1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
8 @chapter New features in 1.9 since 1.8
12 Clefs may now be transposed arbitrarily, for example
22 The syntax for chords and simultaneous music have changed.
29 while simultaneous music is entered as
32 <<@var{..music list..}>>
35 In effect, the meanings of both have been swapped relative to their 1.8
36 definition. The syntax for lists in @code{\markup} has changed
37 alongside, but figured bass mode was not changed, i.e.:
40 \markup @{ \center <@var{..list of markups..}> @}
41 \figure @{ <@var{figures> @}
44 As chords the more often used than simultaneous music, this change will
48 Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
49 versions from the same music expression. In the following example,
50 we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
51 one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
55 @{ c4 f2 g @} % in the part, we have cue-notes
57 \tag #'score R1 % in the score: only a rest
61 The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
65 -\tag #@var{your-tags}
68 to an articulation, for example,
71 c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
74 This defines a note, which has a conditional fingering and a
75 string-number indication.
78 The settings for chord-fingering are more flexible. You can specify a
79 list where fingerings may be placed, eg.
82 \property Voice.fingeringOrientations = #'(left down)
85 This will put the fingering for the lowest note below the chord, and the
89 The script previously known as @file{ly2dvi} has been renamed to
90 @file{lilypond}. The binary itself is now installed as
94 Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too.
97 Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
98 and @code{\appoggiatura},
105 Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
106 and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
110 Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
111 and may now be set separately from musical content.
114 The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
115 name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
116 necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
117 score may be created by
121 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
122 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
129 Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
136 This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
137 octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
141 All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,
148 is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.
151 The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified. Octaves are
152 now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
157 \repeat "unfold" 3 BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
162 the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
163 BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
166 The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
167 chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
171 #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
179 @chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6
184 The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
185 cleaner and more flexible.
188 A new syntax has been added for text entry. This syntax is more
189 friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
190 robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
191 "Text markup" in the notation manual.
194 The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
195 you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
196 expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.
199 The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
200 and converted to Scheme data structures. The representation may be
204 A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
205 A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as
211 In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
212 available, and the dashes will become optional.
214 This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
215 postfix, in any order.
218 A new syntax has been added for chords:
225 It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
226 using LilyPond version 2.0. In version 2.0, this syntax will be
236 \simultaneous @{ .. @}
239 for simultaneous music.
241 To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
242 included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py
244 This change was introduced for the following reasons
248 It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
249 state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
252 With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
253 articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
254 and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
255 fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
259 User code may now be executed during interpreting. The syntax for
263 \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
267 User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
268 The syntax for this feature is
271 \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
275 SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
276 that is created in the current context.
279 New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
280 can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.
283 Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.
286 R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
290 Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
291 notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
292 hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983. Ligatures are still printed
293 without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.
296 Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.
299 LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is
302 \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
306 For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
310 #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
315 Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:
324 @item Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature. The syntax
332 @item Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.
336 @item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.
340 @item The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.
344 @item Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.
348 @item The emacs support has been extended.
352 The manual has been completely revised and extended.
356 @chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4
362 Support for figured bass and tablature.
365 Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
370 Completely revised and improved music font.
374 Completely rewritten MIDI import support.
377 Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
378 means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.
382 Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
383 cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
384 chord are handled much better.
387 Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
388 details like optical stem spacing.
391 More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
392 (pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.
395 More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
399 Easier music polyphonic music entry.
402 More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes
405 The manual has been thoroughly revised.
408 Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
409 can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.
412 Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
413 which comes with a user-friendly installer.