1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
2 @c This file is part of lilypond-learning.tely
4 @node Fundamental concepts
5 @chapter Fundamental concepts
7 You've seen in the Tutorial how to produce beautifully printed
8 music from a simple text file. This section introduces the
9 concepts and techniques required to produce equally beautiful
10 but more complex scores.
13 * How LilyPond files work::
14 * Voices contain music::
15 * Contexts and engravers::
16 * Extending the templates::
20 @node How LilyPond files work
21 @section How LilyPond files work
23 The LilyPond input format is quite free-form, giving experienced
24 users a lot of flexibility to structure their files however they
25 wish. But this flexibility can make things confusing for new
26 users. This section will explain some of this structure, but may
27 gloss over some details in favor of simplicity. For a complete
28 description of the input format, see @ruser{File structure}.
31 * Introduction to the LilyPond file structure::
32 * Score is a (single) compound musical expression::
33 * Nesting music expressions::
34 * On the un-nestedness of brackets and ties::
37 @node Introduction to the LilyPond file structure
38 @subsection Introduction to the LilyPond file structure
40 A basic example of a lilypond input file is
45 @var{...compound music expression...} % all the music goes here!
53 There are many variations of this basic pattern, but this
54 example serves as a useful starting place.
56 Up to this point none of the examples you have seen have used a
57 @code{\score@{@}} command. This is because LilyPond automatically
58 adds the extra commands which are needed when you give it simple
59 input. LilyPond treats input like this:
68 as shorthand for this:
85 In other words, if the input contains a single music expression,
86 LilyPond will interpret the file as though the music expression
87 was wrapped up inside the commands shown above. For now, though,
88 let us return to the first example and examine the @code{\score}
89 command, leaving the others to default.
91 A @code{\score} block must always contain just one music
93 this must appear first within the @code{\score @{..@}} block.
94 Remember that a music expression could be anything from a single
95 note to a huge compound expression like
100 @var{...insert the whole score of a Wagner opera in here...}
106 Since everything is inside @code{@{ ... @}}, it counts
107 as one music expression.
109 As we saw previously, the @code{\score} can contain other things,
122 Some people put some of those commands outside the @code{\score}
123 block -- for example, @code{\header} is often placed above the
124 @code{\score}. That's just another shorthand that LilyPond
127 Two more commands you have not previously seen are
128 @code{\layout @{ @}} and @code{\midi @{@}}. If these appear as
129 shown they will cause LilyPond to produce a printed output and a
130 MIDI out respectively. They are described fully in the
131 Notation Reference -- @ruser{Score layout} and
132 @ruser{Creating MIDI files}.
134 The @code{\book} command allows
135 several @code{\score} blocks to be combined into one output.
136 If there are several @code{\book} blocks each one produces a
137 separate output file. For details see @ruser{Multiple scores
142 Another great shorthand is the ability to define variables. All
143 the templates use this
146 melody = \relative c' @{
155 When LilyPond looks at this file, it takes the value of
156 @code{melody} (everything after the equals sign) and inserts it
157 whenever it sees @code{\melody}. There's nothing special about
158 the names -- it could be @code{melody}, @code{global},
160 @code{pianorighthand}, or @code{foofoobarbaz}. For more details,
161 see @ruser{Saving typing with variables and functions}.
162 Remember that you can use almost any name you like as long
163 as it contains just alphabetic characters and is distinct from
164 LilyPond command names. The exact
165 limitations on variable names are detailed in
166 @ruser{File structure}.
172 For a complete definition of the input format, see
173 @ruser{File structure}.
175 @node Score is a (single) compound musical expression
176 @subsection Score is a (single) compound musical expression
178 @cindex Compound music expression
179 @cindex Music expression, compound
181 We saw the general organization of LilyPond input files in the
182 previous section, @ref{How LilyPond files work}. But we seemed to
183 skip over the most important part: how do we figure out what to
184 write after @code{\score}?
186 We didn't skip over it at all. The big mystery is simply that
187 there @emph{is} no mystery. This line explains it all:
190 @emph{A @code{\score} must begin with a compound music expression.}
194 You may find it useful to review
195 @ref{Music expressions explained}. In that section, we saw how to
196 build big music expressions from small pieces -- we started from
197 notes, then chords, etc. Now we're going to start from a big
198 music expression and work our way down.
202 @{ % this brace begins the overall compound music expression
204 @var{...insert the whole score of a Wagner opera in here...}
206 @} % this brace ends the overall compound music expression
211 A whole Wagner opera would easily double the length of this
212 manual, so let's just add a singer and piano. We don't need a
213 @code{GrandStaff} for this ensemble, which simply groups a number
214 of staves together with a brace at the left, so we shall remove
215 it. We @emph{do} need a singer and a piano, though.
221 \new Staff = "singer" <<
223 \new PianoStaff = piano <<
231 Remember that we use @code{<<} and @code{>>} to show simultaneous
232 music. And we definitely want to show the vocal part and piano
233 part at the same time, not one after the other! However, the
234 @code{<< .. >>} construct is not really necessary for the Singer
235 staff, as it contains only one music expression, but Staves often
236 do require simultaneous Voices within them, so using @code{<< .. >>}
237 rather than braces is a good habit to adopt.
243 \new Staff = "singer" <<
244 \new Voice = "vocal" @{ @}
247 \new PianoStaff = "piano" <<
248 \new Staff = "upper" @{ @}
249 \new Staff = "lower" @{ @}
257 Now we have a lot more details. We have the singer's staff: it
258 contains a @code{Voice} (in LilyPond, this term refers to a set of
259 notes, not necessarily vocal notes -- for example, a violin
260 generally plays one voice) and some lyrics. We also have a piano
261 staff: it contains an upper staff (right hand) and a lower staff
264 At this stage, we could start filling in notes. Inside the curly
265 braces next to @code{\new Voice = vocal}, we could start writing
273 But if we did that, the @code{\score} section would get pretty
274 long, and it would be harder to understand what was happening. So
275 let's use variables instead.
278 melody = \relative c'' @{ @}
279 text = \lyricmode @{ @}
280 upper = \relative c'' @{ @}
281 lower = \relative c @{ @}
285 \new Staff = "singer" <<
286 \new Voice = "vocal" @{ \melody @}
287 \addlyrics @{ \text @}
289 \new PianoStaff = "piano" <<
290 \new Staff = "upper" @{ \upper @}
291 \new Staff = "lower" @{ \lower @}
299 Be careful about the difference between notes, which are introduced
300 with @code{\relative}, and lyrics, which are introduced with
301 @code{\lyricmode}. These are essential to tell LilyPond
302 to interpret the following content as music and text
305 When writing (or reading) a @code{\score} section, just take it
306 slowly and carefully. Start with the outer layer, then work on
307 each smaller layer. It also really helps to be strict with
308 indentation -- make sure that each item on the same layer starts
309 on the same horizontal position in your text editor.
312 @node Nesting music expressions
313 @subsection Nesting music expressions
315 It is not essential to declare all staves at the beginning;
316 they may be introduced temporarily at any point. This is
317 particularly useful for creating ossia sections
318 (see @rglos{ossia}). Here is a simple example showing how
319 to introduce a new staff temporarily for the duration of
322 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,ragged-right]
339 Note that the size of the clef is the same as a clef printed
340 following a clef change -- slightly smaller than the clef
341 at the begining of the line. This is usual for clefs printed
342 in the middle of a line.
344 The ossia section may be placed above the staff
347 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,ragged-right]
355 alignAboveContext = "main" }
363 This example uses @code{\with}, which will be explained more
364 fully later. It is a means of modifying the default behaviour
365 of a Staff. Here it says that the new staff should be placed
366 above the staff called @qq{main} instead of the default position
369 Ossia are often written without clef and without
370 time signature and are usually in a smaller font.
371 These require further commands which
372 have not yet been introduced. See @ref{Size of objects}
374 @node On the un-nestedness of brackets and ties
375 @subsection On the un-nestedness of brackets and ties
377 You have already met a number of different types of bracket in
378 writing the input file to LilyPond. These obey different rules
379 which can be confusing at first. Before we explain the rules
380 let's first review the different types of bracket.
382 @c attempt to force this onto a new page
384 @multitable @columnfractions .3 .7
385 @headitem Bracket Type
387 @item @code{@{ .. @}}
388 @tab Encloses a sequential segment of music
390 @tab Encloses the notes of a chord
391 @item @code{<< .. >>}
392 @tab Encloses concurrent or simultaneous sections
394 @tab Marks the start and end of a slur
395 @item @code{\( .. \)}
396 @tab Marks the start and end of a phrase mark
398 @tab Marks the start and end of a manual beam
401 To these we should add other constructs which generate lines
402 between or across notes: ties (marked by a tilde, @code{~}),
403 tuplets written as @code{\times x/y @{..@}}, and grace notes
404 written as @code{\grace@{..@}}.
406 Outside LilyPond, the conventional use of brackets requires
407 the different types to be properly nested, like this,
408 @code{<< [ @{ ( .. ) @} ] >>}, with the closing brackets being
409 encountered in exactly the opposite order to the opening
410 brackets. This @strong{is} a requirement for the three types of
411 bracket described by the word @q{Encloses} in the table above --
412 they must nest properly.
413 However, the remaining brackets, described with the word
414 @q{Marks} in the table above together with ties and tuplets,
415 do @strong{not} have to nest
416 properly with any of the brackets. In fact, these are not
417 brackets in the sense that
418 they enclose something -- they are simply markers to indicate
419 where something starts and ends.
421 So, for example, a phrasing slur can start before a manually
422 inserted beam and end before the end of the beam -- not very
423 musical, perhaps, but possible:
425 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=2]
426 { g8\( a b[ c b\) a] }
429 In general, different kinds of brackets, and those implied by
430 tuplets, ties and grace notes, may be mixed freely.
431 This example shows a beam extending into a tuplet (line 1),
432 a slur extending into a tuplet (line 2),
433 a beam and a slur extending into a tuplet, a tie crossing
434 two tuplets, and a phrasing slur extending out of a tuplet
437 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right]
439 r16[ g16 \times 2/3 {r16 e'8] }
440 g16( a \times 2/3 {b d) e' }
441 g8[( a \times 2/3 {b d') e'~]}
442 \times 4/5 {e'32\( a b d' e'} a'4.\)
447 @node Voices contain music
448 @section Voices contain music
450 Singers need voices to sing, and so does LilyPond.
451 The actual music for all instruments in a score
452 is contained in Voices -- the most fundamental
453 of all LilyPond's concepts.
456 * I'm hearing Voices::
457 * Explicitly instantiating voices::
458 * Voices and vocals::
461 @node I'm hearing Voices
462 @subsection I'm hearing Voices
466 @cindex Voice context
468 The lowest, most fundamental or innermost layers in a LilyPond
469 score are called @q{Voice contexts} or just @q{Voices} for short.
470 Voices are sometimes called @q{layers} in other notation
473 In fact, a Voice layer or context is the only one which can
474 contain music. If a Voice context is not explicitly declared
475 one is created automatically, as we saw at the beginning of
476 this chapter. Some instruments such as an
477 Oboe can play only one note at a time. Music written for
478 such instruments is monophonic and requires just a single
479 voice. Instruments which can play more than one note at a
480 time like the piano will often require multiple voices to
481 encode the different concurrent notes and rhythms they are
484 A single voice can contain many notes in a chord, of course,
485 so when exactly are multiple voices needed?
486 Let us analyse a short piece of music to see how many voices
487 are required. Here are the notes from the first two bars
488 of the second of Chopin's Deux Nocturnes, Op 32.
490 @c The following should appear as music without code
491 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
492 \new Staff \relative c'' {
500 \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #0 <ees c>2
501 \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #0.5 des2 }
507 The direction of the stems is often used to indicate the
508 continuity of two simultaneous melodic lines. Here the
509 stems of the highest notes are all pointing up and the
510 stems of the lower notes are all pointing down.
511 This is the first indication that more than one voice
514 But the real need for multiple voices arises when notes
515 which start at the same time have different durations.
516 Look at the notes which start at beat three in the first
517 bar. The a-flat is a dotted quarter note, the f is a
518 quarter note and the d-flat is a half note. These
519 cannot be written as a chord as all the notes in a chord
520 must have the same duration. Neither can they be written
521 as sequential notes, as they must start at the same time.
522 This section of the bar requires three voices, and the
523 normal practice would be to write the whole bar as three
524 voices, as shown here, where we have used different noteheads
525 and colors for the three voices.
527 @c The following should appear as music without code
528 @c The three voice styles should be defined in -init
529 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
530 \new Staff \relative c'' {
541 \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #0 <ees c>2
542 \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #0.5 des2 }
548 Let us see how this is done.
552 The easiest way to enter fragments with more than one voice on a
553 staff is to enter each voice as a sequence (with @code{@{...@}}),
554 and combine them simultaneously with angle brackets, @code{<<...>>}.
555 The fragments must also be separated with double backward slashes,
556 @code{\\}, to place them in separate voices. Without these, the
557 notes would be entered into a single voice, which would usually
558 cause errors. This technique is particularly suited to pieces of
559 music which are largely monophonic with occasional short sections
560 of polyphony. Here's a simple example:
562 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=2]
564 % Voice "1" Voice "2"
565 << { r4 g g4. a8 } \\ { d,2 d4 g } >> |
566 << { bes4 bes c bes } \\ { g4 g g8( a) g4 } >> |
567 << { a2. r4 } \\ { fis2. s4 } >>
570 It is not necessary to use a separate @code{<< \\ >>} construct
571 for each bar. For music with few notes in each bar this layout
572 can help the legibility of the code, but if there are many
573 notes in each bar it may be better to split out each voice
574 separately, like this:
576 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=2]
592 This example has just two voices, but the same contruct may be
593 used to encode three or more voices by adding more back-slash
596 The Voice contexts bear the names @code{"1"}, @code{"2"}, etc.
597 In each of these contexts, the vertical direction of slurs,
598 stems, ties, dynamics etc., is set appropriately.
600 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment]
601 \new Staff \relative c' {
604 % Voice "1" Voice "2" Voice "3"
605 << { g4 f e } \\ { r8 e4 d c8 ~ } >> |
606 << { d2 e2 } \\ { c8 b16 a b8 g ~ g2 } \\ { s4 b4 c2 } >> |
610 These voices are all separate from the main voice that contains
611 the notes just outside the @code{<< .. >>} construct. Let's call
612 this the @emph{simultaneous construct}. Slurs and ties may only
613 connect notes within the same voice, so slurs and ties cannot go
614 into or out of a simultaneous construct. Conversely,
615 parallel voices from separate simultaneous constructs on the same
616 staff are the same voice. Other voice-related properties also
617 carry across simultaneous constructs. Here is the same example,
618 with different colors and noteheads for each voice. Note that
619 changes in one Voice do not affect other voices, but they do
620 persist in the same Voice later. Note also that tied notes may be
621 split across the same voices in two constructs, shown here in the
624 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
625 \new Staff \relative c' {
637 { c8 b16 a b8 g ~ g2 } \\
646 The commands @code{\voiceXXXStyle} are mainly intended for use in
647 educational documents such as this one. They modify the color
648 of the notehead, the stem and the beams, and the style of the
649 notehead, so that the voices may be easily distinguished.
650 Voice one is set to red diamonds, voice two to blue triangles,
651 voice three to green crossed circles, and voice four (not used
652 here) to magenta crosses. We shall see later how commands like
653 these may be created by the user.
654 See @ref{Visibility and color of objects}
655 TODO Add link to using variables for tweaks
657 Polyphony does not change the relationship of notes within a
658 @code{\relative @{ @}} block. Each note is still calculated
659 relative to the note immediately preceding it, or to the first
660 note of the preceding chord. So in
663 \relative c' @{ noteA << < noteB noteC > \\ noteD >> noteE @}
667 @code{noteB} is relative to @code{noteA} @*
668 @code{noteC} is relative to @code{noteB}, not @code{noteA}; @*
669 @code{noteD} is relative to @code{noteB}, not @code{noteA} or
671 @code{noteE} is relative to @code{noteD}, not @code{noteA}
673 We are now in a position to return to the first example from
674 the Chopin Nocturne to see how this might be encoded. As we
675 shall see, this encounters some difficulties. We begin as
676 we have learnt, using the @code{<< \\ >>} construct to
677 enter the music of the first bar in three voices:
679 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right]
680 \new Staff \relative c'' {
683 { c2 aes4. bes8 } \\ { aes2 f4 fes } \\ { <ees c>2 des2 }
693 @funindex \voiceThree
696 The stem directions are automatically assigned with the
697 odd-numbered voices taking upward stems and the even-numbered
698 voices downward ones. The stems for voices 1 and 2 are right,
699 but the stems in voice 3 should go down in this particular piece
700 of music. We can correct this
701 by telling LilyPond that this third voice is really a fourth
702 voice, with stems going down, using the @code{\voiceFour}
703 command. There are also corresponding @code{\voiceOne},
704 @code{\voiceTwo}, and @code{\voiceThree}
705 commands. This results in the following:
707 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right]
708 \new Staff \relative c'' {
713 { \voiceFour <ees c>2 des2 }
720 and exposes a problem commonly encountered with multiple
721 voices: the stems of notes can collide with noteheads
722 in other voices. In laying out the notes, LilyPond allows the
723 notes or chords from two voices to occupy the same vertical
724 note column provided the stems are in opposite directions, but
725 the notes from a third voice are displaced to avoid the stems
726 colliding. This often works well, but in this example the
727 notes of the third voice are clearly not well placed by default.
728 LilyPond provides several ways to adjust the horizontal placing
729 of notes. We are not quite ready yet to see how to correct this,
730 so we shall leave this problem until a later section
731 (see @ref{Fixing overlapping notation} )
733 @node Explicitly instantiating voices
734 @subsection Explicitly instantiating voices
736 Voice contexts can also be created manually
737 inside a @code{<< >>} block to create polyphonic music, using
738 @code{\voiceOne} ... @code{\voiceFour} to indicate the required
739 directions of stems, slurs, etc. In longer scores this method
740 is clearer, as it permits the voices to be separated and to be
741 given more descriptive names.
743 Specifically, the construct @code{<< \\ >>} which we used in
744 the previous section:
749 << @{ e4 f g a @} \\ @{ c,4 d e f @} >>
759 \new Voice = "1" @{ \voiceOne \relative c' @{ e4 f g a @} @}
760 \new Voice = "2" @{ \voiceTwo \relative c' @{ c4 d e f @} @}
764 Both of the above would produce
766 @c The following example should not display the code
767 FIXME: weird compiling bug! Leave for gp.
768 @c @lilypond{ragged-right,quote]
770 @c % << { e4 f g a } \\ { c,4 d e f } >>
774 The @code{\voiceXXX} commands set the direction of stems, slurs,
775 ties, articulations, text annotations, augmentation dots of dotted
776 notes, and fingerings. @code{\voiceOne} and @code{\voiceThree}
777 make these objects point upwards, while @code{\voiceTwo} and
778 @code{\voiceFour} make them point downwards. These commands also
779 generate a horizontal shift for each voice when this is required
780 to avoid clashes of note heads. The command @code{\oneVoice}
781 reverts the settings back to the normal values for a single voice.
783 Let us see in some simple examples exactly what effect
784 @code{\oneVoice}, @code{\voiceOne} and @code{voiceTwo} have on
785 markup, ties, slurs, and dynamics:
787 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
789 c-"default" d8 ~ d e4 ( f g a ) b-> c
793 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
796 c d8 ~ d e4 ( f g a ) b-> c
798 c, d8 ~ d e4 ( f g a ) b-> c
802 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
805 c d8 ~ d e4 ( f g a ) b-> c
807 c, d8 ~ d e4 ( f g a ) b-> c
811 An expression that appears directly inside a @code{<< >>} belongs
812 to the main voice (but, note, @strong{not} in a @code{<< \\ >>}
813 construct). This is useful when extra voices appear while the
814 main voice is playing. Here is a more correct rendition of the
815 example from the previous section. The red diamond-shaped notes
816 demonstrate that the main melody is now in a single voice context,
817 permitting a phrasing slur to be drawn over them.
819 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
820 \new Staff \relative c' {
822 % The following notes are monophonic
824 % Start simultaneous section of three voices
826 % Continue the main voice in parallel
828 % Initiate second voice
830 % Set stems, etc, down
832 r8 e4 d c8 ~ | c8 b16 a b8 g ~ g2
834 % Initiate third voice
844 @cindex nesting music expressions
845 @cindex nesting simultaneous constructs
847 More deeply nested polyphony constructs are possible, and if a
848 voice appears only briefly this might be a more natural way to
851 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
852 \new Staff \relative c' {
872 This method of nesting new voices briefly is useful
873 when only small sections of the music
874 are polyphonic, but when the whole staff is largely polyphonic
875 it can be clearer to use multiple voices throughout, using
876 spacing notes to step over sections where the voice is silent,
879 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
880 \new Staff \relative c' <<
881 % Initiate first voice
884 c16^( d e f g4 f e | d2 e2) |
886 % Initiate second voice
888 % set stems, etc down
890 s4 r8 e4 d c8 ~ | c8 b16 a b8 g ~ g2 |
892 % Initiate third voice
902 @cindex shift commands
908 Closely spaced notes in a chord, or notes occuring at the same
909 time in different voices, are arranged in two, occasionally more,
910 columns to prevent the noteheads overlapping. These are called
911 note columns. There are separate columns for each voice, and
912 the currently specified voice-dependent shift is applied to the
913 note column if there would otherwise be a collision.
915 The @code{\shiftOn}, @code{\shiftOnn}, @code{\shiftOnnn}, and
916 @code{\shiftOff} commands specify the degree to which notes and
917 chords of the voice should be shifted if a collision
918 would otherwise occur. By default, the outer voices (normally
919 voices one and two) have @code{\shiftOff} specified, while the
920 inner voices (three and four) have @code{\shiftOn} specified.
921 When a shift is applied, Voices one and three are shifted to
922 the right and voices two and four to the left.
924 @code{\shiftOnn} and @code{\shiftOnnn} define further shift
925 levels which may be specified temporarily to resolve collisions
926 in complex situations -- see
928 @c @ref{Real music example}.
931 @node Voices and vocals
932 @subsection Voices and vocals
934 Vocal music presents a special difficulty: we need to combine two
935 expressions -- notes and lyrics.
937 You have already seen the @code{\addlyrics@{@}} command, which
938 handles simple scores well. However, this technique is
939 quite limited. For more complex music, you must introduce the
940 lyrics in a @code{Lyrics} context using @code{\new Lyrics} and
942 the lyrics to the notes with @code{\lyricsto@{@}}, using the
943 name assigned to the Voice.
945 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment]
947 \new Voice = "one" \relative c'' {
950 c4 b8. a16 g4. f8 e4 d c2
952 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "one" {
953 No more let sins and sor -- rows grow.
958 The automatic beaming which LilyPond uses by default works well
959 for instrumental music, but not so well for music with lyrics,
960 where beaming is either not required at all or is used to indicate
961 melismata in the lyrics. In the example above we use the command
962 @code{\autoBeamOff} to turn off the automatic beaming.
964 Let us reuse the earlier example from Judas Maccabæus to
965 illustrate this more flexible technique. We first recast
966 it to use variables so the music and lyrics can be separated
967 from the staff structure. We also introduce a ChoirStaff
968 bracket. The lyrics themselves must be introduced with
969 @code{\lyricmode} to ensure they are interpreted as lyrics
972 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
973 global = { \time 6/8 \partial 8 \key f \major}
974 SopOneMusic = \relative c'' {
975 c8 | c([ bes)] a a([ g)] f | f'4. b, | c4.~ c4 }
976 SopTwoMusic = \relative c' {
977 r8 | r4. r4 c8 | a'([ g)] f f([ e)] d | e([ d)] c bes' }
978 SopOneLyrics = \lyricmode {
979 Let | flee -- cy flocks the | hills a -- dorn, __ }
980 SopTwoLyrics = \lyricmode {
981 Let | flee -- cy flocks the | hills a -- dorn, }
986 \new Voice = "SopOne" {
990 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "SopOne" {
995 \new Voice = "SopTwo" {
998 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "SopTwo" {
1006 This is the basic structure of all vocal scores. More staves may
1007 be added as required, more voices may be added to the staves,
1008 more verses may be added to the lyrics,
1009 and the variables containing the music can easily be placed
1010 in separate files should they become too long.
1012 Here is a final example of the first line of a hymn with four
1013 verses, set for SATB. In this case the words for all four
1016 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1017 TimeKey = { \time 4/4 \partial 4 \key c \major}
1018 SopMusic = \relative c' { c4 | e4. e8 g4 g | a a g }
1019 AltoMusic = \relative c' { c4 | c4. c8 e4 e | f f e }
1020 TenorMusic = \relative c { e4 | g4. g8 c4. b8 | a8 b c d e4 }
1021 BassMusic = \relative c { c4 | c4. c8 c4 c | f8 g a b c4 }
1022 VerseOne = \lyricmode {
1023 E -- | ter -- nal fa -- ther, | strong to save, }
1024 VerseTwo = \lyricmode {
1025 O | Christ, whose voice the | wa -- ters heard, }
1026 VerseThree = \lyricmode {
1027 O | Ho -- ly Spi -- rit, | who didst brood }
1028 VerseFour = \lyricmode {
1029 O | Tri -- ni -- ty of | love and pow'r }
1035 \new Voice = "Sop" { \voiceOne \TimeKey \SopMusic }
1036 \new Voice = "Alto" { \voiceTwo \AltoMusic }
1037 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Sop" { \VerseOne }
1038 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Sop" { \VerseTwo }
1039 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Sop" { \VerseThree }
1040 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Sop" { \VerseFour }
1044 \new Voice = "Tenor" { \voiceOne \TenorMusic }
1045 \new Voice = "Bass" { \voiceTwo \BassMusic }
1051 @node Contexts and engravers
1052 @section Contexts and engravers
1054 Contexts and engravers have been mentioned informally
1055 in earlier sections; we now must look at
1056 these concepts in more detail, as they are important
1057 in the fine-tuning of LilyPond output.
1061 * Contexts explained::
1062 * Creating contexts::
1063 * Engravers explained::
1064 * Modifying context properties::
1065 * Adding and removing engravers::
1068 @node Contexts explained
1069 @subsection Contexts explained
1071 When music is printed, many notational elements which do not
1072 appear explicitly in the input file must be added to the
1073 output. For example, compare the input and output of the
1076 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2,fragment]
1080 The input is rather sparse, but in the output, bar lines,
1081 accidentals, clef, and time signature have been added. When
1082 LilyPond @emph{interprets} the input the musical information
1083 is inspected in time order, similar to reading a score from left
1084 to right. While reading the input, the program remembers where
1085 measure boundaries are, and which pitches require explicit
1086 accidentals. This information must be held on several levels.
1087 For example, the effect of an accidental is limited
1088 to a single staff, while a bar line must be synchronized across
1091 Within LilyPond, these rules and bits of information are grouped
1092 in @emph{Contexts}. We have already met the
1093 @code{Voice} context.
1094 Others are the @code{Staff} and @code{Score} contexts.
1095 Contexts are hierarchical to reflect the heirarchical nature of
1097 For example: a @code{Staff} context can contain many
1098 @code{Voice} contexts, and a @code{Score} context can
1099 contain many @code{Staff} contexts.
1102 @image{context-example,5cm,,}
1105 Each context has the responsibility for enforcing some notation rules,
1106 creating some notation objects and maintaining the associated
1107 properties. For example, the @code{Voice} context may introduce an
1108 accidental and then the @code{Staff} context maintains the rule to
1109 show or suppress the accidental for the remainder of the measure.
1111 As another example, the synchronization of bar lines is, by default,
1112 handled in the @code{Score} context.
1113 However, in some music we may not want the bar lines to be
1114 synchronized -- consider a polymetric score in 4/4 and 3/4 time.
1115 In such cases, we must modify the default settings of the
1116 @code{Score} and @code{Staff} contexts.
1118 For very simple scores, contexts are created implicitly, and you need
1119 not be aware of them. For larger pieces, such as anything with more
1120 than one staff, they must be
1121 created explicitly to make sure that you get as many staves as you
1122 need, and that they are in the correct order. For typesetting pieces
1123 with specialized notation, it is usual to modify existing, or
1124 even to define totally new, contexts.
1126 In addition to the @code{Score,} @code{Staff} and
1127 @code{Voice} contexts there are contexts which fit between
1128 the score and staff levels to control staff groups, such as the
1129 @code{PianoStaff} and @code{ChoirStaff} contexts. There
1130 are also alternative staff and voice contexts, and contexts for
1131 lyrics, percussion, fret boards, figured bass, etc. A complete
1132 list is shown in the Notation Reference.
1135 The names of all context types are formed from one or more
1136 words, each word being capitalised and joined immediately to the
1137 preceding word with no hyphen or underscore, e.g.,
1138 @code{GregorianTranscriptionStaff}.
1140 @node Creating contexts
1141 @subsection Creating contexts
1143 There can be only one top level context: the
1145 context. This is created with the @code{\score} command,
1146 or, in simple scores, it is created automatically.
1148 For scores with only one voice and one staff, the
1149 @code{Voice} and @code{Staff} contexts may be left to be
1150 created automatically, but for more complex scores it is
1151 necessary to create them by hand.
1152 The simplest command that does this is @code{\new}.
1153 It is prepended to a music expression, for example
1156 @cindex new contexts
1157 @cindex Context, creating
1160 \new @var{type} @var{music-expression}
1164 where @var{type} is a context name (like @code{Staff} or
1165 @code{Voice}). This command creates a new context, and starts
1166 interpreting the @var{music-expression} within that context.
1168 Note that there is no @code{\new Score} command;
1169 the single top-level @code{Score} context is introduced
1172 The @code{\new} command may also give a identifying name to the
1173 context to distinguish it from other contexts of the same type,
1176 \new @var{type} = @var{id} @var{music-expression}
1179 Note the distinction between the name of the context type,
1180 @code{Staff}, @code{Voice}, etc, and
1181 the identifying name of a particular instance of that type,
1182 which can be any sequence of letters invented by the user.
1183 The identifying name is used to refer back to that particular
1184 instance of a context. We saw this in use in the section on
1185 lyrics in @ref{Voices and vocals}.
1188 @node Engravers explained
1189 @subsection Engravers explained
1193 Every mark on the printed output of a score produced by LilyPond
1194 is produced by an @code{Engraver}. Thus there is an engraver
1195 to print staves, one to print noteheads, one for stems, one for
1196 beams, etc, etc. In total there are over 120 such engravers!
1197 Fortunately, for most scores it is not necessary to know about
1198 more than a few, and for simple scores you do not need to know
1201 Engravers live and operate in Contexts.
1202 Engravers such as the @code{Metronome_mark_engraver}, whose
1203 action and output applies to the score as a whole, operate in
1204 the highest level context -- the @code{Score} context.
1206 The @code{Clef_engraver} and @code{Key_engraver} are to be
1207 found in every Staff Context, as different staves may require
1208 different clefs and keys.
1210 The @code{Note_heads_engraver} and @code{Stem_engraver} live
1211 in each @code{Voice} context, the lowest level context of all.
1213 Each engraver processes the particular objects associated
1214 with its function, and maintains the properties that relate
1215 to that function. These properties, like the properties
1216 associated with contexts, may be modified to change the
1217 operation of the engraver or the appearance of those elements
1218 in the printed score.
1220 Engravers all have compound names formed from words which
1221 describe their function. Just the first word is capitalised,
1222 and the remainder are joined to it with underscores. Thus
1223 the @code{Staff_symbol_engraver} is responsible for creating the
1224 lines of the staff, the @code{Clef_engraver} determines and sets
1225 the pitch reference point on the staff by drawing a clef symbol.
1227 Here are some of the most common engravers together with their
1228 function. You will see it is easy to guess the function from
1229 the name, or vice versa.
1231 @multitable @columnfractions .3 .7
1234 @item Accidental_engraver
1235 @tab Makes accidentals, cautionary and suggested accidentals
1240 @item Dynamic_engraver
1241 @tab Creates hairpins and dynamic texts
1243 @tab Creates the key signature
1244 @item Metronome_mark_engraver
1245 @tab Engraves metronome marking
1246 @item Note_heads_engraver
1247 @tab Engraves noteheads
1250 @item Staff_symbol_engraver
1251 @tab Engraves the five (by default) lines of the staff
1253 @tab Creates stems and single-stem tremulos
1254 @item Time_signature_engraver
1255 @tab Creates time signatures
1260 We shall see later how the output of LilyPond can be changed
1261 by modifying the action of Engravers.
1264 @node Modifying context properties
1265 @subsection Modifying context properties
1267 @cindex context properties
1271 Contexts are responsible for holding the values of a number of
1272 context @emph{properties}. Many of them can be changed to
1273 influence the interpretation of the input and so change the
1274 appearance of the output. They are changed by the
1275 @code{\set} command. This takes the form
1278 \set @emph{ContextName}.@emph{propertyName} = #@emph{value}
1281 Where the @emph{ContextName} is usually @code{Score},
1282 @code{Staff} or @code{Voice}. It may be omitted,
1283 in which case @code{Voice} is assumed.
1285 The names of context properties consist of words joined
1286 together with no hyphens or underscores, all except the
1287 first having a capital letter. Here are a few examples
1288 of some commonly used ones. There are many more.
1290 @c attempt to force this onto a new page
1292 @multitable @columnfractions .25 .2 .4 .15
1293 @headitem propertyName
1299 @tab If true, set extra natural signs before accidentals
1300 @tab @code{#t}, @code{#f}
1301 @item currentBarNumber
1303 @tab Set the current bar number
1307 @tab If true, print slurs both above and below notes
1308 @tab @code{#t}, @code{#f}
1309 @item instrumentName
1311 @tab Set the name to be placed at the start of the staff
1312 @tab @code{"Cello I"}
1315 @tab Increase or decrease the font size
1319 @tab Set the text to print before the start of a verse
1323 where a Boolean is either True (@code{#t}) or False (@code{#f}),
1324 an Integer is a positive whole number, a Real is a positive
1325 or negative decimal number, and text is enclosed in double
1326 apostrophes. Note the occurrence of hash signs,
1327 (@code{#}), in two different places -- as part of the Boolean
1328 value before the @code{t} or @code{f}, and before @emph{value}
1329 in the @code{\set} statement. So when a Boolean is being
1330 entered you need to code two hash signs, e.g., @code{##t}.
1332 Before we can set any of these properties we need to know
1333 in which context they operate. Sometimes this is obvious,
1334 but occasionally it can be tricky. If the wrong context
1335 is specified, no error message is produced, but the expected
1336 action will not be taken. For example, the
1337 @code{instrumentName} clearly lives in the Staff context, since
1338 it is the staff that is to be named.
1339 In this example the first staff is labelled, but not the second,
1340 because we omitted the context name.
1342 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1344 \new Staff \relative c'' {
1345 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Soprano"
1348 \new Staff \relative c' {
1349 \set instrumentName = "Alto" % Wrong!
1355 Remember the default context name is Voice, so the second
1356 @code{\set} command set the property @code{instrumentName} in the
1357 Voice context to @qq{Alto}, but as LilyPond does not look
1358 for any such property in the @code{Voice} context, no
1359 further action took place. This is not an error, and no error
1360 message is logged in the log file.
1362 Similarly, if the property name is mis-spelt no error message
1363 is produced, and clearly the expected action cannot be performed.
1364 If fact, you can set any (fictitious) @q{property} using any
1365 name you like in any context that exists by using the
1366 @code{\set} command. But if the name is not
1367 known to LilyPond it will not cause any action to be taken.
1368 This is one of the reasons why it is highly recommended to
1369 use a context-sensitive editor with syntax highlighting for
1370 editing LilyPond files, such as Vim, Jedit, ConTEXT or Emacs,
1371 since unknown property names will be highlighted differently.
1373 The @code{instrumentName} property will take effect only
1374 if it is set in the @code{Staff} context, but
1375 some properties can be set in more than one context.
1376 For example, the property @code{extraNatural} is by
1377 default set to ##t (true) for all staves.
1378 If it is set to ##f (false) in the @code{Staff} context
1379 it applies just to the accidentals on that staff.
1380 If it is set to false in the @code{Score} context
1381 it applies to all staves.
1383 So this turns off extra naturals in one staff:
1385 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1387 \new Staff \relative c'' {
1390 \new Staff \relative c'' {
1391 \set Staff.extraNatural = ##f
1398 and this turns them off in all staves:
1400 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1402 \new Staff \relative c'' {
1405 \new Staff \relative c'' {
1406 \set Score.extraNatural = ##f
1412 The value of every property set in this way can be reset
1413 to its original value with the @code{\unset} command.
1415 The @code{\set} and @code{\unset} commands can appear anywhere
1416 in the input file and will take effect from the time they are
1417 encountered until the end of the score or until the property is
1418 @code{\set} or @code{\unset} again. Let's try changing the
1419 font size, which affects the size of the note heads (among
1420 other things) several times.
1422 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right,relative=1,fragment]
1424 % make noteheads smaller
1427 % make noteheads larger
1428 \set fontSize = #2.5
1430 % return to original size
1435 We have now seen how to set the values of several different
1436 types of property. Note that integers and numbers are alway
1437 preceded by a hash sign, @code{#}, while a true or false value
1438 is specified by ##t and ##f, with two hash signs. A text
1439 property should be enclosed in double quotation signs, as above,
1440 although we shall see later that text can actually be specified
1441 in a much more general way by using the very powerful
1442 @code{markup} command.
1447 Context properties may also be set at the time the context is
1448 created. Sometimes this is a clearer way of specifying a
1449 property value if it is to remain fixed for the duration of
1450 the context. When a context is created with a @code{\new}
1451 command it may be immediately followed by a
1452 @code{\with @{ .. @}} block in which the property values are
1453 set. For example, if we wish to suppress the printing of
1454 extra naturals for the duration of a staff we would write:
1456 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1465 In effect this overrides the default value of the property. It
1466 may still be changed dynamically using @code{\set} and
1469 @node Adding and removing engravers
1470 @subsection Adding and removing engravers
1472 @cindex Engravers, adding
1473 @cindex Engravers, removing
1478 We have seen that contexts each contain several engravers, each
1479 of which is responsible for producing a particular part of the
1480 output, like barlines, staves, note heads, stems, etc. If an
1481 engraver is removed from a context it can no longer produce its
1482 output. This is a crude way of modifying the output, but it
1483 can sometimes be useful.
1485 To remove an engraver we can use the @code{\with} command placed
1486 immediately after the context creation command, as in the
1490 illustration let's repeat an example from the previous
1491 section with the staff lines removed. Remember that the
1492 staff lines are produced by the Staff_symbol_engraver.
1494 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1496 \remove Staff_symbol_engraver
1500 \set fontSize = #-4 % make noteheads smaller
1502 \set fontSize = #2.5 % make noteheads larger
1504 \unset fontSize % return to original size
1509 @cindex ambitus engraver
1511 Engravers can also be added to contexts. The command
1514 @code{\consists @emph{Engraver_name}},
1516 placed inside a @code{\with} block. Some vocal scores
1517 have an @rglos{ambitus} placed at the beginning of a
1518 staff to indicate the range of notes in that staff.
1519 The ambitus is produced by the @code{Ambitus_engraver},
1520 which is not normally included in any context. If
1521 we add it to the @code{Voice} context it calculates
1522 the range from that voice only:
1524 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1527 \consists Ambitus_engraver
1542 but if we add the Ambitus engraver to the
1543 @code{Staff} context it calculates the range from all
1544 the notes in all the voices on that staff:
1546 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1548 \consists Ambitus_engraver
1565 @node Extending the templates
1566 @section Extending the templates
1568 You've read the tutorial, you know how to write music, you
1569 understand the fundamental concepts. But how can you
1570 get the staves that you want? Well, you can find lots of
1571 templates (see @ref{Templates}) which may give you a start.
1573 if you want something that isn't covered there? Read on.
1575 TODO Add links to templates after they have been moved to LSR
1578 * Soprano and cello::
1579 * Four-part SATB vocal score::
1580 * Building a score from scratch::
1583 @node Soprano and cello
1584 @subsection Soprano and cello
1586 Start off with the template that seems closest to what you want to end
1587 up with. Let's say that you want to write something for soprano and
1588 cello. In this case, we would start with @q{Notes and lyrics} (for the
1593 melody = \relative c' @{
1601 text = \lyricmode @{
1607 \new Voice = "one" @{
1611 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "one" \text
1618 Now we want to add a cello part. Let's look at the @q{Notes only} example:
1622 melody = \relative c' @{
1637 We don't need two @code{\version} commands. We'll need the @code{melody}
1638 section. We don't want two @code{\score} sections -- if we had two
1639 @code{\score}s, we'd get the two parts separately. We want them together,
1640 as a duet. Within the @code{\score} section, we don't need two
1641 @code{\layout} or @code{\midi}.
1643 If we simply cut and paste the @code{melody} section, we would end up with
1644 two @code{melody} sections. So let's rename them. We'll call the section
1645 for the soprano @code{sopranoMusic} and the section for the cello
1646 @code{celloMusic}. While we're doing this, let's rename @code{text}
1647 to be @code{sopranoLyrics}. Remember to rename both instances of all
1648 these names -- both the initial definition (the
1649 @code{melody = relative c' @{ } part) and the name's use (in the
1650 @code{\score} section).
1652 While we're doing this, let's change the cello part's staff -- celli
1653 normally use bass clef. We'll also give the cello some different
1658 sopranoMusic = \relative c' @{
1666 sopranoLyrics = \lyricmode @{
1670 celloMusic = \relative c @{
1680 \new Voice = "one" @{
1684 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "one" \sopranoLyrics
1691 This is looking promising, but the cello part won't appear in the
1692 score -- we haven't used it in the @code{\score} section. If we
1693 want the cello part to appear under the soprano part, we need to add
1696 \new Staff \celloMusic
1700 underneath the soprano stuff. We also need to add @code{<<} and
1701 @code{>>} around the music -- that tells LilyPond that there's
1702 more than one thing (in this case, two @code{Staves}) happening
1703 at once. The @code{\score} looks like this now
1705 @c Indentation in this example is deliberately poor
1710 \new Voice = "one" @{
1714 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "one" \sopranoLyrics
1716 \new Staff \celloMusic
1724 This looks a bit messy; the indentation is messed up now. That is
1725 easily fixed. Here's the complete soprano and cello template.
1727 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1729 sopranoMusic = \relative c' {
1737 sopranoLyrics = \lyricmode {
1741 celloMusic = \relative c {
1752 \new Voice = "one" {
1756 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "one" \sopranoLyrics
1758 \new Staff \celloMusic
1766 @node Four-part SATB vocal score
1767 @subsection Four-part SATB vocal score
1769 Most vocal scores of music written for four-part mixed choir
1770 with orchestral accompaniment such as Mendelssohn's Elijah or
1771 Handel's Messiah have the choral music and words on four
1772 staves, one for each of SATB, with a piano reduction of the
1773 orchestral accompaniment underneath. Here's an example
1774 from Handel's Messiah:
1776 @c The following should appear as music without code
1777 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1779 global = { \key d \major \time 4/4 }
1780 sopMusic = \relative c'' {
1782 r4 d2 a4 | d4. d8 a2 | cis4 d cis2 |
1784 sopWords = \lyricmode {
1785 Wor -- thy is the lamb that was slain
1787 altoMusic = \relative a' {
1789 r4 a2 a4 | fis4. fis8 a2 | g4 fis fis2 |
1791 altoWords = \sopWords
1792 tenorMusic = \relative c' {
1794 r4 fis2 e4 | d4. d8 d2 | e4 a, cis2 |
1796 tenorWords = \sopWords
1797 bassMusic = \relative c' {
1799 r4 d2 cis4 | b4. b8 fis2 | e4 d a'2 |
1801 bassWords = \sopWords
1802 upper = \relative a' {
1805 r4 <a d fis>2 <a e' a>4 |
1806 <d fis d'>4. <d fis d'>8 <a d a'>2 |
1807 <g cis g'>4 <a d fis> <a cis e>2 |
1809 lower = \relative c, {
1812 <d d'>4 <d d'>2 <cis cis'>4 |
1813 <b b'>4. <b' b'>8 <fis fis'>2 |
1814 <e e'>4 <d d'> <a' a'>2 |
1818 << % combine ChoirStaff and PianoStaff in parallel
1820 \new Staff = "sopranos" <<
1821 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Soprano"
1822 \new Voice = "sopranos" { \global \sopMusic }
1824 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "sopranos" { \sopWords }
1825 \new Staff = "altos" <<
1826 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Alto"
1827 \new Voice = "altos" { \global \altoMusic }
1829 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "altos" { \altoWords }
1830 \new Staff = "tenors" <<
1831 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Tenor"
1832 \new Voice = "tenors" { \global \tenorMusic }
1834 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "tenors" { \tenorWords }
1835 \new Staff = "basses" <<
1836 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Bass"
1837 \new Voice = "basses" { \global \bassMusic }
1839 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "basses" { \bassWords }
1843 \set PianoStaff.instrumentName = "Piano "
1844 \new Staff = "upper" \upper
1845 \new Staff = "lower" \lower
1851 None of the templates provides this layout exactly. The
1852 nearest is @q{SATB vocal score and automatic piano reduction},
1853 but we shall need to change the layout and add a piano
1854 accompaniment which is not derived automatically from the
1855 vocal parts. The variables holding the music and words for
1856 the vocal parts are fine, but we shall need to add variables for
1857 the piano reduction.
1859 The order in which the contexts appear in the ChoirStaff of
1860 the template do not correspond with the order in the vocal
1861 score shown above. We need to rearrange them so there are
1862 four staves with the words written directly underneath the
1863 notes for each part.
1864 All the voices should be @code{\voiceOne}, which is
1865 the default, so the @code{\voiceXXX} commands can be removed.
1866 We also need to specify the tenor clef for the tenors.
1867 The way in which lyrics are specified has also been simplified
1868 as we have not yet encountered the method used in the template.
1869 We've also added the names of each staff.
1871 Doing this gives for our ChoirStaff:
1875 \new Staff = "sopranos" <<
1876 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Soprano"
1877 \new Voice = "sopranos" @{ \global \sopMusic @}
1879 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "sopranos" @{ \sopWords @}
1880 \new Staff = "altos" <<
1881 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Alto"
1882 \new Voice = "altos" @{ \global \altoMusic @}
1884 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "altos" @{ \altoWords @}
1885 \new Staff = "tenors" <<
1886 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Tenor"
1887 \new Voice = "tenors" @{ \global \tenorMusic @}
1889 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "tenors" @{ \tenorWords @}
1890 \new Staff = "basses" <<
1891 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Bass"
1892 \new Voice = "basses" @{ \global \bassMusic @}
1894 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "basses" @{ \bassWords @}
1898 Next we must work out the piano part. This is
1899 easy - we just pull out the piano part from the
1900 @q{Solo piano} template:
1904 \set PianoStaff.instrumentName = "Piano "
1905 \new Staff = "upper" \upper
1906 \new Staff = "lower" \lower
1910 and add the variable definitions for @code{upper}
1913 The ChoirStaff and PianoStaff must be combined
1914 using angle brackets as we want them to be
1915 stacked one above the other:
1918 << % combine ChoirStaff and PianoStaff one above the other
1920 \new Staff = "sopranos" <<
1921 \new Voice = "sopranos" @{ \global \sopMusic @}
1923 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "sopranos" @{ \sopWords @}
1924 \new Staff = "altos" <<
1925 \new Voice = "altos" @{ \global \altoMusic @}
1927 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "altos" @{ \altoWords @}
1928 \new Staff = "tenors" <<
1929 \clef "G_8" % tenor clef
1930 \new Voice = "tenors" @{ \global \tenorMusic @}
1932 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "tenors" @{ \tenorWords @}
1933 \new Staff = "basses" <<
1935 \new Voice = "basses" @{ \global \bassMusic @}
1937 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "basses" @{ bassWords @}
1941 \set PianoStaff.instrumentName = "Piano "
1942 \new Staff = "upper" \upper
1943 \new Staff = "lower" \lower
1948 Combining all these together and adding the music
1949 for the three bars of the example above gives:
1951 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1953 global = { \key d \major \time 4/4 }
1954 sopMusic = \relative c'' {
1956 r4 d2 a4 | d4. d8 a2 | cis4 d cis2 |
1958 sopWords = \lyricmode {
1959 Wor -- thy is the lamb that was slain
1961 altoMusic = \relative a' {
1963 r4 a2 a4 | fis4. fis8 a2 | g4 fis fis2 |
1965 altoWords = \sopWords
1966 tenorMusic = \relative c' {
1968 r4 fis2 e4 | d4. d8 d2 | e4 a, cis2 |
1970 tenorWords = \sopWords
1971 bassMusic = \relative c' {
1973 r4 d2 cis4 | b4. b8 fis2 | e4 d a'2 |
1975 bassWords = \sopWords
1976 upper = \relative a' {
1979 r4 <a d fis>2 <a e' a>4 |
1980 <d fis d'>4. <d fis d'>8 <a d a'>2 |
1981 <g cis g'>4 <a d fis> <a cis e>2 |
1983 lower = \relative c, {
1986 <d d'>4 <d d'>2 <cis cis'>4 |
1987 <b b'>4. <b' b'>8 <fis fis'>2 |
1988 <e e'>4 <d d'> <a' a'>2 |
1992 << % combine ChoirStaff and PianoStaff in parallel
1994 \new Staff = "sopranos" <<
1995 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Soprano"
1996 \new Voice = "sopranos" { \global \sopMusic }
1998 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "sopranos" { \sopWords }
1999 \new Staff = "altos" <<
2000 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Alto"
2001 \new Voice = "altos" { \global \altoMusic }
2003 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "altos" { \altoWords }
2004 \new Staff = "tenors" <<
2005 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Tenor"
2006 \new Voice = "tenors" { \global \tenorMusic }
2008 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "tenors" { \tenorWords }
2009 \new Staff = "basses" <<
2010 \set Staff.instrumentName = "Bass"
2011 \new Voice = "basses" { \global \bassMusic }
2013 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "basses" { \bassWords }
2017 \set PianoStaff.instrumentName = "Piano "
2018 \new Staff = "upper" \upper
2019 \new Staff = "lower" \lower
2026 @node Building a score from scratch
2027 @subsection Building a score from scratch
2029 After gaining some facility with writing LilyPond code you
2030 may find that it is easier to build a score from scratch
2031 rather than modifying one of the templates. You can also
2032 develop your own style this way to suit the sort of music you
2033 like. Let's see how to put together the score for an organ
2034 prelude as an example.
2036 We begin with a header section. Here go the title, name
2037 of composer, etc, then come any variable definitions, and
2038 finally the score block. Let's start with these in outline
2039 and fill in the details later.
2041 We'll use the first two bars of Bach's prelude
2042 based on @emph{Jesu, meine Freude} which is written for two
2043 manuals and pedal organ. The top manual part has two voices,
2044 the lower and pedal organ one each. So we need four
2045 music definitions and one to define the time signature
2051 title = "Jesu, meine Freude"
2052 composer = "J S Bach"
2054 TimeKey = @{ \time 4/4 \key c \minor @}
2055 ManualOneVoiceOneMusic = @{s1@}
2056 ManualOneVoiceTwoMusic = @{s1@}
2057 ManualTwoMusic = @{s1@}
2058 PedalOrganMusic = @{s1@}
2064 For now we've just used a spacer note, @code{s1},
2065 instead of the real music. We'll add that later.
2067 Next let's see what should go in the score block.
2068 We simply mirror the staff structure we want.
2069 Organ music is usually written on three staves,
2070 one for each manual and one for the pedals. The
2071 manual staves should be bracketed together so we
2072 need to use a PianoStaff for them. The first
2073 manual part needs two voices and the second manual
2078 \new Staff = "ManualOne" <<
2079 \new Voice @{ \ManualOneVoiceOneMusic @}
2080 \new Voice @{ \ManualOneVoiceTwoMusic @}
2081 >> % end ManualOne Staff context
2082 \new Staff = "ManualTwo" <<
2083 \new Voice @{ \ManualTwoMusic @}
2084 >> % end ManualTwo Staff context
2085 >> % end PianoStaff context
2088 Next we need to add a staff for the pedal organ.
2089 This goes underneath the PianoStaff, but it must
2090 be simultaneous with it, so we need angle brackets
2091 round the two. Missing these out would generate
2092 an error in the log file. It's a common mistake
2093 which you'll make sooner or later! Try copying
2094 the final example at the end of this section,
2095 remove these angle brackets, and compile it to
2096 see what errors it generates.
2099 << % PianoStaff and Pedal Staff must be simultaneous
2101 \new Staff = "ManualOne" <<
2102 \new Voice @{ \ManualOneVoiceOneMusic @}
2103 \new Voice @{ \ManualOneVoiceTwoMusic @}
2104 >> % end ManualOne Staff context
2105 \new Staff = "ManualTwo" <<
2106 \new Voice @{ \ManualTwoMusic @}
2107 >> % end ManualTwo Staff context
2108 >> % end PianoStaff context
2109 \new Staff = "PedalOrgan" <<
2110 \new Voice @{ \PedalOrganMusic @}
2115 It is not strictly necessary to use the simultaneous construct
2116 @code{<< >>} for the manual two staff and the pedal organ staff,
2117 since they contain only one music expression, but it does no harm
2118 and always using angle brackets after @code{\new Staff} is a good
2119 habit to cultivate in case there are multiple voices.
2121 Let's add this structure to the score block, and adjust the
2122 indenting. We also add the appropriate clefs, ensure the
2123 second voice stems point down with @code{\voiceTwo} and
2124 enter the time signature and key to each staff using our
2125 predefined variable, @code{\TimeKey}.
2129 << % PianoStaff and Pedal Staff must be simultaneous
2131 \new Staff = "ManualOne" <<
2132 \TimeKey % set time signature and key
2134 \new Voice @{ \ManualOneVoiceOneMusic @}
2135 \new Voice @{ \voiceTwo \ManualOneVoiceTwoMusic @}
2136 >> % end ManualOne Staff context
2137 \new Staff = "ManualTwo" <<
2140 \new Voice @{ \ManualTwoMusic @}
2141 >> % end ManualTwo Staff context
2142 >> % end PianoStaff context
2143 \new Staff = "PedalOrgan" <<
2146 \new Voice @{ \PedalOrganMusic @}
2147 >> % end PedalOrgan Staff
2149 @} % end Score context
2152 That completes the structure. Any three-staff organ music
2153 will have a similar structure, although the number of voices
2154 may vary. All that remains now
2155 is to add the music, and combine all the parts together.
2157 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2160 title = "Jesu, meine Freude"
2161 composer = "J S Bach"
2163 TimeKey = { \time 4/4 \key c \minor }
2164 ManualOneVoiceOneMusic = \relative g' {
2165 g4 g f ees | d2 c2 |
2167 ManualOneVoiceTwoMusic = \relative c' {
2168 ees16 d ees8~ ees16 f ees s c8 d~ d c~ |
2169 c c4 b8 c8. g16 c b c d |
2171 ManualTwoMusic = \relative c' {
2172 c16 b c8~ c16 b c g a8 g~ g16 g aes ees |
2173 f ees f d g aes g f ees d e8~ ees16 f ees d |
2175 PedalOrganMusic = \relative c {
2176 r8 c16 d ees d ees8~ ees16 a, b g c b c8 |
2177 r16 g ees f g f g8 c,2 |
2181 << % PianoStaff and Pedal Staff must be simultaneous
2183 \new Staff = "ManualOne" <<
2184 \TimeKey % set time signature and key
2186 \new Voice { \ManualOneVoiceOneMusic }
2187 \new Voice { \voiceTwo \ManualOneVoiceTwoMusic }
2188 >> % end ManualOne Staff context
2189 \new Staff = "ManualTwo" <<
2192 \new Voice { \ManualTwoMusic }
2193 >> % end ManualTwo Staff context
2194 >> % end PianoStaff context
2195 \new Staff = "PedalOrgan" <<
2198 \new Voice { \PedalOrganMusic }
2199 >> % end PedalOrgan Staff
2201 } % end Score context