code points to glyphs.
1350 LilyPond uses the Pango library to layout and render multi-lingual
1353 LilyPond does not perform any input-encoding conversions. This
1354 means that any text, be it title, lyric text, or musical
1355 instruction containing non-ASCII characters, must be encoded in
1356 UTF-8. The easiest way to enter such text is by using a
1357 Unicode-aware editor and saving the file with UTF-8 encoding. Most
1358 popular modern editors have UTF-8 support, for example, vim, Emacs,
1359 jEdit, and GEdit do. All MS Windows systems later than NT use
1360 Unicode as their native character encoding, so even Notepad can
1361 edit and save a file in UTF-8 format. A more functional
1362 alternative for Windows is BabelPad.
1364 If a LilyPond input file containing a non-ASCII character is not
1365 saved in UTF-8 format the error message
1368 FT_Get_Glyph_Name () error: invalid argument
1373 Here is an example showing Cyrillic, Hebrew and Portuguese
1377 %c No verbatim here as the code does not display correctly in PDF
1379 bulgarian = \lyricmode {
1380 Жълтата дюля беше щастлива, че пухът, който цъфна, замръзна като гьон.
1384 hebrew = \lyricmode {
1385 זה כיף סתם לשמוע איך תנצח קרפד עץ טוב בגן.
1389 portuguese = \lyricmode {
1390 à vo -- cê uma can -- ção legal
1396 \addlyrics { \bulgarian }
1397 \addlyrics { \hebrew }
1398 \addlyrics { \portuguese }
1401 To enter a single character for which the Unicode code point is
1402 known but which is not available in the editor being used, use
1403 either @code{\char ##xhhhh} or @code{\char #dddd} within a
1404 @code{\markup} block, where @code{hhhh} is the hexadecimal code for
1405 the character required and @code{dddd} is the corresponding decimal
1406 value. Leading zeroes may be omitted, but it is usual to specify
1407 all four characters in the hexadecimal representation. (Note that
1408 the UTF-8 encoding of the code point should @emph{not} be used
1409 after @code{\char}, as UTF-8 encodings contain extra bits indicating
1410 the number of octets.) Unicode code charts and a character name
1411 index giving the code point in hexadecimal for any character can be
1412 found on the Unicode Consortium website,
1413 @uref{http://www.unicode.org/}.
1415 For example, @code{\char ##x03BE} and @code{\char #958} would both
1416 enter the Unicode U+03BE character, which has the Unicode name
1417 @qq{Greek Small Letter Xi}.
1419 Any Unicode code point may be entered in this way and if all special
1420 characters are entered in this format it is not necessary to save
1421 the input file in UTF-8 format. Of course, a font containing all
1422 such encoded characters must be installed and available to LilyPond.
1424 The following example shows Unicode hexadecimal values being entered
1425 in four places -- in a rehearsal mark, as articulation text, in
1426 lyrics and as stand-alone text below the score:
1428 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1431 c1 \mark \markup { \char ##x03EE }
1432 c1_\markup { \tiny { \char ##x03B1 " to " \char ##x03C9 } }
1434 \addlyrics { O \markup { \concat { Ph \char ##x0153 be! } } }
1436 \markup { "Copyright 2008--2010" \char ##x00A9 }
1439 @cindex copyright sign
1441 To enter the copyright sign in the copyright notice use:
1445 copyright = \markup @{ \char ##x00A9 "2008" @}
1449 @node Displaying LilyPond notation
1450 @subsection Displaying LilyPond notation
1452 @funindex \displayLilyMusic
1453 Displaying a music expression in LilyPond notation can be
1454 done with the music function @code{\displayLilyMusic} but only when
1455 using the command line. For example,
1459 \displayLilyMusic \transpose c a, @{ c4 e g a bes @}
1466 @{ a,4 cis e fis g @}
1469 By default, LilyPond will print these messages to the console
1470 along with all the other LilyPond compilation messages. To split
1471 up these messages and save the results of @code{\display@{STUFF@}},
1472 redirect the output to a file.
1475 lilypond file.ly >display.txt
1480 @node Controlling output
1481 @section Controlling output
1484 * Extracting fragments of music::
1485 * Skipping corrected music::
1486 * Alternative output formats::
1487 * Replacing the notation font::
1490 @node Extracting fragments of music
1491 @subsection Extracting fragments of music
1493 It is possible to quote small fragments of a large score directly from
1494 the output. This can be compared to clipping a piece of a paper score
1497 This is done by defining the measures that need to be cut out
1498 separately. For example, including the following definition
1506 (make-rhythmic-location 5 1 2)
1507 (make-rhythmic-location 7 3 4)))
1512 will extract a fragment starting halfway the fifth measure, ending in
1513 the seventh measure. The meaning of @code{5 1 2} is: after a 1/2 note
1514 in measure 5, and @code{7 3 4} after 3 quarter notes in measure 7.
1516 More clip regions can be defined by adding more pairs of
1517 rhythmic-locations to the list.
1519 In order to use this feature, LilyPond must be invoked with
1520 @code{-dclip-systems}. The clips are output as EPS files, and are
1521 converted to PDF and PNG if these formats are switched on as well.
1523 For more information on output formats, see @rprogram{Invoking lilypond}.
1525 @node Skipping corrected music
1526 @subsection Skipping corrected music
1529 @funindex skipTypesetting
1530 @funindex showFirstLength
1531 @funindex showLastLength
1533 When entering or copying music, usually only the music near the end (where
1535 are adding notes) is interesting to view and correct. To speed up
1536 this correction process, it is possible to skip typesetting of all but
1537 the last few measures. This is achieved by putting
1540 showLastLength = R1*5
1545 in your source file. This will render only the last 5 measures
1546 (assuming 4/4 time signature) of every @code{\score} in the input
1547 file. For longer pieces, rendering only a small part is often an order
1548 of magnitude quicker than rendering it completely. When working on the
1549 beginning of a score you have already typeset (e.g. to add a new part),
1550 the @code{showFirstLength} property may be useful as well.
1552 Skipping parts of a score can be controlled in a more fine-grained
1553 fashion with the property @code{Score.skipTypesetting}. When it is
1554 set, no typesetting is performed at all.
1556 This property is also used to control output to the MIDI file. Note that
1557 it skips all events, including tempo and instrument changes. You have
1560 @lilypond[quote,relative=2,ragged-right,verbatim]
1562 \set Score.skipTypesetting = ##t
1564 \set Score.skipTypesetting = ##f
1568 In polyphonic music, @code{Score.skipTypesetting} will affect all
1569 voices and staves, saving even more time.
1571 @node Alternative output formats
1572 @subsection Alternative output formats
1574 @cindex scalable vector graphics output
1576 @cindex encapsulated postscript output
1579 The default output formats for the printed score are Portable
1580 Document Format (PDF) and PostScript (PS). Scalable Vector
1581 Graphics (SVG), Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) and Portable
1582 Network Graphics (PNG) output formats are also available through
1583 command line options, see @rprogram{Command line options for
1587 @node Replacing the notation font
1588 @subsection Replacing the notation font
1590 Gonville is an alternative to the Feta font used in LilyPond and can
1593 @uref{http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/gonville/ ,http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/gonville/}
1596 Here are a few sample bars of music set in Gonville:
1598 @c NOTE: these images are a bit big, but that's important
1599 @c for the font comparison. -gp
1600 @sourceimage{Gonville_after,,,}
1602 Here are a few sample bars of music set in LilyPond's Feta font:
1604 @sourceimage{Gonville_before,,,}
1606 @subsubheading Installation Instructions for MacOS
1608 Download and extract the zip file. Copy the @code{lilyfonts}
1609 directory to @file{@var{SHARE_DIR}/lilypond/current}; for more
1610 information, see @rlearning{Other sources of information}.
1611 Move the existing @code{fonts} directory to @code{fonts_orig} and
1612 move the @code{lilyfonts} directory to @code{fonts}. Simply move
1613 @code{fonts_orig} back to @code{fonts} to revert back to Feta.
1616 Learning Manual: @rlearning{Other sources of information}.
1620 Gonville cannot be used to typeset @q{Ancient Music} notation. Please
1621 refer to the author's website for more information on this and other
1622 specifics including licensing of Gonville.
1626 @section MIDI output
1631 MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a standard for
1632 connecting and controlling digital instruments. A MIDI file is a
1633 series of notes in a number of tracks. It is not an actual
1634 sound file; you need special software to translate between the
1635 series of notes and actual sounds.
1637 Pieces of music can be converted to MIDI files, so you can listen to
1638 what was entered. This is convenient for checking the music; octaves
1639 that are off or accidentals that were mistyped stand out very much
1640 when listening to the MIDI output.
1643 The midi output allocates a channel for each staff, and one for global
1644 settings. Therefore the midi file should not have more than 15 staves
1645 (or 14 if you do not use drums). Other staves will remain silent.
1648 * Creating MIDI files::
1650 * What goes into the MIDI output?::
1652 * Controlling MIDI dynamics::
1653 * Percussion in MIDI::
1656 @node Creating MIDI files
1657 @subsection Creating MIDI files
1659 To create a MIDI output file from a LilyPond input file, add a
1660 @code{\midi} block to a score, for example,
1669 If there is a @code{\midi} block in a @code{\score} with no
1670 @code{\layout} block, only MIDI output will be produced. When
1671 notation is needed too, a @code{\layout} block must also be
1682 Pitches, rhythms, ties, dynamics, and tempo changes are interpreted
1683 and translated correctly to the MIDI output. Dynamic marks,
1684 crescendi and decrescendi translate into MIDI volume levels.
1685 Dynamic marks translate to a fixed fraction of the available MIDI
1686 volume range. Crescendi and decrescendi make the volume vary
1687 linearly between their two extremes. The effect of dynamic markings
1688 on the MIDI output can be removed completely, see @ref{MIDI block}.
1690 The initial tempo and later tempo changes can be specified
1691 with the @code{\tempo} command within the music notation. These
1692 are reflected in tempo changes in the MIDI output. This command
1693 will normally result in the metronome mark being printed, but this
1694 can be suppressed, see @ref{Metronome marks}. An alternative way
1695 of specifying the initial or overall MIDI tempo is described below,
1696 see @ref{MIDI block}.
1698 Due to some limitations on Windows, the default extension for
1699 MIDI files on Windows is @code{.mid}. Other operating systems still
1700 use the extension @code{.midi}. If a different extension is preferred,
1701 insert the following line at the top-level of the input file,
1702 before the start of any @code{\book}, @code{\bookpart} or @code{\score} blocks:
1705 #(ly:set-option 'midi-extension "midi")
1708 The line above will set the default extension for MIDI files to
1711 Alternatively, this option can also be supplied on the command line:
1714 lilypond … -dmidi-extension=midi lilyFile.ly
1718 @unnumberedsubsubsec Instrument names
1720 @cindex instrument names
1721 @funindex Staff.midiInstrument
1723 The MIDI instrument to be used is specified by setting the
1724 @code{Staff.midiInstrument} property to the instrument name.
1725 The name should be chosen from the list in @ref{MIDI instruments}.
1729 \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"glockenspiel"
1735 \new Staff \with @{midiInstrument = #"cello"@} @{
1740 If the selected instrument does not exactly match an instrument from
1741 the list of MIDI instruments, the Grand Piano (@code{"acoustic grand"})
1747 @lilypondfile[verbatim,lilyquote,ragged-right,texidoc,doctitle]
1748 {changing-midi-output-to-one-channel-per-voice.ly}
1752 @c In 2.11 the following no longer seems to be a problem -td
1754 Unterminated (de)crescendos will not render properly in the midi file,
1755 resulting in silent passages of music. The workaround is to explicitly
1756 terminate the (de)crescendo. For example,
1763 will not work properly but
1766 @{ a4\< b c d\!\f @}
1773 Changes in the MIDI volume take place only on starting a note, so
1774 crescendi and decrescendi cannot affect the volume of a
1777 Not all midi players correctly handle tempo changes in the midi
1778 output. Players that are known to work include MS Windows Media
1779 Player and @uref{http://@/timidity@/.sourceforge@/.net/,timidity}.
1782 @subsection MIDI block
1785 A @code{\midi} block must appear within a score block if MIDI output
1786 is required. It is analogous to the layout block, but somewhat
1787 simpler. Often, the @code{\midi} block is left empty, but it
1788 can contain context rearrangements, new context definitions or code
1789 to set the values of properties. For example, the following will
1790 set the initial tempo exported to a MIDI file without causing a tempo
1791 indication to be printed:
1799 tempoWholesPerMinute = #(ly:make-moment 72 4)
1805 In this example the tempo is set to 72 quarter note
1806 beats per minute. This kind of tempo specification cannot take
1807 a dotted note length as an argument. If one is required, break
1808 the dotted note into smaller units. For example, a tempo of 90
1809 dotted quarter notes per minute can be specified as 270 eighth
1813 tempoWholesPerMinute = #(ly:make-moment 270 8)
1816 @cindex MIDI context definitions
1818 Context definitions follow precisely the same syntax as those
1819 within a @code{\layout} block. Translation modules for sound are
1820 called performers. The contexts for MIDI output are defined in
1821 @file{../@/ly/@/performer@/-init@/.ly},
1822 see @rlearning{Other sources of information}.
1823 For example, to remove the effect of dynamics
1824 from the MIDI output, insert the following lines in the
1825 @code{\midi@{ @}} block.
1832 \remove "Dynamic_performer"
1837 MIDI output is created only when a @code{\midi} block is included
1838 within a score block defined with a @code{\score} command.
1842 @{ @dots{}notes@dots{} @}
1847 @node What goes into the MIDI output?
1848 @subsection What goes into the MIDI output?
1850 @c TODO Check grace notes - timing is suspect?
1852 @unnumberedsubsubsec Supported in MIDI
1854 @cindex Pitches in MIDI
1855 @cindex MIDI, Pitches
1856 @cindex Quarter tones in MIDI
1857 @cindex MIDI, quarter tones
1858 @cindex Microtones in MIDI
1859 @cindex MIDI, microtones
1860 @cindex Chord names in MIDI
1861 @cindex MIDI, chord names
1862 @cindex Rhythms in MIDI
1863 @cindex MIDI, Rhythms
1866 The following items of notation are reflected in the MIDI output:
1870 @item Microtones (See @ref{Accidentals}. Rendering needs a
1871 player that supports pitch bend.)
1872 @item Chords entered as chord names
1873 @item Rhythms entered as note durations, including tuplets
1874 @item Tremolos entered without @q{@code{:}[@var{number}]}
1877 @item Crescendi, decrescendi over multiple notes
1878 @item Tempo changes entered with a tempo marking
1882 @unnumberedsubsubsec Unsupported in MIDI
1884 @c TODO index as above
1886 The following items of notation have no effect on the MIDI output:
1889 @item Rhythms entered as annotations, e.g. swing
1890 @item Tempo changes entered as annotations with no tempo marking
1891 @item Staccato and other articulations and ornamentations
1892 @item Slurs and Phrasing slurs
1893 @item Crescendi, decrescendi over a single note
1894 @item Tremolos entered with @q{@code{:}[@var{number}]}
1896 @item Microtonal chords
1900 @node Repeats in MIDI
1901 @subsection Repeats in MIDI
1903 @cindex repeats in MIDI
1904 @funindex \unfoldRepeats
1906 With a few minor additions, all types of repeats can be represented
1907 in the MIDI output. This is achieved by applying the
1908 @code{\unfoldRepeats} music function. This function changes all
1909 repeats to unfold repeats.
1911 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1913 \repeat tremolo 8 { c'32 e' }
1914 \repeat percent 2 { c''8 d'' }
1915 \repeat volta 2 { c'4 d' e' f' }
1924 When creating a score file using @code{\unfoldRepeats} for MIDI,
1925 it is necessary to make two @code{\score} blocks: one for MIDI
1926 (with unfolded repeats) and one for notation (with volta, tremolo,
1927 and percent repeats). For example,
1935 \unfoldRepeats @var{..music..}
1940 @node Controlling MIDI dynamics
1941 @subsection Controlling MIDI dynamics
1943 MIDI dynamics are implemented by the Dynamic_performer which lives
1944 by default in the Voice context. It is possible to control the
1945 overall MIDI volume, the relative volume of dynamic markings and
1946 the relative volume of different instruments.
1948 @unnumberedsubsubsec Dynamic marks
1950 Dynamic marks are translated to a fixed fraction of the available
1951 MIDI volume range. The default fractions range from 0.25 for
1952 @notation{ppppp} to 0.95 for @notation{fffff}. The set of dynamic
1953 marks and the associated fractions can be seen in
1954 @file{../@/scm/@/midi.scm}, see @rlearning{Other sources of information}.
1955 This set of fractions may be changed or extended by providing a
1956 function which takes a dynamic mark as its argument and returns the
1957 required fraction, and setting
1958 @code{Score.dynamicAbsoluteVolumeFunction} to this function.
1960 For example, if a @notation{rinforzando} dynamic marking,
1961 @code{\rfz}, is required, this will not by default
1962 have any effect on the MIDI volume, as this dynamic marking is not
1963 included in the default set. Similarly, if a new dynamic marking
1964 has been defined with @code{make-dynamic-script} that too will not
1965 be included in the default set. The following example shows how the
1966 MIDI volume for such dynamic markings might be added. The Scheme
1967 function sets the fraction to 0.9 if a dynamic mark of rfz is
1968 found, or calls the default function otherwise.
1970 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
1971 #(define (myDynamics dynamic)
1972 (if (equal? dynamic "rfz")
1974 (default-dynamic-absolute-volume dynamic)))
1978 \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"cello"
1979 \set Score.dynamicAbsoluteVolumeFunction = #myDynamics
1991 Alternatively, if the whole table of fractions needs to be
1992 redefined, it would be better to use the
1993 @notation{default-dynamic-absolute-volume} procedure in
1994 @file{../@/scm/@/midi.scm} and the associated table as a model.
1995 The final example in this section shows how this might be done.
1997 @unnumberedsubsubsec Overall MIDI volume
1999 The minimum and maximum overall volume of MIDI dynamic markings is
2000 controlled by setting the properties @code{midiMinimumVolume} and
2001 @code{midiMaximumVolume} at the @code{Score} level. These
2002 properties have an effect only on dynamic marks, so if they
2003 are to apply from the start of the score a dynamic mark must be
2004 placed there. The fraction corresponding to each dynamic mark is
2005 modified with this formula
2008 midiMinimumVolume + (midiMaximumVolume - midiMinimumVolume) * fraction
2011 In the following example the dynamic range of the overall MIDI
2012 volume is limited to the range 0.2 - 0.5.
2014 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2020 \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"flute"
2021 \new Voice \relative c''' {
2029 \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"clarinet"
2030 \new Voice \relative c'' {
2041 tempoWholesPerMinute = #(ly:make-moment 72 2)
2042 midiMinimumVolume = #0.2
2043 midiMaximumVolume = #0.5
2049 @unnumberedsubsubsec Equalizing different instruments (i)
2051 If the minimum and maximum MIDI volume properties are set in
2052 the @code{Staff} context the relative volumes of the MIDI
2053 instruments can be controlled. This gives a basic instrument
2054 equalizer, which can enhance the quality of the MIDI output
2057 In this example the volume of the clarinet is reduced relative
2058 to the volume of the flute. There must be a dynamic
2059 mark on the first note of each instrument for this to work
2062 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2068 \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"flute"
2069 \set Staff.midiMinimumVolume = #0.7
2070 \set Staff.midiMaximumVolume = #0.9
2071 \new Voice \relative c''' {
2079 \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"clarinet"
2080 \set Staff.midiMinimumVolume = #0.3
2081 \set Staff.midiMaximumVolume = #0.6
2082 \new Voice \relative c'' {
2093 tempoWholesPerMinute = #(ly:make-moment 72 2)
2099 @unnumberedsubsubsec Equalizing different instruments (ii)
2101 If the MIDI minimum and maximum volume properties are not set
2102 LilyPond will, by default, apply a small degree of equalization
2103 to a few instruments. The instruments and the equalization
2104 applied are shown in the table @notation{instrument-equalizer-alist}
2105 in @file{../@/scm/@/midi.scm}.
2107 This basic default equalizer can be replaced by setting
2108 @code{instrumentEqualizer} in the @code{Score} context to a new
2109 Scheme procedure which accepts a MIDI instrument name as its only
2110 argument and returns a pair of fractions giving the minimum and
2111 maximum volumes to be applied to that instrument. This replacement
2112 is done in the same way as shown for resetting the
2113 @code{dynamicAbsoluteVolumeFunction} at the start of this section.
2114 The default equalizer, @notation{default-instrument-equalizer}, in
2115 @file{../@/scm/@/midi.scm} shows how such a procedure might be written.
2117 The following example sets the relative flute and clarinet volumes
2118 to the same values as the previous example.
2120 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2121 #(define my-instrument-equalizer-alist '())
2123 #(set! my-instrument-equalizer-alist
2126 ("flute" . (0.7 . 0.9))
2127 ("clarinet" . (0.3 . 0.6)))
2128 my-instrument-equalizer-alist))
2130 #(define (my-instrument-equalizer s)
2131 (let ((entry (assoc s my-instrument-equalizer-alist)))
2140 \set Score.instrumentEqualizer = #my-instrument-equalizer
2141 \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"flute"
2142 \new Voice \relative c''' {
2150 \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"clarinet"
2151 \new Voice \relative c'' {
2162 tempoWholesPerMinute = #(ly:make-moment 72 2)
2169 @c Delete when satisfied this is adequately covered elsewhere -td
2171 @n ode Microtones in MIDI
2172 @s ubsection Microtones in MIDI
2174 @cindex microtones in MIDI
2176 Microtones consisting of half sharps and half flats are exported
2177 to the MIDI file and render correctly in MIDI players which support
2178 pitch bending. See @ref{Note names in other languages}. Here is
2179 an example showing all the half sharps and half flats. It can be
2180 copied out and compiled to test microtones in your MIDI player.
2182 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2199 @node Percussion in MIDI
2200 @subsection Percussion in MIDI
2202 Percussion instruments are generally notated in a @code{DrumStaff}
2203 context and when notated in this way they are outputted correctly
2204 to MIDI channel@tie{}10, but some pitched percussion instruments,
2205 like the xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, timpani, etc., are
2206 treated like @qq{normal} instruments and music for these instruments
2207 should be entered in a normal @code{Staff} context, not a
2208 @code{DrumStaff} context, to obtain the correct MIDI output.
2210 Some non-pitched percussion sounds included in the general MIDI
2211 standard, like melodic tom, taiko drum, synth drum, etc., cannot
2212 be reached via MIDI channel@tie{}10, so the notation for such
2213 instruments should also be entered in a normal @code{Staff}
2214 context, using suitable normal pitches.
2216 Many percussion instruments are not included in the general MIDI
2217 standard, e.g. castanets. The easiest, although unsatisfactory,
2218 method of producing some MIDI output when writing for such
2219 instruments is to substitute the nearest sound from the standard
2222 @c TODO Expand with examples, and any other issues
2226 Because the general MIDI standard does not contain rim shots, the
2227 sidestick is used for this purpose instead.