1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
2 @c This file is part of lilypond.tely
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. See TRANSLATION for details.
15 Negative numbers are allowed:
16 > Are you sure? The following works well
18 > first-page-number = -2
20 > and prints page number -1 on the second page, for example.
23 In 5.2.1 the @refbugs (line 495 in spacing.itely on master) it
26 "@code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between
30 Could we add a sentence:
31 "Use instead the pair fontSize = #@var{N}
32 \override StaffSymbol #'staff-space = #(magstep
34 inside the Staff context to change the size of the font and the
36 staff lines accordingly."
38 Actually I found, that the @internalsref{StaffSymbol} at line 481
39 sends to an uncomplete
40 documentation. The property staff-space is not explained here. I
41 thought Y-extent might be of
42 help, but it is in turn explained by x-space which again is
43 missing from the list. Who has the
44 knowledge to fix this?
48 http://code.google.com/p/lilypond/issues/detail?id=68
54 @chapter Spacing issues
56 The global paper layout is determined by three factors: the page layout, the
57 line breaks, and the spacing. These all influence each other. The
58 choice of spacing determines how densely each system of music is set.
59 This influences where line breaks are chosen, and thus ultimately, how
60 many pages a piece of music takes.
62 Globally speaking, this procedure happens in four steps: first,
63 flexible distances (@q{springs}) are chosen, based on durations. All
64 possible line breaking combinations are tried, and a @q{badness} score
65 is calculated for each. Then the height of each possible system is
66 estimated. Finally, a page breaking and line breaking combination is chosen
67 so that neither the horizontal nor the vertical spacing is too cramped
70 Settings which influence layout may be placed in two blocks.
71 The @code{\paper @{...@}} block is placed outside any
72 @code{\score @{...@}} blocks and contains settings that
73 relate to the entire document. The @code{\layout @{...@}}
74 block is placed within a @code{\score @{...@}} block and
75 contains settings for that particular score. If you have
76 only one @code{\score @{...@}} block the two have the same
77 effect. In general the commands shown in this chapter can
85 * Horizontal spacing::
86 * Fitting music onto fewer pages::
91 @section Paper and pages
93 This section deals with the boundaries that define the area
94 within which music can be printed.
103 @subsection Paper size
108 Two functions are available for changing the paper size:
109 @code{set-default-paper-size} and @code{set-paper-size}.
110 @code{set-default-paper-size} must be placed in the toplevel
111 scope, and @code{set-paper-size} must be placed in a @code{\paper}
115 #(set-default-paper-size "a4")
120 #(set-paper-size "a4")
125 @code{set-default-paper-size} sets the size of all pages, whereas
126 @code{set-paper-size} only sets the size of the pages that the
127 @code{\paper} block applies to. For example, if the @code{\paper}
128 block is at the top of the file, then it will apply the paper size
129 to all pages. If the @code{\paper} block is inside a
130 @code{\book}, then the paper size will only apply to that book.
132 Common paper sizes are available, including @code{a4},
133 @code{letter}, @code{legal}, and @code{11x17} (also known as
134 tabloid). Many more paper sizes are supported by default. For
135 details, see @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}, and search for the
136 definition of @code{paper-alist}.
138 @c TODO add a new appendix for paper sizes (auto-generated) -pm
140 @warning{The default paper size is @code{a4}.}
142 Extra sizes may be added by editing the definition of
143 @code{paper-alist} in the initialization file
144 @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}, however they will be overridden on a
150 If the symbol @code{'landscape} is supplied as an argument to
151 @code{set-default-paper-size}, pages will be rotated by 90
152 degrees, and wider line widths will be set accordingly.
155 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
158 Setting the paper size will adjust a number of @code{\paper}
159 variables, such as margins. To use a particular paper size with
160 altered @code{\paper} variables, set the paper size before setting
167 @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}.
173 @node Page formatting
174 @subsection Page formatting
176 Margins, headers, and footers and other layout variables are
177 automatically set according to the paper size.
179 This section lists and describes a number of paper variables that
183 * Vertical dimensions::
184 * Horizontal dimensions::
185 * Other layout variables::
189 @node Vertical dimensions
190 @unnumberedsubsubsec Vertical dimensions
192 These variables are used to set different vertical dimensions on a
199 @item after-title-space
200 @funindex after-title-space
202 The amount of space between the title and the first system.
203 Default: @code{5\mm}.
205 @item before-title-space
206 @funindex before-title-space
208 Amount of space between the last system of the previous piece and the
209 title of the next. Default: @code{10\mm}.
211 @item between-system-padding
212 @funindex between-system-padding
214 The minimum amount of white space that will always be present
215 between the bottom-most symbol of one system, and the top-most of
216 the next system. Default: @code{4\mm}.
218 Increasing this will put systems whose bounding boxes almost touch
221 @item between-system-space
222 @funindex between-system-space
224 The distance between systems. It is the ideal distance between
225 the center of the bottom staff of one system and the center of the
226 top staff of the next system. Default: @code{20\mm}.
228 Increasing this value will provide a more even appearance of the
229 page at the cost of using more vertical space.
231 @item between-title-space
232 @funindex between-title-space
234 Amount of space between consecutive titles (e.g., the title of the
235 book and the title of a piece). Default: @code{2\mm}.
238 @funindex bottom-margin
240 The margin between footer and bottom of the page. Default:
243 @item foot-separation
244 @funindex foot-separation
246 Distance between the bottom-most music system and the page
247 footer. Default: @code{4\mm}.
249 @item head-separation
250 @funindex head-separation
252 Distance between the top-most music system and the page header.
253 Default: @code{4\mm}.
256 @funindex page-top-space
258 Distance from the top of the printable area to the center of the
259 first staff. This only works for staves that are vertically
260 small. Big staves are set with the top of their bounding box
261 aligned to the top of the printable area. Default: @code{12\mm}.
264 @funindex paper-height
266 The height of the page. Default: the height of the current paper
267 size. For details, see @ref{Paper size}.
272 The margin between header and top of the page. Default:
280 The header and footer are created by the functions make-footer and
281 make-header, defined in \paper. The default implementations are in
282 ly/paper-defaults.ly and ly/titling-init.ly.
284 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the \paper block,
285 page-music-height and page-make-stencil. The former tells the
286 line-breaking algorithm how much space can be spent on a page, the
287 latter creates the actual page given the system to put on it.
289 You can define paper block values in Scheme. In that case mm, in, pt,
290 and cm are variables defined in paper-defaults.ly with values in
291 millimeters. That is why the value 2 cm must be multiplied in the
296 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
308 ragged-last-bottom = ##t
312 This second example centers page numbers at the bottom of every page.
316 print-page-number = ##t
317 print-first-page-number = ##t
318 oddHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
319 evenHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
320 oddFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
321 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
322 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
323 evenFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
324 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
325 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
329 You can also define these values in Scheme. In that case @code{mm},
330 @code{in}, @code{pt}, and @code{cm} are variables defined in
331 @file{paper-defaults.ly} with values in millimeters. That is why the
332 value must be multiplied in the example
336 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
340 The header and footer are created by the functions @code{make-footer}
341 and @code{make-header}, defined in @code{\paper}. The default
342 implementations are in @file{ly/@/paper@/-defaults@/.ly} and
343 @file{ly/@/titling@/-init@/.ly}.
345 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the
346 @code{\paper} block, @code{page-music-height} and
347 @code{page-make-stencil}. The former tells the line-breaking algorithm
348 how much space can be spent on a page, the latter creates the actual
349 page given the system to put on it.
355 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
361 @node Horizontal dimensions
362 @unnumberedsubsubsec Horizontal dimensions
364 @warning{If @code{paper-width} is manually set, @code{line-width},
365 @code{left-margin}, @code{indent}, and @code{short-indent} may
366 have to be adjusted as well.}
368 There are a few variables that determine the horizontal dimensions
373 @item horizontal-shift
374 @funindex horizontal-shift
376 The amount that all systems (including titles and system
377 separators) are shifted to the right. Default: @code{0.0}.
382 The level of indentation for the first system in a score.
383 Default: @code{paper-width} divided by @code{14}, as determined by
384 @code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}.
387 @funindex left-margin
389 The margin between the left edge of the page and the beginning of
390 each system. Default: @code{10\mm}, as determined by
391 @code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}.
396 The width of music systems. Default: @code{paper-width} minus
397 @code{20\mm}, as determined by @code{set-default-paper-size} or
398 @code{set-paper-size}.
401 @funindex paper-width
403 The width of the page. Default: the width of the current paper
404 size. For details, see @ref{Paper size}.
407 @funindex short-indent
409 The level of indentation for all systems in a score besides the
410 first system. Default: @code{0}, as determined by
411 @code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}.
424 The option @code{right-margin} is defined but doesn't set the
425 right margin yet. The value for the right margin has to be
426 defined by adjusting the values of @code{left-margin} and
430 @node Other layout variables
431 @unnumberedsubsubsec Other layout variables
433 These variables can be used to adjust page layout in general.
437 @item auto-first-page-number
438 @funindex auto-first-page-number
440 The page breaking algorithm is affected by the first page number
441 being odd or even. If set to true, the page breaking algorithm
442 will decide whether to start with an odd or even number. This
443 will result in the first page number remaining as is or being
444 increased by one. Default: @code{##f}.
448 FIXME: this variable is used, but I don't know what it does. -pm
449 @item blank-after-score-page-force
450 @funindex blank-after-score-page-force
456 @item blank-last-page-force
457 @funindex blank-last-page-force
459 The penalty for ending the score on an odd-numbered page.
462 @item blank-page-force
463 @funindex blank-page-force
465 The penalty for having a blank page in the middle of a
466 score. This is not used by @code{ly:optimal-breaking} since it will
467 never consider blank pages in the middle of a score. Default:
470 @item first-page-number
471 @funindex first-page-number
473 The value of the page number on the first page. Default:
476 @item page-breaking-between-system-padding
477 @funindex page-breaking-between-system-padding
479 Tricks the page breaker into thinking that
480 @code{between-system-padding} is set to something different than
481 it really is. For example, if this variable is set to something
482 substantially larger than @code{between-system-padding}, then the
483 page-breaker will put fewer systems on each page. Default: unset.
488 The number of pages to be used for a score. Default: unset.
490 @item page-limit-inter-system-space
491 @funindex page-limit-inter-system-space
493 If set to true, limits space between systems on a page with a lot
494 of space left. Default: @code{##f}. For details, see
495 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
497 @item page-limit-inter-system-space-factor
498 @funindex page-limit-inter-system-space-factor
500 The factor used by @code{page-limit-inter-system-space}. Default:
501 @code{1.4}. For details, see
502 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
504 @item page-spacing-weight
505 @funindex page-spacing-weight
507 The relative importance of page (vertical) spacing and line
508 (horizontal) spacing. High values will make page spacing more
509 important. Default: @code{#10}.
511 @item print-all-headers
512 @funindex print-all-headers
514 If set to true, this will print all headers for each \score in the
515 output. Normally only the piece and opus header variables are
516 printed. Default: @code{##f}.
518 @item print-first-page-number
519 @funindex print-first-page-number
521 If set to true, a page number is printed on the first page.
524 @item print-page-number
525 @funindex print-page-number
527 If set to false, page numbers are not printed. Default:
531 @funindex ragged-bottom
533 If set to true, systems will not spread vertically across the
534 page. This does not affect the last page. Default: @code{##f}.
536 This should be set to true for pieces that have only two or three
537 systems per page, for example orchestral scores.
540 @funindex ragged-last
542 If set to true, the last system in the score will not fill the
543 line width. Instead the last system ends at its natural
544 horizontal length. Default: @code{##f}.
546 @item ragged-last-bottom
547 @funindex ragged-last-bottom
549 If set to false, systems will spread vertically across the last
550 page. Default: @code{##t}.
552 Pieces that amply fill two pages or more should have this set to
556 @funindex ragged-right
558 If set to true, systems will not fill the line width. Instead,
559 systems end at their natural horizontal length. Default:
562 If the score has only one system, the default value is @code{##t}.
564 @item system-separator-markup
565 @funindex system-separator-markup
567 A markup object that is inserted between systems. This is often
568 used for orchestral scores. Default: unset.
570 The markup command @code{\slashSeparator} is provided as a sensible
573 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
574 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
577 \relative { c1 \break c1 }
580 system-separator-markup = \slashSeparator
586 @funindex system-count
588 The number of systems to be used for a score.
602 The default page header puts the page number and the @code{instrument}
603 field from the @code{\header} block on a line.
605 The titles (from the @code{\header@{@}} section) are treated as a
606 system, so @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom} will
607 add space between the titles and the first system of the score.
611 @section Music layout
614 * Setting the staff size::
619 @node Setting the staff size
620 @subsection Setting the staff size
622 @cindex font size, setting
623 @cindex staff size, setting
624 @funindex layout file
626 The default @strong{staff size} is set to 20 points.
627 This may be changed in two ways:
629 To set the staff size globally for all scores in a file (or
630 in a @code{book} block, to be precise), use @code{set-global-staff-size}.
633 #(set-global-staff-size 14)
637 This sets the global default size to 14pt staff height and scales all
640 To set the staff size individually for each score, use
645 #(layout-set-staff-size 15)
650 The Feta font provides musical symbols at eight different
651 sizes. Each font is tuned for a different staff size: at a smaller size
652 the font becomes heavier, to match the relatively heavier staff lines.
653 The recommended font sizes are listed in the following table:
656 @multitable @columnfractions .15 .2 .22 .2
659 @tab @b{staff height (pt)}
660 @tab @b{staff height (mm)}
702 @c modern rental material?
707 These fonts are available in any sizes. The context property
708 @code{fontSize} and the layout property @code{staff-space} (in
709 @rinternals{StaffSymbol}) can be used to tune the size for individual
710 staves. The sizes of individual staves are relative to the global size.
720 @ref{Selecting notation font size}.
728 @code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between the
733 @subsection Score layout
737 While @code{\paper} contains settings that relate to the page formatting
738 of the whole document, @code{\layout} contains settings for score-specific
745 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-6 . 6)
748 \override TextScript #'padding = #1.0
749 \override Glissando #'thickness = #3
758 @ref{Changing context default settings}.
770 * Optimal page breaking::
771 * Optimal page turning::
772 * Minimal page breaking::
774 * Using an extra voice for breaks::
779 @subsection Line breaking
782 @cindex breaking lines
784 Line breaks are normally determined automatically. They are chosen
785 so that lines look neither cramped nor loose, and consecutive
786 lines have similar density. Occasionally you might want to
787 override the automatic breaks; you can do this by specifying
788 @code{\break}. This will force a line break at this point. However,
789 line breaks can only occur at the end of @q{complete} bars, i.e.,
790 where there are no notes or tuplets left @q{hanging} over the bar
791 line. If you want to have a line break where there is no bar line,
792 you can force an invisible bar line by entering @code{\bar ""},
793 although again there must be no notes left hanging over in any of
794 the staves at this point, or it will be ignored.
796 The opposite command, @code{\noBreak}, forbids a line break at the
797 bar line where it is inserted.
799 The most basic settings influencing line spacing are @code{indent}
800 and @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block.
801 They control the indentation of the first line of music, and the
802 lengths of the lines.
804 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block,
805 then systems end at their natural horizontal length, instead of
806 being spread horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful
807 for short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural
810 @c TODO Check and add para on default for ragged-right
812 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right},
813 but affects only the last line of the piece.
825 @cindex regular line breaks
826 @cindex four bar music.
828 For line breaks at regular intervals use @code{\break} separated by
829 skips and repeated with @code{\repeat}. For example, this would
830 cause the following 28 measures (assuming 4/4 time) to be broken
831 every 4 measures, and only there:
834 << \repeat unfold 7 @{
835 s1 \noBreak s1 \noBreak
836 s1 \noBreak s1 \break @}
837 @emph{the real music}
842 A linebreaking configuration can be saved as a @code{.ly} file
843 automatically. This allows vertical alignments to be stretched to
844 fit pages in a second formatting run. This is fairly new and
845 complicated. More details are available in
860 @rinternals{LineBreakEvent}.
868 Line breaks can only occur if there is a @q{proper} bar line. A note
869 which is hanging over a bar line is not proper, such as
871 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
872 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % this does nothing
873 c2 c4 | % a break here would work
874 c4 c2 c4 ~ \break % as does this break
878 This can be avoided by removing the @code{Forbid_line_break_engraver}.
879 Note that manually forced line breaks have to be added in parallel
882 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
884 \remove Forbid_line_break_engraver
886 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % now the break is allowed
891 Similarly, line breaks are normally forbidden when beams cross bar
892 lines. This behavior can be changed by setting
893 @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}.
897 @subsection Page breaking
899 The default page breaking may be overridden by inserting
900 @code{\pageBreak} or @code{\noPageBreak} commands. These commands are
901 analogous to @code{\break} and @code{\noBreak}. They should be
902 inserted at a bar line. These commands force and forbid a page-break
903 from happening. Of course, the @code{\pageBreak} command also forces
906 The @code{\pageBreak} and @code{\noPageBreak} commands may also be
907 inserted at top-level, between scores and top-level markups.
909 There are also analogous settings to @code{ragged-right} and
910 @code{ragged-last} which have the same effect on vertical spacing:
911 @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom}. If set to
912 @code{##t} the systems on all pages or just the last page
913 respectively will not be justified vertically.
915 For more details see @ref{Vertical spacing}.
917 Page breaks are computed by the @code{page-breaking} function. LilyPond
918 provides three algorithms for computing page breaks,
919 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} and
920 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}. The default is @code{ly:optimal-breaking},
921 but the value can be changed in the @code{\paper} block:
925 #(define page-breaking ly:page-turn-breaking)
929 @c TODO Check this -td
930 The old page breaking algorithm is called
931 @code{optimal-page-breaks}. If you are having trouble with the new page
932 breakers, you can enable the old one as a workaround.
939 @funindex \noPageBreak
949 @node Optimal page breaking
950 @subsection Optimal page breaking
952 @funindex ly:optimal-breaking
954 The @code{ly:optimal-breaking} function is LilyPond's default method of
955 determining page breaks. It attempts to find a page breaking that minimizes
956 cramping and stretching, both horizontally and vertically. Unlike
957 @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, it has no concept of page turns.
966 @node Optimal page turning
967 @subsection Optimal page turning
969 @funindex ly:page-turn-breaking
971 Often it is necessary to find a page breaking configuration so that there is
972 a rest at the end of every second page. This way, the musician can turn the
973 page without having to miss notes. The @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} function
974 attempts to find a page breaking minimizing cramping and stretching, but with
975 the additional restriction that it is only allowed to introduce page turns
978 There are two steps to using this page breaking function. First, you
979 must enable it in the @code{\paper} block, as explained in @ref{Page
980 breaking}. Then you must tell the function where you would like to allow
983 There are two ways to achieve the second step. First, you can specify each
984 potential page turn manually, by inserting @code{\allowPageTurn} into your
985 input file at the appropriate places.
987 If this is too tedious, you can add a @code{Page_turn_engraver} to a Staff or
988 Voice context. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} will scan the context for
989 sections without notes (note that it does not scan for rests; it scans for
990 the absence of notes. This is so that single-staff polyphony with rests in one
991 of the parts does not throw off the @code{Page_turn_engraver}). When it finds
992 a sufficiently long section without notes, the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
993 insert an @code{\allowPageTurn} at the final bar line in that section, unless
994 there is a @q{special} bar line (such as a double bar), in which case the
995 @code{\allowPageTurn} will be inserted at the final @q{special} bar line in
998 @funindex minimumPageTurnLength
999 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} reads the context property
1000 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} to determine how long a note-free section must
1001 be before a page turn is considered. The default value for
1002 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} is @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 1)}. If you want
1003 to disable page turns, you can set it to something very large.
1006 \new Staff \with @{ \consists "Page_turn_engraver" @}
1009 R1 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1011 \set Staff.minimumPageTurnLength = #(ly:make-moment 5 2)
1012 R1 | % a page turn will not be allowed here
1014 R1*2 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1019 @funindex minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn
1020 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} detects volta repeats. It will only allow a page
1021 turn during the repeat if there is enough time at the beginning and end of the
1022 repeat to turn the page back. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} can also disable
1023 page turns if the repeat is very short. If you set the context property
1024 @code{minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn} then the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1025 only allow turns in repeats whose duration is longer than this value.
1027 The page turning commands, @code{\pageTurn}, @code{\noPageTurn} and
1028 @code{\allowPageTurn}, may also be used at top-level, between scores and
1036 @funindex \noPageTurn
1038 @funindex \allowPageTurn
1039 @code{\allowPageTurn}.
1050 There should only be one @code{Page_turn_engraver} in a score. If there is more
1051 than one, they will interfere with each other.
1054 @node Minimal page breaking
1055 @subsection Minimal page breaking
1057 @funindex ly:minimal-breaking
1059 The @code{ly:minimal-breaking} function performs minimal computations to
1060 calculate the page breaking: it fills a page with as many systems as
1061 possible before moving to the next one. Thus, it may be preferred for
1062 scores with many pages, where the other page breaking functions could be
1063 too slow or memory demanding, or a lot of texts. It is enabled using:
1067 #(define page-breaking ly:minimal-breaking)
1078 @node Explicit breaks
1079 @subsection Explicit breaks
1081 Lily sometimes rejects explicit @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak}
1082 commands. There are two commands to override this behavior:
1085 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1086 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1089 When @code{line-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1090 line breaks at explicit @code{\break} commands and nowhere else. When
1091 @code{page-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1092 page breaks at explicit @code{\pageBreak} commands and nowhere else.
1094 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1103 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1104 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1107 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1108 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1109 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1110 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \pageBreak
1111 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1112 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1113 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1114 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 }
1127 @node Using an extra voice for breaks
1128 @subsection Using an extra voice for breaks
1130 Line- and page-breaking information usually appears within note entry directly.
1135 \repeat unfold 2 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
1137 \repeat unfold 3 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
1142 This makes @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak} commands easy to enter but mixes
1143 music entry with information that specifies how music should lay out
1144 on the page. You can keep music entry and line- and page-breaking
1145 information in two separate places by introducing an extra voice to
1146 contain the breaks. This extra voice
1147 contains only skips together with @code{\break}, @code{pageBreak} and other
1148 breaking layout information.
1150 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1160 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1161 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1162 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1163 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1169 This pattern becomes especially helpful when overriding
1170 @code{line-break-system-details} and the other useful but long properties of
1171 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumnGrob}, as explained in @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1173 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1178 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1179 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1182 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1183 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 35))
1186 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1187 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 70))
1190 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1191 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 105))
1195 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1196 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1197 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1198 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1208 @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1214 @node Vertical spacing
1215 @section Vertical spacing
1217 @cindex vertical spacing
1218 @cindex spacing, vertical
1220 Vertical spacing is controlled by three things: the amount of
1221 space available (i.e., paper size and margins), the amount of
1222 space between systems, and the amount of space between
1223 staves inside a system.
1226 * Vertical spacing inside a system::
1227 * Vertical spacing between systems::
1228 * Explicit staff and system positioning::
1229 * Two-pass vertical spacing::
1230 * Vertical collision avoidance::
1234 @node Vertical spacing inside a system
1235 @subsection Vertical spacing inside a system
1237 @cindex distance between staves
1238 @cindex staff distance
1239 @cindex space between staves
1240 @cindex space inside systems
1242 The height of each system is determined automatically. To prevent
1243 staves from bumping into each other, some minimum distances are set.
1244 By changing these, you can put staves closer together. This
1245 reduces the amount of space each system requires, and may result
1246 in having more systems per page.
1248 Normally staves are stacked vertically. To make staves maintain a
1249 distance, their vertical size is padded. This is done with the
1250 property @code{minimum-Y-extent}. When applied to a
1251 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup}, it controls the size of a horizontal
1252 line, such as a staff or a line of lyrics. @code{minimum-Y-extent}
1253 takes a pair of numbers, so
1254 if you want to make it smaller than its default @code{#'(-4 . 4)}
1258 \override Staff.VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-3 . 3)
1262 This sets the vertical size of the current staff to 3 staff spaces on
1263 either side of the center staff line. The value @code{(-3 . 3)} is
1264 interpreted as an interval, where the center line is the 0, so the
1265 first number is generally negative. The numbers need not match;
1266 for example, the staff can be made larger at the bottom by setting
1267 it to @code{(-6 . 4)}.
1269 After page breaks are determined, the vertical spacing within each
1270 system is reevaluated in order to fill the page more evenly; if a page
1271 has space left over, systems are stretched in order to fill that space.
1272 The amount of stretching can be configured though the @code{max-stretch}
1273 property of the @rinternals{VerticalAlignment} grob. By default,
1274 @code{max-stretch} is set to zero, disabling stretching. To enable
1275 stretching, a sane value for @code{max-stretch}
1276 is @code{ly:align-interface::calc-max-stretch}.
1278 In some situations, you may want to stretch most of a system while
1279 leaving some parts fixed. For example, if a piano part occurs in the
1280 middle of an orchestral score, you may want to leave the piano staves
1281 close to each other while stretching the rest of the score. The
1282 @code{keep-fixed-while-stretching} property of
1283 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup} can be used to achieve this. When set
1284 to @code{##t}, this property keeps its staff (or line of lyrics) from
1285 moving relative to the one directly above it. In the example above,
1286 you would override @code{keep-fixed-while-stretching} to @code{##t} in
1287 the second piano staff:
1290 #(set-default-paper-size "a6")
1291 #(set-global-staff-size 14.0)
1295 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
1300 \override VerticalAlignment #'max-stretch = #ly:align-interface::calc-max-stretch
1307 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1308 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1309 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1314 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1316 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'keep-fixed-while-stretching = ##t
1323 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1324 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1331 Vertical alignment of staves is handled by the
1332 @code{VerticalAlignment} object. The context parameters
1333 specifying the vertical extent are described in connection with
1334 the @code{Axis_group_engraver}.
1342 @c @lsr{spacing,page-spacing.ly},
1343 @c @lsr{spacing,alignment-vertical-spacing.ly}.
1345 Internals Reference:
1346 @rinternals{VerticalAlignment},
1347 @rinternals{Axis_group_engraver}.
1350 @node Vertical spacing between systems
1351 @subsection Vertical spacing between systems
1353 Space between systems are controlled by four @code{\paper} variables,
1357 between-system-space = 1.5\cm
1358 between-system-padding = #1
1360 ragged-last-bottom=##f
1364 When only a couple of flat systems are placed on a page, the resulting
1365 vertical spacing may be non-elegant: one system at the top of the page,
1366 and the other at the bottom, with a huge gap between them. To avoid this
1367 situation, the space added between the systems can be limited. This
1368 feature is activated by setting to @code{#t} the
1369 @code{page-limit-inter-system-space} variable in the @code{\paper}
1370 block. The paper variable @code{page-limit-inter-system-space-factor}
1371 determines how much the space can be increased: for instance, the value
1372 @code{1.3} means that the space can be 30% larger than what it would be
1373 on a ragged-bottom page.
1375 In the following example, if the inter system space were not limited,
1376 the second system of page 1 would be placed at the page bottom. By
1377 activating the space limitation, the second system is placed closer to
1378 the first one. By setting @code{page-limit-inter-system-space-factor} to
1379 @code{1}, the spacing would the same as on a ragged-bottom page, like
1383 #(set-default-paper-size "a6")
1386 page-limit-inter-system-space = ##t
1387 page-limit-inter-system-space-factor = 1.3
1389 oddFooterMarkup = \markup "page bottom"
1390 evenFooterMarkup = \markup "page bottom"
1391 oddHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line {
1392 "page top" \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string }
1393 evenHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line {
1394 "page top" \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string }
1396 \new Staff << \repeat unfold 4 { g'4 g' g' g' \break }
1397 { s1*2 \pageBreak } >>
1408 @node Explicit staff and system positioning
1409 @subsection Explicit staff and system positioning
1411 One way to understand the @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper}
1412 settings explained in the previous two sections is as a collection of
1413 different settings that primarily concern the amount of vertical padding
1414 different staves and systems running down the page.
1416 It is possible to approach vertical spacing in a different way using
1417 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}. Where
1418 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper} settings specify vertical padding,
1419 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} specifies exact
1420 vertical positions on the page.
1422 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} accepts an associative
1423 list of five different settings:
1426 @item @code{X-offset}
1427 @item @code{Y-offset}
1428 @item @code{alignment-offsets}
1429 @item @code{alignment-extra-space}
1430 @item @code{fixed-alignment-extra-space}
1433 Grob overrides, including the overrides for @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}
1434 below, can occur in any of three different places in an input file:
1437 @item in the middle of note entry directly
1438 @item in a @code{\context} block
1439 @item in the @code{\with} block
1442 When we override @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}, we use the usual
1443 @code{\override} command in @code{\context} blocks and in the
1444 @code{\with} block. On the other hand, when we override
1445 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} in the middle of note entry,
1446 use the special @code{\overrideProperty} command. Here are some
1447 example @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} overrides with the special
1448 @code{\overrideProperty} command:
1451 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1452 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20))
1454 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1455 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1457 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1458 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40))
1460 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn
1461 #'line-break-system-details #'((alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1463 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn
1464 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40)
1465 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1468 To understand how each of these different settings work, we begin
1469 by looking at an example that includes no overrides at all.
1471 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1479 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 18 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1482 \repeat unfold 18 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1487 This score isolates line- and page-breaking information in a dedicated
1488 voice. This technique of creating a breaks voice will help keep layout
1489 separate from music entry as our example becomes more complicated.
1490 See @ref{Using an extra voice for breaks}.
1492 Explicit @code{\breaks} evenly divide the music into six measures per
1493 line. Vertical spacing results from LilyPond's defaults. To set
1494 the vertical startpoint of each system explicitly, we can set
1495 the @code{Y-offset} pair in the @code{line-break-system-details}
1496 attribute of the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob:
1498 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1502 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1503 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1505 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1506 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1508 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1509 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 80))
1512 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 18 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1515 \repeat unfold 18 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1520 Note that @code{line-break-system-details} takes an associative list of
1521 potentially many values, but that we set only one value here. Note,
1522 too, that the @code{Y-offset} property here determines the exact vertical
1523 position on the page at which each new system will render.
1525 Now that we have set the vertical startpoint of each system
1526 explicitly, we can also set the vertical startpoint of each staff
1527 within each system manually. We do this using the @code{alignment-offsets}
1528 subproperty of @code{line-break-system-details}.
1530 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1534 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1535 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 20)
1536 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1538 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1539 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1540 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1542 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1543 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1544 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1547 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 18 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1550 \repeat unfold 18 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1555 Note that here we assign two different values to the
1556 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute of the
1557 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob. Though the
1558 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute alist accepts many
1559 additional spacing parameters (including, for example, a corresponding
1560 @code{X-offset} pair), we need only set the @code{Y-offset} and
1561 @code{alignment-offsets} pairs to control the vertical startpoint of
1562 every system and every staff. Finally, note that @code{alignment-offsets}
1563 specifies the vertical positioning of staves but not of staff groups.
1565 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1569 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1570 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0)
1571 (alignment-offsets . (0 -30 -40)))
1573 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1574 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1575 (alignment-offsets . (0 -10 -20)))
1577 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1578 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1579 (alignment-offsets . (0 -10, -40)))
1582 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 18 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1586 \repeat unfold 18 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1589 \repeat unfold 18 { e'4 e'4 e'4 e'4 }
1595 Some points to consider:
1598 @item When using @code{alignment-offsets}, lyrics count as a staff.
1600 @item The units of the numbers passed to @code{X-offset},
1601 @code{Y-offset} and @code{alignment-offsets} are interpreted as multiples
1602 of the distance between adjacent staff lines. Positive values move staves
1603 and lyrics up, negative values move staves and lyrics down.
1605 @item Because the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
1606 settings given here allow the positioning of staves and systems anywhere
1607 on the page, it is possible to violate paper or margin boundaries or even
1608 to print staves or systems on top of one another. Reasonable values
1609 passed to these different settings will avoid this.
1619 @node Two-pass vertical spacing
1620 @subsection Two-pass vertical spacing
1622 @warning{Two-pass vertical spacing is deprecated and will be removed in
1623 a future version of LilyPond. Systems are now stretched automatically
1624 in a single pass. See @ref{Vertical spacing inside a system}.}
1626 In order to automatically stretch systems so that they should fill the
1627 space left on a page, a two-pass technique can be used:
1630 @item In the first pass, the amount of vertical space used to increase
1631 the height of each system is computed and dumped to a file.
1632 @item In the second pass, spacing inside the systems are
1633 stretched according to the data in the page layout file.
1636 The @code{ragged-bottom} property adds space between systems, while
1637 the two-pass technique adds space between staves inside a system.
1639 To allow this behavior, a @code{tweak-key} variable has to be set in
1640 each score @code{\layout} block, and the tweaks included in each score
1641 music, using the @code{\scoreTweak} music function.
1645 %% include the generated page layout file:
1646 \includePageLayoutFile
1651 %% Include this score tweaks:
1652 \scoreTweak "scoreA"
1653 { \clef french c''1 \break c''1 }
1655 \new Staff { \clef soprano g'1 g'1 }
1656 \new Staff { \clef mezzosoprano e'1 e'1 }
1657 \new Staff { \clef alto g1 g1 }
1658 \new Staff { \clef bass c1 c1 }
1661 piece = "Score with tweaks"
1663 %% Define how to name the tweaks for this score:
1664 \layout { #(define tweak-key "scoreA") }
1669 For the first pass, the @code{dump-tweaks} option should be set to
1670 generate the page layout file.
1673 lilypond -dbackend=null -d dump-tweaks <file>.ly
1684 @node Vertical collision avoidance
1685 @subsection Vertical collision avoidance
1687 @funindex outside-staff-priority
1688 @funindex outside-staff-padding
1689 @funindex outside-staff-horizontal-padding
1691 Intuitively, there are some objects in musical notation that belong
1692 to the staff and there are other objects that should be placed outside
1693 the staff. Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
1694 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings (from now on, these will
1695 be called outside-staff objects). LilyPond's rule for the
1696 vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them as close
1697 to the staff as possible but not so close that they collide with
1700 LilyPond uses the @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine
1701 whether a grob is an outside-staff object: if @code{outside-staff-priority}
1702 is a number, the grob is an outside-staff object. In addition,
1703 @code{outside-staff-priority} tells LilyPond in which order the objects
1706 First, LilyPond places all the objects that do not belong outside
1707 the staff. Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
1708 @code{outside-staff-priority} (in increasing order). One by one, LilyPond
1709 takes the outside-staff objects and places them so that they do
1710 not collide with any objects that have already been placed. That
1711 is, if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the one
1712 with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed closer to
1715 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1718 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #1
1719 c4_"Text"\pp % this time the text will be closer to the staff
1721 % by setting outside-staff-priority to a non-number,
1722 % we disable the automatic collision avoidance
1723 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1724 \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1725 c4_"Text"\pp % now they will collide
1728 The vertical padding between an outside-staff object and the
1729 previously-positioned grobs can be controlled with
1730 @code{outside-staff-padding}.
1732 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1733 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #0
1734 a'^"This text is placed very close to the note"
1735 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #3
1736 c^"This text is padded away from the previous text"
1737 c^"This text is placed close to the previous text"
1740 TODO: this example doesn't work any more ?
1742 By default, outside-staff objects are placed without regard to
1743 their horizontal distance from the previously-positioned grobs. This
1744 can lead to situations in which objects are placed very close to each
1745 other horizontally. Setting @code{outside-staff-horizontal-padding}
1746 causes an object to be offset vertically so that such a situation
1749 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1750 % the markup is too close to the following note
1753 % setting outside-staff-horizontal-padding fixes this
1755 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-horizontal-padding = #1
1767 @node Horizontal spacing
1768 @section Horizontal spacing
1770 @cindex horizontal spacing
1771 @cindex spacing, horizontal
1774 * Horizontal spacing overview::
1775 * New spacing area::
1776 * Changing horizontal spacing::
1778 * Proportional notation::
1782 @node Horizontal spacing overview
1783 @subsection Horizontal spacing overview
1785 The spacing engine translates differences in durations into stretchable
1786 distances (@q{springs}) of differing lengths. Longer durations get
1787 more space, shorter durations get less. The shortest durations get a
1788 fixed amount of space (which is controlled by
1789 @code{shortest-duration-space} in the @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}
1790 object). The longer the duration, the more space it gets: doubling a
1791 duration adds a fixed amount (this amount is controlled by
1792 @code{spacing-increment}) of space to the note.
1794 For example, the following piece contains lots of half, quarter, and
1795 8th notes; the eighth note is followed by 1 note head width (NHW).
1796 The quarter note is followed by 2 NHW, the half by 3 NHW, etc.
1798 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=1]
1799 c2 c4. c8 c4. c8 c4. c8 c8
1803 Normally, @code{spacing-increment} is set to 1.2 staff space, which is
1804 approximately the width of a note head, and
1805 @code{shortest-duration-space} is set to 2.0, meaning that the
1806 shortest note gets 2.4 staff space (2.0 times the
1807 @code{spacing-increment}) of horizontal space. This space is counted
1808 from the left edge of the symbol, so the shortest notes are generally
1809 followed by one NHW of space.
1811 If one would follow the above procedure exactly, then adding a single
1812 32nd note to a score that uses 8th and 16th notes, would widen up the
1813 entire score a lot. The shortest note is no longer a 16th, but a 32nd,
1814 thus adding 1 NHW to every note. To prevent this, the shortest
1815 duration for spacing is not the shortest note in the score, but rather
1816 the one which occurs most frequently.
1819 The most common shortest duration is determined as follows: in every
1820 measure, the shortest duration is determined. The most common shortest
1821 duration is taken as the basis for the spacing, with the stipulation
1822 that this shortest duration should always be equal to or shorter than
1823 an 8th note. The shortest duration is printed when you run
1824 @code{lilypond} with the @code{--verbose} option.
1826 These durations may also be customized. If you set the
1827 @code{common-shortest-duration} in @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}, then
1828 this sets the base duration for spacing. The maximum duration for this
1829 base (normally an 8th), is set through @code{base-shortest-duration}.
1831 @funindex common-shortest-duration
1832 @funindex base-shortest-duration
1833 @funindex stem-spacing-correction
1836 Notes that are even shorter than the common shortest note are
1837 followed by a space that is proportional to their duration relative to
1838 the common shortest note. So if we were to add only a few 16th notes
1839 to the example above, they would be followed by half a NHW:
1841 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=2]
1842 c2 c4. c8 c4. c16[ c] c4. c8 c8 c8 c4 c4 c4
1846 In the introduction (see @rlearning{Engraving}), it was explained that stem
1847 directions influence spacing. This is controlled with the
1848 @code{stem-spacing-correction} property in the
1849 @rinternals{NoteSpacing}, object. These are generated for every
1850 @rinternals{Voice} context. The @code{StaffSpacing} object
1851 (generated in @rinternals{Staff} context) contains the same property
1852 for controlling the stem/bar line spacing. The following example shows
1853 these corrections, once with default settings, and once with
1854 exaggerated corrections:
1856 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1860 \override Staff.NoteSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
1861 \override Staff.StaffSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
1867 Proportional notation is supported; see @ref{Proportional notation}.
1875 Internals Reference:
1876 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner},
1877 @rinternals{NoteSpacing},
1878 @rinternals{StaffSpacing},
1879 @rinternals{SeparationItem}.
1884 There is no convenient mechanism to manually override spacing. The
1885 following work-around may be used to insert extra space into a score.
1887 \once \override Score.SeparationItem #'padding = #1
1890 No work-around exists for decreasing the amount of space.
1893 @node New spacing area
1894 @subsection New spacing area
1896 New sections with different spacing parameters can be started with
1897 @code{newSpacingSection}. This is useful when there are
1898 sections with a different notions of long and short notes.
1900 In the following example, the time signature change introduces a new
1901 section, and hence the 16ths notes are spaced wider.
1903 @lilypond[relative,fragment,verbatim,quote]
1906 c8 c c4 c16[ c c8] c4
1912 The @code{\newSpacingSection} command creates a new
1913 @code{SpacingSpanner} object, and hence new @code{\override}s
1914 may be used in that location.
1922 Internals Reference:
1923 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}.
1926 @node Changing horizontal spacing
1927 @subsection Changing horizontal spacing
1929 Horizontal spacing may be altered with the
1930 @code{base-shortest-duration} property. Here
1931 we compare the same music; once without altering
1932 the property, and then altered. Larger values
1933 of @code{ly:make-moment} will produce smaller
1934 music. Note that @code{ly:make-moment} constructs
1935 a duration, so @code{1 4} is a longer duration
1938 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
1941 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
1942 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1943 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
1944 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1949 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
1952 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
1953 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1954 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
1955 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1960 \override SpacingSpanner
1961 #'base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
1970 By default, spacing in tuplets depends on various non-duration
1971 factors (such as accidentals, clef changes, etc). To disregard
1972 such symbols and force uniform equal-duration spacing, use
1973 @code{Score.SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching}. This
1974 property can only be changed at the beginning of a score,
1976 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1978 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
1995 When @code{strict-note-spacing} is set, notes are spaced without
1996 regard for clefs, bar lines, and grace notes,
1998 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1999 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2000 \new Staff { c8[ c \clef alto c \grace { c16[ c] } c8 c c] c32[ c32] }
2011 @subsection Line length
2014 @cindex breaking pages
2017 @funindex line-width
2018 @funindex ragged-right
2019 @funindex ragged-last
2021 @c Although line-width can be set in \layout, it should be set in paper
2022 @c block, to get page layout right.
2023 @c Setting indent in \paper block makes not much sense, but it works.
2025 @c Bit verbose and vague, use examples?
2026 The most basic settings influencing the spacing are @code{indent} and
2027 @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block. They
2028 control the indentation of the first line of music, and the lengths of
2031 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block, then
2032 systems ends at their natural horizontal length, instead of being spread
2033 horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful for
2034 short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural spacing is.
2037 @cindex vertical spacing
2039 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right}, but
2040 only affects the last line of the piece. No restrictions are put on
2041 that line. The result is similar to formatting text paragraphs. In a
2042 paragraph, the last line simply takes its natural horizontal length.
2043 @c Note that for text there are several options for the last line.
2044 @c While Knuth TeX uses natural length, lead typesetters use the same
2045 @c stretch as the previous line. eTeX uses \lastlinefit to
2046 @c interpolate between both these solutions.
2063 @node Proportional notation
2064 @subsection Proportional notation
2066 LilyPond supports proportional notation, a type of horizontal spacing
2067 in which each note consumes an amount of horizontal space exactly
2068 equivalent to its rhythmic duration. This type of proportional spacing
2069 is comparable to horizontal spacing on top of graph paper. Some late
2070 20th- and early 21st-century scores use proportional notation to
2071 clarify complex rhythmic relationships or to facilitate the placement
2072 of timelines or other graphics directly in the score.
2074 LilyPond supports five different settings for proportional notation,
2075 which may be used together or alone:
2078 @item @code{proportionalNotationDuration}
2079 @item @code{uniform-stretching}
2080 @item @code{strict-note-spacing}
2081 @item @code{\remove Separating_line_group_engraver}
2082 @item @code{\override PaperColumn #'used = ##t}
2085 In the examples that follow, we explore these five different
2086 proportional notation settings and examine how these settings interact.
2088 We start with the following one-measure example, which uses classical
2089 spacing with ragged-right turned on.
2091 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2093 \new RhythmicStaff {
2097 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2103 Notice that the half note which begins the measure takes up far less
2104 than half of the horizontal space of the measure. Likewise, the
2105 sixteenth notes and sixteenth-note quintuplets (or twentieth notes)
2106 which end the measure together take up far more than half the
2107 horizontal space of the measure.
2109 In classical engraving, this spacing may be exactly what we want
2110 because we can borrow horizontal space from the half note and conserve
2111 horizontal space across the measure as a whole.
2113 On the other hand, if we want to insert a measured timeline or other
2114 graphic above or below our score, we need proportional notation. We
2115 turn proportional notation on with the proportionalNotationDuration
2118 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2120 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2122 \new RhythmicStaff {
2126 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2132 The half note at the beginning of the measure and the faster notes in
2133 the second half of the measure now occupy equal amounts of horizontal
2134 space. We could place a measured timeline or graphic above or below
2137 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting is a context setting that
2138 lives in @code{Score}. Recall that context settings appear in one of
2139 three locations in our input file -- in a @code{\with} block, in a
2140 @code{\context} block, or directly in music entry
2141 preceded by the @code{\set} command. As with all
2142 context settings, users can pick which of the three different
2143 locations they would like to set @code{proportionalNotationDuration}.
2145 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting takes a single argument,
2146 which is the reference duration against which all music will be
2147 spaced. The LilyPond Scheme function make-moment takes two arguments
2148 -- a numerator and denominator which together express some fraction of
2149 a whole note. The call @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 20)} therefore produces a
2150 reference duration of a twentieth note. The values
2151 @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 16)}, @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 8)}, and
2152 @code{#(ly:make-moment 3 97)} are all possible as well.
2154 How do we select the right reference duration to pass to
2155 @code{proportionalNotationDuration}? Usually by a process of trial and error,
2156 beginning with a duration close to the fastest (or smallest) duration
2157 in the piece. Smaller reference durations space music loosely; larger
2158 reference durations space music tightly.
2160 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2162 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
2164 \new RhythmicStaff {
2168 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2174 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2176 \new RhythmicStaff {
2180 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2186 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
2188 \new RhythmicStaff {
2192 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2198 Note that too large a reference duration -- such as the eighth note,
2199 above -- spaces music too tightly and can cause note head collisions.
2200 Note also that proportional notation in general takes up more
2201 horizontal space that does classical spacing. Proportional spacing
2202 provides rhythmic clarity at the expense of horizontal space.
2204 Next we examine how to optimally space overlapping tuplets.
2206 We start by examining what happens to our original example, with
2207 classical spacing, when we add a second staff with a different type of
2210 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2212 \new RhythmicStaff {
2216 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2219 \new RhythmicStaff {
2221 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2227 The spacing is bad because the evenly notes of the bottom staff do not
2228 stretch uniformly. Classical engraving includes very few complex
2229 triplets and so classical engraving rules can generate this type of
2230 result. Setting @code{proportionalNotationDuration} remedies this
2231 situation considerably.
2233 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2235 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2237 \new RhythmicStaff {
2241 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2244 \new RhythmicStaff {
2246 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2252 But if we look very carefully we can see that notes of the second half
2253 of the 9-tuplet space ever so slightly more widely than do the notes
2254 of the first half of the 9-tuplet. To ensure uniform stretching, we
2255 turn on @code{uniform-stretching}, which is a property of
2256 @code{SpacingSpanner}.
2258 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2260 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2261 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2263 \new RhythmicStaff {
2267 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2270 \new RhythmicStaff {
2272 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2278 Our two-staff example now spaces exactly, our rhythmic
2279 relationships are visually clear, and we can include a measured
2280 timeline or graphic if we want.
2282 Note that the LilyPond's proportional notation package expects
2283 that all proportional scores set the SpacingSpanner's
2284 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t. Setting
2285 proportionalNotationDuration without also setting the
2286 SpacingSpanner's 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t will, for
2287 example, cause Skips to consume an incorrect amount of horizontal
2290 The SpacingSpanner is an abstract grob that lives in the Score
2291 context. As with our settings of proportionalNotationDuration,
2292 overrides to the SpacingSpanner can occur in any of three
2293 different places in our input file – in the Score \with block, in
2294 a Score \context block, or in note entry directly.
2296 There is by default only one @code{SpacingSpanner} per @code{Score}. This
2297 means that, by default, @code{uniform-stretching} is either turned on for the
2298 entire score or turned off for the entire score. We can, however,
2299 override this behavior and turn on different spacing features at
2300 different places in the score. We do this with the command
2301 @code{\newSpacingSection}. See @ref{New spacing area}, for more info.
2303 Next we examine the effects of the @code{Separating_line_group_engraver} and
2304 see why proportional scores frequently remove this engraver. The following
2305 example shows that there is a small amount of @qq{preferatory} space
2306 just before the first note in each system.
2308 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2321 The amount of this preferatory space is the same whether after a time
2322 signature, a key signature or a clef. @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
2323 is responsible for this space. Removing @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
2324 reduces this space to zero.
2326 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2332 \remove Separating_line_group_engraver
2340 Nonmusical elements like time signatures, key signatures, clefs and
2341 accidentals are problematic in proportional notation. None of these
2342 elements has rhythmic duration. But all of these elements consume
2343 horizontal space. Different proportional scores approach these
2344 problems differently.
2346 It may be possible to avoid spacing problems with key signatures
2347 simply by not having any. This is a valid option since most
2348 proportional scores are contemporary music. The same may be true
2349 of time signatures, especially for those scores
2350 that include a measured timeline or other graphic. But these scores
2351 are exceptional and most proportional scores include at least some
2352 time signatures. Clefs and accidentals are even more essential.
2354 So what strategies exist for spacing nonmusical elements in a
2355 proportional context? One good option is the @code{strict-note-spacing}
2356 property of @code{SpacingSpanner}. Compare the two scores below:
2358 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2360 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2370 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2371 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2381 Both scores are proportional, but the spacing in the first score
2382 is too loose because of the clef change. The spacing of the second
2383 score remains strict, however, because strict-note-spacing is
2384 turned on. Turning on strict-note-spacing causes the width of
2385 time signatures, key signatures, clefs and accidentals to play no
2386 part in the spacing algorithm.
2388 In addition to the settings given here, there are other settings
2389 that frequently appear in proportional scores. These include:
2392 @item @code{\override SpacingSpanner #'strict-grace-spacing = ##t}
2393 @item @code{tupletFullLength = ##t}
2394 @item @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}
2395 @item @code{\override Glissando #'breakable = ##t}
2396 @item @code{\override TextSpanner #'breakable = ##t}
2397 @item @code{\remove Forbid_line_break_engraver in the Voice context}
2400 These settings space grace notes strictly, extend tuplet brackets to
2401 mark both rhythmic start- and stop-points, and allow spanning elements
2402 to break across systems and pages. See the respective parts of the manual
2403 for these related settings.
2409 @ref{New spacing area}.
2415 @node Fitting music onto fewer pages
2416 @section Fitting music onto fewer pages
2418 Sometimes you can end up with one or two staves on a second
2419 (or third, or fourth...) page. This is annoying, especially
2420 if you look at previous pages and it looks like there is plenty
2421 of room left on those.
2423 When investigating layout issues, @code{annotate-spacing} is an
2424 invaluable tool. This command prints the values of various layout
2425 spacing variables; for more details see the following section,
2426 @ref{Displaying spacing}.
2429 * Displaying spacing::
2430 * Changing spacing::
2434 @node Displaying spacing
2435 @subsection Displaying spacing
2437 @funindex annotate-spacing
2438 @cindex spacing, display of layout
2440 To graphically display the dimensions of vertical layout variables
2441 that may be altered for page formatting, set
2442 @code{annotate-spacing} in the @code{\paper} block:
2444 @c need to have \book{} otherwise we get the separate systems. -hwn
2445 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2446 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
2449 \paper { annotate-spacing = ##t }
2454 All layout dimensions are displayed in staff spaces, regardless of
2455 the units specified in the @code{\paper} or @code{\layout} block.
2456 For example, @code{paper-height} has a value of 59.75 staff
2457 spaces, using the default staff size of 20 points, which is
2458 equivalent to 148 millimeters, the height of @code{a6} paper in
2459 landscape orientation. The pairs (@var{a},@var{b}) are intervals,
2460 where @var{a} is the lower edge and @var{b} the upper edge of the
2470 @node Changing spacing
2471 @subsection Changing spacing
2473 The output of @code{annotate-spacing} reveals vertical dimensions
2474 in great detail. For details about modifying margins and other
2475 layout variables, see @ref{Page formatting}.
2477 Other than margins, there are a few other options to save space:
2481 Force systems to move as close together as possible (to fit as
2482 many systems as possible onto a page) while being spaced so that
2483 there is no blank space at the bottom of the page.
2487 between-system-padding = #0.1
2488 between-system-space = #0.1
2489 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
2495 Force the number of systems. For example, if the default layout
2496 has 11 systems, the following assignment will force a layout with
2506 Avoid (or reduce) objects that increase the vertical size of a
2507 system. For example, volta repeats (or alternate repeats) require
2508 extra space. If these repeats are spread over two systems, they
2509 will take up more space than one system with the volta repeats and
2510 another system without. For example, dynamics that @q{stick out} of
2511 a system can be moved closer to the staff:
2513 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
2515 \override DynamicText #'extra-offset = #'( -2.2 . 2.0)
2520 Alter the horizontal spacing via @code{SpacingSpanner}. For more
2521 details, see @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}. The following
2522 example illustrates the default spacing:
2524 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2537 The next example modifies @code{common-shortest-duration} from a
2538 value of @code{1/4} to @code{1/2}. The quarter note is the most
2539 common and shortest duration in this example, so by making this
2540 duration longer, a @q{squeezing} effect occurs:
2542 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2554 \override SpacingSpanner
2555 #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 2)
2562 The @code{common-shortest-duration} property cannot be modified
2563 dynamically, so it must always be placed in a @code{\context}
2564 block so that it applies to the whole score.
2572 @ref{Page formatting},
2573 @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}.