1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
4 Translation of GIT committish: FILL-IN-HEAD-COMMITTISH
6 When revising a translation, copy the HEAD committish of the
7 version that you are working on. For details, see the Contributors'
8 Guide, node Updating translation committishes..
16 Negative numbers are allowed:
17 > Are you sure? The following works well
19 > first-page-number = -2
21 > and prints page number -1 on the second page, for example.
24 In 5.2.1 the @refbugs (line 495 in spacing.itely on master) it
27 "@code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between
31 Could we add a sentence:
32 "Use instead the pair fontSize = #@var{N}
33 \override StaffSymbol #'staff-space = #(magstep
35 inside the Staff context to change the size of the font and the
37 staff lines accordingly."
39 Actually I found, that the @internalsref{StaffSymbol} at line 481
40 sends to an incomplete
41 documentation. The property staff-space is not explained here. I
42 thought Y-extent might be of
43 help, but it is in turn explained by x-space which again is
44 missing from the list. Who has the
45 knowledge to fix this?
49 http://code.google.com/p/lilypond/issues/detail?id=68
55 @chapter Spacing issues
57 The global paper layout is determined by three factors: the page layout, the
58 line breaks, and the spacing. These all influence each other. The
59 choice of spacing determines how densely each system of music is set.
60 This influences where line breaks are chosen, and thus ultimately, how
61 many pages a piece of music takes.
63 Globally speaking, this procedure happens in four steps: first,
64 flexible distances (@q{springs}) are chosen, based on durations. All
65 possible line breaking combinations are tried, and a @q{badness} score
66 is calculated for each. Then the height of each possible system is
67 estimated. Finally, a page breaking and line breaking combination is chosen
68 so that neither the horizontal nor the vertical spacing is too cramped
71 Two types of blocks can contain layout settings:
72 @code{\paper @{@dots{}@}} and @code{\layout @{@dots{}@}}. The
73 @code{\paper} block contains page layout settings that are
74 expected to be the same for all scores in a book, such as the
75 paper height, or whether to print page numbers, etc. See
76 @ref{Page layout}. The @code{\layout} block contains score layout
77 settings, such as the number of systems to use, or the space
78 between staff-groups, etc. See @ref{Score layout}.
85 * Horizontal spacing::
86 * Fitting music onto fewer pages::
93 This section discusses page layout options for the @code{\paper}
98 * Paper size and automatic scaling::
99 * Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables::
100 * Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables::
101 * Horizontal spacing \paper variables::
102 * Other \paper variables::
106 @node The \paper block
107 @subsection The @code{\paper} block
109 The @code{\paper} block can appear within a @code{\book} block,
110 but not within a @code{\score} block. Settings in a @code{\paper}
111 block apply to the entire book, which may include multiple scores.
112 Settings that can appear in a @code{\paper} block include:
117 the @code{set-paper-size} scheme function,
120 @code{\paper} variables used for customizing page layout, and
123 markup definitions used for customizing the layout of headers,
128 The @code{set-paper-size} function is discussed in the next
129 section, @ref{Paper size and automatic scaling}. The
130 @code{\paper} variables that deal with page layout are discussed
131 in later sections. The markup definitions that deal with headers,
132 footers, and titles are discussed in
133 @ref{Custom headers footers and titles}.
135 Most @code{\paper} variables will only work in a @code{\paper}
136 block. The few that will also work in a @code{\layout} block are
137 listed in @ref{The \layout block}.
139 Except when specified otherwise, all @code{\paper} variables that
140 correspond to distances on the page are measured in millimeters,
141 unless a different unit is specified by the user. For example,
142 the following declaration sets @code{top-margin} to ten
151 To set it to @code{0.5} inches, use the @code{\in} unit suffix:
159 The available unit suffixes are @code{\mm}, @code{\cm},
160 @code{\in}, and @code{\pt}. These units are simple values for
161 converting from millimeters; they are defined in
162 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}. For the sake of clarity, when
163 using millimeters, the @code{\mm} is typically included in the
164 code, even though it is not technically necessary.
166 It is also possible to define @code{\paper} values using Scheme.
167 The Scheme equivalent of the above example is:
171 #(define top-margin (* 0.5 in))
177 @ref{Paper size and automatic scaling},
178 @ref{Custom headers footers and titles},
179 @ref{The \layout block}.
182 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
185 @node Paper size and automatic scaling
186 @subsection Paper size and automatic scaling
194 * Setting the paper size::
195 * Automatic scaling to paper size::
199 @node Setting the paper size
200 @unnumberedsubsubsec Setting the paper size
202 @q{A4} is the default value when no explicit paper size is set. However,
203 there are two functions that can be used to change it
204 @code{set-default-paper-size},
207 #(set-default-paper-size "quarto")
210 which must always be placed at the toplevel scope. and
211 @code{set-paper-size},
215 #(set-paper-size "tabloid")
219 which must always be placed in a @code{\paper} block.
221 If the @code{set-default-paper-size} function is used in the toplevel
222 scope, it must come before the any @code{\paper} block.
223 @code{set-default-paper-size} sets the paper size for all pages,
224 whereas @code{set-paper-size} only sets the paper size for the pages
225 that the @code{\paper} block applies to. For example, if the
226 @code{\paper} block is at the top of the file, then it will apply the
227 paper size to all pages. If the @code{\paper} block is inside a
228 @code{\book}, then the paper size will only apply to that book.
230 When the @code{set-paper-size} function is used, it must be
231 placed @emph{before} any other functions used within the same
232 @code{\paper} block. See @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
234 Paper sizes are defined in @file{scm/paper.scm}, and while it is
235 possible to add custom sizes, they will be overwritten on subsequent
236 software updates. The available paper sizes are listed in
237 @ref{Predefined paper sizes}.
239 @c An appendix entry exists for paper sizes but is not auto-generated
241 The following command can be used in the file to add a custom paper size
242 which can then be used with @code{set-default-paper-size} or
243 @code{set-paper-size} as appropriate,
246 #(set! paper-alist (cons '("my size" . (cons (* 15 in) (* 3 in))) paper-alist))
249 #(set-paper-size "my size")
253 The units @code{in} (inches), @code{cm} (centimeters) and @code{mm}
254 (millimeters) can all be used.
256 @cindex paper size, orientation
257 @cindex page, orientation
258 @cindex paper size, landscape
260 If the symbol @code{'landscape} is added to the paper size function,
261 pages will be rotated by 90 degrees, and wider line widths will be set
265 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
268 The music output will @emph{not} be rotated, just the paper size.
272 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size},
273 @ref{Predefined paper sizes}.
276 @file{scm/paper.scm}.
279 @node Automatic scaling to paper size
280 @unnumberedsubsubsec Automatic scaling to paper size
282 If the paper size is changed with one of the scheme functions
283 (@code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}), the
284 values of several @code{\paper} variables are automatically scaled
285 to the new size. To bypass the automatic scaling for a particular
286 variable, set the variable after setting the paper size. Note
287 that the automatic scaling is not triggered by setting the
288 @code{paper-height} or @code{paper-width} variables, even though
289 @code{paper-width} can influence other values (this is separate
290 from scaling and is discussed below). The
291 @code{set-default-paper-size} and @code{set-paper-size} functions
292 are described in @ref{Setting the paper size}.
294 The vertical dimensions affected by automatic scaling are
295 @code{top-margin} and @code{bottom-margin} (see
296 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables}). The horizontal
297 dimensions affected by automatic scaling are @code{left-margin},
298 @code{right-margin}, @code{inner-margin}, @code{outer-margin},
299 @code{binding-offset}, @code{indent}, and @code{short-indent} (see
300 @ref{Horizontal spacing \paper variables}).
302 The default values for these dimensions are set in
303 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}, using internal variables named
304 @code{top-margin-default}, @code{bottom-margin-default}, etc.
305 These are the values that result at the default paper size
306 @code{a4}. For reference, with @code{a4} paper the
307 @code{paper-height} is @code{297\mm} and the @code{paper-width} is
312 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables},
313 @ref{Horizontal spacing \paper variables}.
316 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly},
317 @file{scm/paper.scm}.
320 @node Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables
321 @subsection Fixed vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
323 @warning{Some @code{@bs{}paper} dimensions are automatically
324 scaled to the paper size, which may lead to unexpected behavior.
325 See @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.}
327 Default values (before scaling) are defined in
328 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
332 @funindex paper-height
334 The height of the page, unset by default. Note that the automatic
335 scaling of some vertical dimensions is not affected by this.
340 The margin between the top of the page and the top of the
341 printable area. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
342 default value is scaled accordingly.
345 @funindex bottom-margin
347 The margin between the bottom of the printable area and the bottom
348 of the page. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
349 default value is scaled accordingly.
352 @funindex ragged-bottom
354 If set to true, systems will not spread vertically down the page.
355 This does not affect the last page. This should be set to true
356 for pieces that have only two or three systems per page, for
357 example orchestral scores.
359 @item ragged-last-bottom
360 @funindex ragged-last-bottom
362 If set to false, systems will spread vertically down the last
363 page. Pieces that amply fill two pages or more should have this
364 set to false. It also affects the last page of book parts, i.e.
365 parts of a book created with @code{\bookpart} blocks.
371 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
374 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
380 The titles (from the @code{\header} block) are treated as a
381 system, so @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom} will
382 add space between the titles and the first system of the score.
384 Explicitly defined paper-sizes will override any user-defined top or
385 bottom margin settings.
388 @node Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables
389 @subsection Flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
391 In most cases, it is preferable for the vertical distances between
392 certain items (such as margins, titles, systems, and separate
393 scores) to be flexible, so that they stretch and compress nicely
394 according to each situation. A number of @code{\paper} variables
395 (listed below) are available to fine-tune the stretching behavior
398 Note that the @code{\paper} variables discussed in this section do
399 not control the spacing of staves within individual systems.
400 Within-system spacing is controlled by grob properties, with
401 settings typically entered inside a @code{\score} or
402 @code{\layout} block, and not inside a @code{\paper} block. See
403 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing within systems}.
406 * Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists::
407 * List of flexible vertical spacing \paper variables::
411 @node Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists
412 @unnumberedsubsubsec Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists
414 Each of the flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables is
415 an alist (association list) containing four @emph{keys}:
420 @code{basic-distance} -- the vertical distance, measured in
421 staff-spaces, between the @emph{reference points} of the two
422 items, when no collisions would result, and no stretching or
423 compressing is in effect. The reference point of a (title or
424 top-level) markup is its highest point, and the reference point of
425 a system is the vertical center of the nearest @code{StaffSymbol}
426 -- even if a non-staff line (such as a @code{Lyrics} context) is
427 in the way. Values for @code{basic-distance} that are less than
428 either @code{padding} or @code{minimum-distance} are not
429 meaningful, since the resulting distance will never be less than
430 either @code{padding} or @code{minimum-distance}.
433 @code{minimum-distance} -- the smallest allowable vertical
434 distance, measured in staff-spaces, between the reference points
435 of the two items, when compressing is in effect. Values for
436 @code{minimum-distance} that are less than @code{padding} are not
437 meaningful, since the resulting distance will never be less than
440 @c TODO: explain skylines somewhere and xref to it from here.
443 @code{padding} -- the minimum required amount of unobstructed
444 vertical whitespace between the bounding boxes (or skylines) of
445 the two items, measured in staff-spaces.
448 @code{stretchability} -- a unitless measure of the dimension's
449 relative propensity to stretch. If zero, the distance will not
450 stretch (unless collisions would result). When positive, the
451 significance of a particular dimension's @code{stretchability}
452 value lies only in its relation to the @code{stretchability}
453 values of the other dimensions. For example, if one dimension has
454 twice the @code{stretchability} of another, it will stretch twice
455 as easily. Values should be non-negative and finite. The value
456 @code{+inf.0} triggers a @code{programming_error} and is ignored,
457 but @code{1.0e7} can be used for an almost infinitely stretchable
458 spring. If unset, the default value is set to
459 @code{basic-distance}. Note that the dimension's propensity to
460 @emph{compress} cannot be directly set by the user and is equal to
461 (@code{basic-distance}@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}@code{minimum-distance}).
465 If a page has a ragged bottom, the resulting distance is the
471 @code{basic-distance},
474 @code{minimum-distance}, and
477 @code{padding} plus the smallest distance necessary to eliminate
482 For multi-page scores with a ragged bottom on the last page, the last
483 page uses the same spacing as the preceding page, provided there is
484 enough space for that.
486 Specific methods for modifying alists are discussed in
487 @ref{Modifying alists}. The following example demonstrates the
488 two ways these alists can be modified. The first declaration
489 updates one key-value individually, and the second completely
490 redefines the variable:
494 system-system-spacing #'basic-distance = #8
495 score-system-spacing =
496 #'((basic-distance . 12)
497 (minimum-distance . 6)
499 (stretchability . 12))
504 @node List of flexible vertical spacing \paper variables
505 @unnumberedsubsubsec List of flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
507 The names of these variables follow the format
508 @code{@var{upper}-@var{lower}-spacing}, where @code{@var{upper}}
509 and @code{@var{lower}} are the items to be spaced. Each distance
510 is measured between the reference points of the two items (see the
511 description of the alist structure above). Note that in these
512 variable names, the term @q{@code{markup}} refers to both
513 @emph{title markups} (@code{bookTitleMarkup} or
514 @code{scoreTitleMarkup}) and @emph{top-level markups} (see
515 @ref{File structure}). All distances are measured in
518 Default settings are defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
520 @c TODO: Where do headers/footers fit in? -mp
523 @item markup-system-spacing
524 @funindex markup-system-spacing
526 the distance between a (title or top-level) markup and the system
529 @item score-markup-spacing
530 @funindex score-markup-spacing
532 the distance between the last system of a score and the (title or
533 top-level) markup that follows it.
535 @item score-system-spacing
536 @funindex score-system-spacing
538 the distance between the last system of a score and the first
539 system of the score that follows it, when no (title or top-level)
540 markup exists between them.
542 @item system-system-spacing
543 @funindex system-system-spacing
545 the distance between two systems in the same score.
547 @item markup-markup-spacing
548 @funindex markup-markup-spacing
550 the distance between two (title or top-level) markups.
552 @item last-bottom-spacing
553 @funindex last-bottom-spacing
555 the distance from the last system or top-level markup on a page to
556 the bottom of the printable area (i.e. the top of the bottom
559 @item top-system-spacing
560 @funindex top-system-spacing
562 the distance from the top of the printable area (i.e. the bottom
563 of the top margin) to the first system on a page, when there is no
564 (title or top-level) markup between the two.
566 @item top-markup-spacing
567 @funindex top-markup-spacing
569 the distance from the top of the printable area (i.e. the bottom
570 of the top margin) to the first (title or top-level) markup on a
571 page, when there is no system between the two.
576 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing within systems}.
579 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
585 @node Horizontal spacing \paper variables
586 @subsection Horizontal spacing @code{\paper} variables
588 @warning{Some @code{@bs{}paper} dimensions are automatically
589 scaled to the paper size, which may lead to unexpected behavior.
590 See @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.}
593 * \paper variables for widths and margins::
594 * \paper variables for two-sided mode::
595 * \paper variables for shifts and indents::
599 @node \paper variables for widths and margins
600 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for widths and margins
602 Default values (before scaling) that are not listed here are
603 defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
608 @funindex paper-width
610 The width of the page, unset by default. While @code{paper-width}
611 has no effect on the automatic scaling of some horizontal
612 dimensions, it does influence the @code{line-width} variable. If
613 both @code{paper-width} and @code{line-width} are set, then
614 @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin} will also be updated.
615 Also see @code{check-consistency}.
620 The horizontal extent of the staff lines in unindented, non-ragged
622 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}left-margin@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}right-margin)}
623 when unset. If @code{line-width} is set, and both
624 @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin} are unset, then the
625 margins will be updated to center the systems on the page
626 automatically. Also see @code{check-consistency}. This variable
627 can also be set in a @code{\layout} block.
630 @funindex left-margin
632 The margin between the left edge of the page and the start of the
633 staff lines in unindented systems. If the paper size is modified,
634 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. If
635 @code{left-margin} is unset, and both @code{line-width} and
636 @code{right-margin} are set, then @code{left-margin} is set to
637 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}right-margin)}.
638 If only @code{line-width} is set, then both margins are set to
639 @code{((paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width)@tie{}/@tie{}2)},
640 and the systems are consequently centered on the page. Also see
641 @code{check-consistency}.
644 @funindex right-margin
646 The margin between the right edge of the page and the end of the
647 staff lines in non-ragged systems. If the paper size is modified,
648 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. If
649 @code{right-margin} is unset, and both @code{line-width} and
650 @code{left-margin} are set, then @code{right-margin} is set to
651 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}left-margin)}.
652 If only @code{line-width} is set, then both margins are set to
653 @code{((paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width)@tie{}/@tie{}2)},
654 and the systems are consequently centered on the page. Also see
655 @code{check-consistency}.
657 @item check-consistency
658 @funindex check-consistency
660 If set to true, print a warning if @code{left-margin},
661 @code{line-width}, and @code{right-margin} do not exactly add up
662 to @code{paper-width}, and replace each of these (except
663 @code{paper-width}) with its default value (scaled to the paper
664 size if necessary). If set to false, ignore any inconsistencies
665 and allow systems to run off the edge of the page.
668 @funindex ragged-right
670 If set to true, systems will not fill the line width. Instead,
671 systems end at their natural horizontal length. Default:
672 @code{#t} for scores with only one system, and @code{#f} for
673 scores with two or more systems. This variable can also be set in
674 a @code{\layout} block.
677 @funindex ragged-last
679 If set to true, the last system in the score will not fill the
680 line width. Instead the last system ends at its natural
681 horizontal length. Default: @code{#f}. This variable can also be
682 set in a @code{\layout} block.
688 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
691 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
694 Explicitly defined paper-sizes will override any user-defined left or
695 right margin settings.
698 @node \paper variables for two-sided mode
699 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for two-sided mode
701 Default values (before scaling) are defined in
702 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
710 @cindex binding gutter
712 If set to true, use @code{inner-margin}, @code{outer-margin} and
713 @code{binding-offset} to determine margins depending on whether
714 the page number is odd or even. This overrides @code{left-margin}
715 and @code{right-margin}.
718 @funindex inner-margin
720 The margin all pages have at the inner side if they are part of a
721 book. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's default
722 value is scaled accordingly. Works only with @code{two-sided} set
726 @funindex outer-margin
728 The margin all pages have at the outer side if they are part of a
729 book. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's default
730 value is scaled accordingly. Works only with @code{two-sided} set
734 @funindex binding-offset
736 The amount @code{inner-margin} is increased to make sure nothing
737 will be hidden by the binding. If the paper size is modified,
738 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. Works only
739 with @code{two-sided} set to true.
745 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
748 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
751 @node \paper variables for shifts and indents
752 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for shifts and indents
754 Default values (before scaling) that are not listed here are
755 defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
759 @item horizontal-shift
760 @funindex horizontal-shift
762 @c This default value is buried in the middle of page.scm. -mp
764 The amount that all systems (including titles and system
765 separators) are shifted to the right. Default: @code{0.0\mm}.
770 The level of indentation for the first system in a score. If the
771 paper size is modified, this dimension's default value is scaled
772 accordingly. This variable can also be set in a @code{\layout}
776 @funindex short-indent
778 The level of indentation for all systems in a score besides the
779 first system. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
780 default value is scaled accordingly. This variable can also be
781 set in a @code{\layout} block.
787 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
790 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
796 @node Other \paper variables
797 @subsection Other @code{\paper} variables
800 * \paper variables for line breaking::
801 * \paper variables for page breaking::
802 * \paper variables for page numbering::
803 * Miscellaneous \paper variables::
807 @node \paper variables for line breaking
808 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for line breaking
810 @c TODO: Mention that ly:optimal-breaking is on by default? -mp
814 @item max-systems-per-page
815 @funindex max-systems-per-page
817 The maximum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
818 is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
821 @item min-systems-per-page
822 @funindex min-systems-per-page
824 The minimum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
825 may cause pages to be overfilled if it is made too large. This is
826 currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
829 @item systems-per-page
830 @funindex systems-per-page
832 The number of systems that should be placed on each page.
833 This is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
837 @funindex system-count
839 The number of systems to be used for a score. Default: unset.
840 This variable can also be set in a @code{\layout} block.
849 @node \paper variables for page breaking
850 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for page breaking
852 Default values not listed here are defined in
853 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}
857 @item blank-after-score-page-force
858 @funindex blank-after-score-page-force
860 The penalty for having a blank page after the end of one score and
861 before the next. By default, this is smaller than
862 @code{blank-page-force}, so that we prefer blank pages after
863 scores to blank pages within a score.
865 @item blank-last-page-force
866 @funindex blank-last-page-force
868 The penalty for ending the score on an odd-numbered page.
870 @item blank-page-force
871 @funindex blank-page-force
873 The penalty for having a blank page in the middle of a
874 score. This is not used by @code{ly:optimal-breaking} since it will
875 never consider blank pages in the middle of a score.
878 @funindex page-breaking
880 The page-breaking algorithm to use. Choices are
881 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, and
882 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}.
884 @item page-breaking-system-system-spacing
885 @funindex page-breaking-system-system-spacing
887 Tricks the page breaker into thinking that
888 @code{system-system-spacing} is set to something different than
889 it really is. For example, if
890 @code{page-breaking-system-system-spacing #'padding} is set to something
891 substantially larger than @code{system-system-spacing #'padding}, then the
892 page-breaker will put fewer systems on each page. Default: unset.
897 The number of pages to be used for a score, unset by default.
904 @ref{Optimal page breaking},
905 @ref{Optimal page turning},
906 @ref{Minimal page breaking},
907 @ref{One-line page breaking}.
910 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
913 @node \paper variables for page numbering
914 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for page numbering
916 Default values not listed here are defined in
917 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}
921 @cindex page numbers, auto-numbering
922 @item auto-first-page-number
923 @funindex auto-first-page-number
925 The page breaking algorithm is affected by the first page number
926 being odd or even. If set to true, the page breaking algorithm
927 will decide whether to start with an odd or even number. This
928 will result in the first page number remaining as is or being
929 increased by one. Default: @code{#f}.
931 @cindex page numbers, specify the first
932 @item first-page-number
933 @funindex first-page-number
935 The value of the page number on the first page.
937 @item print-first-page-number
938 @funindex print-first-page-number
940 If set to true, a page number is printed on the first page.
942 @cindex page numbers, suppress
943 @item print-page-number
944 @funindex print-page-number
946 If set to false, page numbers are not printed.
952 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
955 Odd page numbers are always on the right. If you want the
956 music to start on page 1 there must be a blank page on the back
957 of the cover page so that page 1 is on the right hand side.
960 @node Miscellaneous \paper variables
961 @unnumberedsubsubsec Miscellaneous @code{\paper} variables
965 @item page-spacing-weight
966 @funindex page-spacing-weight
968 The relative importance of page (vertical) spacing and line
969 (horizontal) spacing. High values will make page spacing more
970 important. Default: @code{10}.
972 @item print-all-headers
973 @funindex print-all-headers
975 If set to true, this will print all headers for each @code{\score}
976 in the output. Normally only the @code{piece} and @code{opus}
977 header variables are printed. Default: @code{#f}.
979 @item system-separator-markup
980 @funindex system-separator-markup
982 A markup object that is inserted between systems, often used for
983 orchestral scores. Default: unset. The @code{\slashSeparator}
984 markup, defined in @file{ly/titling-init.ly}, is provided as a
985 sensible default, for example:
987 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,noragged-right,line-width=30\mm]
988 #(set-default-paper-size "a8")
992 system-separator-markup = \slashSeparator
998 \relative c'' { c1 \break c1 \break c1 }
1007 @file{ly/titling-init.ly}.
1013 The default page header puts the page number and the @code{instrument}
1014 field from the @code{\header} block on a line.
1018 @section Score layout
1020 This section discusses score layout options for the @code{\layout}
1024 * The \layout block::
1025 * Setting the staff size::
1029 @node The \layout block
1030 @subsection The @code{\layout} block
1034 While the @code{\paper} block contains settings that relate to the
1035 page formatting of the whole document, the @code{\layout} block
1036 contains settings for score-specific layout. To set score layout
1037 options globally, enter them in a toplevel @code{\layout} block.
1038 To set layout options for an individual score, enter them in a
1039 @code{\layout} block inside the @code{\score} block, after the
1040 music. Settings that can appear in a @code{\layout} block
1044 @item the @code{layout-set-staff-size} scheme function,
1045 @item context modifications in @code{\context} blocks, and
1046 @item @code{\paper} variables that affect score layout.
1049 The @code{layout-set-staff-size} function is discussed in the next
1050 section, @ref{Setting the staff size}. Context modifications are
1051 discussed in a separate chapter; see
1052 @ref{Modifying context plug-ins} and
1053 @ref{Changing context default settings}. The @code{\paper}
1054 variables that can appear in a @code{\layout} block are:
1059 @code{line-width}, @code{ragged-right} and @code{ragged-last}
1060 (see @ref{\paper variables for widths and margins})
1063 @code{indent} and @code{short-indent}
1064 (see @ref{\paper variables for shifts and indents})
1068 (see @ref{\paper variables for line breaking})
1072 Here is an example @code{\layout} block:
1079 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #'basic-distance = #8
1083 \override TextScript #'padding = #1
1084 \override Glissando #'thickness = #3
1089 Multiple @code{\layout} blocks can be entered as toplevel expressions.
1090 This can, for example, be useful if different settings are stored in
1091 separate files and included optionally. Internally, when
1092 a @code{\layout} block is evaluated, a copy of the current
1093 @code{\layout} configuration is made, then any changes defined within
1094 the block are applied and the result is saved as the new current
1095 configuration. From the user's perspective the @code{\layout} blocks
1096 are combined, but in conflicting situations (when the same property
1097 is changed in different blocks) the later definitions take precedence.
1099 For example, if this block:
1105 \override TextScript #'color = #magenta
1106 \override Glissando #'thickness = #1.5
1111 is placed after the one from the preceding example the @code{'padding}
1112 and @code{'color} overrides for @code{TextScript} are combined, but
1113 the later @code{'thickness} override for @code{Glissando} replaces
1114 (or hides) the earlier one.
1116 @code{\layout} blocks may be assigned to variables for reuse later,
1117 but the way this works is slightly but significantly different from
1118 writing them literally.
1120 If a variable is defined like this:
1123 layoutVariable = \layout @{
1126 \override NoteHead #'font-size = #4
1131 it will hold the current @code{\layout} configuration with the
1132 @code{NoteHead #'font-size} override added, but this combination
1133 is @emph{not} saved as the new current configuration. Be aware
1134 that the @q{current configuration} is read when the variable is
1135 defined and not when it is used, so the content of the variable
1136 is dependent on its position in the source.
1138 The variable can then be used inside another @code{\layout} block,
1146 \override NoteHead #'color = #red
1151 A @code{\layout} block containing a variable, as in the example above,
1152 does @emph{not} copy the current configuration but instead uses the
1153 content of @code{\layoutVariable} as the base configuration for the
1154 further additions. This means that any changes defined between the
1155 definition and the use of the variable are lost.
1157 If @code{layoutVariable} is defined (or @code{\include}d) immediately
1158 before being used, its content is just the current configuration plus
1159 the overrides defined within it. So in the example above showing the
1160 use of @code{\layoutVariable} the final @code{\layout} block would
1164 TextScript #'padding = #1
1165 TextScript #'color = #magenta
1166 Glissando #'thickness = #1.5
1167 NoteHead #' font-size = #4
1168 NoteHead #' color = #red
1171 plus the @code{indent} and the @code{StaffGrouper} overrides.
1173 But if the variable had already been defined before the first
1174 @code{\layout} block the current configuration would now contain
1178 NoteHead #' font-size= #4 % (written in the variable definition)
1179 NoteHead #' color = #red % (added after the use of the variable)
1182 If carefully planned, @code{\layout} variables can be a valuable tool
1183 to structure the layout design of sources, and also to reset the
1184 @code{\layout} configuration to a known state.
1188 @ref{Changing context default settings}.
1194 @node Setting the staff size
1195 @subsection Setting the staff size
1197 @cindex font size, setting
1198 @cindex staff size, setting
1199 @funindex layout file
1201 The default @strong{staff size} is set to 20 points.
1202 This may be changed in two ways:
1204 To set the staff size globally for all scores in a file (or
1205 in a @code{book} block, to be precise), use @code{set-global-staff-size}.
1208 #(set-global-staff-size 14)
1212 This sets the global default size to 14pt staff height and scales all
1215 To set the staff size individually for each score, use
1220 #(layout-set-staff-size 15)
1225 The Feta font provides musical symbols at eight different
1226 sizes. Each font is tuned for a different staff size: at a smaller size
1227 the font becomes heavier, to match the relatively heavier staff lines.
1228 The recommended font sizes are listed in the following table:
1231 @multitable @columnfractions .15 .2 .22 .2
1234 @tab @b{staff height (pt)}
1235 @tab @b{staff height (mm)}
1277 @c modern rental material?
1282 These fonts are available in any sizes. The context property
1283 @code{fontSize} and the layout property @code{staff-space} (in
1284 @rinternals{StaffSymbol}) can be used to tune the size for individual
1285 staves. The sizes of individual staves are relative to the global size.
1289 @ref{Selecting notation font size}.
1295 @code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between the
1305 * Optimal page breaking::
1306 * Optimal page turning::
1307 * Minimal page breaking::
1308 * One-line page breaking::
1310 * Using an extra voice for breaks::
1315 @subsection Line breaking
1318 @cindex breaking lines
1320 Line breaks are normally determined automatically. They are chosen
1321 so that lines look neither cramped nor loose, and consecutive
1322 lines have similar density.
1324 To manually force a line break at a bar line, use the
1325 @code{\break} command:
1327 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
1332 By default, a @code{\break} in the middle of a measure is ignored,
1333 and a warning is printed. To force a line break in the middle of
1334 a measure, add an invisible bar line with @w{@samp{\bar ""}}:
1336 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
1343 A @code{\break} occurring at a bar line is also ignored if the
1344 previous measure ends in the middle of a note, such as when a
1345 tuplet begins and ends in different measures. To allow
1346 @code{\break} commands to work in these situations, remove the
1347 @code{Forbid_line_break_engraver} from the @code{Voice} context.
1348 Note that manually forced line breaks have to be added in parallel
1351 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
1353 \remove Forbid_line_break_engraver
1356 { c2. \times 2/3 { c4 c c } c2. | }
1357 { s1 | \break s1 | }
1362 Similarly, line breaks are normally forbidden when beams cross bar
1363 lines. This behavior can be changed by setting
1364 @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}:
1366 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
1367 \override Beam #'breakable = ##t
1372 The @code{\noBreak} command forbids a line break at the bar line
1373 where it is inserted.
1375 The most basic settings influencing line spacing are @code{indent}
1376 and @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block.
1377 They control the indentation of the first line of music, and the
1378 lengths of the lines.
1380 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block,
1381 then systems end at their natural horizontal length, instead of
1382 being spread horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful
1383 for short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural
1386 @c TODO Check and add para on default for ragged-right
1388 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right},
1389 but affects only the last line of the piece.
1401 @cindex regular line breaks
1402 @cindex four bar music.
1404 For line breaks at regular intervals use @code{\break} separated by
1405 skips and repeated with @code{\repeat}. For example, this would
1406 cause the following 28 measures (assuming 4/4 time) to be broken
1407 every 4 measures, and only there:
1412 s1 \noBreak s1 \noBreak
1413 s1 \noBreak s1 \break
1415 @{ @var{the actual music@dots{}} @}
1420 A linebreaking configuration can be saved as a @file{.ly} file
1421 automatically. This allows vertical alignments to be stretched to
1422 fit pages in a second formatting run. This is fairly new and
1423 complicated. More details are available in
1436 @ref{\paper variables for line breaking}.
1441 Internals Reference:
1442 @rinternals{LineBreakEvent}.
1446 @subsection Page breaking
1448 The default page breaking may be overridden by inserting
1449 @code{\pageBreak} or @code{\noPageBreak} commands. These commands are
1450 analogous to @code{\break} and @code{\noBreak}. They should be
1451 inserted at a bar line. These commands force and forbid a page-break
1452 from happening. Of course, the @code{\pageBreak} command also forces
1455 The @code{\pageBreak} and @code{\noPageBreak} commands may also be
1456 inserted at top-level, between scores and top-level markups.
1458 There are also analogous settings to @code{ragged-right} and
1459 @code{ragged-last} which have the same effect on vertical spacing:
1460 @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom}. If set to
1461 @code{#t} the systems on all pages or just the last page
1462 respectively will not be justified vertically. See
1463 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables}.
1465 Page breaks are computed by the @code{page-breaking} function. LilyPond
1466 provides three algorithms for computing page breaks,
1467 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} and
1468 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}. The default is @code{ly:optimal-breaking},
1469 but the value can be changed in the @code{\paper} block:
1473 page-breaking = #ly:page-turn-breaking
1479 When a book has many scores and pages, the page breaking problem may be
1480 difficult to solve, requiring large processing time and memory. To ease
1481 the page breaking process, @code{\bookpart} blocks are used to divide
1482 the book into several parts: the page breaking occurs separately on each
1483 part. Different page breaking functions may also be used in different
1489 subtitle = "Preface"
1492 %% In a part consisting mostly of text,
1493 %% ly:minimal-breaking may be preferred
1494 page-breaking = #ly:minimal-breaking
1496 \markup @{ @dots{} @}
1500 %% In this part, consisting of music, the default optimal
1501 %% page breaking function is used.
1503 subtitle = "First movement"
1505 \score @{ @dots{} @}
1512 @funindex \pageBreak
1514 @funindex \noPageBreak
1515 @code{\noPageBreak}.
1520 @ref{\paper variables for page breaking}.
1526 @node Optimal page breaking
1527 @subsection Optimal page breaking
1529 @funindex ly:optimal-breaking
1531 The @code{ly:optimal-breaking} function is LilyPond's default method of
1532 determining page breaks. It attempts to find a page breaking that minimizes
1533 cramping and stretching, both horizontally and vertically. Unlike
1534 @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, it has no concept of page turns.
1541 @node Optimal page turning
1542 @subsection Optimal page turning
1544 @funindex ly:page-turn-breaking
1546 Often it is necessary to find a page breaking configuration so that there is
1547 a rest at the end of every second page. This way, the musician can turn the
1548 page without having to miss notes. The @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} function
1549 attempts to find a page breaking minimizing cramping and stretching, but with
1550 the additional restriction that it is only allowed to introduce page turns
1551 in specified places.
1553 There are two steps to using this page breaking function. First, you
1554 must enable it in the @code{\paper} block, as explained in @ref{Page
1555 breaking}. Then you must tell the function where you would like to allow
1558 There are two ways to achieve the second step. First, you can specify each
1559 potential page turn manually, by inserting @code{\allowPageTurn} into your
1560 input file at the appropriate places.
1562 If this is too tedious, you can add a @code{Page_turn_engraver} to a Staff or
1563 Voice context. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} will scan the context for
1564 sections without notes (note that it does not scan for rests; it scans for
1565 the absence of notes. This is so that single-staff polyphony with rests in one
1566 of the parts does not throw off the @code{Page_turn_engraver}). When it finds
1567 a sufficiently long section without notes, the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1568 insert an @code{\allowPageTurn} at the final bar line in that section, unless
1569 there is a @q{special} bar line (such as a double bar), in which case the
1570 @code{\allowPageTurn} will be inserted at the final @q{special} bar line in
1573 @funindex minimumPageTurnLength
1574 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} reads the context property
1575 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} to determine how long a note-free section must
1576 be before a page turn is considered. The default value for
1577 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} is @code{(ly:make-moment 1 1)}. If you want
1578 to disable page turns, you can set it to something very large.
1581 \new Staff \with @{ \consists "Page_turn_engraver" @}
1584 R1 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1586 \set Staff.minimumPageTurnLength = #(ly:make-moment 5 2)
1587 R1 | % a page turn will not be allowed here
1589 R1*2 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1594 @funindex minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn
1595 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} detects volta repeats. It will only allow a page
1596 turn during the repeat if there is enough time at the beginning and end of the
1597 repeat to turn the page back. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} can also disable
1598 page turns if the repeat is very short. If you set the context property
1599 @code{minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn} then the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1600 only allow turns in repeats whose duration is longer than this value.
1602 The page turning commands, @code{\pageTurn}, @code{\noPageTurn} and
1603 @code{\allowPageTurn}, may also be used at top-level, between scores and
1609 @funindex \noPageTurn
1611 @funindex \allowPageTurn
1612 @code{\allowPageTurn}.
1620 There should only be one @code{Page_turn_engraver} in a score. If there is more
1621 than one, they will interfere with each other.
1624 @node Minimal page breaking
1625 @subsection Minimal page breaking
1627 @funindex ly:minimal-breaking
1629 The @code{ly:minimal-breaking} function performs minimal computations to
1630 calculate the page breaking: it fills a page with as many systems as
1631 possible before moving to the next one. Thus, it may be preferred for
1632 scores with many pages, where the other page breaking functions could be
1633 too slow or memory demanding, or a lot of texts. It is enabled using:
1637 page-breaking = #ly:minimal-breaking
1645 @node One-line page breaking
1646 @subsection One-line page breaking
1648 @funindex ly:one-line-breaking
1650 The @code{ly:one-line-breaking} function is a special-purpose
1651 page breaking algorithm that puts each score on its own page,
1652 and on a single line. This page breaking function does not
1653 typeset titles or margins; only the score will be displayed.
1655 The page width will be adjusted so that
1656 the longest score fits on one line. In particular,
1657 @code{paper-width}, @code{line-width} and @code{indent}
1658 variables in the @code{\paper} block will be ignored, although
1659 @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin} will
1660 still be honored. The height of the page will
1663 @node Explicit breaks
1664 @subsection Explicit breaks
1666 Lily sometimes rejects explicit @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak}
1667 commands. There are two commands to override this behavior:
1670 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1671 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1674 When @code{line-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1675 line breaks at explicit @code{\break} commands and nowhere else. When
1676 @code{page-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1677 page breaks at explicit @code{\pageBreak} commands and nowhere else.
1679 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1686 music = \relative c'' { c8 c c c }
1690 \repeat unfold 2 { \music } \break
1691 \repeat unfold 4 { \music } \break
1692 \repeat unfold 6 { \music } \break
1693 \repeat unfold 8 { \music } \pageBreak
1694 \repeat unfold 8 { \music } \break
1695 \repeat unfold 6 { \music } \break
1696 \repeat unfold 4 { \music } \break
1697 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1702 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1703 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1714 @node Using an extra voice for breaks
1715 @subsection Using an extra voice for breaks
1717 Line- and page-breaking information usually appears within note entry directly.
1720 music = \relative c'' @{ c4 c c c @}
1724 \repeat unfold 2 @{ \music @} \break
1725 \repeat unfold 3 @{ \music @}
1730 This makes @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak} commands easy to enter but mixes
1731 music entry with information that specifies how music should lay out
1732 on the page. You can keep music entry and line- and page-breaking
1733 information in two separate places by introducing an extra voice to
1734 contain the breaks. This extra voice
1735 contains only skips together with @code{\break}, @code{pageBreak} and other
1736 breaking layout information.
1738 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1739 music = \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
1750 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1751 \repeat unfold 3 { \music }
1752 \repeat unfold 6 { \music }
1753 \repeat unfold 5 { \music }
1759 This pattern becomes especially helpful when overriding
1760 @code{line-break-system-details} and the other useful but long properties of
1761 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumnGrob}, as explained in @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1763 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1764 music = \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
1769 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1770 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1773 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1774 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 35))
1777 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1778 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 70))
1781 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1782 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 105))
1786 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1787 \repeat unfold 3 { \music }
1788 \repeat unfold 6 { \music }
1789 \repeat unfold 5 { \music }
1797 @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1803 @node Vertical spacing
1804 @section Vertical spacing
1806 @cindex vertical spacing
1807 @cindex spacing, vertical
1809 Vertical spacing is controlled by three things: the amount of
1810 space available (i.e., paper size and margins), the amount of
1811 space between systems, and the amount of space between
1812 staves inside a system.
1815 * Flexible vertical spacing within systems::
1816 * Explicit staff and system positioning::
1817 * Vertical collision avoidance::
1821 @node Flexible vertical spacing within systems
1822 @subsection Flexible vertical spacing within systems
1824 @cindex distance between staves
1825 @cindex staff distance
1826 @cindex space between staves
1827 @cindex space inside systems
1829 Three separate mechanisms control the flexible vertical spacing
1830 within systems, one for each of the following categories:
1835 @emph{ungrouped staves},
1838 @emph{grouped staves} (staves within a staff-group such as
1839 @code{ChoirStaff}, etc.), and
1842 @emph{non-staff lines} (such as @code{Lyrics}, @code{ChordNames},
1847 @c TODO: Clarify this. This almost implies that non-staff lines
1848 @c have NO effect on the spacing between staves. -mp
1850 The height of each system is determined in two steps. First, all
1851 of the staves are spaced according to the amount of space
1852 available. Then, the non-staff lines are distributed between the
1855 Note that the spacing mechanisms discussed in this section only
1856 control the vertical spacing of staves and non-staff lines within
1857 individual systems. The vertical spacing between separate
1858 systems, scores, markups, and margins is controlled by
1859 @code{\paper} variables, which are discussed in
1860 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables}.
1863 * Within-system spacing properties::
1864 * Spacing of ungrouped staves::
1865 * Spacing of grouped staves::
1866 * Spacing of non-staff lines::
1870 @node Within-system spacing properties
1871 @unnumberedsubsubsec Within-system spacing properties
1873 @funindex staff-affinity
1874 @funindex staffgroup-staff-spacing
1875 @funindex staff-staff-spacing
1876 @funindex nonstaff-unrelatedstaff-spacing
1877 @funindex nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing
1878 @funindex nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing
1879 @funindex default-staff-staff-spacing
1880 @funindex minimum-Y-extent
1881 @funindex extra-offset
1882 @funindex self-alignment-X
1884 @funindex VerticalAxisGroup
1886 The within-system vertical spacing mechanisms are controlled by
1887 two sets of grob properties. The first set is associated with the
1888 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob, which is created by all staves and
1889 non-staff lines. The second set is associated with the
1890 @code{StaffGrouper} grob, which can be created by staff-groups,
1891 but only if explicitly called. These properties are described
1892 individually at the end of this section.
1894 The names of these properties (except for @code{staff-affinity})
1895 follow the format @code{@var{item1}-@var{item2}-spacing}, where
1896 @code{@var{item1}} and @code{@var{item2}} are the items to be
1897 spaced. Note that @code{@var{item2}} is not necessarily below
1898 @code{@var{item1}}; for example,
1899 @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing} will measure upwards from the
1900 non-staff line if @code{staff-affinity} is @code{UP}.
1902 Each distance is measured between the @emph{reference points} of
1903 the two items. The reference point for a staff is the vertical
1904 center of its @code{StaffSymbol} (i.e. the middle line if
1905 @code{line-count} is odd; the middle space if @code{line-count} is
1906 even). The reference points for individual non-staff lines are
1907 given in the following table:
1909 @multitable {Non-staff line} {Reference point}
1910 @headitem Non-staff line @tab Reference point
1911 @item @code{ChordNames} @tab baseline
1912 @item @code{NoteNames} @tab baseline
1913 @item @code{Lyrics} @tab baseline
1914 @item @code{Dynamics} @tab vertical center
1915 @item @code{FiguredBass} @tab highest point
1916 @item @code{FretBoards} @tab top line
1919 In the following image, horizontal lines indicate the positions
1920 of these reference points:
1922 @lilypond[quote,noragged-right,line-width=110\mm]
1923 #(define zero-space '((padding . -inf.0) (basic-distance . 0)))
1925 alignToZero = \with {
1926 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing = #zero-space
1927 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing = #zero-space
1929 lowerCaseChords = \with {
1930 chordNameLowercaseMinor = ##t
1932 staffAffinityDown = \with {
1933 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN
1936 #(define-music-function
1937 (parser location context)
1939 #{ s1*0^\markup { \typewriter #context } #})
1942 \context { \Dynamics \alignToZero }
1943 \context { \FiguredBass \alignToZero }
1944 \context { \Lyrics \alignToZero }
1945 \context { \NoteNames \alignToZero \staffAffinityDown }
1946 \context { \ChordNames \alignToZero
1949 \context { \FretBoards \alignToZero \staffAffinityDown }
1951 \override BarLine #'stencil = ##f
1952 \override DynamicText #'self-alignment-X = #-1
1953 \override FretBoard #'X-offset = #1.75
1954 \override InstrumentName #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-2 . 2)
1955 \override InstrumentName #'extra-offset = #'(0 . -0.5)
1956 \override TextScript #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-2 . 3)
1957 \override TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1961 %% These contexts have reference points at the baseline:
1962 %% ChordNames, NoteNames, and Lyrics
1964 \new ChordNames { \chords { g1:m } }
1965 \new NoteNames { s1 | g1 | }
1966 \new RhythmicStaff {
1967 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"baseline "
1969 \labelContext "ChordNames " s1 |
1970 \labelContext "NoteNames " s1 |
1971 \labelContext "Lyrics" s1 |
1973 \new Lyrics { \lyrics { \skip 1*2 | ghijk1 | } }
1976 %% The reference point for Dynamics is its vertical center
1978 \new RhythmicStaff {
1979 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"vertical center "
1980 \labelContext "Dynamics" s1*3
1982 \new Dynamics { s1\mp s\fp }
1985 %% The reference point for FiguredBass is its highest point
1987 \new RhythmicStaff {
1988 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"highest point "
1989 \labelContext "FiguredBass" s1
1991 \new FiguredBass { \figuremode { <6 5>1 } }
1994 %% The reference point for FretBoards is the top line
1995 \include "predefined-guitar-fretboards.ly"
1997 \new FretBoards { \chordmode { e1 } }
1998 \new RhythmicStaff {
1999 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"top line "
2000 \labelContext "FretBoards " s1
2005 Each of the vertical spacing grob properties (except
2006 @code{staff-affinity}) uses the same alist structure as the
2007 @code{\paper} spacing variables discussed in
2008 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables}. Specific methods
2009 for modifying alists are discussed in @ref{Modifying alists}.
2010 Grob properties should be adjusted with an @code{\override} inside
2011 a @code{\score} or @code{\layout} block, and not inside a
2012 @code{\paper} block.
2014 The following example demonstrates the two ways these alists can
2015 be modified. The first declaration updates one key-value
2016 individually, and the second completely re-defines the property:
2020 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing
2021 #'basic-distance = #10
2025 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing =
2026 #'((basic-distance . 10)
2027 (minimum-distance . 9)
2029 (stretchability . 10))
2033 To change any spacing settings globally, put them in the
2034 @code{\layout} block:
2040 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing
2041 #'basic-distance = #10
2046 Standard settings for the vertical spacing grob properties are
2047 listed in @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup} and
2048 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}. Default overrides for specific types
2049 of non-staff lines are listed in the relevant context descriptions
2050 in @rinternals{Contexts}.
2053 @subsubheading Properties of the @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob
2055 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties are typically adjusted with an
2056 @code{\override} at the @code{Staff} level (or equivalent).
2059 @item staff-staff-spacing
2061 Used to determine the distance between the current staff and the
2062 staff just below it in the same system, even if one or more
2063 non-staff lines (such as @code{Lyrics}) are placed between the two
2064 staves. Does not apply to the bottom staff of a system.
2066 Initially, the @code{staff-staff-spacing} of a
2067 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} is a Scheme function that applies the
2068 properties of the @code{StaffGrouper} if the staff is part of a
2069 group, or the @code{default-staff-staff-spacing} of the staff
2070 otherwise. This allows staves to be spaced differently when they
2071 are grouped. For uniform spacing regardless of grouping, this
2072 function may be replaced by a flexible-spacing alist, using the
2073 complete-redefinition form of override shown above.
2075 @item default-staff-staff-spacing
2076 A flexible-spacing alist defining the @code{staff-staff-spacing} used for
2077 ungrouped staves, unless @code{staff-staff-spacing} has been explicitly
2078 set with an @code{\override}.
2080 @item staff-affinity
2081 The direction of the staff to use for spacing the current
2082 non-staff line. Choices are @code{UP}, @code{DOWN}, and
2083 @code{CENTER}. If @code{CENTER}, the non-staff line will be
2084 placed equidistant between the two nearest staves on either side,
2085 unless collisions or other spacing constraints prevent this.
2086 Adjacent non-staff lines should have non-increasing
2087 @code{staff-affinity} from top to bottom, e.g. a non-staff line
2088 set to @code{UP} should not immediately follow one that is set to
2089 @code{DOWN}. Non-staff lines at the top of a system should use
2090 @code{DOWN}; those at the bottom should use @code{UP}. Setting
2091 @code{staff-affinity} for a staff causes it to be treated as a
2092 non-staff line. Setting @code{staff-affinity} to @code{#f} causes
2093 a non-staff line to be treated as a staff. Setting
2094 @code{staff-affinity} to @code{UP}, @code{CENTER}, or @code{DOWN}
2095 causes a staff to be spaced as a non-staff line.
2097 @item nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing
2098 The distance between the current non-staff line and the nearest
2099 staff in the direction of @code{staff-affinity}, if there are no
2100 non-staff lines between the two, and @code{staff-affinity} is
2101 either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}. If @code{staff-affinity} is
2102 @code{CENTER}, then @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing} is used
2103 for the nearest staves on @emph{both} sides, even if other
2104 non-staff lines appear between the current one and either of the
2105 staves. This means that the placement of a non-staff line depends
2106 on both the surrounding staves and the surrounding non-staff lines.
2107 Setting the @code{stretchability} of one of these types of spacing to
2108 a small value will make that spacing dominate. Setting the
2109 @code{stretchability} to a large value will make that spacing have
2112 @item nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing
2113 The distance between the current non-staff line and the next
2114 non-staff line in the direction of @code{staff-affinity}, if both
2115 are on the same side of the related staff, and
2116 @code{staff-affinity} is either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}.
2118 @item nonstaff-unrelatedstaff-spacing
2119 The distance between the current non-staff line and the staff in
2120 the opposite direction from @code{staff-affinity}, if there are no
2121 other non-staff lines between the two, and @code{staff-affinity}
2122 is either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}. This can be used, for
2123 example, to require a minimum amount of padding between a
2124 @code{Lyrics} line and the staff to which it does not belong.
2128 @subsubheading Properties of the @code{StaffGrouper} grob
2130 @code{StaffGrouper} properties are typically adjusted with an
2131 @code{\override} at the @code{StaffGroup} level (or equivalent).
2134 @item staff-staff-spacing
2135 The distance between consecutive staves within the current
2136 staff-group. The @code{staff-staff-spacing} property of an
2137 individual staff's @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob can be
2138 overriden with different spacing settings for that staff.
2140 @item staffgroup-staff-spacing
2141 The distance between the last staff of the current staff-group and
2142 the staff just below it in the same system, even if one or more
2143 non-staff lines (such as @code{Lyrics}) exist between the two
2144 staves. Does not apply to the bottom staff of a system. The
2145 @code{staff-staff-spacing} property of an individual staff's
2146 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob can be overriden with different
2147 spacing settings for that staff.
2152 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables},
2153 @ref{Modifying alists}.
2156 @file{ly/engraver-init.ly},
2157 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2159 Internals Reference:
2160 @rinternals{Contexts},
2161 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup},
2162 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}.
2165 @node Spacing of ungrouped staves
2166 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of ungrouped staves
2168 @emph{Staves} (such as @code{Staff}, @code{DrumStaff},
2169 @code{TabStaff}, etc.) are contexts that can contain one or more
2170 voice contexts, but cannot contain any other staves.
2172 The following properties affect the spacing of @emph{ungrouped}
2176 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
2178 @item @code{default-staff-staff-spacing}
2179 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
2183 These grob properties are described individually above; see
2184 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
2186 Additional properties are involved for staves that are part of a
2187 staff-group; see @ref{Spacing of grouped staves}.
2189 The following example shows how the @code{default-staff-staff-spacing}
2190 property can affect the spacing of ungrouped staves.
2191 The same overrides applied to @code{staff-staff-spacing} would
2192 have the same effect, but would also apply in cases where the staves
2193 are combined in a group or groups.
2195 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2199 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing =
2200 #'((basic-distance . 8)
2201 (minimum-distance . 7)
2207 % The very low note here needs more room than 'basic-distance
2208 % can provide, so the distance between this staff and the next
2209 % is determined by 'padding.
2210 \new Staff { b,2 r | }
2212 % Here, 'basic-distance provides enough room, and there is no
2213 % need to compress the space (towards 'minimum-distance) to make
2214 % room for anything else on the page, so the distance between
2215 % this staff and the next is determined by 'basic-distance.
2216 \new Staff { \clef bass g2 r | }
2218 % By setting 'padding to a negative value, staves can be made to
2219 % collide. The lowest acceptable value for 'basic-distance is 0.
2221 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing =
2222 #'((basic-distance . 3.5)
2224 } { \clef bass g2 r | }
2225 \new Staff { \clef bass g2 r | }
2231 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2236 Internals Reference:
2237 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup}.
2240 @node Spacing of grouped staves
2241 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of grouped staves
2243 In orchestral and other large scores, it is common to place staves
2244 in groups. The space between groups is typically larger than the
2245 space between staves of the same group.
2247 @emph{Staff-groups} (such as @code{StaffGroup}, @code{ChoirStaff},
2248 etc.) are contexts that can contain one or more staves
2251 The following properties affect the spacing of staves inside
2255 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
2257 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
2259 @item @code{StaffGrouper} properties:
2261 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
2262 @item @code{staffgroup-staff-spacing}
2266 These grob properties are described individually above; see
2267 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
2269 The following example shows how properties of the
2270 @code{StaffGrouper} grob can affect the spacing of grouped staves:
2272 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2276 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #'padding = #0
2277 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #'basic-distance = #1
2282 \new PianoStaff \with {
2283 \override StaffGrouper #'staffgroup-staff-spacing #'basic-distance = #20
2298 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2303 Internals Reference:
2304 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup},
2305 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}.
2308 @node Spacing of non-staff lines
2309 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of non-staff lines
2311 @emph{Non-staff lines} (such as @code{Lyrics}, @code{ChordNames},
2312 etc.) are contexts whose layout objects are engraved like staves
2313 (i.e. in horizontal lines within systems). Specifically,
2314 non-staff lines are non-staff contexts that create the
2315 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} layout object.
2317 The following properties affect the spacing of non-staff lines:
2320 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
2322 @item @code{staff-affinity}
2323 @item @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing}
2324 @item @code{nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing}
2325 @item @code{nonstaff-unrelatedstaff-spacing}
2329 These grob properties are described individually above; see
2330 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
2332 The following example shows how the
2333 @code{nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing} property can affect the spacing
2334 of consecutive non-staff lines. Here, by setting the
2335 @code{stretchability} key to a very high value, the lyrics are
2336 able to stretch much more than usual:
2338 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2342 \override VerticalAxisGroup
2343 #'nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing #'stretchability = #1000
2350 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-staff-spacing = #'((basic-distance . 30))
2353 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #UP
2356 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #CENTER
2357 } \lyricmode { center }
2359 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN
2360 } \lyricmode { down }
2367 @file{ly/engraver-init.ly},
2368 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2373 @c @lsr{spacing,page-spacing.ly},
2374 @c @lsr{spacing,alignment-vertical-spacing.ly}.
2376 Internals Reference:
2377 @rinternals{Contexts},
2378 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup}.
2381 @node Explicit staff and system positioning
2382 @subsection Explicit staff and system positioning
2384 One way to understand the flexible vertical spacing mechanisms
2385 explained above is as a collection of settings that control the
2386 amount of vertical padding between staves and systems.
2388 It is possible to approach vertical spacing in a different way
2389 using @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}.
2390 While the flexible vertical spacing mechanisms specify vertical
2391 padding, @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
2392 can specify exact vertical positions on the page.
2394 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} accepts
2395 an associative list of three different settings:
2398 @item @code{X-offset}
2399 @item @code{Y-offset}
2400 @item @code{alignment-distances}
2403 Grob overrides, including the overrides for @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}
2404 below, can occur in any of three different places in an input file:
2407 @item in the middle of note entry directly
2408 @item in a @code{\context} block
2409 @item in the @code{\with} block
2412 When we override @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}, we use the usual
2413 @code{\override} command in @code{\context} blocks and in the
2414 @code{\with} block. On the other hand, when we override
2415 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} in the middle of note entry,
2416 use the special @code{\overrideProperty} command. Here are some
2417 example @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} overrides with the special
2418 @code{\overrideProperty} command:
2421 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2422 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20))
2424 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2425 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
2427 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2428 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20)
2431 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2432 #'line-break-system-details #'((alignment-distances . (15)))
2434 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2435 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20)
2437 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2440 To understand how each of these different settings work, we begin
2441 by looking at an example that includes no overrides at all.
2443 @c \book { } is required in these examples to ensure the spacing
2444 @c overrides can be seen between systems. -np
2446 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2447 \header { tagline = ##f }
2448 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2458 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2461 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2468 This score isolates line- and page-breaking information in a dedicated
2469 voice. This technique of creating a breaks voice will help keep layout
2470 separate from music entry as our example becomes more complicated.
2471 See @ref{Using an extra voice for breaks}.
2473 Explicit @code{\breaks} evenly divide the music into six measures per
2474 line. Vertical spacing results from LilyPond's defaults. To set
2475 the vertical startpoint of each system explicitly, we can set
2476 the @code{Y-offset} pair in the @code{line-break-system-details}
2477 attribute of the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob:
2479 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2480 \header { tagline = ##f }
2481 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2487 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2488 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
2490 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2491 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
2493 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2494 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 80))
2497 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2500 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2507 Note that @code{line-break-system-details} takes an associative list of
2508 potentially many values, but that we set only one value here. Note,
2509 too, that the @code{Y-offset} property here determines the exact vertical
2510 position on the page at which each new system will render.
2512 Now that we have set the vertical startpoint of each system
2513 explicitly, we can also set the vertical distances between staves
2514 within each system manually. We do this using the @code{alignment-distances}
2515 subproperty of @code{line-break-system-details}.
2517 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2518 \header { tagline = ##f }
2519 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2525 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2526 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 20)
2527 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2529 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2530 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
2531 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2533 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2534 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
2535 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2538 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2541 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2548 Note that here we assign two different values to the
2549 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute of the
2550 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob. Though the
2551 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute alist accepts many
2552 additional spacing parameters (including, for example, a corresponding
2553 @code{X-offset} pair), we need only set the @code{Y-offset} and
2554 @code{alignment-distances} pairs to control the vertical startpoint of
2555 every system and every staff. Finally, note that @code{alignment-distances}
2556 specifies the vertical positioning of staves but not of staff groups.
2558 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2559 \header { tagline = ##f }
2560 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2566 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2567 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0)
2568 (alignment-distances . (30 10)))
2570 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2571 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
2572 (alignment-distances . (10 10)))
2574 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2575 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
2576 (alignment-distances . (10 30)))
2579 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2582 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' } }
2583 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { e'4 e' e' e' } }
2590 Some points to consider:
2593 @item When using @code{alignment-distances}, lyrics and other non-staff lines
2594 do not count as a staff.
2596 @item The units of the numbers passed to @code{X-offset},
2597 @code{Y-offset} and @code{alignment-distances} are interpreted as multiples
2598 of the distance between adjacent staff lines. Positive values move staves
2599 and lyrics up, negative values move staves and lyrics down.
2601 @item Because the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
2602 settings given here allow the positioning of staves and systems anywhere
2603 on the page, it is possible to violate paper or margin boundaries or even
2604 to print staves or systems on top of one another. Reasonable values
2605 passed to these different settings will avoid this.
2613 @node Vertical collision avoidance
2614 @subsection Vertical collision avoidance
2616 @funindex outside-staff-priority
2617 @funindex outside-staff-padding
2618 @funindex outside-staff-horizontal-padding
2620 Intuitively, there are some objects in musical notation that belong
2621 to the staff and there are other objects that should be placed outside
2622 the staff. Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
2623 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings (from now on, these will
2624 be called outside-staff objects). LilyPond's rule for the
2625 vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them as close
2626 to the staff as possible but not so close that they collide with
2629 LilyPond uses the @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine
2630 whether a grob is an outside-staff object: if @code{outside-staff-priority}
2631 is a number, the grob is an outside-staff object. In addition,
2632 @code{outside-staff-priority} tells LilyPond in which order the objects
2635 First, LilyPond places all the objects that do not belong outside
2636 the staff. Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
2637 @code{outside-staff-priority} (in increasing order). One by one, LilyPond
2638 takes the outside-staff objects and places them so that they do
2639 not collide with any objects that have already been placed. That
2640 is, if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the one
2641 with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed closer to
2644 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2647 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #1
2648 c4_"Text"\pp % this time the text will be closer to the staff
2650 % by setting outside-staff-priority to a non-number,
2651 % we disable the automatic collision avoidance
2652 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
2653 \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
2654 c4_"Text"\pp % now they will collide
2657 The vertical padding between an outside-staff object and the
2658 previously-positioned grobs can be controlled with
2659 @code{outside-staff-padding}.
2661 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2662 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #0
2663 a'^"This text is placed very close to the note"
2664 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #3
2665 c^"This text is padded away from the previous text"
2666 c^"This text is placed close to the previous text"
2670 By default, outside-staff objects are placed only to avoid
2671 a horizontal collision with previously-positioned grobs. This
2672 can lead to situations in which objects are placed very close to each
2673 other horizontally. The vertical spacing between staves can
2674 also be set so that outside staff objects are interleaved.
2675 Setting @code{outside-staff-horizontal-padding}
2676 causes an object to be offset vertically so that such a situation
2679 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2680 % the markup is too close to the following note
2684 % setting outside-staff-horizontal-padding fixes this
2686 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-horizontal-padding = #1
2697 @node Horizontal spacing
2698 @section Horizontal spacing
2700 @cindex horizontal spacing
2701 @cindex spacing, horizontal
2704 * Horizontal spacing overview::
2705 * New spacing area::
2706 * Changing horizontal spacing::
2708 * Proportional notation::
2712 @node Horizontal spacing overview
2713 @subsection Horizontal spacing overview
2715 The spacing engine translates differences in durations into stretchable
2716 distances (@q{springs}) of differing lengths. Longer durations get
2717 more space, shorter durations get less. The shortest durations get a
2718 fixed amount of space (which is controlled by
2719 @code{shortest-duration-space} in the @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}
2720 object). The longer the duration, the more space it gets: doubling a
2721 duration adds a fixed amount (this amount is controlled by
2722 @code{spacing-increment}) of space to the note.
2724 For example, the following piece contains lots of half, quarter, and
2725 8th notes; the eighth note is followed by 1 note head width (NHW).
2726 The quarter note is followed by 2 NHW, the half by 3 NHW, etc.
2728 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=1]
2729 c2 c4. c8 c4. c8 c4. c8 c8
2733 Normally, @code{spacing-increment} is set to 1.2 staff space, which is
2734 approximately the width of a note head, and
2735 @code{shortest-duration-space} is set to 2.0, meaning that the
2736 shortest note gets 2.4 staff space (2.0 times the
2737 @code{spacing-increment}) of horizontal space. This space is counted
2738 from the left edge of the symbol, so the shortest notes are generally
2739 followed by one NHW of space.
2741 If one would follow the above procedure exactly, then adding a single
2742 32nd note to a score that uses 8th and 16th notes, would widen up the
2743 entire score a lot. The shortest note is no longer a 16th, but a 32nd,
2744 thus adding 1 NHW to every note. To prevent this, the shortest
2745 duration for spacing is not the shortest note in the score, but rather
2746 the one which occurs most frequently.
2749 The most common shortest duration is determined as follows: in every
2750 measure, the shortest duration is determined. The most common shortest
2751 duration is taken as the basis for the spacing, with the stipulation
2752 that this shortest duration should always be equal to or shorter than
2753 an 8th note. The shortest duration is printed when you run
2754 @code{lilypond} with the @option{--verbose} option.
2756 These durations may also be customized. If you set the
2757 @code{common-shortest-duration} in @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}, then
2758 this sets the base duration for spacing. The maximum duration for this
2759 base (normally an 8th), is set through @code{base-shortest-duration}.
2761 @funindex common-shortest-duration
2762 @funindex base-shortest-duration
2763 @funindex stem-spacing-correction
2766 Notes that are even shorter than the common shortest note are
2767 followed by a space that is proportional to their duration relative to
2768 the common shortest note. So if we were to add only a few 16th notes
2769 to the example above, they would be followed by half a NHW:
2771 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
2772 c2 c4. c8 c4. c16[ c] c4. c8 c8 c8 c4 c4 c4
2776 In the @emph{Essay on automated music engraving}, it was explained
2777 that stem directions influence spacing (see
2778 @ressay{Optical spacing}). This is controlled with the
2779 @code{stem-spacing-correction} property in the
2780 @rinternals{NoteSpacing}, object. These are generated for every
2781 @rinternals{Voice} context. The @code{StaffSpacing} object
2782 (generated in @rinternals{Staff} context) contains the same
2783 property for controlling the stem/bar line spacing. The following
2784 example shows these corrections, once with default settings, and
2785 once with exaggerated corrections:
2787 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
2791 \override Staff.NoteSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2792 \override Staff.StaffSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2798 Proportional notation is supported; see @ref{Proportional notation}.
2801 Essay on automated music engraving:
2802 @ressay{Optical spacing}.
2807 Internals Reference:
2808 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner},
2809 @rinternals{NoteSpacing},
2810 @rinternals{StaffSpacing},
2811 @rinternals{NonMusicalPaperColumn}.
2814 There is no convenient mechanism to manually override spacing. The
2815 following work-around may be used to insert extra space into a score,
2816 adjusting the padding value as necessary.
2819 \override Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn #'padding = #10
2822 No work-around exists for decreasing the amount of space.
2825 @node New spacing area
2826 @subsection New spacing area
2828 New sections with different spacing parameters can be started with
2829 @code{newSpacingSection}. This is useful when there are
2830 sections with a different notions of long and short notes.
2832 In the following example, the time signature change introduces a new
2833 section, and hence the 16ths notes are spaced wider.
2835 @lilypond[relative=1,verbatim,quote]
2838 c8 c c4 c16[ c c8] c4
2844 The @code{\newSpacingSection} command creates a new
2845 @code{SpacingSpanner} object, and hence new @code{\override}s
2846 may be used in that location.
2852 Internals Reference:
2853 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}.
2856 @node Changing horizontal spacing
2857 @subsection Changing horizontal spacing
2859 Horizontal spacing may be altered with the
2860 @code{base-shortest-duration} property. Here
2861 we compare the same music; once without altering
2862 the property, and then altered. Larger values
2863 of @code{ly:make-moment} will produce smaller
2864 music. Note that @code{ly:make-moment} constructs
2865 a duration, so @code{1 4} is a longer duration
2868 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2871 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2872 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2873 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2874 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2879 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2882 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2883 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2884 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2885 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2890 \override SpacingSpanner
2891 #'base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2900 By default, spacing in tuplets depends on various non-duration
2901 factors (such as accidentals, clef changes, etc). To disregard
2902 such symbols and force uniform equal-duration spacing, use
2903 @code{Score.SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching}. This
2904 property can only be changed at the beginning of a score,
2906 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
2925 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2931 When @code{strict-note-spacing} is set, notes are spaced without
2932 regard for clefs, bar lines, and grace notes,
2934 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2935 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2936 \new Staff { c8[ c \clef alto c \grace { c16[ c] } c8 c c] c32[ c32] }
2945 @subsection Line length
2948 @cindex breaking pages
2951 @funindex line-width
2952 @funindex ragged-right
2953 @funindex ragged-last
2955 @c Although line-width can be set in \layout, it should be set in paper
2956 @c block, to get page layout right.
2957 @c Setting indent in \paper block makes not much sense, but it works.
2959 @c Bit verbose and vague, use examples?
2960 The most basic settings influencing the spacing are @code{indent} and
2961 @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block. They
2962 control the indentation of the first line of music, and the lengths of
2965 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block, then
2966 systems ends at their natural horizontal length, instead of being spread
2967 horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful for
2968 short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural spacing is.
2969 The normal default setting is false, but if the score has only one
2970 system the default value is true.
2973 @cindex vertical spacing
2975 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right}, but
2976 only affects the last line of the piece. No restrictions are put on
2977 that line. The result is similar to formatting text paragraphs. In a
2978 paragraph, the last line simply takes its natural horizontal length.
2979 @c Note that for text there are several options for the last line.
2980 @c While Knuth TeX uses natural length, lead typesetters use the same
2981 @c stretch as the previous line. eTeX uses \lastlinefit to
2982 @c interpolate between both these solutions.
2997 @node Proportional notation
2998 @subsection Proportional notation
3000 LilyPond supports proportional notation, a type of horizontal spacing
3001 in which each note consumes an amount of horizontal space exactly
3002 equivalent to its rhythmic duration. This type of proportional spacing
3003 is comparable to horizontal spacing on top of graph paper. Some late
3004 20th- and early 21st-century scores use proportional notation to
3005 clarify complex rhythmic relationships or to facilitate the placement
3006 of timelines or other graphics directly in the score.
3008 LilyPond supports five different settings for proportional notation,
3009 which may be used together or alone:
3012 @item @code{proportionalNotationDuration}
3013 @item @code{uniform-stretching}
3014 @item @code{strict-note-spacing}
3015 @item @code{\remove Separating_line_group_engraver}
3016 @item @code{\override PaperColumn #'used = ##t}
3019 In the examples that follow, we explore these five different
3020 proportional notation settings and examine how these settings interact.
3022 We start with the following one-measure example, which uses classical
3023 spacing with ragged-right turned on.
3025 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3028 \new RhythmicStaff {
3032 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3039 Notice that the half note which begins the measure takes up far less
3040 than half of the horizontal space of the measure. Likewise, the
3041 sixteenth notes and sixteenth-note quintuplets (or twentieth notes)
3042 which end the measure together take up far more than half the
3043 horizontal space of the measure.
3045 In classical engraving, this spacing may be exactly what we want
3046 because we can borrow horizontal space from the half note and conserve
3047 horizontal space across the measure as a whole.
3049 On the other hand, if we want to insert a measured timeline or other
3050 graphic above or below our score, we need proportional notation. We
3051 turn proportional notation on with the proportionalNotationDuration
3054 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3057 \new RhythmicStaff {
3061 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3068 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
3074 The half note at the beginning of the measure and the faster notes in
3075 the second half of the measure now occupy equal amounts of horizontal
3076 space. We could place a measured timeline or graphic above or below
3079 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting is a context setting
3080 that lives in @code{Score}. Remember that context settings can appear
3081 in one of three locations within our input file -- in a @code{\with}
3082 block, in a @code{\context} block, or directly in music entry preceded
3083 by the @code{\set} command. As with all context settings, users can
3084 pick which of the three different locations they would like to
3085 set @code{proportionalNotationDuration} in to.
3087 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting takes a single argument,
3088 which is the reference duration against that all music will be spaced.
3089 The LilyPond Scheme function @code{make-moment} takes two arguments
3090 -- a numerator and denominator which together express some fraction of
3091 a whole note. The call @code{(ly:make-moment 1 20)} therefore produces
3092 a reference duration of a twentieth note. Values such as
3093 @code{(ly:make-moment 1 16)}, @code{(ly:make-moment 1 8)}, and
3094 @code{(ly:make-moment 3 97)} are all possible as well.
3096 How do we select the right reference duration to pass to
3097 @code{proportionalNotationDuration}? Usually by a process of trial
3098 and error, beginning with a duration close to the fastest (or smallest)
3099 duration in the piece. Smaller reference durations space music loosely;
3100 larger reference durations space music tightly.
3102 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3105 \new RhythmicStaff {
3109 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3116 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
3123 \new RhythmicStaff {
3127 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3134 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
3141 \new RhythmicStaff {
3145 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3152 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
3158 Note that too large a reference duration -- such as the eighth note,
3159 above -- spaces music too tightly and can cause note head collisions.
3160 Also that proportional notation in general takes up more horizontal
3161 space than classical spacing. Proportional spacing provides rhythmic
3162 clarity at the expense of horizontal space.
3164 Next we examine how to optimally space overlapping tuplets.
3166 We start by examining what happens to our original example, with
3167 classical spacing, when we add a second staff with a different type of
3170 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3173 \new RhythmicStaff {
3177 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3180 \new RhythmicStaff {
3182 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3189 The spacing is bad because the evenly spaced notes of the bottom staff
3190 do not stretch uniformly. Classical engravings include very few complex
3191 triplets and so classical engraving rules can generate this type of
3192 result. Setting @code{proportionalNotationDuration} fixes this.
3194 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3197 \new RhythmicStaff {
3201 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3204 \new RhythmicStaff {
3206 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3213 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
3219 But if we look very carefully we can see that notes of the second half
3220 of the 9-tuplet space ever so slightly more widely than the notes
3221 of the first half of the 9-tuplet. To ensure uniform stretching, we
3222 turn on @code{uniform-stretching}, which is a property of
3223 @code{SpacingSpanner}.
3225 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3228 \new RhythmicStaff {
3232 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3235 \new RhythmicStaff {
3237 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3244 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
3245 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
3251 Our two-staff example now spaces exactly, our rhythmic
3252 relationships are visually clear, and we can include a measured
3253 timeline or graphic if we want.
3255 Note that the LilyPond's proportional notation package expects
3256 that all proportional scores set the SpacingSpanner's
3257 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t. Setting
3258 proportionalNotationDuration without also setting the
3259 SpacingSpanner's 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t will, for
3260 example, cause Skips to consume an incorrect amount of horizontal
3263 The SpacingSpanner is an abstract grob that lives in the Score
3264 context. As with our settings of proportionalNotationDuration,
3265 overrides to the SpacingSpanner can occur in any of three
3266 different places in our input file – in the Score \with block, in
3267 a Score \context block, or in note entry directly.
3269 There is by default only one @code{SpacingSpanner} per @code{Score}. This
3270 means that, by default, @code{uniform-stretching} is either turned on for the
3271 entire score or turned off for the entire score. We can, however,
3272 override this behavior and turn on different spacing features at
3273 different places in the score. We do this with the command
3274 @code{\newSpacingSection}. See @ref{New spacing area}, for more info.
3276 Next we examine the effects of the @code{Separating_line_group_engraver} and
3277 see why proportional scores frequently remove this engraver. The following
3278 example shows that there is a small amount of @qq{prefatory} space
3279 just before the first note in each system.
3281 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3294 The amount of this prefatory space is the same whether after a time
3295 signature, a key signature or a clef. @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
3296 is responsible for this space. Removing @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
3297 reduces this space to zero.
3299 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3305 \remove Separating_line_group_engraver
3313 non-musical elements like time signatures, key signatures, clefs and
3314 accidentals are problematic in proportional notation. None of these
3315 elements has rhythmic duration. But all of these elements consume
3316 horizontal space. Different proportional scores approach these
3317 problems differently.
3319 It may be possible to avoid spacing problems with key signatures
3320 simply by not having any. This is a valid option since most
3321 proportional scores are contemporary music. The same may be true
3322 of time signatures, especially for those scores
3323 that include a measured timeline or other graphic. But these scores
3324 are exceptional and most proportional scores include at least some
3325 time signatures. Clefs and accidentals are even more essential.
3327 So what strategies exist for spacing non-musical elements in a
3328 proportional context? One good option is the @code{strict-note-spacing}
3329 property of @code{SpacingSpanner}. Compare the two scores below:
3331 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3333 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
3343 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
3344 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
3354 Both scores are proportional, but the spacing in the first score
3355 is too loose because of the clef change. The spacing of the second
3356 score remains strict, however, because strict-note-spacing is
3357 turned on. Turning on strict-note-spacing causes the width of
3358 time signatures, key signatures, clefs and accidentals to play no
3359 part in the spacing algorithm.
3361 In addition to the settings given here, there are other settings
3362 that frequently appear in proportional scores. These include:
3365 @item @code{\override SpacingSpanner #'strict-grace-spacing = ##t}
3366 @item @code{tupletFullLength = ##t}
3367 @item @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}
3368 @item @code{\override Glissando #'breakable = ##t}
3369 @item @code{\override TextSpanner #'breakable = ##t}
3370 @item @code{\remove Forbid_line_break_engraver in the Voice context}
3373 These settings space grace notes strictly, extend tuplet brackets to
3374 mark both rhythmic start- and stop-points, and allow spanning elements
3375 to break across systems and pages. See the respective parts of the manual
3376 for these related settings.
3380 @ref{New spacing area}.
3386 @node Fitting music onto fewer pages
3387 @section Fitting music onto fewer pages
3389 Sometimes you can end up with one or two staves on a second
3390 (or third, or fourth@dots{}) page. This is annoying, especially
3391 if you look at previous pages and it looks like there is plenty
3392 of room left on those.
3394 When investigating layout issues, @code{annotate-spacing} is an
3395 invaluable tool. This command prints the values of various layout
3396 spacing variables; for more details see the following section,
3397 @ref{Displaying spacing}.
3400 * Displaying spacing::
3401 * Changing spacing::
3405 @node Displaying spacing
3406 @subsection Displaying spacing
3408 @funindex annotate-spacing
3409 @cindex spacing, display of layout
3411 To graphically display the dimensions of vertical layout variables
3412 that may be altered for page formatting, set
3413 @code{annotate-spacing} in the @code{\paper} block:
3415 @c need to have \book{} otherwise we get the separate systems. -hwn
3416 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3417 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
3420 \paper { annotate-spacing = ##t }
3426 All layout dimensions are displayed in staff-spaces, regardless
3427 of the units specified in the @code{\paper} or @code{\layout} block.
3428 In the above example, @code{paper-height} has a value of 59.75
3429 @code{staff-spaces}, and the @code{staff-size} is 20 points (the
3430 default value). Note that:
3432 @multitable {1 staff-space} {staff-size)/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm}
3435 @tab = (25.4/72.27) mm
3438 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 pts
3440 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm
3445 In this case, one @code{staff-space} is approximately equal to
3446 1.757mm. Thus the @code{paper-height} measurement of 59.75
3447 @code{staff-spaces} is equivalent to 105 millimeters, the height
3448 of @code{a6} paper in landscape orientation. The pairs
3449 (@var{a},@var{b}) are intervals, where @var{a} is the lower
3450 edge and @var{b} the upper edge of the interval.
3454 @ref{Setting the staff size}.
3460 @node Changing spacing
3461 @subsection Changing spacing
3463 The output of @code{annotate-spacing} reveals vertical dimensions
3464 in great detail. For details about modifying margins and other
3465 layout variables, see @ref{Page layout}.
3467 Other than margins, there are a few other options to save space:
3471 Force systems to move as close together as possible (to fit as
3472 many systems as possible onto a page) while being spaced so that
3473 there is no blank space at the bottom of the page.
3477 system-system-spacing = #'((basic-distance . 0.1) (padding . 0))
3478 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
3484 Force the number of systems. This can help in two ways. Just
3485 setting a value, even the same value as the number of systems
3486 being typeset by default, will sometimes cause more systems to
3487 be fitted onto each page, as an estimation step is then bypassed,
3488 giving a more accurate fit to each page. Also, forcing an actual
3489 reduction in the number of systems may save a further page. For
3490 example, if the default layout has 11 systems, the following
3491 assignment will force a layout with 10 systems.
3500 Force the number of pages. For example, the following
3501 assignment will force a layout with 2 pages.
3510 Avoid (or reduce) objects that increase the vertical size of a
3511 system. For example, volta repeats (or alternate repeats) require
3512 extra space. If these repeats are spread over two systems, they
3513 will take up more space than one system with the volta repeats and
3514 another system without. For example, dynamics that @q{stick out} of
3515 a system can be moved closer to the staff:
3517 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
3519 e4 c g-\tweak #'X-offset #-2.7 -\tweak #'Y-offset #2.5 \f c
3523 Alter the horizontal spacing via @code{SpacingSpanner}. For more
3524 details, see @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}. The following
3525 example illustrates the default spacing:
3527 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3540 The next example modifies @code{common-shortest-duration} from a
3541 value of @code{1/4} to @code{1/2}. The quarter note is the most
3542 common and shortest duration in this example, so by making this
3543 duration longer, a @q{squeezing} effect occurs:
3545 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3557 \override SpacingSpanner
3558 #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 2)
3565 The @code{common-shortest-duration} property cannot be modified
3566 dynamically, so it must always be placed in a @code{\context}
3567 block so that it applies to the whole score.
3574 @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}.