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
238 @c An appendix entry exists for paper sizes but is not auto-generated
240 The following command can be used in the file to add a custom paper size
241 which can then be used with @code{set-default-paper-size} or
242 @code{set-paper-size} as appropriate,
245 #(set! paper-alist (cons '("my size" . (cons (* 15 in) (* 3 in))) paper-alist))
248 #(set-paper-size "my size")
252 The units @code{in} (inches), @code{cm} (centimeters) and @code{mm}
253 (millimeters) can all be used.
255 @cindex paper size, orientation
256 @cindex page, orientation
257 @cindex paper size, landscape
259 If the symbol @code{'landscape} is added to the paper size function,
260 pages will be rotated by 90 degrees, and wider line widths will be set
264 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
267 The music output will @emph{not} be rotated, just the paper size.
271 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
274 @file{scm/paper.scm}.
277 @node Automatic scaling to paper size
278 @unnumberedsubsubsec Automatic scaling to paper size
280 If the paper size is changed with one of the scheme functions
281 (@code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}), the
282 values of several @code{\paper} variables are automatically scaled
283 to the new size. To bypass the automatic scaling for a particular
284 variable, set the variable after setting the paper size. Note
285 that the automatic scaling is not triggered by setting the
286 @code{paper-height} or @code{paper-width} variables, even though
287 @code{paper-width} can influence other values (this is separate
288 from scaling and is discussed below). The
289 @code{set-default-paper-size} and @code{set-paper-size} functions
290 are described in @ref{Setting the paper size}.
292 The vertical dimensions affected by automatic scaling are
293 @code{top-margin} and @code{bottom-margin} (see
294 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables}). The horizontal
295 dimensions affected by automatic scaling are @code{left-margin},
296 @code{right-margin}, @code{inner-margin}, @code{outer-margin},
297 @code{binding-offset}, @code{indent}, and @code{short-indent} (see
298 @ref{Horizontal spacing \paper variables}).
300 The default values for these dimensions are set in
301 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}, using internal variables named
302 @code{top-margin-default}, @code{bottom-margin-default}, etc.
303 These are the values that result at the default paper size
304 @code{a4}. For reference, with @code{a4} paper the
305 @code{paper-height} is @code{297\mm} and the @code{paper-width} is
310 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables},
311 @ref{Horizontal spacing \paper variables}.
314 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly},
315 @file{scm/paper.scm}.
318 @node Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables
319 @subsection Fixed vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
321 @warning{Some @code{@bs{}paper} dimensions are automatically
322 scaled to the paper size, which may lead to unexpected behavior.
323 See @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.}
325 Default values (before scaling) are defined in
326 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
330 @funindex paper-height
332 The height of the page, unset by default. Note that the automatic
333 scaling of some vertical dimensions is not affected by this.
338 The margin between the top of the page and the top of the
339 printable area. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
340 default value is scaled accordingly.
343 @funindex bottom-margin
345 The margin between the bottom of the printable area and the bottom
346 of the page. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
347 default value is scaled accordingly.
350 @funindex ragged-bottom
352 If set to true, systems will not spread vertically down the page.
353 This does not affect the last page. This should be set to true
354 for pieces that have only two or three systems per page, for
355 example orchestral scores.
357 @item ragged-last-bottom
358 @funindex ragged-last-bottom
360 If set to false, systems will spread vertically down the last
361 page. Pieces that amply fill two pages or more should have this
362 set to false. It also affects the last page of book parts, i.e.
363 parts of a book created with @code{\bookpart} blocks.
369 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
372 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
378 The titles (from the @code{\header} block) are treated as a
379 system, so @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom} will
380 add space between the titles and the first system of the score.
382 Explicitly defined paper-sizes will override any user-defined top or
383 bottom margin settings.
386 @node Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables
387 @subsection Flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
389 In most cases, it is preferable for the vertical distances between
390 certain items (such as margins, titles, systems, and separate
391 scores) to be flexible, so that they stretch and compress nicely
392 according to each situation. A number of @code{\paper} variables
393 (listed below) are available to fine-tune the stretching behavior
396 Note that the @code{\paper} variables discussed in this section do
397 not control the spacing of staves within individual systems.
398 Within-system spacing is controlled by grob properties, with
399 settings typically entered inside a @code{\score} or
400 @code{\layout} block, and not inside a @code{\paper} block. See
401 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing within systems}.
404 * Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists::
405 * List of flexible vertical spacing \paper variables::
409 @node Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists
410 @unnumberedsubsubsec Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists
412 Each of the flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables is
413 an alist (association list) containing four @emph{keys}:
418 @code{basic-distance} -- the vertical distance, measured in
419 staff-spaces, between the @emph{reference points} of the two
420 items, when no collisions would result, and no stretching or
421 compressing is in effect. The reference point of a (title or
422 top-level) markup is its highest point, and the reference point of
423 a system is the vertical center of the nearest @code{StaffSymbol}
424 -- even if a non-staff line (such as a @code{Lyrics} context) is
425 in the way. Values for @code{basic-distance} that are less than
426 either @code{padding} or @code{minimum-distance} are not
427 meaningful, since the resulting distance will never be less than
428 either @code{padding} or @code{minimum-distance}.
431 @code{minimum-distance} -- the smallest allowable vertical
432 distance, measured in staff-spaces, between the reference points
433 of the two items, when compressing is in effect. Values for
434 @code{minimum-distance} that are less than @code{padding} are not
435 meaningful, since the resulting distance will never be less than
438 @c TODO: explain skylines somewhere and xref to it from here.
441 @code{padding} -- the minimum required amount of unobstructed
442 vertical whitespace between the bounding boxes (or skylines) of
443 the two items, measured in staff-spaces.
446 @code{stretchability} -- a unitless measure of the dimension's
447 relative propensity to stretch. If zero, the distance will not
448 stretch (unless collisions would result). When positive, the
449 significance of a particular dimension's @code{stretchability}
450 value lies only in its relation to the @code{stretchability}
451 values of the other dimensions. For example, if one dimension has
452 twice the @code{stretchability} of another, it will stretch twice
453 as easily. Values should be non-negative and finite. The value
454 @code{+inf.0} triggers a @code{programming_error} and is ignored,
455 but @code{1.0e7} can be used for an almost infinitely stretchable
456 spring. If unset, the default value is set to
457 @code{basic-distance}. Note that the dimension's propensity to
458 @emph{compress} cannot be directly set by the user and is equal to
459 (@code{basic-distance}@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}@code{minimum-distance}).
463 If a page has a ragged bottom, the resulting distance is the
469 @code{basic-distance},
472 @code{minimum-distance}, and
475 @code{padding} plus the smallest distance necessary to eliminate
480 For multi-page scores with a ragged bottom on the last page, the last
481 page uses the same spacing as the preceding page, provided there is
482 enough space for that.
484 Specific methods for modifying alists are discussed in
485 @ref{Modifying alists}. The following example demonstrates the
486 two ways these alists can be modified. The first declaration
487 updates one key-value individually, and the second completely
488 redefines the variable:
492 system-system-spacing #'basic-distance = #8
493 score-system-spacing =
494 #'((basic-distance . 12)
495 (minimum-distance . 6)
497 (stretchability . 12))
502 @node List of flexible vertical spacing \paper variables
503 @unnumberedsubsubsec List of flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
505 The names of these variables follow the format
506 @code{@var{upper}-@var{lower}-spacing}, where @code{@var{upper}}
507 and @code{@var{lower}} are the items to be spaced. Each distance
508 is measured between the reference points of the two items (see the
509 description of the alist structure above). Note that in these
510 variable names, the term @q{@code{markup}} refers to both
511 @emph{title markups} (@code{bookTitleMarkup} or
512 @code{scoreTitleMarkup}) and @emph{top-level markups} (see
513 @ref{File structure}). All distances are measured in
516 Default settings are defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
518 @c TODO: Where do headers/footers fit in? -mp
521 @item markup-system-spacing
522 @funindex markup-system-spacing
524 the distance between a (title or top-level) markup and the system
527 @item score-markup-spacing
528 @funindex score-markup-spacing
530 the distance between the last system of a score and the (title or
531 top-level) markup that follows it.
533 @item score-system-spacing
534 @funindex score-system-spacing
536 the distance between the last system of a score and the first
537 system of the score that follows it, when no (title or top-level)
538 markup exists between them.
540 @item system-system-spacing
541 @funindex system-system-spacing
543 the distance between two systems in the same score.
545 @item markup-markup-spacing
546 @funindex markup-markup-spacing
548 the distance between two (title or top-level) markups.
550 @item last-bottom-spacing
551 @funindex last-bottom-spacing
553 the distance from the last system or top-level markup on a page to
554 the bottom of the printable area (i.e. the top of the bottom
557 @item top-system-spacing
558 @funindex top-system-spacing
560 the distance from the top of the printable area (i.e. the bottom
561 of the top margin) to the first system on a page, when there is no
562 (title or top-level) markup between the two.
564 @item top-markup-spacing
565 @funindex top-markup-spacing
567 the distance from the top of the printable area (i.e. the bottom
568 of the top margin) to the first (title or top-level) markup on a
569 page, when there is no system between the two.
574 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing within systems}.
577 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
583 @node Horizontal spacing \paper variables
584 @subsection Horizontal spacing @code{\paper} variables
586 @warning{Some @code{@bs{}paper} dimensions are automatically
587 scaled to the paper size, which may lead to unexpected behavior.
588 See @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.}
591 * \paper variables for widths and margins::
592 * \paper variables for two-sided mode::
593 * \paper variables for shifts and indents::
597 @node \paper variables for widths and margins
598 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for widths and margins
600 Default values (before scaling) that are not listed here are
601 defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
606 @funindex paper-width
608 The width of the page, unset by default. While @code{paper-width}
609 has no effect on the automatic scaling of some horizontal
610 dimensions, it does influence the @code{line-width} variable. If
611 both @code{paper-width} and @code{line-width} are set, then
612 @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin} will also be updated.
613 Also see @code{check-consistency}.
618 The horizontal extent of the staff lines in unindented, non-ragged
620 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}left-margin@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}right-margin)}
621 when unset. If @code{line-width} is set, and both
622 @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin} are unset, then the
623 margins will be updated to center the systems on the page
624 automatically. Also see @code{check-consistency}. This variable
625 can also be set in a @code{\layout} block.
628 @funindex left-margin
630 The margin between the left edge of the page and the start of the
631 staff lines in unindented systems. If the paper size is modified,
632 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. If
633 @code{left-margin} is unset, and both @code{line-width} and
634 @code{right-margin} are set, then @code{left-margin} is set to
635 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}right-margin)}.
636 If only @code{line-width} is set, then both margins are set to
637 @code{((paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width)@tie{}/@tie{}2)},
638 and the systems are consequently centered on the page. Also see
639 @code{check-consistency}.
642 @funindex right-margin
644 The margin between the right edge of the page and the end of the
645 staff lines in non-ragged systems. If the paper size is modified,
646 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. If
647 @code{right-margin} is unset, and both @code{line-width} and
648 @code{left-margin} are set, then @code{right-margin} is set to
649 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}left-margin)}.
650 If only @code{line-width} is set, then both margins are set to
651 @code{((paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width)@tie{}/@tie{}2)},
652 and the systems are consequently centered on the page. Also see
653 @code{check-consistency}.
655 @item check-consistency
656 @funindex check-consistency
658 If set to true, print a warning if @code{left-margin},
659 @code{line-width}, and @code{right-margin} do not exactly add up
660 to @code{paper-width}, and replace each of these (except
661 @code{paper-width}) with its default value (scaled to the paper
662 size if necessary). If set to false, ignore any inconsistencies
663 and allow systems to run off the edge of the page.
666 @funindex ragged-right
668 If set to true, systems will not fill the line width. Instead,
669 systems end at their natural horizontal length. Default:
670 @code{#t} for scores with only one system, and @code{#f} for
671 scores with two or more systems. This variable can also be set in
672 a @code{\layout} block.
675 @funindex ragged-last
677 If set to true, the last system in the score will not fill the
678 line width. Instead the last system ends at its natural
679 horizontal length. Default: @code{#f}. This variable can also be
680 set in a @code{\layout} block.
686 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
689 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
692 Explicitly defined paper-sizes will override any user-defined left or
693 right margin settings.
696 @node \paper variables for two-sided mode
697 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for two-sided mode
699 Default values (before scaling) are defined in
700 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
708 @cindex binding gutter
710 If set to true, use @code{inner-margin}, @code{outer-margin} and
711 @code{binding-offset} to determine margins depending on whether
712 the page number is odd or even. This overrides @code{left-margin}
713 and @code{right-margin}.
716 @funindex inner-margin
718 The margin all pages have at the inner side if they are part of a
719 book. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's default
720 value is scaled accordingly. Works only with @code{two-sided} set
724 @funindex outer-margin
726 The margin all pages have at the outer side if they are part of a
727 book. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's default
728 value is scaled accordingly. Works only with @code{two-sided} set
732 @funindex binding-offset
734 The amount @code{inner-margin} is increased to make sure nothing
735 will be hidden by the binding. If the paper size is modified,
736 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. Works only
737 with @code{two-sided} set to true.
743 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
746 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
749 @node \paper variables for shifts and indents
750 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for shifts and indents
752 Default values (before scaling) that are not listed here are
753 defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
757 @item horizontal-shift
758 @funindex horizontal-shift
760 @c This default value is buried in the middle of page.scm. -mp
762 The amount that all systems (including titles and system
763 separators) are shifted to the right. Default: @code{0.0\mm}.
768 The level of indentation for the first system in a score. If the
769 paper size is modified, this dimension's default value is scaled
770 accordingly. This variable can also be set in a @code{\layout}
774 @funindex short-indent
776 The level of indentation for all systems in a score besides the
777 first system. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
778 default value is scaled accordingly. This variable can also be
779 set in a @code{\layout} block.
785 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
788 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
794 @node Other \paper variables
795 @subsection Other @code{\paper} variables
798 * \paper variables for line breaking::
799 * \paper variables for page breaking::
800 * \paper variables for page numbering::
801 * Miscellaneous \paper variables::
805 @node \paper variables for line breaking
806 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for line breaking
808 @c TODO: Mention that ly:optimal-breaking is on by default? -mp
812 @item max-systems-per-page
813 @funindex max-systems-per-page
815 The maximum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
816 is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
819 @item min-systems-per-page
820 @funindex min-systems-per-page
822 The minimum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
823 may cause pages to be overfilled if it is made too large. This is
824 currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
827 @item systems-per-page
828 @funindex systems-per-page
830 The number of systems that should be placed on each page.
831 This is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
835 @funindex system-count
837 The number of systems to be used for a score. Default: unset.
838 This variable can also be set in a @code{\layout} block.
847 @node \paper variables for page breaking
848 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for page breaking
850 Default values not listed here are defined in
851 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}
855 @item blank-after-score-page-force
856 @funindex blank-after-score-page-force
858 The penalty for having a blank page after the end of one score and
859 before the next. By default, this is smaller than
860 @code{blank-page-force}, so that we prefer blank pages after
861 scores to blank pages within a score.
863 @item blank-last-page-force
864 @funindex blank-last-page-force
866 The penalty for ending the score on an odd-numbered page.
868 @item blank-page-force
869 @funindex blank-page-force
871 The penalty for having a blank page in the middle of a
872 score. This is not used by @code{ly:optimal-breaking} since it will
873 never consider blank pages in the middle of a score.
876 @funindex page-breaking
878 The page-breaking algorithm to use. Choices are
879 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, and
880 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}.
882 @item page-breaking-system-system-spacing
883 @funindex page-breaking-system-system-spacing
885 Tricks the page breaker into thinking that
886 @code{system-system-spacing} is set to something different than
887 it really is. For example, if
888 @code{page-breaking-system-system-spacing #'padding} is set to something
889 substantially larger than @code{system-system-spacing #'padding}, then the
890 page-breaker will put fewer systems on each page. Default: unset.
895 The number of pages to be used for a score, unset by default.
902 @ref{Optimal page breaking},
903 @ref{Optimal page turning},
904 @ref{Minimal page breaking}.
907 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
910 @node \paper variables for page numbering
911 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for page numbering
913 Default values not listed here are defined in
914 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}
918 @cindex page numbers, auto-numbering
919 @item auto-first-page-number
920 @funindex auto-first-page-number
922 The page breaking algorithm is affected by the first page number
923 being odd or even. If set to true, the page breaking algorithm
924 will decide whether to start with an odd or even number. This
925 will result in the first page number remaining as is or being
926 increased by one. Default: @code{#f}.
928 @cindex page numbers, specify the first
929 @item first-page-number
930 @funindex first-page-number
932 The value of the page number on the first page.
934 @item print-first-page-number
935 @funindex print-first-page-number
937 If set to true, a page number is printed on the first page.
939 @cindex page numbers, suppress
940 @item print-page-number
941 @funindex print-page-number
943 If set to false, page numbers are not printed.
949 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
952 Odd page numbers are always on the right. If you want the
953 music to start on page 1 there must be a blank page on the back
954 of the cover page so that page 1 is on the right hand side.
957 @node Miscellaneous \paper variables
958 @unnumberedsubsubsec Miscellaneous @code{\paper} variables
962 @item page-spacing-weight
963 @funindex page-spacing-weight
965 The relative importance of page (vertical) spacing and line
966 (horizontal) spacing. High values will make page spacing more
967 important. Default: @code{10}.
969 @item print-all-headers
970 @funindex print-all-headers
972 If set to true, this will print all headers for each @code{\score}
973 in the output. Normally only the @code{piece} and @code{opus}
974 header variables are printed. Default: @code{#f}.
976 @item system-separator-markup
977 @funindex system-separator-markup
979 A markup object that is inserted between systems, often used for
980 orchestral scores. Default: unset. The @code{\slashSeparator}
981 markup, defined in @file{ly/titling-init.ly}, is provided as a
982 sensible default, for example:
984 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,noragged-right,line-width=30\mm]
985 #(set-default-paper-size "a8")
989 system-separator-markup = \slashSeparator
995 \relative c'' { c1 \break c1 \break c1 }
1004 @file{ly/titling-init.ly}.
1010 The default page header puts the page number and the @code{instrument}
1011 field from the @code{\header} block on a line.
1015 @section Score layout
1017 This section discusses score layout options for the @code{\layout}
1021 * The \layout block::
1022 * Setting the staff size::
1026 @node The \layout block
1027 @subsection The @code{\layout} block
1031 While the @code{\paper} block contains settings that relate to the
1032 page formatting of the whole document, the @code{\layout} block
1033 contains settings for score-specific layout. To set score layout
1034 options globally, enter them in a toplevel @code{\layout} block.
1035 To set layout options for an individual score, enter them in a
1036 @code{\layout} block inside the @code{\score} block, after the
1037 music. Settings that can appear in a @code{\layout} block
1041 @item the @code{layout-set-staff-size} scheme function,
1042 @item context modifications in @code{\context} blocks, and
1043 @item @code{\paper} variables that affect score layout.
1046 The @code{layout-set-staff-size} function is discussed in the next
1047 section, @ref{Setting the staff size}. Context modifications are
1048 discussed in a separate chapter; see
1049 @ref{Modifying context plug-ins} and
1050 @ref{Changing context default settings}. The @code{\paper}
1051 variables that can appear in a @code{\layout} block are:
1056 @code{line-width}, @code{ragged-right} and @code{ragged-last}
1057 (see @ref{\paper variables for widths and margins})
1060 @code{indent} and @code{short-indent}
1061 (see @ref{\paper variables for shifts and indents})
1065 (see @ref{\paper variables for line breaking})
1069 Here is an example @code{\layout} block:
1076 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #'basic-distance = #8
1080 \override TextScript #'padding = #1
1081 \override Glissando #'thickness = #3
1088 @ref{Changing context default settings}.
1094 @node Setting the staff size
1095 @subsection Setting the staff size
1097 @cindex font size, setting
1098 @cindex staff size, setting
1099 @funindex layout file
1101 The default @strong{staff size} is set to 20 points.
1102 This may be changed in two ways:
1104 To set the staff size globally for all scores in a file (or
1105 in a @code{book} block, to be precise), use @code{set-global-staff-size}.
1108 #(set-global-staff-size 14)
1112 This sets the global default size to 14pt staff height and scales all
1115 To set the staff size individually for each score, use
1120 #(layout-set-staff-size 15)
1125 The Feta font provides musical symbols at eight different
1126 sizes. Each font is tuned for a different staff size: at a smaller size
1127 the font becomes heavier, to match the relatively heavier staff lines.
1128 The recommended font sizes are listed in the following table:
1131 @multitable @columnfractions .15 .2 .22 .2
1134 @tab @b{staff height (pt)}
1135 @tab @b{staff height (mm)}
1177 @c modern rental material?
1182 These fonts are available in any sizes. The context property
1183 @code{fontSize} and the layout property @code{staff-space} (in
1184 @rinternals{StaffSymbol}) can be used to tune the size for individual
1185 staves. The sizes of individual staves are relative to the global size.
1189 @ref{Selecting notation font size}.
1195 @code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between the
1205 * Optimal page breaking::
1206 * Optimal page turning::
1207 * Minimal page breaking::
1209 * Using an extra voice for breaks::
1214 @subsection Line breaking
1217 @cindex breaking lines
1219 Line breaks are normally determined automatically. They are chosen
1220 so that lines look neither cramped nor loose, and consecutive
1221 lines have similar density.
1223 To manually force a line break at a bar line, use the
1224 @code{\break} command:
1226 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
1231 By default, a @code{\break} in the middle of a measure is ignored,
1232 and a warning is printed. To force a line break in the middle of
1233 a measure, add an invisible bar line with @w{@samp{\bar ""}}:
1235 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
1242 A @code{\break} occurring at a bar line is also ignored if the
1243 previous measure ends in the middle of a note, such as when a
1244 tuplet begins and ends in different measures. To allow
1245 @code{\break} commands to work in these situations, remove the
1246 @code{Forbid_line_break_engraver} from the @code{Voice} context.
1247 Note that manually forced line breaks have to be added in parallel
1250 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
1252 \remove Forbid_line_break_engraver
1255 { c2. \times 2/3 { c4 c c } c2. | }
1256 { s1 | \break s1 | }
1261 Similarly, line breaks are normally forbidden when beams cross bar
1262 lines. This behavior can be changed by setting
1263 @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}:
1265 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
1266 \override Beam #'breakable = ##t
1271 The @code{\noBreak} command forbids a line break at the bar line
1272 where it is inserted.
1274 The most basic settings influencing line spacing are @code{indent}
1275 and @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block.
1276 They control the indentation of the first line of music, and the
1277 lengths of the lines.
1279 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block,
1280 then systems end at their natural horizontal length, instead of
1281 being spread horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful
1282 for short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural
1285 @c TODO Check and add para on default for ragged-right
1287 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right},
1288 but affects only the last line of the piece.
1300 @cindex regular line breaks
1301 @cindex four bar music.
1303 For line breaks at regular intervals use @code{\break} separated by
1304 skips and repeated with @code{\repeat}. For example, this would
1305 cause the following 28 measures (assuming 4/4 time) to be broken
1306 every 4 measures, and only there:
1311 s1 \noBreak s1 \noBreak
1312 s1 \noBreak s1 \break
1314 @{ @var{the actual music@dots{}} @}
1319 A linebreaking configuration can be saved as a @file{.ly} file
1320 automatically. This allows vertical alignments to be stretched to
1321 fit pages in a second formatting run. This is fairly new and
1322 complicated. More details are available in
1335 @ref{\paper variables for line breaking}.
1340 Internals Reference:
1341 @rinternals{LineBreakEvent}.
1345 @subsection Page breaking
1347 The default page breaking may be overridden by inserting
1348 @code{\pageBreak} or @code{\noPageBreak} commands. These commands are
1349 analogous to @code{\break} and @code{\noBreak}. They should be
1350 inserted at a bar line. These commands force and forbid a page-break
1351 from happening. Of course, the @code{\pageBreak} command also forces
1354 The @code{\pageBreak} and @code{\noPageBreak} commands may also be
1355 inserted at top-level, between scores and top-level markups.
1357 There are also analogous settings to @code{ragged-right} and
1358 @code{ragged-last} which have the same effect on vertical spacing:
1359 @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom}. If set to
1360 @code{#t} the systems on all pages or just the last page
1361 respectively will not be justified vertically. See
1362 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables}.
1364 Page breaks are computed by the @code{page-breaking} function. LilyPond
1365 provides three algorithms for computing page breaks,
1366 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} and
1367 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}. The default is @code{ly:optimal-breaking},
1368 but the value can be changed in the @code{\paper} block:
1372 page-breaking = #ly:page-turn-breaking
1378 When a book has many scores and pages, the page breaking problem may be
1379 difficult to solve, requiring large processing time and memory. To ease
1380 the page breaking process, @code{\bookpart} blocks are used to divide
1381 the book into several parts: the page breaking occurs separately on each
1382 part. Different page breaking functions may also be used in different
1388 subtitle = "Preface"
1391 %% In a part consisting mostly of text,
1392 %% ly:minimal-breaking may be preferred
1393 page-breaking = #ly:minimal-breaking
1395 \markup @{ @dots{} @}
1399 %% In this part, consisting of music, the default optimal
1400 %% page breaking function is used.
1402 subtitle = "First movement"
1404 \score @{ @dots{} @}
1411 @funindex \pageBreak
1413 @funindex \noPageBreak
1414 @code{\noPageBreak}.
1419 @ref{\paper variables for page breaking}.
1425 @node Optimal page breaking
1426 @subsection Optimal page breaking
1428 @funindex ly:optimal-breaking
1430 The @code{ly:optimal-breaking} function is LilyPond's default method of
1431 determining page breaks. It attempts to find a page breaking that minimizes
1432 cramping and stretching, both horizontally and vertically. Unlike
1433 @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, it has no concept of page turns.
1440 @node Optimal page turning
1441 @subsection Optimal page turning
1443 @funindex ly:page-turn-breaking
1445 Often it is necessary to find a page breaking configuration so that there is
1446 a rest at the end of every second page. This way, the musician can turn the
1447 page without having to miss notes. The @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} function
1448 attempts to find a page breaking minimizing cramping and stretching, but with
1449 the additional restriction that it is only allowed to introduce page turns
1450 in specified places.
1452 There are two steps to using this page breaking function. First, you
1453 must enable it in the @code{\paper} block, as explained in @ref{Page
1454 breaking}. Then you must tell the function where you would like to allow
1457 There are two ways to achieve the second step. First, you can specify each
1458 potential page turn manually, by inserting @code{\allowPageTurn} into your
1459 input file at the appropriate places.
1461 If this is too tedious, you can add a @code{Page_turn_engraver} to a Staff or
1462 Voice context. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} will scan the context for
1463 sections without notes (note that it does not scan for rests; it scans for
1464 the absence of notes. This is so that single-staff polyphony with rests in one
1465 of the parts does not throw off the @code{Page_turn_engraver}). When it finds
1466 a sufficiently long section without notes, the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1467 insert an @code{\allowPageTurn} at the final bar line in that section, unless
1468 there is a @q{special} bar line (such as a double bar), in which case the
1469 @code{\allowPageTurn} will be inserted at the final @q{special} bar line in
1472 @funindex minimumPageTurnLength
1473 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} reads the context property
1474 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} to determine how long a note-free section must
1475 be before a page turn is considered. The default value for
1476 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} is @code{(ly:make-moment 1 1)}. If you want
1477 to disable page turns, you can set it to something very large.
1480 \new Staff \with @{ \consists "Page_turn_engraver" @}
1483 R1 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1485 \set Staff.minimumPageTurnLength = #(ly:make-moment 5 2)
1486 R1 | % a page turn will not be allowed here
1488 R1*2 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1493 @funindex minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn
1494 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} detects volta repeats. It will only allow a page
1495 turn during the repeat if there is enough time at the beginning and end of the
1496 repeat to turn the page back. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} can also disable
1497 page turns if the repeat is very short. If you set the context property
1498 @code{minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn} then the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1499 only allow turns in repeats whose duration is longer than this value.
1501 The page turning commands, @code{\pageTurn}, @code{\noPageTurn} and
1502 @code{\allowPageTurn}, may also be used at top-level, between scores and
1508 @funindex \noPageTurn
1510 @funindex \allowPageTurn
1511 @code{\allowPageTurn}.
1519 There should only be one @code{Page_turn_engraver} in a score. If there is more
1520 than one, they will interfere with each other.
1523 @node Minimal page breaking
1524 @subsection Minimal page breaking
1526 @funindex ly:minimal-breaking
1528 The @code{ly:minimal-breaking} function performs minimal computations to
1529 calculate the page breaking: it fills a page with as many systems as
1530 possible before moving to the next one. Thus, it may be preferred for
1531 scores with many pages, where the other page breaking functions could be
1532 too slow or memory demanding, or a lot of texts. It is enabled using:
1536 page-breaking = #ly:minimal-breaking
1545 @node Explicit breaks
1546 @subsection Explicit breaks
1548 Lily sometimes rejects explicit @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak}
1549 commands. There are two commands to override this behavior:
1552 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1553 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1556 When @code{line-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1557 line breaks at explicit @code{\break} commands and nowhere else. When
1558 @code{page-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1559 page breaks at explicit @code{\pageBreak} commands and nowhere else.
1561 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1568 music = \relative c'' { c8 c c c }
1572 \repeat unfold 2 { \music } \break
1573 \repeat unfold 4 { \music } \break
1574 \repeat unfold 6 { \music } \break
1575 \repeat unfold 8 { \music } \pageBreak
1576 \repeat unfold 8 { \music } \break
1577 \repeat unfold 6 { \music } \break
1578 \repeat unfold 4 { \music } \break
1579 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1584 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1585 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1596 @node Using an extra voice for breaks
1597 @subsection Using an extra voice for breaks
1599 Line- and page-breaking information usually appears within note entry directly.
1602 music = \relative c'' @{ c4 c c c @}
1606 \repeat unfold 2 @{ \music @} \break
1607 \repeat unfold 3 @{ \music @}
1612 This makes @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak} commands easy to enter but mixes
1613 music entry with information that specifies how music should lay out
1614 on the page. You can keep music entry and line- and page-breaking
1615 information in two separate places by introducing an extra voice to
1616 contain the breaks. This extra voice
1617 contains only skips together with @code{\break}, @code{pageBreak} and other
1618 breaking layout information.
1620 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1621 music = \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
1632 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1633 \repeat unfold 3 { \music }
1634 \repeat unfold 6 { \music }
1635 \repeat unfold 5 { \music }
1641 This pattern becomes especially helpful when overriding
1642 @code{line-break-system-details} and the other useful but long properties of
1643 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumnGrob}, as explained in @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1645 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1646 music = \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
1651 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1652 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1655 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1656 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 35))
1659 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1660 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 70))
1663 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1664 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 105))
1668 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1669 \repeat unfold 3 { \music }
1670 \repeat unfold 6 { \music }
1671 \repeat unfold 5 { \music }
1679 @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1685 @node Vertical spacing
1686 @section Vertical spacing
1688 @cindex vertical spacing
1689 @cindex spacing, vertical
1691 Vertical spacing is controlled by three things: the amount of
1692 space available (i.e., paper size and margins), the amount of
1693 space between systems, and the amount of space between
1694 staves inside a system.
1697 * Flexible vertical spacing within systems::
1698 * Explicit staff and system positioning::
1699 * Vertical collision avoidance::
1703 @node Flexible vertical spacing within systems
1704 @subsection Flexible vertical spacing within systems
1706 @cindex distance between staves
1707 @cindex staff distance
1708 @cindex space between staves
1709 @cindex space inside systems
1711 Three separate mechanisms control the flexible vertical spacing
1712 within systems, one for each of the following categories:
1717 @emph{ungrouped staves},
1720 @emph{grouped staves} (staves within a staff-group such as
1721 @code{ChoirStaff}, etc.), and
1724 @emph{non-staff lines} (such as @code{Lyrics}, @code{ChordNames},
1729 @c TODO: Clarify this. This almost implies that non-staff lines
1730 @c have NO effect on the spacing between staves. -mp
1732 The height of each system is determined in two steps. First, all
1733 of the staves are spaced according to the amount of space
1734 available. Then, the non-staff lines are distributed between the
1737 Note that the spacing mechanisms discussed in this section only
1738 control the vertical spacing of staves and non-staff lines within
1739 individual systems. The vertical spacing between separate
1740 systems, scores, markups, and margins is controlled by
1741 @code{\paper} variables, which are discussed in
1742 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables}.
1745 * Within-system spacing properties::
1746 * Spacing of ungrouped staves::
1747 * Spacing of grouped staves::
1748 * Spacing of non-staff lines::
1752 @node Within-system spacing properties
1753 @unnumberedsubsubsec Within-system spacing properties
1755 @funindex staff-affinity
1756 @funindex staffgroup-staff-spacing
1757 @funindex staff-staff-spacing
1758 @funindex nonstaff-unrelatedstaff-spacing
1759 @funindex nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing
1760 @funindex nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing
1761 @funindex default-staff-staff-spacing
1762 @funindex minimum-Y-extent
1763 @funindex extra-offset
1764 @funindex self-alignment-X
1766 @funindex VerticalAxisGroup
1768 The within-system vertical spacing mechanisms are controlled by
1769 two sets of grob properties. The first set is associated with the
1770 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob, which is created by all staves and
1771 non-staff lines. The second set is associated with the
1772 @code{StaffGrouper} grob, which can be created by staff-groups,
1773 but only if explicitly called. These properties are described
1774 individually at the end of this section.
1776 The names of these properties (except for @code{staff-affinity})
1777 follow the format @code{@var{item1}-@var{item2}-spacing}, where
1778 @code{@var{item1}} and @code{@var{item2}} are the items to be
1779 spaced. Note that @code{@var{item2}} is not necessarily below
1780 @code{@var{item1}}; for example,
1781 @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing} will measure upwards from the
1782 non-staff line if @code{staff-affinity} is @code{UP}.
1784 Each distance is measured between the @emph{reference points} of
1785 the two items. The reference point for a staff is the vertical
1786 center of its @code{StaffSymbol} (i.e. the middle line if
1787 @code{line-count} is odd; the middle space if @code{line-count} is
1788 even). The reference points for individual non-staff lines are
1789 given in the following table:
1791 @multitable {Non-staff line} {Reference point}
1792 @headitem Non-staff line @tab Reference point
1793 @item @code{ChordNames} @tab baseline
1794 @item @code{NoteNames} @tab baseline
1795 @item @code{Lyrics} @tab baseline
1796 @item @code{Dynamics} @tab vertical center
1797 @item @code{FiguredBass} @tab highest point
1798 @item @code{FretBoards} @tab top line
1801 In the following image, horizontal lines indicate the positions
1802 of these reference points:
1804 @lilypond[quote,noragged-right,line-width=110\mm]
1805 #(define zero-space '((padding . -inf.0) (basic-distance . 0)))
1807 alignToZero = \with {
1808 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing = #zero-space
1809 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing = #zero-space
1811 lowerCaseChords = \with {
1812 chordNameLowercaseMinor = ##t
1814 staffAffinityDown = \with {
1815 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN
1818 #(define-music-function
1819 (parser location context)
1821 #{ s1*0^\markup { \typewriter #context } #})
1824 \context { \Dynamics \alignToZero }
1825 \context { \FiguredBass \alignToZero }
1826 \context { \Lyrics \alignToZero }
1827 \context { \NoteNames \alignToZero \staffAffinityDown }
1828 \context { \ChordNames \alignToZero
1831 \context { \FretBoards \alignToZero \staffAffinityDown }
1833 \override BarLine #'stencil = ##f
1834 \override DynamicText #'self-alignment-X = #-1
1835 \override FretBoard #'X-offset = #1.75
1836 \override InstrumentName #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-2 . 2)
1837 \override InstrumentName #'extra-offset = #'(0 . -0.5)
1838 \override TextScript #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-2 . 3)
1839 \override TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1843 %% These contexts have reference points at the baseline:
1844 %% ChordNames, NoteNames, and Lyrics
1846 \new ChordNames { \chords { g1:m } }
1847 \new NoteNames { s1 | g1 | }
1848 \new RhythmicStaff {
1849 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"baseline "
1851 \labelContext "ChordNames " s1 |
1852 \labelContext "NoteNames " s1 |
1853 \labelContext "Lyrics" s1 |
1855 \new Lyrics { \lyrics { \skip 1*2 | ghijk1 | } }
1858 %% The reference point for Dynamics is its vertical center
1860 \new RhythmicStaff {
1861 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"vertical center "
1862 \labelContext "Dynamics" s1*3
1864 \new Dynamics { s1\mp s\fp }
1867 %% The reference point for FiguredBass is its highest point
1869 \new RhythmicStaff {
1870 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"highest point "
1871 \labelContext "FiguredBass" s1
1873 \new FiguredBass { \figuremode { <6 5>1 } }
1876 %% The reference point for FretBoards is the top line
1877 \include "predefined-guitar-fretboards.ly"
1879 \new FretBoards { \chordmode { e1 } }
1880 \new RhythmicStaff {
1881 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"top line "
1882 \labelContext "FretBoards " s1
1887 Each of the vertical spacing grob properties (except
1888 @code{staff-affinity}) uses the same alist structure as the
1889 @code{\paper} spacing variables discussed in
1890 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables}. Specific methods
1891 for modifying alists are discussed in @ref{Modifying alists}.
1892 Grob properties should be adjusted with an @code{\override} inside
1893 a @code{\score} or @code{\layout} block, and not inside a
1894 @code{\paper} block.
1896 The following example demonstrates the two ways these alists can
1897 be modified. The first declaration updates one key-value
1898 individually, and the second completely re-defines the property:
1902 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing
1903 #'basic-distance = #10
1907 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing =
1908 #'((basic-distance . 10)
1909 (minimum-distance . 9)
1911 (stretchability . 10))
1915 To change any spacing settings globally, put them in the
1916 @code{\layout} block:
1922 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing
1923 #'basic-distance = #10
1928 Standard settings for the vertical spacing grob properties are
1929 listed in @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup} and
1930 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}. Default overrides for specific types
1931 of non-staff lines are listed in the relevant context descriptions
1932 in @rinternals{Contexts}.
1935 @subsubheading Properties of the @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob
1937 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties are typically adjusted with an
1938 @code{\override} at the @code{Staff} level (or equivalent).
1941 @item staff-staff-spacing
1943 Used to determine the distance between the current staff and the
1944 staff just below it in the same system, even if one or more
1945 non-staff lines (such as @code{Lyrics}) are placed between the two
1946 staves. Does not apply to the bottom staff of a system.
1948 Initially, the @code{staff-staff-spacing} of a
1949 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} is a Scheme function that applies the
1950 properties of the @code{StaffGrouper} if the staff is part of a
1951 group, or the @code{default-staff-staff-spacing} of the staff
1952 otherwise. This allows staves to be spaced differently when they
1953 are grouped. For uniform spacing regardless of grouping, this
1954 function may be replaced by a flexible-spacing alist, using the
1955 complete-redefinition form of override shown above.
1957 @item default-staff-staff-spacing
1958 A flexible-spacing alist defining the @code{staff-staff-spacing} used for
1959 ungrouped staves, unless @code{staff-staff-spacing} has been explicitly
1960 set with an @code{\override}.
1962 @item staff-affinity
1963 The direction of the staff to use for spacing the current
1964 non-staff line. Choices are @code{UP}, @code{DOWN}, and
1965 @code{CENTER}. If @code{CENTER}, the non-staff line will be
1966 placed equidistant between the two nearest staves on either side,
1967 unless collisions or other spacing constraints prevent this.
1968 Adjacent non-staff lines should have non-increasing
1969 @code{staff-affinity} from top to bottom, e.g. a non-staff line
1970 set to @code{UP} should not immediately follow one that is set to
1971 @code{DOWN}. Non-staff lines at the top of a system should use
1972 @code{DOWN}; those at the bottom should use @code{UP}. Setting
1973 @code{staff-affinity} for a staff causes it to be treated as a
1974 non-staff line. Setting @code{staff-affinity} to @code{#f} causes
1975 a non-staff line to be treated as a staff. Setting
1976 @code{staff-affinity} to @code{UP}, @code{CENTER}, or @code{DOWN}
1977 causes a staff to be spaced as a non-staff line.
1979 @item nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing
1980 The distance between the current non-staff line and the nearest
1981 staff in the direction of @code{staff-affinity}, if there are no
1982 non-staff lines between the two, and @code{staff-affinity} is
1983 either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}. If @code{staff-affinity} is
1984 @code{CENTER}, then @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing} is used
1985 for the nearest staves on @emph{both} sides, even if other
1986 non-staff lines appear between the current one and either of the
1987 staves. This means that the placement of a non-staff line depends
1988 on both the surrounding staves and the surrounding non-staff lines.
1989 Setting the @code{stretchability} of one of these types of spacing to
1990 a small value will make that spacing dominate. Setting the
1991 @code{stretchability} to a large value will make that spacing have
1994 @item nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing
1995 The distance between the current non-staff line and the next
1996 non-staff line in the direction of @code{staff-affinity}, if both
1997 are on the same side of the related staff, and
1998 @code{staff-affinity} is either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}.
2000 @item nonstaff-unrelatedstaff-spacing
2001 The distance between the current non-staff line and the staff in
2002 the opposite direction from @code{staff-affinity}, if there are no
2003 other non-staff lines between the two, and @code{staff-affinity}
2004 is either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}. This can be used, for
2005 example, to require a minimum amount of padding between a
2006 @code{Lyrics} line and the staff to which it does not belong.
2010 @subsubheading Properties of the @code{StaffGrouper} grob
2012 @code{StaffGrouper} properties are typically adjusted with an
2013 @code{\override} at the @code{StaffGroup} level (or equivalent).
2016 @item staff-staff-spacing
2017 The distance between consecutive staves within the current
2018 staff-group. The @code{staff-staff-spacing} property of an
2019 individual staff's @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob can be
2020 overriden with different spacing settings for that staff.
2022 @item staffgroup-staff-spacing
2023 The distance between the last staff of the current staff-group and
2024 the staff just below it in the same system, even if one or more
2025 non-staff lines (such as @code{Lyrics}) exist between the two
2026 staves. Does not apply to the bottom staff of a system. The
2027 @code{staff-staff-spacing} property of an individual staff's
2028 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob can be overriden with different
2029 spacing settings for that staff.
2034 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables},
2035 @ref{Modifying alists}.
2038 @file{ly/engraver-init.ly},
2039 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2041 Internals Reference:
2042 @rinternals{Contexts},
2043 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup},
2044 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}.
2047 @node Spacing of ungrouped staves
2048 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of ungrouped staves
2050 @emph{Staves} (such as @code{Staff}, @code{DrumStaff},
2051 @code{TabStaff}, etc.) are contexts that can contain one or more
2052 voice contexts, but cannot contain any other staves.
2054 The following properties affect the spacing of @emph{ungrouped}
2058 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
2060 @item @code{default-staff-staff-spacing}
2061 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
2065 These grob properties are described individually above; see
2066 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
2068 Additional properties are involved for staves that are part of a
2069 staff-group; see @ref{Spacing of grouped staves}.
2071 The following example shows how the @code{default-staff-staff-spacing}
2072 property can affect the spacing of ungrouped staves.
2073 The same overrides applied to @code{staff-staff-spacing} would
2074 have the same effect, but would also apply in cases where the staves
2075 are combined in a group or groups.
2077 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2081 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing =
2082 #'((basic-distance . 8)
2083 (minimum-distance . 7)
2089 % The very low note here needs more room than 'basic-distance
2090 % can provide, so the distance between this staff and the next
2091 % is determined by 'padding.
2092 \new Staff { b,2 r | }
2094 % Here, 'basic-distance provides enough room, and there is no
2095 % need to compress the space (towards 'minimum-distance) to make
2096 % room for anything else on the page, so the distance between
2097 % this staff and the next is determined by 'basic-distance.
2098 \new Staff { \clef bass g2 r | }
2100 % By setting 'padding to a negative value, staves can be made to
2101 % collide. The lowest acceptable value for 'basic-distance is 0.
2103 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing =
2104 #'((basic-distance . 3.5)
2106 } { \clef bass g2 r | }
2107 \new Staff { \clef bass g2 r | }
2113 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2118 Internals Reference:
2119 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup}.
2122 @node Spacing of grouped staves
2123 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of grouped staves
2125 In orchestral and other large scores, it is common to place staves
2126 in groups. The space between groups is typically larger than the
2127 space between staves of the same group.
2129 @emph{Staff-groups} (such as @code{StaffGroup}, @code{ChoirStaff},
2130 etc.) are contexts that can contain one or more staves
2133 The following properties affect the spacing of staves inside
2137 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
2139 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
2141 @item @code{StaffGrouper} properties:
2143 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
2144 @item @code{staffgroup-staff-spacing}
2148 These grob properties are described individually above; see
2149 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
2151 The following example shows how properties of the
2152 @code{StaffGrouper} grob can affect the spacing of grouped staves:
2154 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2158 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #'padding = #0
2159 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #'basic-distance = #1
2164 \new PianoStaff \with {
2165 \override StaffGrouper #'staffgroup-staff-spacing #'basic-distance = #20
2180 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2185 Internals Reference:
2186 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup},
2187 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}.
2190 @node Spacing of non-staff lines
2191 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of non-staff lines
2193 @emph{Non-staff lines} (such as @code{Lyrics}, @code{ChordNames},
2194 etc.) are contexts whose layout objects are engraved like staves
2195 (i.e. in horizontal lines within systems). Specifically,
2196 non-staff lines are non-staff contexts that create the
2197 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} layout object.
2199 The following properties affect the spacing of non-staff lines:
2202 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
2204 @item @code{staff-affinity}
2205 @item @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing}
2206 @item @code{nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing}
2207 @item @code{nonstaff-unrelatedstaff-spacing}
2211 These grob properties are described individually above; see
2212 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
2214 The following example shows how the
2215 @code{nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing} property can affect the spacing
2216 of consecutive non-staff lines. Here, by setting the
2217 @code{stretchability} key to a very high value, the lyrics are
2218 able to stretch much more than usual:
2220 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2224 \override VerticalAxisGroup
2225 #'nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing #'stretchability = #1000
2232 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-staff-spacing = #'((basic-distance . 30))
2235 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #UP
2238 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #CENTER
2239 } \lyricmode { center }
2241 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN
2242 } \lyricmode { down }
2249 @file{ly/engraver-init.ly},
2250 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2255 @c @lsr{spacing,page-spacing.ly},
2256 @c @lsr{spacing,alignment-vertical-spacing.ly}.
2258 Internals Reference:
2259 @rinternals{Contexts},
2260 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup}.
2263 @node Explicit staff and system positioning
2264 @subsection Explicit staff and system positioning
2266 One way to understand the flexible vertical spacing mechanisms
2267 explained above is as a collection of settings that control the
2268 amount of vertical padding between staves and systems.
2270 It is possible to approach vertical spacing in a different way
2271 using @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}.
2272 While the flexible vertical spacing mechanisms specify vertical
2273 padding, @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
2274 can specify exact vertical positions on the page.
2276 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} accepts
2277 an associative list of three different settings:
2280 @item @code{X-offset}
2281 @item @code{Y-offset}
2282 @item @code{alignment-distances}
2285 Grob overrides, including the overrides for @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}
2286 below, can occur in any of three different places in an input file:
2289 @item in the middle of note entry directly
2290 @item in a @code{\context} block
2291 @item in the @code{\with} block
2294 When we override @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}, we use the usual
2295 @code{\override} command in @code{\context} blocks and in the
2296 @code{\with} block. On the other hand, when we override
2297 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} in the middle of note entry,
2298 use the special @code{\overrideProperty} command. Here are some
2299 example @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} overrides with the special
2300 @code{\overrideProperty} command:
2303 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2304 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20))
2306 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2307 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
2309 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2310 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20)
2313 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2314 #'line-break-system-details #'((alignment-distances . (15)))
2316 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2317 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20)
2319 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2322 To understand how each of these different settings work, we begin
2323 by looking at an example that includes no overrides at all.
2325 @c \book { } is required in these examples to ensure the spacing
2326 @c overrides can be seen between systems. -np
2328 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2329 \header { tagline = ##f }
2330 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2340 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2343 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2350 This score isolates line- and page-breaking information in a dedicated
2351 voice. This technique of creating a breaks voice will help keep layout
2352 separate from music entry as our example becomes more complicated.
2353 See @ref{Using an extra voice for breaks}.
2355 Explicit @code{\breaks} evenly divide the music into six measures per
2356 line. Vertical spacing results from LilyPond's defaults. To set
2357 the vertical startpoint of each system explicitly, we can set
2358 the @code{Y-offset} pair in the @code{line-break-system-details}
2359 attribute of the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob:
2361 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2362 \header { tagline = ##f }
2363 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2369 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2370 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
2372 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2373 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
2375 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2376 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 80))
2379 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2382 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2389 Note that @code{line-break-system-details} takes an associative list of
2390 potentially many values, but that we set only one value here. Note,
2391 too, that the @code{Y-offset} property here determines the exact vertical
2392 position on the page at which each new system will render.
2394 Now that we have set the vertical startpoint of each system
2395 explicitly, we can also set the vertical distances between staves
2396 within each system manually. We do this using the @code{alignment-distances}
2397 subproperty of @code{line-break-system-details}.
2399 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2400 \header { tagline = ##f }
2401 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2407 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2408 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 20)
2409 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2411 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2412 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
2413 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2415 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2416 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
2417 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2420 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2423 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2430 Note that here we assign two different values to the
2431 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute of the
2432 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob. Though the
2433 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute alist accepts many
2434 additional spacing parameters (including, for example, a corresponding
2435 @code{X-offset} pair), we need only set the @code{Y-offset} and
2436 @code{alignment-distances} pairs to control the vertical startpoint of
2437 every system and every staff. Finally, note that @code{alignment-distances}
2438 specifies the vertical positioning of staves but not of staff groups.
2440 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2441 \header { tagline = ##f }
2442 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2448 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2449 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0)
2450 (alignment-distances . (30 10)))
2452 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2453 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
2454 (alignment-distances . (10 10)))
2456 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2457 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
2458 (alignment-distances . (10 30)))
2461 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2464 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' } }
2465 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { e'4 e' e' e' } }
2472 Some points to consider:
2475 @item When using @code{alignment-distances}, lyrics and other non-staff lines
2476 do not count as a staff.
2478 @item The units of the numbers passed to @code{X-offset},
2479 @code{Y-offset} and @code{alignment-distances} are interpreted as multiples
2480 of the distance between adjacent staff lines. Positive values move staves
2481 and lyrics up, negative values move staves and lyrics down.
2483 @item Because the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
2484 settings given here allow the positioning of staves and systems anywhere
2485 on the page, it is possible to violate paper or margin boundaries or even
2486 to print staves or systems on top of one another. Reasonable values
2487 passed to these different settings will avoid this.
2495 @node Vertical collision avoidance
2496 @subsection Vertical collision avoidance
2498 @funindex outside-staff-priority
2499 @funindex outside-staff-padding
2500 @funindex outside-staff-horizontal-padding
2502 Intuitively, there are some objects in musical notation that belong
2503 to the staff and there are other objects that should be placed outside
2504 the staff. Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
2505 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings (from now on, these will
2506 be called outside-staff objects). LilyPond's rule for the
2507 vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them as close
2508 to the staff as possible but not so close that they collide with
2511 LilyPond uses the @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine
2512 whether a grob is an outside-staff object: if @code{outside-staff-priority}
2513 is a number, the grob is an outside-staff object. In addition,
2514 @code{outside-staff-priority} tells LilyPond in which order the objects
2517 First, LilyPond places all the objects that do not belong outside
2518 the staff. Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
2519 @code{outside-staff-priority} (in increasing order). One by one, LilyPond
2520 takes the outside-staff objects and places them so that they do
2521 not collide with any objects that have already been placed. That
2522 is, if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the one
2523 with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed closer to
2526 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2529 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #1
2530 c4_"Text"\pp % this time the text will be closer to the staff
2532 % by setting outside-staff-priority to a non-number,
2533 % we disable the automatic collision avoidance
2534 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
2535 \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
2536 c4_"Text"\pp % now they will collide
2539 The vertical padding between an outside-staff object and the
2540 previously-positioned grobs can be controlled with
2541 @code{outside-staff-padding}.
2543 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2544 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #0
2545 a'^"This text is placed very close to the note"
2546 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #3
2547 c^"This text is padded away from the previous text"
2548 c^"This text is placed close to the previous text"
2552 By default, outside-staff objects are placed only to avoid
2553 a horizontal collision with previously-positioned grobs. This
2554 can lead to situations in which objects are placed very close to each
2555 other horizontally. The vertical spacing between staves can
2556 also be set so that outside staff objects are interleaved.
2557 Setting @code{outside-staff-horizontal-padding}
2558 causes an object to be offset vertically so that such a situation
2561 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2562 % the markup is too close to the following note
2566 % setting outside-staff-horizontal-padding fixes this
2568 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-horizontal-padding = #1
2579 @node Horizontal spacing
2580 @section Horizontal spacing
2582 @cindex horizontal spacing
2583 @cindex spacing, horizontal
2586 * Horizontal spacing overview::
2587 * New spacing area::
2588 * Changing horizontal spacing::
2590 * Proportional notation::
2594 @node Horizontal spacing overview
2595 @subsection Horizontal spacing overview
2597 The spacing engine translates differences in durations into stretchable
2598 distances (@q{springs}) of differing lengths. Longer durations get
2599 more space, shorter durations get less. The shortest durations get a
2600 fixed amount of space (which is controlled by
2601 @code{shortest-duration-space} in the @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}
2602 object). The longer the duration, the more space it gets: doubling a
2603 duration adds a fixed amount (this amount is controlled by
2604 @code{spacing-increment}) of space to the note.
2606 For example, the following piece contains lots of half, quarter, and
2607 8th notes; the eighth note is followed by 1 note head width (NHW).
2608 The quarter note is followed by 2 NHW, the half by 3 NHW, etc.
2610 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=1]
2611 c2 c4. c8 c4. c8 c4. c8 c8
2615 Normally, @code{spacing-increment} is set to 1.2 staff space, which is
2616 approximately the width of a note head, and
2617 @code{shortest-duration-space} is set to 2.0, meaning that the
2618 shortest note gets 2.4 staff space (2.0 times the
2619 @code{spacing-increment}) of horizontal space. This space is counted
2620 from the left edge of the symbol, so the shortest notes are generally
2621 followed by one NHW of space.
2623 If one would follow the above procedure exactly, then adding a single
2624 32nd note to a score that uses 8th and 16th notes, would widen up the
2625 entire score a lot. The shortest note is no longer a 16th, but a 32nd,
2626 thus adding 1 NHW to every note. To prevent this, the shortest
2627 duration for spacing is not the shortest note in the score, but rather
2628 the one which occurs most frequently.
2631 The most common shortest duration is determined as follows: in every
2632 measure, the shortest duration is determined. The most common shortest
2633 duration is taken as the basis for the spacing, with the stipulation
2634 that this shortest duration should always be equal to or shorter than
2635 an 8th note. The shortest duration is printed when you run
2636 @code{lilypond} with the @option{--verbose} option.
2638 These durations may also be customized. If you set the
2639 @code{common-shortest-duration} in @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}, then
2640 this sets the base duration for spacing. The maximum duration for this
2641 base (normally an 8th), is set through @code{base-shortest-duration}.
2643 @funindex common-shortest-duration
2644 @funindex base-shortest-duration
2645 @funindex stem-spacing-correction
2648 Notes that are even shorter than the common shortest note are
2649 followed by a space that is proportional to their duration relative to
2650 the common shortest note. So if we were to add only a few 16th notes
2651 to the example above, they would be followed by half a NHW:
2653 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
2654 c2 c4. c8 c4. c16[ c] c4. c8 c8 c8 c4 c4 c4
2658 In the @emph{Essay on automated music engraving}, it was explained
2659 that stem directions influence spacing (see
2660 @ressay{Optical spacing}). This is controlled with the
2661 @code{stem-spacing-correction} property in the
2662 @rinternals{NoteSpacing}, object. These are generated for every
2663 @rinternals{Voice} context. The @code{StaffSpacing} object
2664 (generated in @rinternals{Staff} context) contains the same
2665 property for controlling the stem/bar line spacing. The following
2666 example shows these corrections, once with default settings, and
2667 once with exaggerated corrections:
2669 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
2673 \override Staff.NoteSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2674 \override Staff.StaffSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2680 Proportional notation is supported; see @ref{Proportional notation}.
2683 Essay on automated music engraving:
2684 @ressay{Optical spacing}.
2689 Internals Reference:
2690 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner},
2691 @rinternals{NoteSpacing},
2692 @rinternals{StaffSpacing},
2693 @rinternals{NonMusicalPaperColumn}.
2696 There is no convenient mechanism to manually override spacing. The
2697 following work-around may be used to insert extra space into a score,
2698 adjusting the padding value as necessary.
2701 \override Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn #'padding = #10
2704 No work-around exists for decreasing the amount of space.
2707 @node New spacing area
2708 @subsection New spacing area
2710 New sections with different spacing parameters can be started with
2711 @code{newSpacingSection}. This is useful when there are
2712 sections with a different notions of long and short notes.
2714 In the following example, the time signature change introduces a new
2715 section, and hence the 16ths notes are spaced wider.
2717 @lilypond[relative=1,verbatim,quote]
2720 c8 c c4 c16[ c c8] c4
2726 The @code{\newSpacingSection} command creates a new
2727 @code{SpacingSpanner} object, and hence new @code{\override}s
2728 may be used in that location.
2734 Internals Reference:
2735 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}.
2738 @node Changing horizontal spacing
2739 @subsection Changing horizontal spacing
2741 Horizontal spacing may be altered with the
2742 @code{base-shortest-duration} property. Here
2743 we compare the same music; once without altering
2744 the property, and then altered. Larger values
2745 of @code{ly:make-moment} will produce smaller
2746 music. Note that @code{ly:make-moment} constructs
2747 a duration, so @code{1 4} is a longer duration
2750 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2753 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2754 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2755 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2756 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2761 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2764 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2765 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2766 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2767 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2772 \override SpacingSpanner
2773 #'base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2782 By default, spacing in tuplets depends on various non-duration
2783 factors (such as accidentals, clef changes, etc). To disregard
2784 such symbols and force uniform equal-duration spacing, use
2785 @code{Score.SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching}. This
2786 property can only be changed at the beginning of a score,
2788 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
2807 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2813 When @code{strict-note-spacing} is set, notes are spaced without
2814 regard for clefs, bar lines, and grace notes,
2816 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2817 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2818 \new Staff { c8[ c \clef alto c \grace { c16[ c] } c8 c c] c32[ c32] }
2827 @subsection Line length
2830 @cindex breaking pages
2833 @funindex line-width
2834 @funindex ragged-right
2835 @funindex ragged-last
2837 @c Although line-width can be set in \layout, it should be set in paper
2838 @c block, to get page layout right.
2839 @c Setting indent in \paper block makes not much sense, but it works.
2841 @c Bit verbose and vague, use examples?
2842 The most basic settings influencing the spacing are @code{indent} and
2843 @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block. They
2844 control the indentation of the first line of music, and the lengths of
2847 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block, then
2848 systems ends at their natural horizontal length, instead of being spread
2849 horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful for
2850 short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural spacing is.
2851 The normal default setting is false, but if the score has only one
2852 system the default value is true.
2855 @cindex vertical spacing
2857 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right}, but
2858 only affects the last line of the piece. No restrictions are put on
2859 that line. The result is similar to formatting text paragraphs. In a
2860 paragraph, the last line simply takes its natural horizontal length.
2861 @c Note that for text there are several options for the last line.
2862 @c While Knuth TeX uses natural length, lead typesetters use the same
2863 @c stretch as the previous line. eTeX uses \lastlinefit to
2864 @c interpolate between both these solutions.
2879 @node Proportional notation
2880 @subsection Proportional notation
2882 LilyPond supports proportional notation, a type of horizontal spacing
2883 in which each note consumes an amount of horizontal space exactly
2884 equivalent to its rhythmic duration. This type of proportional spacing
2885 is comparable to horizontal spacing on top of graph paper. Some late
2886 20th- and early 21st-century scores use proportional notation to
2887 clarify complex rhythmic relationships or to facilitate the placement
2888 of timelines or other graphics directly in the score.
2890 LilyPond supports five different settings for proportional notation,
2891 which may be used together or alone:
2894 @item @code{proportionalNotationDuration}
2895 @item @code{uniform-stretching}
2896 @item @code{strict-note-spacing}
2897 @item @code{\remove Separating_line_group_engraver}
2898 @item @code{\override PaperColumn #'used = ##t}
2901 In the examples that follow, we explore these five different
2902 proportional notation settings and examine how these settings interact.
2904 We start with the following one-measure example, which uses classical
2905 spacing with ragged-right turned on.
2907 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2910 \new RhythmicStaff {
2914 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2921 Notice that the half note which begins the measure takes up far less
2922 than half of the horizontal space of the measure. Likewise, the
2923 sixteenth notes and sixteenth-note quintuplets (or twentieth notes)
2924 which end the measure together take up far more than half the
2925 horizontal space of the measure.
2927 In classical engraving, this spacing may be exactly what we want
2928 because we can borrow horizontal space from the half note and conserve
2929 horizontal space across the measure as a whole.
2931 On the other hand, if we want to insert a measured timeline or other
2932 graphic above or below our score, we need proportional notation. We
2933 turn proportional notation on with the proportionalNotationDuration
2936 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2939 \new RhythmicStaff {
2943 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2950 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2956 The half note at the beginning of the measure and the faster notes in
2957 the second half of the measure now occupy equal amounts of horizontal
2958 space. We could place a measured timeline or graphic above or below
2961 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting is a context setting
2962 that lives in @code{Score}. Remember that context settings can appear
2963 in one of three locations within our input file -- in a @code{\with}
2964 block, in a @code{\context} block, or directly in music entry preceded
2965 by the @code{\set} command. As with all context settings, users can
2966 pick which of the three different locations they would like to
2967 set @code{proportionalNotationDuration} in to.
2969 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting takes a single argument,
2970 which is the reference duration against that all music will be spaced.
2971 The LilyPond Scheme function @code{make-moment} takes two arguments
2972 -- a numerator and denominator which together express some fraction of
2973 a whole note. The call @code{(ly:make-moment 1 20)} therefore produces
2974 a reference duration of a twentieth note. Values such as
2975 @code{(ly:make-moment 1 16)}, @code{(ly:make-moment 1 8)}, and
2976 @code{(ly:make-moment 3 97)} are all possible as well.
2978 How do we select the right reference duration to pass to
2979 @code{proportionalNotationDuration}? Usually by a process of trial
2980 and error, beginning with a duration close to the fastest (or smallest)
2981 duration in the piece. Smaller reference durations space music loosely;
2982 larger reference durations space music tightly.
2984 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2987 \new RhythmicStaff {
2991 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2998 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
3005 \new RhythmicStaff {
3009 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3016 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
3023 \new RhythmicStaff {
3027 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3034 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
3040 Note that too large a reference duration -- such as the eighth note,
3041 above -- spaces music too tightly and can cause note head collisions.
3042 Also that proportional notation in general takes up more horizontal
3043 space than classical spacing. Proportional spacing provides rhythmic
3044 clarity at the expense of horizontal space.
3046 Next we examine how to optimally space overlapping tuplets.
3048 We start by examining what happens to our original example, with
3049 classical spacing, when we add a second staff with a different type of
3052 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3055 \new RhythmicStaff {
3059 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3062 \new RhythmicStaff {
3064 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3071 The spacing is bad because the evenly spaced notes of the bottom staff
3072 do not stretch uniformly. Classical engravings include very few complex
3073 triplets and so classical engraving rules can generate this type of
3074 result. Setting @code{proportionalNotationDuration} fixes this.
3076 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3079 \new RhythmicStaff {
3083 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3086 \new RhythmicStaff {
3088 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3095 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
3101 But if we look very carefully we can see that notes of the second half
3102 of the 9-tuplet space ever so slightly more widely than the notes
3103 of the first half of the 9-tuplet. To ensure uniform stretching, we
3104 turn on @code{uniform-stretching}, which is a property of
3105 @code{SpacingSpanner}.
3107 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3110 \new RhythmicStaff {
3114 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3117 \new RhythmicStaff {
3119 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3126 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
3127 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
3133 Our two-staff example now spaces exactly, our rhythmic
3134 relationships are visually clear, and we can include a measured
3135 timeline or graphic if we want.
3137 Note that the LilyPond's proportional notation package expects
3138 that all proportional scores set the SpacingSpanner's
3139 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t. Setting
3140 proportionalNotationDuration without also setting the
3141 SpacingSpanner's 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t will, for
3142 example, cause Skips to consume an incorrect amount of horizontal
3145 The SpacingSpanner is an abstract grob that lives in the Score
3146 context. As with our settings of proportionalNotationDuration,
3147 overrides to the SpacingSpanner can occur in any of three
3148 different places in our input file – in the Score \with block, in
3149 a Score \context block, or in note entry directly.
3151 There is by default only one @code{SpacingSpanner} per @code{Score}. This
3152 means that, by default, @code{uniform-stretching} is either turned on for the
3153 entire score or turned off for the entire score. We can, however,
3154 override this behavior and turn on different spacing features at
3155 different places in the score. We do this with the command
3156 @code{\newSpacingSection}. See @ref{New spacing area}, for more info.
3158 Next we examine the effects of the @code{Separating_line_group_engraver} and
3159 see why proportional scores frequently remove this engraver. The following
3160 example shows that there is a small amount of @qq{prefatory} space
3161 just before the first note in each system.
3163 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3176 The amount of this prefatory space is the same whether after a time
3177 signature, a key signature or a clef. @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
3178 is responsible for this space. Removing @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
3179 reduces this space to zero.
3181 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3187 \remove Separating_line_group_engraver
3195 non-musical elements like time signatures, key signatures, clefs and
3196 accidentals are problematic in proportional notation. None of these
3197 elements has rhythmic duration. But all of these elements consume
3198 horizontal space. Different proportional scores approach these
3199 problems differently.
3201 It may be possible to avoid spacing problems with key signatures
3202 simply by not having any. This is a valid option since most
3203 proportional scores are contemporary music. The same may be true
3204 of time signatures, especially for those scores
3205 that include a measured timeline or other graphic. But these scores
3206 are exceptional and most proportional scores include at least some
3207 time signatures. Clefs and accidentals are even more essential.
3209 So what strategies exist for spacing non-musical elements in a
3210 proportional context? One good option is the @code{strict-note-spacing}
3211 property of @code{SpacingSpanner}. Compare the two scores below:
3213 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3215 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
3225 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
3226 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
3236 Both scores are proportional, but the spacing in the first score
3237 is too loose because of the clef change. The spacing of the second
3238 score remains strict, however, because strict-note-spacing is
3239 turned on. Turning on strict-note-spacing causes the width of
3240 time signatures, key signatures, clefs and accidentals to play no
3241 part in the spacing algorithm.
3243 In addition to the settings given here, there are other settings
3244 that frequently appear in proportional scores. These include:
3247 @item @code{\override SpacingSpanner #'strict-grace-spacing = ##t}
3248 @item @code{tupletFullLength = ##t}
3249 @item @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}
3250 @item @code{\override Glissando #'breakable = ##t}
3251 @item @code{\override TextSpanner #'breakable = ##t}
3252 @item @code{\remove Forbid_line_break_engraver in the Voice context}
3255 These settings space grace notes strictly, extend tuplet brackets to
3256 mark both rhythmic start- and stop-points, and allow spanning elements
3257 to break across systems and pages. See the respective parts of the manual
3258 for these related settings.
3262 @ref{New spacing area}.
3268 @node Fitting music onto fewer pages
3269 @section Fitting music onto fewer pages
3271 Sometimes you can end up with one or two staves on a second
3272 (or third, or fourth@dots{}) page. This is annoying, especially
3273 if you look at previous pages and it looks like there is plenty
3274 of room left on those.
3276 When investigating layout issues, @code{annotate-spacing} is an
3277 invaluable tool. This command prints the values of various layout
3278 spacing variables; for more details see the following section,
3279 @ref{Displaying spacing}.
3282 * Displaying spacing::
3283 * Changing spacing::
3287 @node Displaying spacing
3288 @subsection Displaying spacing
3290 @funindex annotate-spacing
3291 @cindex spacing, display of layout
3293 To graphically display the dimensions of vertical layout variables
3294 that may be altered for page formatting, set
3295 @code{annotate-spacing} in the @code{\paper} block:
3297 @c need to have \book{} otherwise we get the separate systems. -hwn
3298 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3299 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
3302 \paper { annotate-spacing = ##t }
3308 All layout dimensions are displayed in staff-spaces, regardless
3309 of the units specified in the @code{\paper} or @code{\layout} block.
3310 In the above example, @code{paper-height} has a value of 59.75
3311 @code{staff-spaces}, and the @code{staff-size} is 20 points (the
3312 default value). Note that:
3314 @multitable {1 staff-space} {staff-size)/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm}
3317 @tab = (25.4/72.27) mm
3320 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 pts
3322 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm
3327 In this case, one @code{staff-space} is approximately equal to
3328 1.757mm. Thus the @code{paper-height} measurement of 59.75
3329 @code{staff-spaces} is equivalent to 105 millimeters, the height
3330 of @code{a6} paper in landscape orientation. The pairs
3331 (@var{a},@var{b}) are intervals, where @var{a} is the lower
3332 edge and @var{b} the upper edge of the interval.
3336 @ref{Setting the staff size}.
3342 @node Changing spacing
3343 @subsection Changing spacing
3345 The output of @code{annotate-spacing} reveals vertical dimensions
3346 in great detail. For details about modifying margins and other
3347 layout variables, see @ref{Page layout}.
3349 Other than margins, there are a few other options to save space:
3353 Force systems to move as close together as possible (to fit as
3354 many systems as possible onto a page) while being spaced so that
3355 there is no blank space at the bottom of the page.
3359 system-system-spacing = #'((basic-distance . 0.1) (padding . 0))
3360 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
3366 Force the number of systems. This can help in two ways. Just
3367 setting a value, even the same value as the number of systems
3368 being typeset by default, will sometimes cause more systems to
3369 be fitted onto each page, as an estimation step is then bypassed,
3370 giving a more accurate fit to each page. Also, forcing an actual
3371 reduction in the number of systems may save a further page. For
3372 example, if the default layout has 11 systems, the following
3373 assignment will force a layout with 10 systems.
3382 Force the number of pages. For example, the following
3383 assignment will force a layout with 2 pages.
3392 Avoid (or reduce) objects that increase the vertical size of a
3393 system. For example, volta repeats (or alternate repeats) require
3394 extra space. If these repeats are spread over two systems, they
3395 will take up more space than one system with the volta repeats and
3396 another system without. For example, dynamics that @q{stick out} of
3397 a system can be moved closer to the staff:
3399 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
3401 e4 c g-\tweak #'X-offset #-2.7 -\tweak #'Y-offset #2.5 \f c
3405 Alter the horizontal spacing via @code{SpacingSpanner}. For more
3406 details, see @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}. The following
3407 example illustrates the default spacing:
3409 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3422 The next example modifies @code{common-shortest-duration} from a
3423 value of @code{1/4} to @code{1/2}. The quarter note is the most
3424 common and shortest duration in this example, so by making this
3425 duration longer, a @q{squeezing} effect occurs:
3427 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3439 \override SpacingSpanner
3440 #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 2)
3447 The @code{common-shortest-duration} property cannot be modified
3448 dynamically, so it must always be placed in a @code{\context}
3449 block so that it applies to the whole score.
3456 @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}.