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 Settings which influence layout may be placed in two blocks.
72 The @code{\paper @{...@}} block is placed outside any
73 @code{\score @{...@}} blocks and contains settings that
74 relate to the entire document. The @code{\layout @{...@}}
75 block is placed within a @code{\score @{...@}} block and
76 contains settings for that particular score. If you have
77 only one @code{\score @{...@}} block the two have the same
78 effect. In general the commands shown in this chapter can
86 * Horizontal spacing::
87 * Fitting music onto fewer pages::
92 @section Paper and pages
94 This section deals with the boundaries that define the area
95 within which music can be printed.
104 @subsection Paper size
109 Two functions are available for changing the paper size:
110 @code{set-default-paper-size} and @code{set-paper-size}.
111 @code{set-default-paper-size} must be placed in the toplevel
112 scope, and @code{set-paper-size} must be placed in a @code{\paper}
116 #(set-default-paper-size "a4")
121 #(set-paper-size "a4")
126 @code{set-default-paper-size} sets the size of all pages, whereas
127 @code{set-paper-size} only sets the size of the pages that the
128 @code{\paper} block applies to. For example, if the @code{\paper}
129 block is at the top of the file, then it will apply the paper size
130 to all pages. If the @code{\paper} block is inside a
131 @code{\book}, then the paper size will only apply to that book.
133 Common paper sizes are available, including @code{a4},
134 @code{letter}, @code{legal}, and @code{11x17} (also known as
135 tabloid). Many more paper sizes are supported by default. For
136 details, see @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}, and search for the
137 definition of @code{paper-alist}.
139 @c TODO add a new appendix for paper sizes (auto-generated) -pm
141 @warning{The default paper size is @code{a4}.}
143 Extra sizes may be added by editing the definition of
144 @code{paper-alist} in the initialization file
145 @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}, however they will be overridden on a
151 If the symbol @code{'landscape} is supplied as an argument to
152 @code{set-default-paper-size}, pages will be rotated by 90
153 degrees, and wider line widths will be set accordingly.
156 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
159 Setting the paper size will adjust a number of @code{\paper}
160 variables, such as margins. To use a particular paper size with
161 altered @code{\paper} variables, set the paper size before setting
167 @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}.
173 @node Page formatting
174 @subsection Page formatting
176 Margins, headers, and footers and other layout variables are
177 automatically set according to the paper size.
179 Default margin values are accessible in
180 @file{ly/@/paper@/-defaults@/-init@/.ly}. They apply to the default
181 paper size (a4, unless specified differently) and are scaled
182 accordingly for other paper sizes.
184 This section lists and describes a number of paper variables that
188 * Vertical dimensions::
189 * Horizontal dimensions::
190 * Other layout variables::
194 @node Vertical dimensions
195 @unnumberedsubsubsec Vertical dimensions
197 These variables are used to set different vertical dimensions on a
204 @item after-title-spacing
205 @funindex after-title-spacing
207 Specifies how to calculate the space between a title (or top-level markup)
208 and the system that follows it. This is an associative list with five
211 @item @var{space} -- the amount of stretchable space between the baseline
212 of a title and the center of the staff that follows it;
213 @item @var{padding} -- the minimum amount of whitespace that must be
214 present between a title and the staff that follows it;
215 @item @var{stretchability} -- the ease with which the stretchable
216 space increases when a page is stretched.
217 If this is zero, the distance to the next staff will not stretch at all;
218 @item @var{minimum-distance} -- the minimum distance to place between
219 the baseline of a title and the center of the staff that follows it. This differs
220 from @var{padding} in that the height of a staff has no effect on
221 the application of @var{minimum-distance} (whereas the height of a
222 staff is crucial for @var{padding}).
225 For example, the default is:
228 after-title-spacing = #'((space . 2) (padding . 0.5))
232 If a page has a ragged bottom, @var{space} is not stretched. In particular, the
233 resulting distance on such a page is the largest of
236 @item @var{minimum-distance}, and
237 @item @var{padding} plus the smallest distance necessary to eliminate overlap.
240 @item before-title-spacing
241 @funindex before-title-spacing
243 Specifies the spacing between a system and the title (or top-level markup) that
245 The distances are measured from the center of the last staff in the system to
246 the baseline of the title that follows it. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
248 @item between-scores-system-spacing
249 @funindex between-scores-system-spacing
251 Specifies the spacing between two systems if they are in different scores, but
252 there is no title between them. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
254 @item between-system-spacing
255 @funindex between-system-spacing
257 Specifies the spacing between the center of the bottom staff of one system
258 and the center of the top staff of the following system. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
260 @item between-title-spacing
261 @funindex between-title-spacing
263 Specifies the spacing between two titles (or top-level markups).
264 The distances are measured from the baseline of the first title to the baseline
265 of the second. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
268 @funindex bottom-margin
270 The margin between footer and bottom of the page. Default:
273 @item bottom-system-spacing
274 @funindex bottom-system-spacing
276 Specifies the spacing from the center of the last staff (or the
277 baseline of the last top-level markup) to the bottom of the
278 printable area (ie. the top of the bottom margin).
279 See @var{after-title-spacing}.
281 @item top-title-spacing
282 @funindex top-title-spacing
284 Specifies the spacing from the top of the printable area (ie.
285 the bottom of the top margin) to the baseline of the title.
286 See @var{after-title-spacing}.
288 @item top-system-spacing
289 @funindex top-system-spacing
291 Specifies the spacing from the top of the printable area (ie.
292 the bottom of the top margin) to the center of the first staff.
293 This only takes effect if there is no title at the top of the
294 page (in which case @var{top-title-spacing} is used instead).
295 See @var{after-title-spacing}.
298 @funindex paper-height
300 The height of the page. Default: the height of the current paper
301 size. For details, see @ref{Paper size}.
306 The margin between header and top of the page. Default:
314 The header and footer are created by the functions make-footer and
315 make-header, defined in \paper. The default implementations are in
316 ly/paper-defaults.ly and ly/titling-init.ly.
318 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the \paper block,
319 page-music-height and page-make-stencil. The former tells the
320 line-breaking algorithm how much space can be spent on a page, the
321 latter creates the actual page given the system to put on it.
323 You can define paper block values in Scheme. In that case mm, in, pt,
324 and cm are variables defined in paper-defaults.ly with values in
325 millimeters. That is why the value 2 cm must be multiplied in the
330 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
342 ragged-last-bottom = ##t
346 This second example centers page numbers at the bottom of every page.
350 print-page-number = ##t
351 print-first-page-number = ##t
352 oddHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
353 evenHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
354 oddFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
355 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
356 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
357 evenFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
358 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
359 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
363 You can also define these values in Scheme. In that case @code{mm},
364 @code{in}, @code{pt}, and @code{cm} are variables defined in
365 @file{paper@/-defaults@/-init@/.ly} with values in millimeters. That is why the
366 value must be multiplied in the example
370 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
374 The header and footer are created by the functions @code{make-footer}
375 and @code{make-header}, defined in @code{\paper}. The default
376 implementations are in @file{ly/@/paper@/-defaults@/-init@/.ly} and
377 @file{ly/@/titling@/-init@/.ly}.
379 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the
380 @code{\paper} block, @code{page-music-height} and
381 @code{page-make-stencil}. The former tells the line-breaking algorithm
382 how much space can be spent on a page, the latter creates the actual
383 page given the system to put on it.
388 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
394 @node Horizontal dimensions
395 @unnumberedsubsubsec Horizontal dimensions
398 There are a few variables that determine the horizontal dimensions
404 @funindex binding-offset
406 The amount @code{inner-margin} is increased
407 to make sure nothing will be hidden by the binding.
408 Works only with @code{two-sided} set to true. Default:
411 @item horizontal-shift
412 @funindex horizontal-shift
414 The amount that all systems (including titles and system
415 separators) are shifted to the right. Default: @code{0.0}.
420 The level of indentation for the first system in a score.
421 Default: @code{15\mm}.
424 @funindex inner-margin
426 The margin all pages have at the inner side if they are part
427 of a book. Works only with @code{two-sided} set to true.
428 Default: @code{10\mm}.
431 @funindex left-margin
433 The margin between the left edge of the page and the beginning of
434 each system. Default: @code{10\mm}.
439 The width of music systems. Default: @code{paper-width} minus
440 @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin}.
443 @funindex outer-margin
445 The margin all pages have at the outer side if they are part
446 of a book. Works only with @code{two-sided} set to true.
447 Default: @code{20\mm}.
450 @funindex paper-width
452 The width of the page. Default: the width of the current paper
453 size. For details, see @ref{Paper size}.
456 @funindex right-margin
458 The margin between the right edge of the page and the end of
459 each system. Default: @code{10\mm}.
462 @funindex short-indent
464 The level of indentation for all systems in a score besides the
465 first system. Default: @code{0}.
469 If some values are not set, defaults will be taken. Their exact
470 value is adjusted, depending on the paper size specified. Currently,
471 the following values are affected by this scaling:
474 @item @var{left-margin}
475 @item @var{right-margin}
476 @item @var{top-margin}
477 @item @var{bottom-margin}
478 @item @var{head-separation}
479 @item @var{foot-separation}
481 @item @var{short-indent}
484 The settings for @code{line-width}, @code{left-margin},
485 @code{right-margin} and @code{paper-width} depend on
486 each other, but they do not have to be specified
495 In this example, only @code{left-margin} is set. The value for
496 @code{right-margin} will remain default, @code{line-width} is
497 calculated automatically.
505 Here @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin} will be set
506 to the same value. Therefore, @code{line-width} is subtracted
507 from @code{paper-width} and divided by two. That means systems
508 are centered on the page, if only @code{line-width} is
511 Some checks occur to ensure the values are set correctly.
512 If the values do not match or systems would run off the page,
513 a warning is printed and default values are set.
524 These checks can be avoided by setting @code{check-consistency}
532 check-consistency = ##f
536 @warning{If @code{paper-width} is manually set, @code{line-width},
537 @code{left-margin}, @code{indent}, and @code{short-indent} may
538 have to be adjusted as well.}
546 @node Other layout variables
547 @unnumberedsubsubsec Other layout variables
549 These variables can be used to adjust page layout in general.
553 @item auto-first-page-number
554 @funindex auto-first-page-number
556 The page breaking algorithm is affected by the first page number
557 being odd or even. If set to true, the page breaking algorithm
558 will decide whether to start with an odd or even number. This
559 will result in the first page number remaining as is or being
560 increased by one. Default: @code{##f}.
564 TODO: this variable is used, but I don't know what it does. -pm
565 @item blank-after-score-page-force
566 @funindex blank-after-score-page-force
572 @item blank-last-page-force
573 @funindex blank-last-page-force
575 The penalty for ending the score on an odd-numbered page.
578 @item blank-page-force
579 @funindex blank-page-force
581 The penalty for having a blank page in the middle of a
582 score. This is not used by @code{ly:optimal-breaking} since it will
583 never consider blank pages in the middle of a score. Default:
586 @item check-consistency
587 @funindex check-consistency
589 If set to true, check whether @code{left-margin}, @code{right-margin} and
590 @code{line-width} fit each other. Also make sure that their combination
591 does not exceed the available @code{paper-width}. Default: @code{##t}.
593 @item first-page-number
594 @funindex first-page-number
596 The value of the page number on the first page. Default:
599 @item max-systems-per-page
600 @funindex max-systems-per-page
602 The maximum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
603 is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
606 @item min-systems-per-page
607 @funindex min-systems-per-page
609 The minimum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
610 may cause pages to be overfilled if it is made too large. This is
611 currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
614 @item page-breaking-between-system-spacing
615 @funindex page-breaking-between-system-spacing
617 Tricks the page breaker into thinking that
618 @code{between-system-spacing} is set to something different than
619 it really is. For example, if
620 @code{page-breaking-between-system-spacing #'padding} is set to something
621 substantially larger than @code{between-system-spacing #'padding}, then the
622 page-breaker will put fewer systems on each page. Default: unset.
627 The number of pages to be used for a score. Default: unset.
629 @item page-limit-inter-system-space
630 @funindex page-limit-inter-system-space
632 If set to true, limits space between systems on a page with a lot
633 of space left. Default: @code{##f}. For details, see
634 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
636 @item page-limit-inter-system-space-factor
637 @funindex page-limit-inter-system-space-factor
639 The factor used by @code{page-limit-inter-system-space}. Default:
640 @code{1.4}. For details, see
641 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
643 @item page-spacing-weight
644 @funindex page-spacing-weight
646 The relative importance of page (vertical) spacing and line
647 (horizontal) spacing. High values will make page spacing more
648 important. Default: @code{#10}.
650 @item print-all-headers
651 @funindex print-all-headers
653 If set to true, this will print all headers for each \score in the
654 output. Normally only the piece and opus header variables are
655 printed. Default: @code{##f}.
657 @item print-first-page-number
658 @funindex print-first-page-number
660 If set to true, a page number is printed on the first page.
663 @item print-page-number
664 @funindex print-page-number
666 If set to false, page numbers are not printed. Default:
670 @funindex ragged-bottom
672 If set to true, systems will not spread vertically across the
673 page. This does not affect the last page. Default: @code{##f}.
675 This should be set to true for pieces that have only two or three
676 systems per page, for example orchestral scores.
679 @funindex ragged-last
681 If set to true, the last system in the score will not fill the
682 line width. Instead the last system ends at its natural
683 horizontal length. Default: @code{##f}.
685 @item ragged-last-bottom
686 @funindex ragged-last-bottom
688 If set to false, systems will spread vertically across the last
689 page. Default: @code{##t}.
691 Pieces that amply fill two pages or more should have this set to
694 It also affects the last page of book parts, ie parts of a book created
695 with @code{\bookpart} blocks.
698 @funindex ragged-right
700 If set to true, systems will not fill the line width. Instead,
701 systems end at their natural horizontal length. Default:
704 If the score has only one system, the default value is @code{##t}.
706 @item system-separator-markup
707 @funindex system-separator-markup
709 A markup object that is inserted between systems. This is often
710 used for orchestral scores. Default: unset.
712 The markup command @code{\slashSeparator} is provided as a sensible
715 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
716 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
719 \relative c' { c1 \break c1 }
722 system-separator-markup = \slashSeparator
728 @funindex system-count
730 The number of systems to be used for a score.
733 @item systems-per-page
734 @funindex systems-per-page
736 The number of systems that should be placed on each page.
737 This is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
744 @cindex binding gutter
746 If set to true, use @code{inner-margin}, @code{outer-margin} and
747 @code{binding-offset} to determine margins depending on whether
748 the page number is odd or even. This overrides @code{left-margin}
749 and @code{right-margin}. Default: @code{##f}.
761 The default page header puts the page number and the @code{instrument}
762 field from the @code{\header} block on a line.
764 The titles (from the @code{\header@{@}} section) are treated as a
765 system, so @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom} will
766 add space between the titles and the first system of the score.
770 @section Music layout
773 * Setting the staff size::
778 @node Setting the staff size
779 @subsection Setting the staff size
781 @cindex font size, setting
782 @cindex staff size, setting
783 @funindex layout file
785 The default @strong{staff size} is set to 20 points.
786 This may be changed in two ways:
788 To set the staff size globally for all scores in a file (or
789 in a @code{book} block, to be precise), use @code{set-global-staff-size}.
792 #(set-global-staff-size 14)
796 This sets the global default size to 14pt staff height and scales all
799 To set the staff size individually for each score, use
804 #(layout-set-staff-size 15)
809 The Feta font provides musical symbols at eight different
810 sizes. Each font is tuned for a different staff size: at a smaller size
811 the font becomes heavier, to match the relatively heavier staff lines.
812 The recommended font sizes are listed in the following table:
815 @multitable @columnfractions .15 .2 .22 .2
818 @tab @b{staff height (pt)}
819 @tab @b{staff height (mm)}
861 @c modern rental material?
866 These fonts are available in any sizes. The context property
867 @code{fontSize} and the layout property @code{staff-space} (in
868 @rinternals{StaffSymbol}) can be used to tune the size for individual
869 staves. The sizes of individual staves are relative to the global size.
874 @ref{Selecting notation font size}.
882 @code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between the
887 @subsection Score layout
891 While @code{\paper} contains settings that relate to the page formatting
892 of the whole document, @code{\layout} contains settings for score-specific
899 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-6 . 6)
902 \override TextScript #'padding = #1.0
903 \override Glissando #'thickness = #3
911 @ref{Changing context default settings}.
923 * Optimal page breaking::
924 * Optimal page turning::
925 * Minimal page breaking::
927 * Using an extra voice for breaks::
932 @subsection Line breaking
935 @cindex breaking lines
937 Line breaks are normally determined automatically. They are chosen
938 so that lines look neither cramped nor loose, and consecutive
939 lines have similar density. Occasionally you might want to
940 override the automatic breaks; you can do this by specifying
941 @code{\break}. This will force a line break at this point. However,
942 line breaks can only occur at the end of @q{complete} bars, i.e.,
943 where there are no notes or tuplets left @q{hanging} over the bar
944 line. If you want to have a line break where there is no bar line,
945 you can force an invisible bar line by entering @code{\bar ""},
946 although again there must be no notes left hanging over in any of
947 the staves at this point, or it will be ignored.
949 The opposite command, @code{\noBreak}, forbids a line break at the
950 bar line where it is inserted.
952 The most basic settings influencing line spacing are @code{indent}
953 and @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block.
954 They control the indentation of the first line of music, and the
955 lengths of the lines.
957 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block,
958 then systems end at their natural horizontal length, instead of
959 being spread horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful
960 for short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural
963 @c TODO Check and add para on default for ragged-right
965 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right},
966 but affects only the last line of the piece.
978 @cindex regular line breaks
979 @cindex four bar music.
981 For line breaks at regular intervals use @code{\break} separated by
982 skips and repeated with @code{\repeat}. For example, this would
983 cause the following 28 measures (assuming 4/4 time) to be broken
984 every 4 measures, and only there:
987 << \repeat unfold 7 @{
988 s1 \noBreak s1 \noBreak
989 s1 \noBreak s1 \break @}
990 @emph{the real music}
995 A linebreaking configuration can be saved as a @code{.ly} file
996 automatically. This allows vertical alignments to be stretched to
997 fit pages in a second formatting run. This is fairly new and
998 complicated. More details are available in
1011 Internals Reference:
1012 @rinternals{LineBreakEvent}.
1020 Line breaks can only occur if there is a @q{proper} bar line. A note
1021 which is hanging over a bar line is not proper, such as
1023 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1024 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % this does nothing
1025 c2 c4 | % a break here would work
1026 c4 c2 c4 ~ \break % as does this break
1030 This can be avoided by removing the @code{Forbid_line_break_engraver}.
1031 Note that manually forced line breaks have to be added in parallel
1034 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
1036 \remove Forbid_line_break_engraver
1038 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % now the break is allowed
1043 Similarly, line breaks are normally forbidden when beams cross bar
1044 lines. This behavior can be changed by setting
1045 @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}.
1049 @subsection Page breaking
1051 The default page breaking may be overridden by inserting
1052 @code{\pageBreak} or @code{\noPageBreak} commands. These commands are
1053 analogous to @code{\break} and @code{\noBreak}. They should be
1054 inserted at a bar line. These commands force and forbid a page-break
1055 from happening. Of course, the @code{\pageBreak} command also forces
1058 The @code{\pageBreak} and @code{\noPageBreak} commands may also be
1059 inserted at top-level, between scores and top-level markups.
1061 There are also analogous settings to @code{ragged-right} and
1062 @code{ragged-last} which have the same effect on vertical spacing:
1063 @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom}. If set to
1064 @code{##t} the systems on all pages or just the last page
1065 respectively will not be justified vertically.
1067 For more details see @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1069 Page breaks are computed by the @code{page-breaking} function. LilyPond
1070 provides three algorithms for computing page breaks,
1071 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} and
1072 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}. The default is @code{ly:optimal-breaking},
1073 but the value can be changed in the @code{\paper} block:
1077 #(define page-breaking ly:page-turn-breaking)
1083 When a book has many scores and pages, the page breaking problem may be
1084 difficult to solve, requiring large processing time and memory. To ease
1085 the page breaking process, @code{\bookpart} blocks are used to divide
1086 the book into several parts: the page breaking occurs separately on each
1087 part. Different page breaking functions may also be used in different
1093 subtitle = "Preface"
1096 %% In a part consisting mostly of text,
1097 %% ly:minimal-breaking may be preferred
1098 #(define page-breaking ly:minimal-breaking)
1100 \markup @{ @dots{} @}
1104 %% In this part, consisting of music, the default optimal
1105 %% page breaking function is used.
1107 subtitle = "First movement"
1109 \score @{ @dots{} @}
1116 @funindex \pageBreak
1118 @funindex \noPageBreak
1119 @code{\noPageBreak}.
1128 @node Optimal page breaking
1129 @subsection Optimal page breaking
1131 @funindex ly:optimal-breaking
1133 The @code{ly:optimal-breaking} function is LilyPond's default method of
1134 determining page breaks. It attempts to find a page breaking that minimizes
1135 cramping and stretching, both horizontally and vertically. Unlike
1136 @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, it has no concept of page turns.
1144 @node Optimal page turning
1145 @subsection Optimal page turning
1147 @funindex ly:page-turn-breaking
1149 Often it is necessary to find a page breaking configuration so that there is
1150 a rest at the end of every second page. This way, the musician can turn the
1151 page without having to miss notes. The @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} function
1152 attempts to find a page breaking minimizing cramping and stretching, but with
1153 the additional restriction that it is only allowed to introduce page turns
1154 in specified places.
1156 There are two steps to using this page breaking function. First, you
1157 must enable it in the @code{\paper} block, as explained in @ref{Page
1158 breaking}. Then you must tell the function where you would like to allow
1161 There are two ways to achieve the second step. First, you can specify each
1162 potential page turn manually, by inserting @code{\allowPageTurn} into your
1163 input file at the appropriate places.
1165 If this is too tedious, you can add a @code{Page_turn_engraver} to a Staff or
1166 Voice context. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} will scan the context for
1167 sections without notes (note that it does not scan for rests; it scans for
1168 the absence of notes. This is so that single-staff polyphony with rests in one
1169 of the parts does not throw off the @code{Page_turn_engraver}). When it finds
1170 a sufficiently long section without notes, the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1171 insert an @code{\allowPageTurn} at the final bar line in that section, unless
1172 there is a @q{special} bar line (such as a double bar), in which case the
1173 @code{\allowPageTurn} will be inserted at the final @q{special} bar line in
1176 @funindex minimumPageTurnLength
1177 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} reads the context property
1178 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} to determine how long a note-free section must
1179 be before a page turn is considered. The default value for
1180 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} is @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 1)}. If you want
1181 to disable page turns, you can set it to something very large.
1184 \new Staff \with @{ \consists "Page_turn_engraver" @}
1187 R1 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1189 \set Staff.minimumPageTurnLength = #(ly:make-moment 5 2)
1190 R1 | % a page turn will not be allowed here
1192 R1*2 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1197 @funindex minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn
1198 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} detects volta repeats. It will only allow a page
1199 turn during the repeat if there is enough time at the beginning and end of the
1200 repeat to turn the page back. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} can also disable
1201 page turns if the repeat is very short. If you set the context property
1202 @code{minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn} then the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1203 only allow turns in repeats whose duration is longer than this value.
1205 The page turning commands, @code{\pageTurn}, @code{\noPageTurn} and
1206 @code{\allowPageTurn}, may also be used at top-level, between scores and
1213 @funindex \noPageTurn
1215 @funindex \allowPageTurn
1216 @code{\allowPageTurn}.
1227 There should only be one @code{Page_turn_engraver} in a score. If there is more
1228 than one, they will interfere with each other.
1231 @node Minimal page breaking
1232 @subsection Minimal page breaking
1234 @funindex ly:minimal-breaking
1236 The @code{ly:minimal-breaking} function performs minimal computations to
1237 calculate the page breaking: it fills a page with as many systems as
1238 possible before moving to the next one. Thus, it may be preferred for
1239 scores with many pages, where the other page breaking functions could be
1240 too slow or memory demanding, or a lot of texts. It is enabled using:
1244 #(define page-breaking ly:minimal-breaking)
1254 @node Explicit breaks
1255 @subsection Explicit breaks
1257 Lily sometimes rejects explicit @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak}
1258 commands. There are two commands to override this behavior:
1261 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1262 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1265 When @code{line-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1266 line breaks at explicit @code{\break} commands and nowhere else. When
1267 @code{page-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1268 page breaks at explicit @code{\pageBreak} commands and nowhere else.
1270 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1279 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1280 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1281 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1282 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \pageBreak
1283 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1284 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1285 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1286 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 }
1291 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1292 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1304 @node Using an extra voice for breaks
1305 @subsection Using an extra voice for breaks
1307 Line- and page-breaking information usually appears within note entry directly.
1312 \repeat unfold 2 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
1314 \repeat unfold 3 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
1319 This makes @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak} commands easy to enter but mixes
1320 music entry with information that specifies how music should lay out
1321 on the page. You can keep music entry and line- and page-breaking
1322 information in two separate places by introducing an extra voice to
1323 contain the breaks. This extra voice
1324 contains only skips together with @code{\break}, @code{pageBreak} and other
1325 breaking layout information.
1327 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1337 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1338 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1339 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1340 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1346 This pattern becomes especially helpful when overriding
1347 @code{line-break-system-details} and the other useful but long properties of
1348 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumnGrob}, as explained in @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1350 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1354 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1355 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1358 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1359 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 35))
1362 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1363 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 70))
1366 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1367 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 105))
1371 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1372 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1373 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1374 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1383 @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1389 @node Vertical spacing
1390 @section Vertical spacing
1392 @cindex vertical spacing
1393 @cindex spacing, vertical
1395 Vertical spacing is controlled by three things: the amount of
1396 space available (i.e., paper size and margins), the amount of
1397 space between systems, and the amount of space between
1398 staves inside a system.
1401 * Vertical spacing inside a system::
1402 * Vertical spacing between systems::
1403 * Explicit staff and system positioning::
1404 * Vertical collision avoidance::
1408 @node Vertical spacing inside a system
1409 @subsection Vertical spacing inside a system
1411 @cindex distance between staves
1412 @cindex staff distance
1413 @cindex space between staves
1414 @cindex space inside systems
1416 The height of each system is determined in two steps. First, all of the
1417 staves are spaced according to the amount of space available. Then, the
1418 non-staff lines (eg. lyrics or chords) are distributed between the
1421 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing between staves
1422 Spacing between staves is controlled by the @var{next-staff-spacing}
1423 property of the @var{VerticalAxisGroup} grob. This property is an alist
1424 with four elements: @var{space}, @var{minimum-distance}, @var{padding}
1425 and @var{stretchability}:
1428 @var{space} is the size of the stretchable space between the center line
1429 of one staff to the center line of the next staff.
1432 @var{minimum-distance} provides a lower bound on the final distance
1433 between the center line of one staff to the center line of the next
1434 staff. That is, if a page has many systems and needs to be compressed,
1435 the distance from this staff to the next will never be compressed to
1436 less than @var{minimum-distance}.
1439 @var{padding} is the amount of whitespace that must be present between
1440 the bottom of one staff and the top of the next. It differs from
1441 @var{minimum-distance} in that the effect of @var{padding} depends on
1442 the height of objects in the staff. For example, @var{padding} is more
1443 likely to come into effect for staves with notes that are far below the
1447 @var{stretchability} controls the stretchable space's propensity to
1448 stretch when the system is stretched. Large values will cause a
1449 system to stretch more, while a value of zero will prevent the
1450 space from stretching at all. If unset, @var{stretchability}
1451 defaults to @code{space - minimum-distance}.
1455 #(set-global-staff-size 16)
1457 % Since space is small and there is no minimum-distance, the distance
1458 % between this staff and the next will be determined by padding.
1460 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'next-staff-spacing =
1461 #'((space . 1) (padding . 1))
1464 % Since space is small and nothing sticks out very far, the distance
1465 % between this staff and the next will be determined by minimum-distance.
1467 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'next-staff-spacing =
1468 #'((space . 1) (minimum-distance . 12))
1471 % By setting padding to a negative value, staves can be made to collide.
1473 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'next-staff-spacing =
1474 #'((space . 4) (padding . -10))
1477 \new Staff { \clef bass c, }
1482 In orchestral and other large scores, it is common to place staves in
1483 groups. The space between groups is typically larger than the space
1484 between staves of the same group. This spacing can be tweaked with the
1485 @var{StaffGrouper} grob: the default value of @var{next-staff-spacing}
1486 for @var{VerticalAxisGroup} is a callback function which operates by
1487 searching for a @var{StaffGrouper} grob containing the staff. If it
1488 finds a @var{StaffGrouper} grob and the staff in question is in the
1489 middle of a group, it reads the @var{between-staff-spacing} property of
1490 @var{StaffGrouper} and returns it. If the staff in question is the last
1491 staff of a group, the callback reads the @var{after-last-staff-spacing}
1492 property of @var{StaffGrouper} and returns it. If the callback did not
1493 find a @var{StaffGrouper} grob, it reads
1494 @var{default-next-staff-spacing} from its @var{VerticalAxisGroup} and
1498 #(set-global-staff-size 16)
1500 \new PianoStaff \with {
1501 \override StaffGrouper #'between-staff-spacing #'space = #1
1502 \override StaffGrouper #'between-staff-spacing #'padding = #0
1503 \override StaffGrouper #'after-last-staff-spacing #'space = #20
1510 \new StaffGroup \with {
1511 \override StaffGrouper #'between-staff-spacing #'space = #1
1512 \override StaffGrouper #'between-staff-spacing #'padding = #0
1522 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of non-staff lines
1524 After the positions of the staves are determined, the non-staff lines
1525 are distributed between the staves. Each of these lines has a
1526 @var{staff-affinity} property which controls its vertical alignment.
1530 \new Lyrics \with @{ \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN @}
1533 @noindent creates a lyrics context that will be placed close to the
1534 staff below it. Setting @var{staff-affinity} to something which is not
1535 a number (@code{#f}, for example) will cause that line to be treated
1536 like a staff. Conversely, setting @var{staff-affinity} for a staff will
1537 cause it to be treated like a non-staff.
1539 Non-staff lines admit three properties to control their spacing. Each
1540 of the these properties is an alist of the same format as
1541 @var{next-staff-spacing}, above.
1544 If the nearest line in the @var{staff-affinity} direction is a staff
1545 then @var{inter-staff-spacing} gives the spacing between the non-staff
1546 and the staff. If @var{staff-affinity} is @code{CENTER}, then
1547 @var{inter-staff-spacing} is used for both directions.
1550 If the nearest line in the @var{staff-affinity} direction is a non-staff
1551 then @var{inter-loose-line-spacing} gives the spacing between the two
1555 If the nearest line in the opposite direction to @var{staff-affinity} is
1556 a staff then @var{non-affinity-spacing} gives the spacing between the
1557 non-staff and the staff. This can be used, for example, to require
1558 a minimum amount of padding between a Lyrics line and the staff
1559 to which it does not belong.
1563 #(set-global-staff-size 16)
1567 % By default, Lyrics are placed close together. Here, we allow them to
1568 % be stretched more widely.
1569 \override VerticalAxisGroup
1570 #'inter-loose-line-spacing #'stretchability = #1000
1577 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'next-staff-spacing = #'((space . 30)) }
1580 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #UP }
1583 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #CENTER }
1584 \lyricmode { center }
1586 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN }
1597 @c @lsr{spacing,page-spacing.ly},
1598 @c @lsr{spacing,alignment-vertical-spacing.ly}.
1600 Internals Reference:
1601 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup},
1602 @rinternals{VerticalAlignment},
1603 @rinternals{Axis_group_engraver}.
1606 Adjacent non-staff lines should have non-increasing
1607 @var{staff-affinity} from top-to-bottom. For example, the behavior of
1611 \new Lyrics \with @{ \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN @}
1612 \new Lyrics \with @{ \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #UP @}
1618 A non-staff line at the bottom of a system should have
1619 @var{staff-affinity} set to @code{UP}. Similarly, a non-staff
1620 line at the top of a system should have @var{staff-affinity} set
1623 @node Vertical spacing between systems
1624 @subsection Vertical spacing between systems
1626 The mechanisms that control spacing between systems are similar to those
1627 that control spacing between staves within a system (see
1628 @ref{Vertical spacing inside a system}). The main difference is that
1629 the variables to control spacing between systems are set in the
1630 @code{\paper} block, rather than as grob properties. These paper block
1631 variables are @var{between-system-spacing},
1632 @var{between-scores-system-spacing}, @var{after-title-spacing},
1633 @var{before-title-spacing}, @var{between-title-spacing},
1634 @var{top-system-spacing}, @var{top-title-spacing} and
1635 @var{bottom-system-spacing}. Note that these variables ignore non-staff
1636 lines. For example, @var{between-system-spacing} controls the spacing
1637 from the middle staff line of the bottom staff from one system to
1638 the middle staff line of the top staff of the next system, whether
1639 or not there are lyrics below the upper system.
1640 See @ref{Vertical dimensions} for a description of each of these
1643 There are two more @code{\paper} block variables that affect vertical
1644 spacing: if @var{ragged-bottom} is set to @code{##t} then no pages will
1645 be stretched (which means that neither the space between systems nor the
1646 space within systems will be stretched). If @var{ragged-last-bottom}
1647 is set to @code{##t} then the last page will not be stretched.
1654 @node Explicit staff and system positioning
1655 @subsection Explicit staff and system positioning
1657 One way to understand the @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper}
1658 settings explained in the previous two sections is as a collection of
1659 different settings that primarily concern the amount of vertical padding
1660 different staves and systems running down the page.
1662 It is possible to approach vertical spacing in a different way using
1663 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}. Where
1664 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper} settings specify vertical padding,
1665 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} specifies exact
1666 vertical positions on the page.
1668 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} accepts an associative
1669 list of three different settings:
1672 @item @code{X-offset}
1673 @item @code{Y-offset}
1674 @item @code{alignment-distances}
1677 Grob overrides, including the overrides for @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}
1678 below, can occur in any of three different places in an input file:
1681 @item in the middle of note entry directly
1682 @item in a @code{\context} block
1683 @item in the @code{\with} block
1686 When we override @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}, we use the usual
1687 @code{\override} command in @code{\context} blocks and in the
1688 @code{\with} block. On the other hand, when we override
1689 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} in the middle of note entry,
1690 use the special @code{\overrideProperty} command. Here are some
1691 example @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} overrides with the special
1692 @code{\overrideProperty} command:
1695 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1696 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20))
1698 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1699 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1701 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1702 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40))
1704 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1705 #'line-break-system-details #'((alignment-distances . (15)))
1707 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1708 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40)
1709 (alignment-distances . (15)))
1712 To understand how each of these different settings work, we begin
1713 by looking at an example that includes no overrides at all.
1715 @c \book { } is required in these examples to ensure the spacing
1716 @c overrides can be seen between systems. -np
1719 \header { tagline = ##f }
1720 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1730 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1733 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
1740 This score isolates line- and page-breaking information in a dedicated
1741 voice. This technique of creating a breaks voice will help keep layout
1742 separate from music entry as our example becomes more complicated.
1743 See @ref{Using an extra voice for breaks}.
1745 Explicit @code{\breaks} evenly divide the music into six measures per
1746 line. Vertical spacing results from LilyPond's defaults. To set
1747 the vertical startpoint of each system explicitly, we can set
1748 the @code{Y-offset} pair in the @code{line-break-system-details}
1749 attribute of the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob:
1752 \header { tagline = ##f }
1753 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1759 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1760 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1762 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1763 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1765 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1766 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 80))
1769 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1772 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
1779 Note that @code{line-break-system-details} takes an associative list of
1780 potentially many values, but that we set only one value here. Note,
1781 too, that the @code{Y-offset} property here determines the exact vertical
1782 position on the page at which each new system will render.
1784 Now that we have set the vertical startpoint of each system
1785 explicitly, we can also set the vertical distances between staves
1786 within each system manually. We do this using the @code{alignment-distances}
1787 subproperty of @code{line-break-system-details}.
1790 \header { tagline = ##f }
1791 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1797 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1798 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 20)
1799 (alignment-distances . (15)))
1801 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1802 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1803 (alignment-distances . (15)))
1805 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1806 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1807 (alignment-distances . (15)))
1810 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1813 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
1820 Note that here we assign two different values to the
1821 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute of the
1822 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob. Though the
1823 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute alist accepts many
1824 additional spacing parameters (including, for example, a corresponding
1825 @code{X-offset} pair), we need only set the @code{Y-offset} and
1826 @code{alignment-distances} pairs to control the vertical startpoint of
1827 every system and every staff. Finally, note that @code{alignment-distances}
1828 specifies the vertical positioning of staves but not of staff groups.
1831 \header { tagline = ##f }
1832 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1838 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1839 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0)
1840 (alignment-distances . (30 10)))
1842 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1843 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1844 (alignment-distances . (10 10)))
1846 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1847 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1848 (alignment-distances . (10 30)))
1851 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1854 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' } }
1855 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { e'4 e' e' e' } }
1862 Some points to consider:
1865 @item When using @code{alignment-distances}, lyrics and other non-staff lines
1866 do not count as a staff.
1868 @item The units of the numbers passed to @code{X-offset},
1869 @code{Y-offset} and @code{alignment-distances} are interpreted as multiples
1870 of the distance between adjacent staff lines. Positive values move staves
1871 and lyrics up, negative values move staves and lyrics down.
1873 @item Because the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
1874 settings given here allow the positioning of staves and systems anywhere
1875 on the page, it is possible to violate paper or margin boundaries or even
1876 to print staves or systems on top of one another. Reasonable values
1877 passed to these different settings will avoid this.
1886 @node Vertical collision avoidance
1887 @subsection Vertical collision avoidance
1889 @funindex outside-staff-priority
1890 @funindex outside-staff-padding
1891 @funindex outside-staff-horizontal-padding
1893 Intuitively, there are some objects in musical notation that belong
1894 to the staff and there are other objects that should be placed outside
1895 the staff. Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
1896 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings (from now on, these will
1897 be called outside-staff objects). LilyPond's rule for the
1898 vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them as close
1899 to the staff as possible but not so close that they collide with
1902 LilyPond uses the @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine
1903 whether a grob is an outside-staff object: if @code{outside-staff-priority}
1904 is a number, the grob is an outside-staff object. In addition,
1905 @code{outside-staff-priority} tells LilyPond in which order the objects
1908 First, LilyPond places all the objects that do not belong outside
1909 the staff. Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
1910 @code{outside-staff-priority} (in increasing order). One by one, LilyPond
1911 takes the outside-staff objects and places them so that they do
1912 not collide with any objects that have already been placed. That
1913 is, if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the one
1914 with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed closer to
1917 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1920 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #1
1921 c4_"Text"\pp % this time the text will be closer to the staff
1923 % by setting outside-staff-priority to a non-number,
1924 % we disable the automatic collision avoidance
1925 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1926 \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1927 c4_"Text"\pp % now they will collide
1930 The vertical padding between an outside-staff object and the
1931 previously-positioned grobs can be controlled with
1932 @code{outside-staff-padding}.
1934 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1935 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #0
1936 a'^"This text is placed very close to the note"
1937 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #3
1938 c^"This text is padded away from the previous text"
1939 c^"This text is placed close to the previous text"
1943 By default, outside-staff objects are placed only to avoid
1944 a horizontal collision with previously-positioned grobs. This
1945 can lead to situations in which objects are placed very close to each
1946 other horizontally. The vertical spacing between staffs can
1947 also be set so that outside staff objects are interleaved.
1948 Setting @code{outside-staff-horizontal-padding}
1949 causes an object to be offset vertically so that such a situation
1952 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1953 % the markup is too close to the following note
1957 % setting outside-staff-horizontal-padding fixes this
1959 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-horizontal-padding = #1
1971 @node Horizontal spacing
1972 @section Horizontal spacing
1974 @cindex horizontal spacing
1975 @cindex spacing, horizontal
1978 * Horizontal spacing overview::
1979 * New spacing area::
1980 * Changing horizontal spacing::
1982 * Proportional notation::
1986 @node Horizontal spacing overview
1987 @subsection Horizontal spacing overview
1989 The spacing engine translates differences in durations into stretchable
1990 distances (@q{springs}) of differing lengths. Longer durations get
1991 more space, shorter durations get less. The shortest durations get a
1992 fixed amount of space (which is controlled by
1993 @code{shortest-duration-space} in the @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}
1994 object). The longer the duration, the more space it gets: doubling a
1995 duration adds a fixed amount (this amount is controlled by
1996 @code{spacing-increment}) of space to the note.
1998 For example, the following piece contains lots of half, quarter, and
1999 8th notes; the eighth note is followed by 1 note head width (NHW).
2000 The quarter note is followed by 2 NHW, the half by 3 NHW, etc.
2002 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=1]
2003 c2 c4. c8 c4. c8 c4. c8 c8
2007 Normally, @code{spacing-increment} is set to 1.2 staff space, which is
2008 approximately the width of a note head, and
2009 @code{shortest-duration-space} is set to 2.0, meaning that the
2010 shortest note gets 2.4 staff space (2.0 times the
2011 @code{spacing-increment}) of horizontal space. This space is counted
2012 from the left edge of the symbol, so the shortest notes are generally
2013 followed by one NHW of space.
2015 If one would follow the above procedure exactly, then adding a single
2016 32nd note to a score that uses 8th and 16th notes, would widen up the
2017 entire score a lot. The shortest note is no longer a 16th, but a 32nd,
2018 thus adding 1 NHW to every note. To prevent this, the shortest
2019 duration for spacing is not the shortest note in the score, but rather
2020 the one which occurs most frequently.
2023 The most common shortest duration is determined as follows: in every
2024 measure, the shortest duration is determined. The most common shortest
2025 duration is taken as the basis for the spacing, with the stipulation
2026 that this shortest duration should always be equal to or shorter than
2027 an 8th note. The shortest duration is printed when you run
2028 @code{lilypond} with the @code{--verbose} option.
2030 These durations may also be customized. If you set the
2031 @code{common-shortest-duration} in @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}, then
2032 this sets the base duration for spacing. The maximum duration for this
2033 base (normally an 8th), is set through @code{base-shortest-duration}.
2035 @funindex common-shortest-duration
2036 @funindex base-shortest-duration
2037 @funindex stem-spacing-correction
2040 Notes that are even shorter than the common shortest note are
2041 followed by a space that is proportional to their duration relative to
2042 the common shortest note. So if we were to add only a few 16th notes
2043 to the example above, they would be followed by half a NHW:
2045 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=2]
2046 c2 c4. c8 c4. c16[ c] c4. c8 c8 c8 c4 c4 c4
2050 In the @emph{Essay on automated music engraving}, it was explained
2051 that stem directions influence spacing (see @ressay{Optical
2052 spacing}). This is controlled with the
2053 @code{stem-spacing-correction} property in the
2054 @rinternals{NoteSpacing}, object. These are generated for every
2055 @rinternals{Voice} context. The @code{StaffSpacing} object
2056 (generated in @rinternals{Staff} context) contains the same
2057 property for controlling the stem/bar line spacing. The following
2058 example shows these corrections, once with default settings, and
2059 once with exaggerated corrections:
2061 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
2065 \override Staff.NoteSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2066 \override Staff.StaffSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2072 Proportional notation is supported; see @ref{Proportional notation}.
2079 Internals Reference:
2080 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner},
2081 @rinternals{NoteSpacing},
2082 @rinternals{StaffSpacing},
2083 @rinternals{NonMusicalPaperColumn}.
2088 There is no convenient mechanism to manually override spacing. The
2089 following work-around may be used to insert extra space into a score,
2090 adjusting the padding value as necessary.
2092 \override Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn #'padding = #10
2095 No work-around exists for decreasing the amount of space.
2098 @node New spacing area
2099 @subsection New spacing area
2101 New sections with different spacing parameters can be started with
2102 @code{newSpacingSection}. This is useful when there are
2103 sections with a different notions of long and short notes.
2105 In the following example, the time signature change introduces a new
2106 section, and hence the 16ths notes are spaced wider.
2108 @lilypond[relative,fragment,verbatim,quote]
2111 c8 c c4 c16[ c c8] c4
2117 The @code{\newSpacingSection} command creates a new
2118 @code{SpacingSpanner} object, and hence new @code{\override}s
2119 may be used in that location.
2126 Internals Reference:
2127 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}.
2130 @node Changing horizontal spacing
2131 @subsection Changing horizontal spacing
2133 Horizontal spacing may be altered with the
2134 @code{base-shortest-duration} property. Here
2135 we compare the same music; once without altering
2136 the property, and then altered. Larger values
2137 of @code{ly:make-moment} will produce smaller
2138 music. Note that @code{ly:make-moment} constructs
2139 a duration, so @code{1 4} is a longer duration
2142 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2145 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2146 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2147 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2148 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2153 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2156 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2157 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2158 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2159 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2164 \override SpacingSpanner
2165 #'base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2174 By default, spacing in tuplets depends on various non-duration
2175 factors (such as accidentals, clef changes, etc). To disregard
2176 such symbols and force uniform equal-duration spacing, use
2177 @code{Score.SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching}. This
2178 property can only be changed at the beginning of a score,
2180 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
2199 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2205 When @code{strict-note-spacing} is set, notes are spaced without
2206 regard for clefs, bar lines, and grace notes,
2208 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
2209 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2210 \new Staff { c8[ c \clef alto c \grace { c16[ c] } c8 c c] c32[ c32] }
2220 @subsection Line length
2223 @cindex breaking pages
2226 @funindex line-width
2227 @funindex ragged-right
2228 @funindex ragged-last
2230 @c Although line-width can be set in \layout, it should be set in paper
2231 @c block, to get page layout right.
2232 @c Setting indent in \paper block makes not much sense, but it works.
2234 @c Bit verbose and vague, use examples?
2235 The most basic settings influencing the spacing are @code{indent} and
2236 @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block. They
2237 control the indentation of the first line of music, and the lengths of
2240 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block, then
2241 systems ends at their natural horizontal length, instead of being spread
2242 horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful for
2243 short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural spacing is.
2244 The normal default setting is false, but if the score has only one
2245 system the default value is true.
2248 @cindex vertical spacing
2250 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right}, but
2251 only affects the last line of the piece. No restrictions are put on
2252 that line. The result is similar to formatting text paragraphs. In a
2253 paragraph, the last line simply takes its natural horizontal length.
2254 @c Note that for text there are several options for the last line.
2255 @c While Knuth TeX uses natural length, lead typesetters use the same
2256 @c stretch as the previous line. eTeX uses \lastlinefit to
2257 @c interpolate between both these solutions.
2273 @node Proportional notation
2274 @subsection Proportional notation
2276 LilyPond supports proportional notation, a type of horizontal spacing
2277 in which each note consumes an amount of horizontal space exactly
2278 equivalent to its rhythmic duration. This type of proportional spacing
2279 is comparable to horizontal spacing on top of graph paper. Some late
2280 20th- and early 21st-century scores use proportional notation to
2281 clarify complex rhythmic relationships or to facilitate the placement
2282 of timelines or other graphics directly in the score.
2284 LilyPond supports five different settings for proportional notation,
2285 which may be used together or alone:
2288 @item @code{proportionalNotationDuration}
2289 @item @code{uniform-stretching}
2290 @item @code{strict-note-spacing}
2291 @item @code{\remove Separating_line_group_engraver}
2292 @item @code{\override PaperColumn #'used = ##t}
2295 In the examples that follow, we explore these five different
2296 proportional notation settings and examine how these settings interact.
2298 We start with the following one-measure example, which uses classical
2299 spacing with ragged-right turned on.
2301 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2304 \new RhythmicStaff {
2308 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2315 Notice that the half note which begins the measure takes up far less
2316 than half of the horizontal space of the measure. Likewise, the
2317 sixteenth notes and sixteenth-note quintuplets (or twentieth notes)
2318 which end the measure together take up far more than half the
2319 horizontal space of the measure.
2321 In classical engraving, this spacing may be exactly what we want
2322 because we can borrow horizontal space from the half note and conserve
2323 horizontal space across the measure as a whole.
2325 On the other hand, if we want to insert a measured timeline or other
2326 graphic above or below our score, we need proportional notation. We
2327 turn proportional notation on with the proportionalNotationDuration
2330 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2333 \new RhythmicStaff {
2337 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2344 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2350 The half note at the beginning of the measure and the faster notes in
2351 the second half of the measure now occupy equal amounts of horizontal
2352 space. We could place a measured timeline or graphic above or below
2355 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting is a context setting
2356 that lives in @code{Score}. Remember that context settings can appear
2357 in one of three locations within our input file -- in a @code{\with}
2358 block, in a @code{\context} block, or directly in music entry preceded
2359 by the @code{\set} command. As with all context settings, users can
2360 pick which of the three different locations they would like to
2361 set @code{proportionalNotationDuration} in to.
2363 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting takes a single argument,
2364 which is the reference duration against that all music will be spaced.
2365 The LilyPond Scheme function @code{make-moment} takes two arguments
2366 -- a numerator and denominator which together express some fraction of
2367 a whole note. The call @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 20)} therefore produces
2368 a reference duration of a twentieth note. Values such as
2369 @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 16)}, @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 8)}, and
2370 @code{#(ly:make-moment 3 97)} are all possible as well.
2372 How do we select the right reference duration to pass to
2373 @code{proportionalNotationDuration}? Usually by a process of trial
2374 and error, beginning with a duration close to the fastest (or smallest)
2375 duration in the piece. Smaller reference durations space music loosely;
2376 larger reference durations space music tightly.
2378 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2381 \new RhythmicStaff {
2385 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2392 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
2399 \new RhythmicStaff {
2403 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2410 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2417 \new RhythmicStaff {
2421 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2428 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
2434 Note that too large a reference duration -- such as the eighth note,
2435 above -- spaces music too tightly and can cause note head collisions.
2436 Also that proportional notation in general takes up more horizontal
2437 space than classical spacing. Proportional spacing provides rhythmic
2438 clarity at the expense of horizontal space.
2440 Next we examine how to optimally space overlapping tuplets.
2442 We start by examining what happens to our original example, with
2443 classical spacing, when we add a second staff with a different type of
2446 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2449 \new RhythmicStaff {
2453 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2456 \new RhythmicStaff {
2458 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2465 The spacing is bad because the evenly spaced notes of the bottom staff
2466 do not stretch uniformly. Classical engravings include very few complex
2467 triplets and so classical engraving rules can generate this type of
2468 result. Setting @code{proportionalNotationDuration} fixes this.
2470 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2473 \new RhythmicStaff {
2477 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2480 \new RhythmicStaff {
2482 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2489 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2495 But if we look very carefully we can see that notes of the second half
2496 of the 9-tuplet space ever so slightly more widely than the notes
2497 of the first half of the 9-tuplet. To ensure uniform stretching, we
2498 turn on @code{uniform-stretching}, which is a property of
2499 @code{SpacingSpanner}.
2501 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2504 \new RhythmicStaff {
2508 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2511 \new RhythmicStaff {
2513 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2520 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2521 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2527 Our two-staff example now spaces exactly, our rhythmic
2528 relationships are visually clear, and we can include a measured
2529 timeline or graphic if we want.
2531 Note that the LilyPond's proportional notation package expects
2532 that all proportional scores set the SpacingSpanner's
2533 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t. Setting
2534 proportionalNotationDuration without also setting the
2535 SpacingSpanner's 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t will, for
2536 example, cause Skips to consume an incorrect amount of horizontal
2539 The SpacingSpanner is an abstract grob that lives in the Score
2540 context. As with our settings of proportionalNotationDuration,
2541 overrides to the SpacingSpanner can occur in any of three
2542 different places in our input file – in the Score \with block, in
2543 a Score \context block, or in note entry directly.
2545 There is by default only one @code{SpacingSpanner} per @code{Score}. This
2546 means that, by default, @code{uniform-stretching} is either turned on for the
2547 entire score or turned off for the entire score. We can, however,
2548 override this behavior and turn on different spacing features at
2549 different places in the score. We do this with the command
2550 @code{\newSpacingSection}. See @ref{New spacing area}, for more info.
2552 Next we examine the effects of the @code{Separating_line_group_engraver} and
2553 see why proportional scores frequently remove this engraver. The following
2554 example shows that there is a small amount of @qq{preferatory} space
2555 just before the first note in each system.
2557 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2570 The amount of this preferatory space is the same whether after a time
2571 signature, a key signature or a clef. @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
2572 is responsible for this space. Removing @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
2573 reduces this space to zero.
2575 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2581 \remove Separating_line_group_engraver
2589 Nonmusical elements like time signatures, key signatures, clefs and
2590 accidentals are problematic in proportional notation. None of these
2591 elements has rhythmic duration. But all of these elements consume
2592 horizontal space. Different proportional scores approach these
2593 problems differently.
2595 It may be possible to avoid spacing problems with key signatures
2596 simply by not having any. This is a valid option since most
2597 proportional scores are contemporary music. The same may be true
2598 of time signatures, especially for those scores
2599 that include a measured timeline or other graphic. But these scores
2600 are exceptional and most proportional scores include at least some
2601 time signatures. Clefs and accidentals are even more essential.
2603 So what strategies exist for spacing nonmusical elements in a
2604 proportional context? One good option is the @code{strict-note-spacing}
2605 property of @code{SpacingSpanner}. Compare the two scores below:
2607 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2609 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2619 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2620 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2630 Both scores are proportional, but the spacing in the first score
2631 is too loose because of the clef change. The spacing of the second
2632 score remains strict, however, because strict-note-spacing is
2633 turned on. Turning on strict-note-spacing causes the width of
2634 time signatures, key signatures, clefs and accidentals to play no
2635 part in the spacing algorithm.
2637 In addition to the settings given here, there are other settings
2638 that frequently appear in proportional scores. These include:
2641 @item @code{\override SpacingSpanner #'strict-grace-spacing = ##t}
2642 @item @code{tupletFullLength = ##t}
2643 @item @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}
2644 @item @code{\override Glissando #'breakable = ##t}
2645 @item @code{\override TextSpanner #'breakable = ##t}
2646 @item @code{\remove Forbid_line_break_engraver in the Voice context}
2649 These settings space grace notes strictly, extend tuplet brackets to
2650 mark both rhythmic start- and stop-points, and allow spanning elements
2651 to break across systems and pages. See the respective parts of the manual
2652 for these related settings.
2657 @ref{New spacing area}.
2663 @node Fitting music onto fewer pages
2664 @section Fitting music onto fewer pages
2666 Sometimes you can end up with one or two staves on a second
2667 (or third, or fourth...) page. This is annoying, especially
2668 if you look at previous pages and it looks like there is plenty
2669 of room left on those.
2671 When investigating layout issues, @code{annotate-spacing} is an
2672 invaluable tool. This command prints the values of various layout
2673 spacing variables; for more details see the following section,
2674 @ref{Displaying spacing}.
2677 * Displaying spacing::
2678 * Changing spacing::
2682 @node Displaying spacing
2683 @subsection Displaying spacing
2685 @funindex annotate-spacing
2686 @cindex spacing, display of layout
2688 To graphically display the dimensions of vertical layout variables
2689 that may be altered for page formatting, set
2690 @code{annotate-spacing} in the @code{\paper} block:
2692 @c need to have \book{} otherwise we get the separate systems. -hwn
2693 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2694 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
2697 \paper { annotate-spacing = ##t }
2703 All layout dimensions are displayed in staff-spaces, regardless
2704 of the units specified in the @code{\paper} or @code{\layout} block.
2705 In the above example, @code{paper-height} has a value of 59.75
2706 @code{staff-spaces}, and the @code{staff-size} is 20 points (the
2707 default value). Note that:
2709 @multitable {1 staff-space} {staff-size)/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm}
2712 @tab = (25.4/72.27) mm
2715 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 pts
2717 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm
2722 In this case, one @code{staff-space} is approximately equal to
2723 1.757mm. Thus the @code{paper-height} measurement of 59.75
2724 @code{staff-spaces} is equivalent to 105 millimeters, the height
2725 of @code{a6} paper in landscape orientation. The pairs
2726 (@var{a},@var{b}) are intervals, where @var{a} is the lower
2727 edge and @var{b} the upper edge of the interval.
2732 @ref{Setting the staff size}.
2738 @node Changing spacing
2739 @subsection Changing spacing
2741 The output of @code{annotate-spacing} reveals vertical dimensions
2742 in great detail. For details about modifying margins and other
2743 layout variables, see @ref{Page formatting}.
2745 Other than margins, there are a few other options to save space:
2749 Force systems to move as close together as possible (to fit as
2750 many systems as possible onto a page) while being spaced so that
2751 there is no blank space at the bottom of the page.
2755 between-system-spacing = #'((padding . 0) (space . 0.1))
2756 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
2762 Force the number of systems. This can help in two ways. Just
2763 setting a value, even the same value as the number of systems
2764 being typeset by default, will sometimes cause more systems to
2765 be fitted onto each page, as an estimation step is then bypassed,
2766 giving a more accurate fit to each page. Also, forcing an actual
2767 reduction in the number of systems may save a further page. For
2768 example, if the default layout has 11 systems, the following
2769 assignment will force a layout with 10 systems.
2778 Avoid (or reduce) objects that increase the vertical size of a
2779 system. For example, volta repeats (or alternate repeats) require
2780 extra space. If these repeats are spread over two systems, they
2781 will take up more space than one system with the volta repeats and
2782 another system without. For example, dynamics that @q{stick out} of
2783 a system can be moved closer to the staff:
2785 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
2787 e4 c g-\tweak #'X-offset #-2.7 -\tweak #'Y-offset #2.5 \f c
2791 Alter the horizontal spacing via @code{SpacingSpanner}. For more
2792 details, see @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}. The following
2793 example illustrates the default spacing:
2795 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2808 The next example modifies @code{common-shortest-duration} from a
2809 value of @code{1/4} to @code{1/2}. The quarter note is the most
2810 common and shortest duration in this example, so by making this
2811 duration longer, a @q{squeezing} effect occurs:
2813 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2825 \override SpacingSpanner
2826 #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 2)
2833 The @code{common-shortest-duration} property cannot be modified
2834 dynamically, so it must always be placed in a @code{\context}
2835 block so that it applies to the whole score.
2842 @ref{Page formatting},
2843 @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}.