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{Custom headers footers and titles}.
180 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
183 @node Paper size and automatic scaling
184 @subsection Paper size and automatic scaling
192 * Setting paper size::
193 * Automatic scaling to paper size::
197 @node Setting paper size
198 @unnumberedsubsubsec Setting paper size
200 Two functions are available for changing the paper size:
201 @code{set-default-paper-size} and @code{set-paper-size}.
202 @code{set-default-paper-size} must be placed in the toplevel
203 scope, and @code{set-paper-size} must be placed in a @code{\paper}
207 #(set-default-paper-size "a4")
212 #(set-paper-size "a4")
217 In the toplevel scope, the @code{set-default-paper-size} function
218 can safely be called anywhere before the first @code{\paper}
219 block. Within a @code{\paper} block, the safest place to call
220 @code{set-paper-size} is at the top, above the list of variable
221 declarations. The reasons for this are discussed in
222 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
224 @code{set-default-paper-size} sets the size of all pages, whereas
225 @code{set-paper-size} only sets the size of the pages that the
226 @code{\paper} block applies to. For example, if the @code{\paper}
227 block is at the top of the file, then it will apply the paper size
228 to all pages. If the @code{\paper} block is inside a
229 @code{\book}, then the paper size will only apply to that book.
231 Common paper sizes are available, including @code{a4},
232 @code{letter}, @code{legal}, and @code{11x17} (also known as
233 tabloid). Many more paper sizes are supported by default. For
234 details, see @file{scm/paper.scm}, and search for the
235 definition of @code{paper-alist}.
237 @c TODO add a new appendix for paper sizes (auto-generated) -pm
239 @warning{The default paper size is @code{a4}.}
241 Extra sizes may be added by editing the definition of
242 @code{paper-alist} in the initialization file
243 @file{scm/paper.scm}, however they will be overridden on a
249 If the symbol @code{'landscape} is supplied as an argument to
250 @code{set-default-paper-size}, pages will be rotated by 90
251 degrees, and wider line widths will be set accordingly.
254 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
259 @file{scm/paper.scm}.
262 @node Automatic scaling to paper size
263 @unnumberedsubsubsec Automatic scaling to paper size
265 If the paper size is changed with one of the scheme functions
266 (@code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}), the
267 values of several @code{\paper} variables are automatically scaled
268 to the new size. To bypass the automatic scaling for a particular
269 variable, set the variable after setting the paper size. Note
270 that the automatic scaling is not triggered by setting the
271 @code{paper-height} or @code{paper-width} variables, even though
272 @code{paper-width} can influence other values (this is separate
273 from scaling and is discussed below). The
274 @code{set-default-paper-size} and @code{set-paper-size} functions
275 are described in @ref{Setting paper size}.
277 The vertical dimensions affected by automatic scaling are
278 @code{top-margin} and @code{bottom-margin} (see
279 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables}. The horizontal
280 dimensions affected by automatic scaling are @code{left-margin},
281 @code{right-margin}, @code{inner-margin}, @code{outer-margin},
282 @code{binding-offset}, @code{indent}, and @code{short-indent} (see
283 @ref{Horizontal spacing \paper variables}.
285 The default values for these dimensions are set in
286 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}, using internal variables named
287 @code{top-margin-default}, @code{bottom-margin-default}, etc.
288 These are the values that result at the default paper size
289 @code{a4}. For reference, with @code{a4} paper the
290 @code{paper-height} is @code{297\mm} and the @code{paper-width} is
295 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables},
296 @ref{Horizontal spacing \paper variables}.
299 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly},
300 @file{scm/paper.scm}.
303 @node Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables
304 @subsection Fixed vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
306 @warning{Some @code{@bs{}paper} dimensions are automatically
307 scaled to the paper size, which may lead to unexpected behavior.
308 See @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.}
310 Default values (before scaling) are defined in
311 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
315 @funindex paper-height
317 The height of the page, unset by default. Note that the automatic
318 scaling of some vertical dimensions is not affected by this.
323 The margin between the top of the page and the top of the
324 printable area. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
325 default value is scaled accordingly.
328 @funindex bottom-margin
330 The margin between the bottom of the printable area and the bottom
331 of the page. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
332 default value is scaled accordingly.
335 @funindex ragged-bottom
337 If set to true, systems will not spread vertically down the page.
338 This does not affect the last page. This should be set to true
339 for pieces that have only two or three systems per page, for
340 example orchestral scores.
342 @item ragged-last-bottom
343 @funindex ragged-last-bottom
345 If set to false, systems will spread vertically down the last
346 page. Pieces that amply fill two pages or more should have this
347 set to true. It also affects the last page of book parts, i.e.
348 parts of a book created with @code{\bookpart} blocks.
354 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
361 The titles (from the @code{\header} block) are treated as a
362 system, so @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom} will
363 add space between the titles and the first system of the score.
366 @node Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables
367 @subsection Flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
369 In most cases, it is preferable for the vertical distances between
370 certain items (such as margins, titles, systems, and separate
371 scores) to be flexible, so that they stretch and compress nicely
372 according to each situation. A number of @code{\paper} variables
373 (listed below) are available to fine-tune the stretching behavior
376 Note that the @code{\paper} variables discussed in this section do
377 not control the spacing of staves within individual systems.
378 Within-system spacing is controlled by grob properties, with
379 settings typically entered inside a @code{\score} or
380 @code{\layout} block, and not inside a @code{\paper} block. See
381 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing within systems}.
384 * Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists::
385 * List of flexible vertical spacing \paper variables::
389 @node Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists
390 @unnumberedsubsubsec Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists
392 Each of the flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables is
393 an alist (association list) containing four @emph{keys}:
398 @code{padding} -- the minimum required amount of unobstructed
399 vertical whitespace between two items, measured in staff-spaces.
400 This can be thought of as the minimum height of an unobstructed
401 (invisible) rectangle that extends from the leftmost to the
402 rightmost point of the combined items.
405 @code{space} -- the vertical distance, measured in staff-spaces,
406 between the @emph{reference points} of the two items, when no
407 collisions would result, and no stretching or compressing is in
408 effect. The reference point of a (title or top-level) markup is
409 its highest point, and the reference point of a system is the
410 vertical center of the nearest @code{StaffSymbol} -- even if a
411 non-staff line (such as a @code{Lyrics} context) is in the way.
412 Values for @code{space} that are less than either @code{padding}
413 or @code{minimum-distance} are not meaningful, since the resulting
414 distance will never be less than either @code{padding} or
415 @code{minimum-distance}.
418 @code{minimum-distance} -- the smallest allowable vertical
419 distance, measured in staff-spaces, between the reference points
420 of the two items, when compressing is in effect. Values for
421 @code{minimum-distance} that are less than @code{padding} are not
422 meaningful, since the resulting distance will never be less than
426 @code{stretchability} -- a unitless measure of the dimension's
427 relative propensity to stretch. If zero, the distance will not
428 stretch (unless collisions would result). When positive, the
429 significance of a particular dimension's @code{stretchability}
430 value lies only in its relation to the @code{stretchability}
431 values of the other dimensions. For example, if one dimension has
432 twice the @code{stretchability} of another, it will stretch twice
433 as easily. Values should be non-negative and finite. The value
434 @code{+inf.0} triggers a @code{programming_error} and is ignored,
435 but @code{1.0e7} can be used for an almost infinitely stretchable
436 spring. If unset, the default value is set to @code{space}. Note
437 that the dimension's propensity to @emph{compress} cannot be
438 directly set by the user and is equal to
439 (@code{space}@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}@code{minimum-distance}).
443 If a page has a ragged bottom, the resulting distance is the
452 @code{minimum-distance}, and
455 @code{padding} plus the smallest distance necessary to eliminate
460 Specific methods for modifying alists are discussed in
461 @ref{Modifying alists}. The following example demonstrates the
462 two ways these alists can be modified. The first declaration
463 updates one key-value individually, and the second completely
464 redefines the variable:
468 system-system-spacing #'space = #8
469 score-system-spacing =
472 (minimum-distance . 6)
473 (stretchability . 12))
478 @node List of flexible vertical spacing \paper variables
479 @unnumberedsubsubsec List of flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
481 The names of these variables follow the format
482 @code{@var{upper}-@var{lower}-spacing}, where @code{@var{upper}}
483 and @code{@var{lower}} are the items to be spaced. Each distance
484 is measured between the reference points of the two items (see the
485 description of the alist structure above). Note that in these
486 variable names, the term @q{@code{markup}} refers to both
487 @emph{title markups} (@code{bookTitleMarkup} or
488 @code{scoreTitleMarkup}) and @emph{top-level markups} (see
489 @ref{File structure}). All distances are measured in
492 Default settings are defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
494 @c TODO: Where do headers/footers fit in? -mp
497 @item markup-system-spacing
498 @funindex markup-system-spacing
500 the distance between a (title or top-level) markup and the system
503 @item score-markup-spacing
504 @funindex score-markup-spacing
506 the distance between the last system of a score and the (title or
507 top-level) markup that follows it.
509 @item score-system-spacing
510 @funindex score-system-spacing
512 the distance between the last system of a score and the first
513 system of the score that follows it, when no (title or top-level)
514 markup exists between them.
516 @item system-system-spacing
517 @funindex system-system-spacing
519 the distance between two systems in the same score.
521 @item markup-markup-spacing
522 @funindex markup-markup-spacing
524 the distance between two (title or top-level) markups.
526 @item last-bottom-spacing
527 @funindex last-bottom-spacing
529 the distance from the last system or top-level markup on a page to
530 the bottom of the printable area (i.e. the top of the bottom
533 @item top-system-spacing
534 @funindex top-system-spacing
536 the distance from the top of the printable area (i.e. the bottom
537 of the top margin) to the first system on a page, when there is no
538 (title or top-level) markup between the two.
540 @item top-markup-spacing
541 @funindex top-markup-spacing
543 the distance from the top of the printable area (i.e. the bottom
544 of the top margin) to the first (title or top-level) markup on a
545 page, when there is no system between the two.
550 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing within systems}.
553 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
559 @node Horizontal spacing \paper variables
560 @subsection Horizontal spacing @code{\paper} variables
562 @warning{Some @code{@bs{}paper} dimensions are automatically
563 scaled to the paper size, which may lead to unexpected behavior.
564 See @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.}
567 * \paper variables for widths and margins::
568 * \paper variables for two-sided mode::
569 * \paper variables for shifts and indents::
573 @node \paper variables for widths and margins
574 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for widths and margins
576 Default values (before scaling) that are not listed here are
577 defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
582 @funindex paper-width
584 The width of the page, unset by default. While @code{paper-width}
585 has no effect on the automatic scaling of some horizontal
586 dimensions, it does influence the @code{line-width} variable. If
587 both @code{paper-width} and @code{line-width} are set, then
588 @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin} will also be updated.
589 Also see @code{check-consistency}.
594 The horizontal extent of the staff lines in unindented, non-ragged
596 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}left-margin@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}right-margin)}
597 when unset. If @code{line-width} is set, and both
598 @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin} are unset, then the
599 margins will be updated to center the systems on the page
600 automatically. Also see @code{check-consistency}. This variable
601 can also be set in a @code{\layout} block.
604 @funindex left-margin
606 The margin between the left edge of the page and the start of the
607 staff lines in unindented systems. If the paper size is modified,
608 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. If
609 @code{left-margin} is unset, and both @code{line-width} and
610 @code{right-margin} are set, then @code{left-margin} is set to
611 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}right-margin)}.
612 If only @code{line-width} is set, then both margins are set to
613 @code{((paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width)@tie{}/@tie{}2)},
614 and the systems are consequently centered on the page. Also see
615 @code{check-consistency}.
618 @funindex right-margin
620 The margin between the right edge of the page and the end of the
621 staff lines in non-ragged systems. If the paper size is modified,
622 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. If
623 @code{right-margin} is unset, and both @code{line-width} and
624 @code{left-margin} are set, then @code{right-margin} is set to
625 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}left-margin)}.
626 If only @code{line-width} is set, then both margins are set to
627 @code{((paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width)@tie{}/@tie{}2)},
628 and the systems are consequently centered on the page. Also see
629 @code{check-consistency}.
631 @item check-consistency
632 @funindex check-consistency
634 If set to true, print a warning if @code{left-margin},
635 @code{line-width}, and @code{right-margin} do not exactly add up
636 to @code{paper-width}, and replace each of these (except
637 @code{paper-width}) with its default value (scaled to the paper
638 size if necessary). If set to false, ignore any inconsistencies
639 and allow systems to run off the edge of the page.
642 @funindex ragged-right
644 If set to true, systems will not fill the line width. Instead,
645 systems end at their natural horizontal length. Default:
646 @code{#t} for scores with only one system, and @code{#f} for
647 scores with two or more systems. This variable can also be set in
648 a @code{\layout} block.
651 @funindex ragged-last
653 If set to true, the last system in the score will not fill the
654 line width. Instead the last system ends at its natural
655 horizontal length. Default: @code{#f}. This variable can also be
656 set in a @code{\layout} block.
662 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
665 @node \paper variables for two-sided mode
666 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for two-sided mode
668 Default values (before scaling) are defined in
669 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
677 @cindex binding gutter
679 If set to true, use @code{inner-margin}, @code{outer-margin} and
680 @code{binding-offset} to determine margins depending on whether
681 the page number is odd or even. This overrides @code{left-margin}
682 and @code{right-margin}.
685 @funindex inner-margin
687 The margin all pages have at the inner side if they are part of a
688 book. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's default
689 value is scaled accordingly. Works only with @code{two-sided} set
693 @funindex outer-margin
695 The margin all pages have at the outer side if they are part of a
696 book. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's default
697 value is scaled accordingly. Works only with @code{two-sided} set
701 @funindex binding-offset
703 The amount @code{inner-margin} is increased to make sure nothing
704 will be hidden by the binding. If the paper size is modified,
705 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. Works only
706 with @code{two-sided} set to true.
712 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
715 @node \paper variables for shifts and indents
716 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for shifts and indents
718 Default values (before scaling) that are not listed here are
719 defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
723 @item horizontal-shift
724 @funindex horizontal-shift
726 @c This default value is buried in the middle of page.scm. -mp
728 The amount that all systems (including titles and system
729 separators) are shifted to the right. Default: @code{0.0\mm}.
734 The level of indentation for the first system in a score. If the
735 paper size is modified, this dimension's default value is scaled
736 accordingly. This variable can also be set in a @code{\layout}
740 @funindex short-indent
742 The level of indentation for all systems in a score besides the
743 first system. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
744 default value is scaled accordingly. This variable can also be
745 set in a @code{\layout} block.
751 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
757 @node Other \paper variables
758 @subsection Other @code{\paper} variables
761 * \paper variables for line breaking::
762 * \paper variables for page breaking::
763 * \paper variables for page numbering::
764 * Miscellaneous \paper variables::
768 @node \paper variables for line breaking
769 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for line breaking
771 @c TODO: Mention that ly:optimal-breaking is on by default? -mp
775 @item max-systems-per-page
776 @funindex max-systems-per-page
778 The maximum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
779 is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
782 @item min-systems-per-page
783 @funindex min-systems-per-page
785 The minimum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
786 may cause pages to be overfilled if it is made too large. This is
787 currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
790 @item systems-per-page
791 @funindex systems-per-page
793 The number of systems that should be placed on each page.
794 This is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
798 @funindex system-count
800 The number of systems to be used for a score. Default: unset.
801 This variable can also be set in a @code{\layout} block.
810 @node \paper variables for page breaking
811 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for page breaking
813 Default values not listed here are defined in
814 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}
818 @item blank-after-score-page-force
819 @funindex blank-after-score-page-force
821 The penalty for having a blank page after the end of one score and
822 before the next. By default, this is smaller than
823 @code{blank-page-force}, so that we prefer blank pages after
824 scores to blank pages within a score.
826 @item blank-last-page-force
827 @funindex blank-last-page-force
829 The penalty for ending the score on an odd-numbered page.
831 @item blank-page-force
832 @funindex blank-page-force
834 The penalty for having a blank page in the middle of a
835 score. This is not used by @code{ly:optimal-breaking} since it will
836 never consider blank pages in the middle of a score.
839 @funindex page-breaking
841 The page-breaking algorithm to use. Choices are
842 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, and
843 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}.
845 @item page-breaking-system-system-spacing
846 @funindex page-breaking-system-system-spacing
848 Tricks the page breaker into thinking that
849 @code{system-system-spacing} is set to something different than
850 it really is. For example, if
851 @code{page-breaking-system-system-spacing #'padding} is set to something
852 substantially larger than @code{system-system-spacing #'padding}, then the
853 page-breaker will put fewer systems on each page. Default: unset.
858 The number of pages to be used for a score, unset by default.
865 @ref{Optimal page breaking},
866 @ref{Optimal page turning},
867 @ref{Minimal page breaking}.
870 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
873 @node \paper variables for page numbering
874 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for page numbering
876 Default values not listed here are defined in
877 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}
881 @item auto-first-page-number
882 @funindex auto-first-page-number
884 The page breaking algorithm is affected by the first page number
885 being odd or even. If set to true, the page breaking algorithm
886 will decide whether to start with an odd or even number. This
887 will result in the first page number remaining as is or being
888 increased by one. Default: @code{#f}.
890 @item first-page-number
891 @funindex first-page-number
893 The value of the page number on the first page.
895 @item print-first-page-number
896 @funindex print-first-page-number
898 If set to true, a page number is printed on the first page.
900 @item print-page-number
901 @funindex print-page-number
903 If set to false, page numbers are not printed.
909 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
912 @node Miscellaneous \paper variables
913 @unnumberedsubsubsec Miscellaneous @code{\paper} variables
917 @item page-spacing-weight
918 @funindex page-spacing-weight
920 The relative importance of page (vertical) spacing and line
921 (horizontal) spacing. High values will make page spacing more
922 important. Default: @code{#10}.
924 @item print-all-headers
925 @funindex print-all-headers
927 If set to true, this will print all headers for each @code{\score}
928 in the output. Normally only the @code{piece} and @code{opus}
929 header variables are printed. Default: @code{#f}.
931 @item system-separator-markup
932 @funindex system-separator-markup
934 A markup object that is inserted between systems, often used for
935 orchestral scores. Default: unset. The @code{\slashSeparator}
936 markup, defined in @file{ly/titling-init.ly}, is provided as a
937 sensible default, for example:
939 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,noragged-right,line-width=30\mm]
940 #(set-default-paper-size "a8")
944 system-separator-markup = \slashSeparator
950 \relative c'' { c1 \break c1 \break c1 }
960 @file{ly/titling-init.ly}.
968 The default page header puts the page number and the @code{instrument}
969 field from the @code{\header} block on a line.
973 @section Score layout
975 This section discusses score layout options for the @code{\layout}
979 * The \layout block::
980 * Setting the staff size::
984 @node The \layout block
985 @subsection The @code{\layout} block
989 While the @code{\paper} block contains settings that relate to the
990 page formatting of the whole document, the @code{\layout} block
991 contains settings for score-specific layout. To set score layout
992 options globally, enter them in a toplevel @code{\layout} block.
993 To set layout options for an individual score, enter them in a
994 @code{\layout} block inside the @code{\score} block, after the
995 music. Settings that can appear in a @code{\layout} block
999 @item the @code{layout-set-staff-size} scheme function,
1000 @item context modifications in @code{\context} blocks, and
1001 @item @code{\paper} variables that affect score layout.
1004 The @code{layout-set-staff-size} function is discussed in the next
1005 section, @ref{Setting the staff size}. Context modifications are
1006 discussed in a separate chapter; see
1007 @ref{Modifying context plug-ins} and
1008 @ref{Changing context default settings}. The @code{\paper}
1009 variables that can appear in a @code{\layout} block are:
1014 @code{line-width}, @code{ragged-right} and @code{ragged-last}
1015 (see @ref{\paper variables for widths and margins})
1018 @code{indent} and @code{short-indent}
1019 (see @ref{\paper variables for shifts and indents})
1023 (see @ref{\paper variables for line breaking})
1027 Here is an example @code{\layout} block:
1034 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #space = #8
1038 \override TextScript #'padding = #1
1039 \override Glissando #'thickness = #3
1047 @ref{Changing context default settings}.
1053 @node Setting the staff size
1054 @subsection Setting the staff size
1056 @cindex font size, setting
1057 @cindex staff size, setting
1058 @funindex layout file
1060 The default @strong{staff size} is set to 20 points.
1061 This may be changed in two ways:
1063 To set the staff size globally for all scores in a file (or
1064 in a @code{book} block, to be precise), use @code{set-global-staff-size}.
1067 #(set-global-staff-size 14)
1071 This sets the global default size to 14pt staff height and scales all
1074 To set the staff size individually for each score, use
1079 #(layout-set-staff-size 15)
1084 The Feta font provides musical symbols at eight different
1085 sizes. Each font is tuned for a different staff size: at a smaller size
1086 the font becomes heavier, to match the relatively heavier staff lines.
1087 The recommended font sizes are listed in the following table:
1090 @multitable @columnfractions .15 .2 .22 .2
1093 @tab @b{staff height (pt)}
1094 @tab @b{staff height (mm)}
1136 @c modern rental material?
1141 These fonts are available in any sizes. The context property
1142 @code{fontSize} and the layout property @code{staff-space} (in
1143 @rinternals{StaffSymbol}) can be used to tune the size for individual
1144 staves. The sizes of individual staves are relative to the global size.
1149 @ref{Selecting notation font size}.
1157 @code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between the
1167 * Optimal page breaking::
1168 * Optimal page turning::
1169 * Minimal page breaking::
1171 * Using an extra voice for breaks::
1176 @subsection Line breaking
1179 @cindex breaking lines
1181 Line breaks are normally determined automatically. They are chosen
1182 so that lines look neither cramped nor loose, and consecutive
1183 lines have similar density. Occasionally you might want to
1184 override the automatic breaks; you can do this by specifying
1185 @code{\break}. This will force a line break at this point. However,
1186 line breaks can only occur at the end of @q{complete} bars, i.e.,
1187 where there are no notes or tuplets left @q{hanging} over the bar
1188 line. If you want to have a line break where there is no bar line,
1189 you can force an invisible bar line by entering @code{\bar ""},
1190 although again there must be no notes left hanging over in any of
1191 the staves at this point, or it will be ignored.
1193 The opposite command, @code{\noBreak}, forbids a line break at the
1194 bar line where it is inserted.
1196 The most basic settings influencing line spacing are @code{indent}
1197 and @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block.
1198 They control the indentation of the first line of music, and the
1199 lengths of the lines.
1201 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block,
1202 then systems end at their natural horizontal length, instead of
1203 being spread horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful
1204 for short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural
1207 @c TODO Check and add para on default for ragged-right
1209 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right},
1210 but affects only the last line of the piece.
1222 @cindex regular line breaks
1223 @cindex four bar music.
1225 For line breaks at regular intervals use @code{\break} separated by
1226 skips and repeated with @code{\repeat}. For example, this would
1227 cause the following 28 measures (assuming 4/4 time) to be broken
1228 every 4 measures, and only there:
1233 s1 \noBreak s1 \noBreak
1234 s1 \noBreak s1 \break
1236 @{ @var{the actual music@dots{}} @}
1241 A linebreaking configuration can be saved as a @file{.ly} file
1242 automatically. This allows vertical alignments to be stretched to
1243 fit pages in a second formatting run. This is fairly new and
1244 complicated. More details are available in
1260 Internals Reference:
1261 @rinternals{LineBreakEvent}.
1266 Line breaks can only occur if there is a @q{proper} bar line. A note
1267 which is hanging over a bar line is not proper, such as
1269 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
1270 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % this does nothing
1271 c2 c4 | % a break here would work
1272 c4 c2 c4 ~ \break % as does this break
1276 This can be avoided by removing the @code{Forbid_line_break_engraver}.
1277 Note that manually forced line breaks have to be added in parallel
1280 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
1282 \remove Forbid_line_break_engraver
1284 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % now the break is allowed
1289 Similarly, line breaks are normally forbidden when beams cross bar
1290 lines. This behavior can be changed by setting
1291 @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}.
1295 @subsection Page breaking
1297 The default page breaking may be overridden by inserting
1298 @code{\pageBreak} or @code{\noPageBreak} commands. These commands are
1299 analogous to @code{\break} and @code{\noBreak}. They should be
1300 inserted at a bar line. These commands force and forbid a page-break
1301 from happening. Of course, the @code{\pageBreak} command also forces
1304 The @code{\pageBreak} and @code{\noPageBreak} commands may also be
1305 inserted at top-level, between scores and top-level markups.
1307 There are also analogous settings to @code{ragged-right} and
1308 @code{ragged-last} which have the same effect on vertical spacing:
1309 @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom}. If set to
1310 @code{##t} the systems on all pages or just the last page
1311 respectively will not be justified vertically. See
1312 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables}.
1314 Page breaks are computed by the @code{page-breaking} function. LilyPond
1315 provides three algorithms for computing page breaks,
1316 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} and
1317 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}. The default is @code{ly:optimal-breaking},
1318 but the value can be changed in the @code{\paper} block:
1322 page-breaking = #ly:page-turn-breaking
1328 When a book has many scores and pages, the page breaking problem may be
1329 difficult to solve, requiring large processing time and memory. To ease
1330 the page breaking process, @code{\bookpart} blocks are used to divide
1331 the book into several parts: the page breaking occurs separately on each
1332 part. Different page breaking functions may also be used in different
1338 subtitle = "Preface"
1341 %% In a part consisting mostly of text,
1342 %% ly:minimal-breaking may be preferred
1343 page-breaking = #ly:minimal-breaking
1345 \markup @{ @dots{} @}
1349 %% In this part, consisting of music, the default optimal
1350 %% page breaking function is used.
1352 subtitle = "First movement"
1354 \score @{ @dots{} @}
1361 @funindex \pageBreak
1363 @funindex \noPageBreak
1364 @code{\noPageBreak}.
1373 @node Optimal page breaking
1374 @subsection Optimal page breaking
1376 @funindex ly:optimal-breaking
1378 The @code{ly:optimal-breaking} function is LilyPond's default method of
1379 determining page breaks. It attempts to find a page breaking that minimizes
1380 cramping and stretching, both horizontally and vertically. Unlike
1381 @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, it has no concept of page turns.
1389 @node Optimal page turning
1390 @subsection Optimal page turning
1392 @funindex ly:page-turn-breaking
1394 Often it is necessary to find a page breaking configuration so that there is
1395 a rest at the end of every second page. This way, the musician can turn the
1396 page without having to miss notes. The @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} function
1397 attempts to find a page breaking minimizing cramping and stretching, but with
1398 the additional restriction that it is only allowed to introduce page turns
1399 in specified places.
1401 There are two steps to using this page breaking function. First, you
1402 must enable it in the @code{\paper} block, as explained in @ref{Page
1403 breaking}. Then you must tell the function where you would like to allow
1406 There are two ways to achieve the second step. First, you can specify each
1407 potential page turn manually, by inserting @code{\allowPageTurn} into your
1408 input file at the appropriate places.
1410 If this is too tedious, you can add a @code{Page_turn_engraver} to a Staff or
1411 Voice context. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} will scan the context for
1412 sections without notes (note that it does not scan for rests; it scans for
1413 the absence of notes. This is so that single-staff polyphony with rests in one
1414 of the parts does not throw off the @code{Page_turn_engraver}). When it finds
1415 a sufficiently long section without notes, the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1416 insert an @code{\allowPageTurn} at the final bar line in that section, unless
1417 there is a @q{special} bar line (such as a double bar), in which case the
1418 @code{\allowPageTurn} will be inserted at the final @q{special} bar line in
1421 @funindex minimumPageTurnLength
1422 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} reads the context property
1423 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} to determine how long a note-free section must
1424 be before a page turn is considered. The default value for
1425 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} is @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 1)}. If you want
1426 to disable page turns, you can set it to something very large.
1429 \new Staff \with @{ \consists "Page_turn_engraver" @}
1432 R1 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1434 \set Staff.minimumPageTurnLength = #(ly:make-moment 5 2)
1435 R1 | % a page turn will not be allowed here
1437 R1*2 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1442 @funindex minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn
1443 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} detects volta repeats. It will only allow a page
1444 turn during the repeat if there is enough time at the beginning and end of the
1445 repeat to turn the page back. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} can also disable
1446 page turns if the repeat is very short. If you set the context property
1447 @code{minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn} then the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1448 only allow turns in repeats whose duration is longer than this value.
1450 The page turning commands, @code{\pageTurn}, @code{\noPageTurn} and
1451 @code{\allowPageTurn}, may also be used at top-level, between scores and
1458 @funindex \noPageTurn
1460 @funindex \allowPageTurn
1461 @code{\allowPageTurn}.
1472 There should only be one @code{Page_turn_engraver} in a score. If there is more
1473 than one, they will interfere with each other.
1476 @node Minimal page breaking
1477 @subsection Minimal page breaking
1479 @funindex ly:minimal-breaking
1481 The @code{ly:minimal-breaking} function performs minimal computations to
1482 calculate the page breaking: it fills a page with as many systems as
1483 possible before moving to the next one. Thus, it may be preferred for
1484 scores with many pages, where the other page breaking functions could be
1485 too slow or memory demanding, or a lot of texts. It is enabled using:
1489 page-breaking = #ly:minimal-breaking
1499 @node Explicit breaks
1500 @subsection Explicit breaks
1502 Lily sometimes rejects explicit @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak}
1503 commands. There are two commands to override this behavior:
1506 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1507 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1510 When @code{line-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1511 line breaks at explicit @code{\break} commands and nowhere else. When
1512 @code{page-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1513 page breaks at explicit @code{\pageBreak} commands and nowhere else.
1515 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1522 music = \relative c'' { c8 c c c }
1526 \repeat unfold 2 { \music } \break
1527 \repeat unfold 4 { \music } \break
1528 \repeat unfold 6 { \music } \break
1529 \repeat unfold 8 { \music } \pageBreak
1530 \repeat unfold 8 { \music } \break
1531 \repeat unfold 6 { \music } \break
1532 \repeat unfold 4 { \music } \break
1533 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1538 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1539 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1551 @node Using an extra voice for breaks
1552 @subsection Using an extra voice for breaks
1554 Line- and page-breaking information usually appears within note entry directly.
1557 music = \relative c'' @{ c4 c c c @}
1561 \repeat unfold 2 @{ \music @} \break
1562 \repeat unfold 3 @{ \music @}
1567 This makes @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak} commands easy to enter but mixes
1568 music entry with information that specifies how music should lay out
1569 on the page. You can keep music entry and line- and page-breaking
1570 information in two separate places by introducing an extra voice to
1571 contain the breaks. This extra voice
1572 contains only skips together with @code{\break}, @code{pageBreak} and other
1573 breaking layout information.
1575 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1576 music = \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
1587 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1588 \repeat unfold 3 { \music }
1589 \repeat unfold 6 { \music }
1590 \repeat unfold 5 { \music }
1596 This pattern becomes especially helpful when overriding
1597 @code{line-break-system-details} and the other useful but long properties of
1598 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumnGrob}, as explained in @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1600 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1601 music = \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
1606 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1607 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1610 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1611 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 35))
1614 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1615 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 70))
1618 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1619 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 105))
1623 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1624 \repeat unfold 3 { \music }
1625 \repeat unfold 6 { \music }
1626 \repeat unfold 5 { \music }
1635 @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1641 @node Vertical spacing
1642 @section Vertical spacing
1644 @cindex vertical spacing
1645 @cindex spacing, vertical
1647 Vertical spacing is controlled by three things: the amount of
1648 space available (i.e., paper size and margins), the amount of
1649 space between systems, and the amount of space between
1650 staves inside a system.
1653 * Flexible vertical spacing within systems::
1654 * Explicit staff and system positioning::
1655 * Vertical collision avoidance::
1659 @node Flexible vertical spacing within systems
1660 @subsection Flexible vertical spacing within systems
1662 @cindex distance between staves
1663 @cindex staff distance
1664 @cindex space between staves
1665 @cindex space inside systems
1667 Three separate mechanisms control the flexible vertical spacing
1668 within systems, one for each of the following categories:
1673 @emph{ungrouped staves},
1676 @emph{grouped staves} (staves within a staff-group such as
1677 @code{ChoirStaff}, etc.), and
1680 @emph{non-staff lines} (such as @code{Lyrics}, @code{ChordNames},
1685 @c TODO: Clarify this. This almost implies that non-staff lines
1686 @c have NO effect on the spacing between staves. -mp
1688 The height of each system is determined in two steps. First, all
1689 of the staves are spaced according to the amount of space
1690 available. Then, the non-staff lines are distributed between the
1693 Note that the spacing mechanisms discussed in this section only
1694 control the vertical spacing of staves and non-staff lines within
1695 individual systems. The vertical spacing between separate
1696 systems, scores, markups, and margins is controlled by
1697 @code{\paper} variables, which are discussed in
1698 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables}.
1701 * Within-system spacing properties::
1702 * Spacing of ungrouped staves::
1703 * Spacing of grouped staves::
1704 * Spacing of non-staff lines::
1708 @node Within-system spacing properties
1709 @unnumberedsubsubsec Within-system spacing properties
1711 The within-system vertical spacing mechanisms are controlled by
1712 two sets of grob properties. The first set is associated with the
1713 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob, which is created by all staves and
1714 non-staff lines. The second set is associated with the
1715 @code{StaffGrouper} grob, which can be created by staff-groups,
1716 but only if explicitly called. These properties are described
1717 individually at the end of this section.
1719 The names of these properties (except for @code{staff-affinity})
1720 follow the format @code{@var{item1}-@var{item2}-spacing}, where
1721 @code{@var{item1}} and @code{@var{item2}} are the items to be
1722 spaced. Note that @code{@var{item2}} is not necessarily below
1723 @code{@var{item1}}; for example,
1724 @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing} will measure upwards from the
1725 non-staff line if @code{staff-affinity} is @code{#UP}.
1727 Each distance is measured between the @emph{reference points} of
1728 the two items. The reference point for a staff is the vertical
1729 center of its @code{StaffSymbol} (i.e. the middle line if
1730 @code{line-count} is odd; the middle space if @code{line-count} is
1731 even). The reference points for individual non-staff lines are
1732 given in the following table:
1734 @multitable {Non-staff line} {Reference point}
1735 @headitem Non-staff line @tab Reference point
1736 @item @code{ChordNames} @tab baseline
1737 @item @code{NoteNames} @tab baseline
1738 @item @code{Lyrics} @tab baseline
1739 @item @code{Dynamics} @tab vertical center
1740 @item @code{FiguredBass} @tab highest point
1741 @item @code{FretBoards} @tab top line
1744 In the following image, horizontal lines indicate the positions
1745 of these reference points:
1747 @lilypond[quote,noragged-right,line-width=110\mm]
1748 #(define zero-space '((padding . -inf.0) (space . 0)))
1750 alignToZero = \with {
1751 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing = #zero-space
1752 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing = #zero-space
1754 lowerCaseChords = \with {
1755 chordNameLowercaseMinor = ##t
1757 staffAffinityDown = \with {
1758 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN
1761 #(define-music-function
1762 (parser location context)
1764 #{ s1*0^\markup { \typewriter $context } #})
1767 \context { \Dynamics \alignToZero }
1768 \context { \FiguredBass \alignToZero }
1769 \context { \Lyrics \alignToZero }
1770 \context { \NoteNames \alignToZero }
1771 \context { \ChordNames \alignToZero \lowerCaseChords }
1772 \context { \FretBoards \alignToZero \staffAffinityDown }
1774 \override BarLine #'stencil = ##f
1775 \override DynamicText #'self-alignment-X = #-1
1776 \override FretBoard #'X-offset = #1.75
1777 \override InstrumentName #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-2 . 2)
1778 \override InstrumentName #'extra-offset = #'(0 . -0.5)
1779 \override TextScript #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-2 . 3)
1780 \override TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1784 %% These contexts have reference points at the baseline:
1785 %% ChordNames, NoteNames, and Lyrics
1787 \new ChordNames { \chords { g1:m } }
1788 \new NoteNames { s1 | g1 | }
1789 \new RhythmicStaff {
1790 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"baseline "
1792 \labelContext "ChordNames" s1 |
1793 \labelContext "NoteNames" s1 |
1794 \labelContext "Lyrics" s1 |
1796 \new Lyrics { \lyrics { \skip 1*2 | ghijk1 | } }
1799 %% The reference point for Dynamics is its vertical center
1801 \new RhythmicStaff {
1802 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"vertical center "
1803 \labelContext "Dynamics" s1*3
1805 \new Dynamics { s2\mp s\fp }
1808 %% The reference point for FiguredBass is its highest point
1810 \new RhythmicStaff {
1811 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"highest point "
1812 \labelContext "FiguredBass" s1
1814 \new FiguredBass { \figuremode { <6 5>1 } }
1817 %% The reference point for FretBoards is the top line
1818 \include "predefined-guitar-fretboards.ly"
1820 \new FretBoards { \chordmode { e1 } }
1821 \new RhythmicStaff {
1822 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"top line "
1823 \labelContext "FretBoards " s1
1828 Each of the vertical spacing grob properties (except
1829 @code{staff-affinity}) is stored as an alist (association list),
1830 and each uses the same alist structure as the @code{\paper}
1831 spacing variables discussed in
1832 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables}. Specific methods
1833 for modifying alists are discussed in @ref{Modifying alists}.
1834 Grob properties should be adjusted with an @code{\override} inside
1835 a @code{\score} or @code{\layout} block, and not inside a
1836 @code{\paper} block.
1838 The following example demonstrates the two ways these alists can
1839 be modified. The first declaration updates one key-value
1840 individually, and the second completely re-defines the property:
1844 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-staff-spacing #'space = #10
1848 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-staff-spacing =
1851 (minimum-distance . 9)
1852 (stretchability . 10))
1856 To change any spacing settings globally, put them in the
1857 @code{\layout} block:
1863 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-staff-spacing #'space = #10
1868 Standard settings for the vertical spacing grob properties are
1869 listed in @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup} and
1870 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}. Default overrides for specific types
1871 of non-staff lines are listed in the relevant context descriptions
1872 in @rinternals{Contexts}.
1875 @subsubheading Properties of the @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob
1877 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties are typically adjusted with an
1878 @code{\override} at the @code{Staff} level (or equivalent).
1881 @item staff-staff-spacing
1882 The distance between the current staff and the staff just below it
1883 in the same system, even if one or more non-staff lines (such as
1884 @code{Lyrics}) are placed between the two staves. Does not apply
1885 to the bottom staff of a system. This replaces any settings
1886 inherited from the @code{StaffGrouper} grob of the containing
1887 staff-group, if there is one. If this is unset, and there are no
1888 @code{StaffGrouper} properties to inherit, the
1889 @code{default-staff-staff-spacing} property is used.
1891 @item default-staff-staff-spacing
1892 The settings to use for @code{staff-staff-spacing} when it is
1893 unset. This applies to ungrouped staves and to grouped staves
1894 that do not inherit settings from the @code{StaffGrouper} grob.
1896 @item staff-affinity
1897 The direction of the staff to use for spacing the current
1898 non-staff line. Choices are @code{UP}, @code{DOWN}, and
1899 @code{CENTER}. If @code{CENTER}, the non-staff line will be
1900 placed equidistant between the two nearest staves on either side,
1901 unless collisions or other spacing constraints prevent this.
1902 Adjacent non-staff lines should have non-increasing
1903 @code{staff-affinity} from top to bottom, e.g. a non-staff line
1904 set to @code{UP} should not immediately follow one that is set to
1905 @code{DOWN}. Non-staff lines at the top of a system should use
1906 @code{DOWN}; those at the bottom should use @code{UP}. Setting
1907 @code{staff-affinity} for a staff causes it to be treated as a
1908 non-staff line. Setting @code{staff-affinity} to @code{#f} causes
1909 a non-staff line to be treated as a staff.
1911 @c TODO: verify last clause below ("even if other...")
1913 @item nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing
1914 The distance between the current non-staff line and the nearest
1915 staff in the direction of @code{staff-affinity}, if there are no
1916 non-staff lines between the two, and @code{staff-affinity} is
1917 either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}. If @code{staff-affinity} is
1918 @code{CENTER}, then @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing} is used
1919 for the nearest staves on @emph{both} sides, even if other
1920 non-staff lines appear between the current one and either of the
1923 @item nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing
1924 The distance between the current non-staff line and the next
1925 non-staff line in the direction of @code{staff-affinity}, if both
1926 are on the same side of the related staff, and
1927 @code{staff-affinity} is either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}.
1929 @item nonstaff-unrelatedstaff-spacing
1930 The distance between the current non-staff line and the staff in
1931 the opposite direction from @code{staff-affinity}, if there are no
1932 other non-staff lines between the two, and @code{staff-affinity}
1933 is either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}. This can be used, for
1934 example, to require a minimum amount of padding between a
1935 @code{Lyrics} line and the staff to which it does not belong.
1939 @subsubheading Properties of the @code{StaffGrouper} grob
1941 @code{StaffGrouper} properties are typically adjusted with an
1942 @code{\override} at the @code{StaffGroup} level (or equivalent).
1945 @item staff-staff-spacing
1946 The distance between consecutive staves within the current
1947 staff-group. The @code{staff-staff-spacing} property of an
1948 individual staff's @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob will be used
1949 instead for any staves in the staff-group that have it set. Also
1950 see @code{default-staff-staff-spacing}.
1952 @item staffgroup-staff-spacing
1953 The distance between the last staff of the current staff-group and
1954 the staff just below it in the same system, even if one or more
1955 non-staff lines (such as @code{Lyrics}) exist between the two
1956 staves. Does not apply to the bottom staff of a system. The
1957 @code{staff-staff-spacing} property of an individual staff's
1958 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob will be used instead for any staves
1959 in the staff-group that have it set. Also see
1960 @code{default-staff-staff-spacing}.
1965 @file{ly/engraver-init.ly},
1966 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
1968 Internals Reference:
1969 @rinternals{Contexts},
1970 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup},
1971 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}.
1974 @node Spacing of ungrouped staves
1975 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of ungrouped staves
1977 @emph{Staves} (such as @code{Staff}, @code{DrumStaff},
1978 @code{TabStaff}, etc.) are contexts that can contain one or more
1979 voice contexts, but cannot contain any other staves.
1981 The following properties affect the spacing of @emph{ungrouped}
1985 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
1987 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
1991 These grob properties are described individually above; see
1992 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
1994 Additional properties are involved for staves that are part of a
1995 staff-group; see @ref{Spacing of grouped staves}.
1997 The following example shows how the @code{staff-staff-spacing}
1998 property can affect the spacing of ungrouped staves:
2000 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2004 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-staff-spacing =
2007 (minimum-distance . 7))
2012 % The very low note here needs more room than 'space can
2013 % provide, so the distance between this staff and the next is
2014 % determined by 'padding.
2015 \new Staff { b,2 r | }
2017 % Here, 'space provides enough room, and there is no need to
2018 % compress the space (towards 'minimum-distance) to make room
2019 % for anything else on the page, so the distance between this
2020 % staff and the next is determined by 'space.
2021 \new Staff { \clef bass g2 r | }
2023 % By setting 'padding to a negative value, staves can be made to
2024 % collide. The lowest acceptable value for 'space is 0.
2026 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-staff-spacing =
2029 } { \clef bass g2 r | }
2030 \new Staff { \clef bass g2 r | }
2036 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2041 Internals Reference:
2042 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup}.
2045 @node Spacing of grouped staves
2046 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of grouped staves
2048 In orchestral and other large scores, it is common to place staves
2049 in groups. The space between groups is typically larger than the
2050 space between staves of the same group.
2052 @emph{Staff-groups} (such as @code{StaffGroup}, @code{ChoirStaff},
2053 etc.) are contexts that can contain one or more staves
2056 The following properties affect the spacing of staves inside
2060 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
2062 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
2063 @item @code{default-staff-staff-spacing}
2065 @item @code{StaffGrouper} properties:
2067 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
2068 @item @code{staffgroup-staff-spacing}
2072 These grob properties are described individually above; see
2073 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
2075 The following example shows how properties of the
2076 @code{StaffGrouper} grob can affect the spacing of grouped staves:
2078 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2082 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #'padding = #0
2083 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #'space = #1
2088 \new PianoStaff \with {
2089 \override StaffGrouper #'staffgroup-staff-spacing #'space = #20
2104 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2109 Internals Reference:
2110 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup},
2111 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}.
2114 @node Spacing of non-staff lines
2115 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of non-staff lines
2117 @emph{Non-staff lines} (such as @code{Lyrics}, @code{ChordNames},
2118 etc.) are contexts whose layout objects are engraved like staves
2119 (i.e. in horizontal lines within systems). Specifically,
2120 non-staff lines are non-staff contexts that create the
2121 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} layout object.
2123 The following properties affect the spacing of non-staff lines:
2126 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
2128 @item @code{staff-affinity}
2129 @item @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing}
2130 @item @code{nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing}
2131 @item @code{nonstaff-unrelatedstaff-spacing}
2135 These grob properties are described individually above; see
2136 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
2138 The following example shows how the
2139 @code{nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing} property can affect the spacing
2140 of consecutive non-staff lines. Here, by setting the
2141 @code{stretchability} key to a very high value, the lyrics are
2142 able to stretch much more than usual:
2144 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2148 \override VerticalAxisGroup
2149 #'nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing #'stretchability = #1000
2156 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-staff-spacing = #'((space . 30))
2159 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #UP
2162 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #CENTER
2163 } \lyricmode { center }
2165 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN
2166 } \lyricmode { down }
2174 @file{ly/engraver-init.ly},
2175 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2180 @c @lsr{spacing,page-spacing.ly},
2181 @c @lsr{spacing,alignment-vertical-spacing.ly}.
2183 Internals Reference:
2184 @rinternals{Contexts},
2185 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup}.
2188 @node Explicit staff and system positioning
2189 @subsection Explicit staff and system positioning
2191 One way to understand the flexible vertical spacing mechanisms
2192 explained above is as a collection of settings that control the
2193 amount of vertical padding between staves and systems.
2195 It is possible to approach vertical spacing in a different way
2196 using @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}.
2197 While the flexible vertical spacing mechanisms specify vertical
2198 padding, @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
2199 can specify exact vertical positions on the page.
2201 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} accepts
2202 an associative list of three different settings:
2205 @item @code{X-offset}
2206 @item @code{Y-offset}
2207 @item @code{alignment-distances}
2210 Grob overrides, including the overrides for @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}
2211 below, can occur in any of three different places in an input file:
2214 @item in the middle of note entry directly
2215 @item in a @code{\context} block
2216 @item in the @code{\with} block
2219 When we override @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}, we use the usual
2220 @code{\override} command in @code{\context} blocks and in the
2221 @code{\with} block. On the other hand, when we override
2222 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} in the middle of note entry,
2223 use the special @code{\overrideProperty} command. Here are some
2224 example @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} overrides with the special
2225 @code{\overrideProperty} command:
2228 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2229 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20))
2231 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2232 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
2234 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2235 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20)
2238 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2239 #'line-break-system-details #'((alignment-distances . (15)))
2241 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2242 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20)
2244 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2247 To understand how each of these different settings work, we begin
2248 by looking at an example that includes no overrides at all.
2250 @c \book { } is required in these examples to ensure the spacing
2251 @c overrides can be seen between systems. -np
2253 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2254 \header { tagline = ##f }
2255 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2265 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2268 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2275 This score isolates line- and page-breaking information in a dedicated
2276 voice. This technique of creating a breaks voice will help keep layout
2277 separate from music entry as our example becomes more complicated.
2278 See @ref{Using an extra voice for breaks}.
2280 Explicit @code{\breaks} evenly divide the music into six measures per
2281 line. Vertical spacing results from LilyPond's defaults. To set
2282 the vertical startpoint of each system explicitly, we can set
2283 the @code{Y-offset} pair in the @code{line-break-system-details}
2284 attribute of the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob:
2286 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2287 \header { tagline = ##f }
2288 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2294 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2295 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
2297 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2298 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
2300 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2301 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 80))
2304 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2307 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2314 Note that @code{line-break-system-details} takes an associative list of
2315 potentially many values, but that we set only one value here. Note,
2316 too, that the @code{Y-offset} property here determines the exact vertical
2317 position on the page at which each new system will render.
2319 Now that we have set the vertical startpoint of each system
2320 explicitly, we can also set the vertical distances between staves
2321 within each system manually. We do this using the @code{alignment-distances}
2322 subproperty of @code{line-break-system-details}.
2324 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2325 \header { tagline = ##f }
2326 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2332 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2333 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 20)
2334 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2336 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2337 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
2338 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2340 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2341 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
2342 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2345 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2348 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2355 Note that here we assign two different values to the
2356 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute of the
2357 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob. Though the
2358 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute alist accepts many
2359 additional spacing parameters (including, for example, a corresponding
2360 @code{X-offset} pair), we need only set the @code{Y-offset} and
2361 @code{alignment-distances} pairs to control the vertical startpoint of
2362 every system and every staff. Finally, note that @code{alignment-distances}
2363 specifies the vertical positioning of staves but not of staff groups.
2365 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2366 \header { tagline = ##f }
2367 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2373 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2374 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0)
2375 (alignment-distances . (30 10)))
2377 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2378 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
2379 (alignment-distances . (10 10)))
2381 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2382 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
2383 (alignment-distances . (10 30)))
2386 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2389 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' } }
2390 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { e'4 e' e' e' } }
2397 Some points to consider:
2400 @item When using @code{alignment-distances}, lyrics and other non-staff lines
2401 do not count as a staff.
2403 @item The units of the numbers passed to @code{X-offset},
2404 @code{Y-offset} and @code{alignment-distances} are interpreted as multiples
2405 of the distance between adjacent staff lines. Positive values move staves
2406 and lyrics up, negative values move staves and lyrics down.
2408 @item Because the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
2409 settings given here allow the positioning of staves and systems anywhere
2410 on the page, it is possible to violate paper or margin boundaries or even
2411 to print staves or systems on top of one another. Reasonable values
2412 passed to these different settings will avoid this.
2421 @node Vertical collision avoidance
2422 @subsection Vertical collision avoidance
2424 @funindex outside-staff-priority
2425 @funindex outside-staff-padding
2426 @funindex outside-staff-horizontal-padding
2428 Intuitively, there are some objects in musical notation that belong
2429 to the staff and there are other objects that should be placed outside
2430 the staff. Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
2431 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings (from now on, these will
2432 be called outside-staff objects). LilyPond's rule for the
2433 vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them as close
2434 to the staff as possible but not so close that they collide with
2437 LilyPond uses the @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine
2438 whether a grob is an outside-staff object: if @code{outside-staff-priority}
2439 is a number, the grob is an outside-staff object. In addition,
2440 @code{outside-staff-priority} tells LilyPond in which order the objects
2443 First, LilyPond places all the objects that do not belong outside
2444 the staff. Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
2445 @code{outside-staff-priority} (in increasing order). One by one, LilyPond
2446 takes the outside-staff objects and places them so that they do
2447 not collide with any objects that have already been placed. That
2448 is, if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the one
2449 with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed closer to
2452 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2455 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #1
2456 c4_"Text"\pp % this time the text will be closer to the staff
2458 % by setting outside-staff-priority to a non-number,
2459 % we disable the automatic collision avoidance
2460 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
2461 \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
2462 c4_"Text"\pp % now they will collide
2465 The vertical padding between an outside-staff object and the
2466 previously-positioned grobs can be controlled with
2467 @code{outside-staff-padding}.
2469 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2470 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #0
2471 a'^"This text is placed very close to the note"
2472 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #3
2473 c^"This text is padded away from the previous text"
2474 c^"This text is placed close to the previous text"
2478 By default, outside-staff objects are placed only to avoid
2479 a horizontal collision with previously-positioned grobs. This
2480 can lead to situations in which objects are placed very close to each
2481 other horizontally. The vertical spacing between staves can
2482 also be set so that outside staff objects are interleaved.
2483 Setting @code{outside-staff-horizontal-padding}
2484 causes an object to be offset vertically so that such a situation
2487 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2488 % the markup is too close to the following note
2492 % setting outside-staff-horizontal-padding fixes this
2494 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-horizontal-padding = #1
2506 @node Horizontal spacing
2507 @section Horizontal spacing
2509 @cindex horizontal spacing
2510 @cindex spacing, horizontal
2513 * Horizontal spacing overview::
2514 * New spacing area::
2515 * Changing horizontal spacing::
2517 * Proportional notation::
2521 @node Horizontal spacing overview
2522 @subsection Horizontal spacing overview
2524 The spacing engine translates differences in durations into stretchable
2525 distances (@q{springs}) of differing lengths. Longer durations get
2526 more space, shorter durations get less. The shortest durations get a
2527 fixed amount of space (which is controlled by
2528 @code{shortest-duration-space} in the @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}
2529 object). The longer the duration, the more space it gets: doubling a
2530 duration adds a fixed amount (this amount is controlled by
2531 @code{spacing-increment}) of space to the note.
2533 For example, the following piece contains lots of half, quarter, and
2534 8th notes; the eighth note is followed by 1 note head width (NHW).
2535 The quarter note is followed by 2 NHW, the half by 3 NHW, etc.
2537 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=1]
2538 c2 c4. c8 c4. c8 c4. c8 c8
2542 Normally, @code{spacing-increment} is set to 1.2 staff space, which is
2543 approximately the width of a note head, and
2544 @code{shortest-duration-space} is set to 2.0, meaning that the
2545 shortest note gets 2.4 staff space (2.0 times the
2546 @code{spacing-increment}) of horizontal space. This space is counted
2547 from the left edge of the symbol, so the shortest notes are generally
2548 followed by one NHW of space.
2550 If one would follow the above procedure exactly, then adding a single
2551 32nd note to a score that uses 8th and 16th notes, would widen up the
2552 entire score a lot. The shortest note is no longer a 16th, but a 32nd,
2553 thus adding 1 NHW to every note. To prevent this, the shortest
2554 duration for spacing is not the shortest note in the score, but rather
2555 the one which occurs most frequently.
2558 The most common shortest duration is determined as follows: in every
2559 measure, the shortest duration is determined. The most common shortest
2560 duration is taken as the basis for the spacing, with the stipulation
2561 that this shortest duration should always be equal to or shorter than
2562 an 8th note. The shortest duration is printed when you run
2563 @code{lilypond} with the @code{--verbose} option.
2565 These durations may also be customized. If you set the
2566 @code{common-shortest-duration} in @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}, then
2567 this sets the base duration for spacing. The maximum duration for this
2568 base (normally an 8th), is set through @code{base-shortest-duration}.
2570 @funindex common-shortest-duration
2571 @funindex base-shortest-duration
2572 @funindex stem-spacing-correction
2575 Notes that are even shorter than the common shortest note are
2576 followed by a space that is proportional to their duration relative to
2577 the common shortest note. So if we were to add only a few 16th notes
2578 to the example above, they would be followed by half a NHW:
2580 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
2581 c2 c4. c8 c4. c16[ c] c4. c8 c8 c8 c4 c4 c4
2585 In the @emph{Essay on automated music engraving}, it was explained
2586 that stem directions influence spacing (see @ressay{Optical
2587 spacing}). This is controlled with the
2588 @code{stem-spacing-correction} property in the
2589 @rinternals{NoteSpacing}, object. These are generated for every
2590 @rinternals{Voice} context. The @code{StaffSpacing} object
2591 (generated in @rinternals{Staff} context) contains the same
2592 property for controlling the stem/bar line spacing. The following
2593 example shows these corrections, once with default settings, and
2594 once with exaggerated corrections:
2596 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
2600 \override Staff.NoteSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2601 \override Staff.StaffSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2607 Proportional notation is supported; see @ref{Proportional notation}.
2614 Internals Reference:
2615 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner},
2616 @rinternals{NoteSpacing},
2617 @rinternals{StaffSpacing},
2618 @rinternals{NonMusicalPaperColumn}.
2623 There is no convenient mechanism to manually override spacing. The
2624 following work-around may be used to insert extra space into a score,
2625 adjusting the padding value as necessary.
2627 \override Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn #'padding = #10
2630 No work-around exists for decreasing the amount of space.
2633 @node New spacing area
2634 @subsection New spacing area
2636 New sections with different spacing parameters can be started with
2637 @code{newSpacingSection}. This is useful when there are
2638 sections with a different notions of long and short notes.
2640 In the following example, the time signature change introduces a new
2641 section, and hence the 16ths notes are spaced wider.
2643 @lilypond[relative=1,verbatim,quote]
2646 c8 c c4 c16[ c c8] c4
2652 The @code{\newSpacingSection} command creates a new
2653 @code{SpacingSpanner} object, and hence new @code{\override}s
2654 may be used in that location.
2661 Internals Reference:
2662 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}.
2665 @node Changing horizontal spacing
2666 @subsection Changing horizontal spacing
2668 Horizontal spacing may be altered with the
2669 @code{base-shortest-duration} property. Here
2670 we compare the same music; once without altering
2671 the property, and then altered. Larger values
2672 of @code{ly:make-moment} will produce smaller
2673 music. Note that @code{ly:make-moment} constructs
2674 a duration, so @code{1 4} is a longer duration
2677 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2680 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2681 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2682 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2683 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2688 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2691 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2692 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2693 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2694 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2699 \override SpacingSpanner
2700 #'base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2709 By default, spacing in tuplets depends on various non-duration
2710 factors (such as accidentals, clef changes, etc). To disregard
2711 such symbols and force uniform equal-duration spacing, use
2712 @code{Score.SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching}. This
2713 property can only be changed at the beginning of a score,
2715 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
2734 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2740 When @code{strict-note-spacing} is set, notes are spaced without
2741 regard for clefs, bar lines, and grace notes,
2743 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2744 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2745 \new Staff { c8[ c \clef alto c \grace { c16[ c] } c8 c c] c32[ c32] }
2755 @subsection Line length
2758 @cindex breaking pages
2761 @funindex line-width
2762 @funindex ragged-right
2763 @funindex ragged-last
2765 @c Although line-width can be set in \layout, it should be set in paper
2766 @c block, to get page layout right.
2767 @c Setting indent in \paper block makes not much sense, but it works.
2769 @c Bit verbose and vague, use examples?
2770 The most basic settings influencing the spacing are @code{indent} and
2771 @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block. They
2772 control the indentation of the first line of music, and the lengths of
2775 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block, then
2776 systems ends at their natural horizontal length, instead of being spread
2777 horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful for
2778 short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural spacing is.
2779 The normal default setting is false, but if the score has only one
2780 system the default value is true.
2783 @cindex vertical spacing
2785 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right}, but
2786 only affects the last line of the piece. No restrictions are put on
2787 that line. The result is similar to formatting text paragraphs. In a
2788 paragraph, the last line simply takes its natural horizontal length.
2789 @c Note that for text there are several options for the last line.
2790 @c While Knuth TeX uses natural length, lead typesetters use the same
2791 @c stretch as the previous line. eTeX uses \lastlinefit to
2792 @c interpolate between both these solutions.
2808 @node Proportional notation
2809 @subsection Proportional notation
2811 LilyPond supports proportional notation, a type of horizontal spacing
2812 in which each note consumes an amount of horizontal space exactly
2813 equivalent to its rhythmic duration. This type of proportional spacing
2814 is comparable to horizontal spacing on top of graph paper. Some late
2815 20th- and early 21st-century scores use proportional notation to
2816 clarify complex rhythmic relationships or to facilitate the placement
2817 of timelines or other graphics directly in the score.
2819 LilyPond supports five different settings for proportional notation,
2820 which may be used together or alone:
2823 @item @code{proportionalNotationDuration}
2824 @item @code{uniform-stretching}
2825 @item @code{strict-note-spacing}
2826 @item @code{\remove Separating_line_group_engraver}
2827 @item @code{\override PaperColumn #'used = ##t}
2830 In the examples that follow, we explore these five different
2831 proportional notation settings and examine how these settings interact.
2833 We start with the following one-measure example, which uses classical
2834 spacing with ragged-right turned on.
2836 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2839 \new RhythmicStaff {
2843 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2850 Notice that the half note which begins the measure takes up far less
2851 than half of the horizontal space of the measure. Likewise, the
2852 sixteenth notes and sixteenth-note quintuplets (or twentieth notes)
2853 which end the measure together take up far more than half the
2854 horizontal space of the measure.
2856 In classical engraving, this spacing may be exactly what we want
2857 because we can borrow horizontal space from the half note and conserve
2858 horizontal space across the measure as a whole.
2860 On the other hand, if we want to insert a measured timeline or other
2861 graphic above or below our score, we need proportional notation. We
2862 turn proportional notation on with the proportionalNotationDuration
2865 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2868 \new RhythmicStaff {
2872 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2879 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2885 The half note at the beginning of the measure and the faster notes in
2886 the second half of the measure now occupy equal amounts of horizontal
2887 space. We could place a measured timeline or graphic above or below
2890 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting is a context setting
2891 that lives in @code{Score}. Remember that context settings can appear
2892 in one of three locations within our input file -- in a @code{\with}
2893 block, in a @code{\context} block, or directly in music entry preceded
2894 by the @code{\set} command. As with all context settings, users can
2895 pick which of the three different locations they would like to
2896 set @code{proportionalNotationDuration} in to.
2898 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting takes a single argument,
2899 which is the reference duration against that all music will be spaced.
2900 The LilyPond Scheme function @code{make-moment} takes two arguments
2901 -- a numerator and denominator which together express some fraction of
2902 a whole note. The call @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 20)} therefore produces
2903 a reference duration of a twentieth note. Values such as
2904 @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 16)}, @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 8)}, and
2905 @code{#(ly:make-moment 3 97)} are all possible as well.
2907 How do we select the right reference duration to pass to
2908 @code{proportionalNotationDuration}? Usually by a process of trial
2909 and error, beginning with a duration close to the fastest (or smallest)
2910 duration in the piece. Smaller reference durations space music loosely;
2911 larger reference durations space music tightly.
2913 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2916 \new RhythmicStaff {
2920 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2927 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
2934 \new RhythmicStaff {
2938 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2945 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2952 \new RhythmicStaff {
2956 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2963 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
2969 Note that too large a reference duration -- such as the eighth note,
2970 above -- spaces music too tightly and can cause note head collisions.
2971 Also that proportional notation in general takes up more horizontal
2972 space than classical spacing. Proportional spacing provides rhythmic
2973 clarity at the expense of horizontal space.
2975 Next we examine how to optimally space overlapping tuplets.
2977 We start by examining what happens to our original example, with
2978 classical spacing, when we add a second staff with a different type of
2981 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2984 \new RhythmicStaff {
2988 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2991 \new RhythmicStaff {
2993 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3000 The spacing is bad because the evenly spaced notes of the bottom staff
3001 do not stretch uniformly. Classical engravings include very few complex
3002 triplets and so classical engraving rules can generate this type of
3003 result. Setting @code{proportionalNotationDuration} fixes this.
3005 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3008 \new RhythmicStaff {
3012 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3015 \new RhythmicStaff {
3017 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3024 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
3030 But if we look very carefully we can see that notes of the second half
3031 of the 9-tuplet space ever so slightly more widely than the notes
3032 of the first half of the 9-tuplet. To ensure uniform stretching, we
3033 turn on @code{uniform-stretching}, which is a property of
3034 @code{SpacingSpanner}.
3036 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3039 \new RhythmicStaff {
3043 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3046 \new RhythmicStaff {
3048 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3055 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
3056 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
3062 Our two-staff example now spaces exactly, our rhythmic
3063 relationships are visually clear, and we can include a measured
3064 timeline or graphic if we want.
3066 Note that the LilyPond's proportional notation package expects
3067 that all proportional scores set the SpacingSpanner's
3068 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t. Setting
3069 proportionalNotationDuration without also setting the
3070 SpacingSpanner's 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t will, for
3071 example, cause Skips to consume an incorrect amount of horizontal
3074 The SpacingSpanner is an abstract grob that lives in the Score
3075 context. As with our settings of proportionalNotationDuration,
3076 overrides to the SpacingSpanner can occur in any of three
3077 different places in our input file – in the Score \with block, in
3078 a Score \context block, or in note entry directly.
3080 There is by default only one @code{SpacingSpanner} per @code{Score}. This
3081 means that, by default, @code{uniform-stretching} is either turned on for the
3082 entire score or turned off for the entire score. We can, however,
3083 override this behavior and turn on different spacing features at
3084 different places in the score. We do this with the command
3085 @code{\newSpacingSection}. See @ref{New spacing area}, for more info.
3087 Next we examine the effects of the @code{Separating_line_group_engraver} and
3088 see why proportional scores frequently remove this engraver. The following
3089 example shows that there is a small amount of @qq{preferatory} space
3090 just before the first note in each system.
3092 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3105 The amount of this preferatory space is the same whether after a time
3106 signature, a key signature or a clef. @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
3107 is responsible for this space. Removing @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
3108 reduces this space to zero.
3110 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3116 \remove Separating_line_group_engraver
3124 Nonmusical elements like time signatures, key signatures, clefs and
3125 accidentals are problematic in proportional notation. None of these
3126 elements has rhythmic duration. But all of these elements consume
3127 horizontal space. Different proportional scores approach these
3128 problems differently.
3130 It may be possible to avoid spacing problems with key signatures
3131 simply by not having any. This is a valid option since most
3132 proportional scores are contemporary music. The same may be true
3133 of time signatures, especially for those scores
3134 that include a measured timeline or other graphic. But these scores
3135 are exceptional and most proportional scores include at least some
3136 time signatures. Clefs and accidentals are even more essential.
3138 So what strategies exist for spacing nonmusical elements in a
3139 proportional context? One good option is the @code{strict-note-spacing}
3140 property of @code{SpacingSpanner}. Compare the two scores below:
3142 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3144 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
3154 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
3155 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
3165 Both scores are proportional, but the spacing in the first score
3166 is too loose because of the clef change. The spacing of the second
3167 score remains strict, however, because strict-note-spacing is
3168 turned on. Turning on strict-note-spacing causes the width of
3169 time signatures, key signatures, clefs and accidentals to play no
3170 part in the spacing algorithm.
3172 In addition to the settings given here, there are other settings
3173 that frequently appear in proportional scores. These include:
3176 @item @code{\override SpacingSpanner #'strict-grace-spacing = ##t}
3177 @item @code{tupletFullLength = ##t}
3178 @item @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}
3179 @item @code{\override Glissando #'breakable = ##t}
3180 @item @code{\override TextSpanner #'breakable = ##t}
3181 @item @code{\remove Forbid_line_break_engraver in the Voice context}
3184 These settings space grace notes strictly, extend tuplet brackets to
3185 mark both rhythmic start- and stop-points, and allow spanning elements
3186 to break across systems and pages. See the respective parts of the manual
3187 for these related settings.
3192 @ref{New spacing area}.
3198 @node Fitting music onto fewer pages
3199 @section Fitting music onto fewer pages
3201 Sometimes you can end up with one or two staves on a second
3202 (or third, or fourth...) page. This is annoying, especially
3203 if you look at previous pages and it looks like there is plenty
3204 of room left on those.
3206 When investigating layout issues, @code{annotate-spacing} is an
3207 invaluable tool. This command prints the values of various layout
3208 spacing variables; for more details see the following section,
3209 @ref{Displaying spacing}.
3212 * Displaying spacing::
3213 * Changing spacing::
3217 @node Displaying spacing
3218 @subsection Displaying spacing
3220 @funindex annotate-spacing
3221 @cindex spacing, display of layout
3223 To graphically display the dimensions of vertical layout variables
3224 that may be altered for page formatting, set
3225 @code{annotate-spacing} in the @code{\paper} block:
3227 @c need to have \book{} otherwise we get the separate systems. -hwn
3228 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3229 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
3232 \paper { annotate-spacing = ##t }
3238 All layout dimensions are displayed in staff-spaces, regardless
3239 of the units specified in the @code{\paper} or @code{\layout} block.
3240 In the above example, @code{paper-height} has a value of 59.75
3241 @code{staff-spaces}, and the @code{staff-size} is 20 points (the
3242 default value). Note that:
3244 @multitable {1 staff-space} {staff-size)/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm}
3247 @tab = (25.4/72.27) mm
3250 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 pts
3252 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm
3257 In this case, one @code{staff-space} is approximately equal to
3258 1.757mm. Thus the @code{paper-height} measurement of 59.75
3259 @code{staff-spaces} is equivalent to 105 millimeters, the height
3260 of @code{a6} paper in landscape orientation. The pairs
3261 (@var{a},@var{b}) are intervals, where @var{a} is the lower
3262 edge and @var{b} the upper edge of the interval.
3267 @ref{Setting the staff size}.
3273 @node Changing spacing
3274 @subsection Changing spacing
3276 The output of @code{annotate-spacing} reveals vertical dimensions
3277 in great detail. For details about modifying margins and other
3278 layout variables, see @ref{Page layout}.
3280 Other than margins, there are a few other options to save space:
3284 Force systems to move as close together as possible (to fit as
3285 many systems as possible onto a page) while being spaced so that
3286 there is no blank space at the bottom of the page.
3290 system-system-spacing = #'((padding . 0) (space . 0.1))
3291 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
3297 Force the number of systems. This can help in two ways. Just
3298 setting a value, even the same value as the number of systems
3299 being typeset by default, will sometimes cause more systems to
3300 be fitted onto each page, as an estimation step is then bypassed,
3301 giving a more accurate fit to each page. Also, forcing an actual
3302 reduction in the number of systems may save a further page. For
3303 example, if the default layout has 11 systems, the following
3304 assignment will force a layout with 10 systems.
3313 Avoid (or reduce) objects that increase the vertical size of a
3314 system. For example, volta repeats (or alternate repeats) require
3315 extra space. If these repeats are spread over two systems, they
3316 will take up more space than one system with the volta repeats and
3317 another system without. For example, dynamics that @q{stick out} of
3318 a system can be moved closer to the staff:
3320 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
3322 e4 c g-\tweak #'X-offset #-2.7 -\tweak #'Y-offset #2.5 \f c
3326 Alter the horizontal spacing via @code{SpacingSpanner}. For more
3327 details, see @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}. The following
3328 example illustrates the default spacing:
3330 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3343 The next example modifies @code{common-shortest-duration} from a
3344 value of @code{1/4} to @code{1/2}. The quarter note is the most
3345 common and shortest duration in this example, so by making this
3346 duration longer, a @q{squeezing} effect occurs:
3348 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3360 \override SpacingSpanner
3361 #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 2)
3368 The @code{common-shortest-duration} property cannot be modified
3369 dynamically, so it must always be placed in a @code{\context}
3370 block so that it applies to the whole score.
3378 @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}.