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15 @chapter Spacing issues
17 The global paper layout is determined by three factors: the page layout, the
18 line breaks, and the spacing. These all influence each other. The
19 choice of spacing determines how densely each system of music is set.
20 This influences where line breaks are chosen, and thus ultimately, how
21 many pages a piece of music takes.
23 Globally speaking, this procedure happens in four steps: first,
24 flexible distances (@q{springs}) are chosen, based on durations. All
25 possible line breaking combinations are tried, and a @q{badness} score
26 is calculated for each. Then the height of each possible system is
27 estimated. Finally, a page breaking and line breaking combination is chosen
28 so that neither the horizontal nor the vertical spacing is too cramped
34 * Displaying spacing::
37 * Horizontal spacing::
42 @section Paper and pages
44 This section deals with the boundaries that define the area
45 that music can be printed inside.
54 @subsection Paper size
60 To change the paper size, there are two commands,
62 #(set-default-paper-size "a4")
64 #(set-paper-size "a4")
68 The first command sets the size of all pages. The second command sets the
70 of the pages that the @code{\paper} block applies to -- if the @code{\paper}
71 block is at the top of the file, then it will apply to all pages. If the
72 @code{\paper} block is inside a @code{\book}, then the paper size will only
75 Support for the following paper sizes are included by default,
76 @code{a6}, @code{a5}, @code{a4}, @code{a3}, @code{legal}, @code{letter},
77 @code{11x17} (also known as tabloid).
79 Extra sizes may be added by editing the definition for
80 @code{paper-alist} in the initialization file @file{scm/paper.scm}.
85 If the symbol @code{landscape} is supplied as an argument to
86 @code{set-default-paper-size}, the pages will be rotated by 90 degrees,
87 and wider line widths will be set correspondingly.
90 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
93 Setting the paper size will adjust a number of @code{\paper} variables
94 (such as margins). To use a particular paper size with altered
95 @code{\paper} variables, set the paper size before setting the variables.
99 @subsection Page formatting
101 @cindex page formatting
106 LilyPond will do page layout, set margins, and add headers and
107 footers to each page.
109 The default layout responds to the following settings in the
116 @funindex first-page-number
117 @item first-page-number
118 The value of the page number of the first page. Default is@tie{}1.
120 @funindex print-first-page-number
121 @item print-first-page-number
122 If set to true, will print the page number in the first page. Default is
125 @funindex print-page-number
126 @item print-page-number
127 If set to false, page numbers will not be printed. Default is true.
129 @funindex paper-width
131 The width of the page. The default is taken from the current paper size,
132 see @ref{Paper size}.
134 @funindex paper-height
136 The height of the page. The default is taken from the current paper size,
137 see @ref{Paper size}.
141 Margin between header and top of the page. Default is@tie{}5mm.
143 @funindex bottom-margin
145 Margin between footer and bottom of the page. Default is@tie{}6mm.
147 @funindex left-margin
149 Margin between the left side of the page and the beginning of the
150 music. Unset by default, which means that the margins is determined
151 based on the @code{paper-width} and @code{line-width} to center the
156 The length of the systems. Default is @code{paper-width} minus @tie{}20mm.
158 @funindex head-separation
159 @item head-separation
160 Distance between the top-most music system and the page header. Default
163 @funindex foot-separation
164 @item foot-separation
165 Distance between the bottom-most music system and the page
166 footer. Default is@tie{}4mm.
168 @funindex page-top-space
170 Distance from the top of the printable area to the center of the first
171 staff. This only works for staves which are vertically small. Big staves
172 are set with the top of their bounding box aligned to the top of the
173 printable area. Default is@tie{}12mm.
175 @funindex ragged-bottom
177 If set to true, systems will not be spread vertically across the page. This
178 does not affect the last page. Default is false.
180 This should be set to true for pieces that have only two or three
181 systems per page, for example orchestral scores.
183 @funindex ragged-last-bottom
184 @item ragged-last-bottom
185 If set to false, systems will be spread vertically to fill the last
186 page. Default is true.
188 Pieces that amply fill two pages or more should have this set to
191 @funindex system-count
193 This variable, if set, specifies into how many lines a score should be
194 broken. Unset by default.
196 @funindex between-system-space
197 @item between-system-space
198 This dimensions determines the distance between systems. It is the
199 ideal distance between the center of the bottom staff of one system
200 and the center of the top staff of the next system. Default is@tie{}20mm.
202 Increasing this will provide a more even appearance of the page at the
203 cost of using more vertical space.
205 @funindex between-system-padding
206 @item between-system-padding
207 This dimension is the minimum amount of white space that will always
208 be present between the bottom-most symbol of one system, and the
209 top-most of the next system. Default is@tie{}4mm.
211 Increasing this will put systems whose bounding boxes almost touch
214 @funindex page-breaking-between-system-padding
215 @item between-system-padding
216 This variable, if set, tricks the page breaker into thinking that
217 @code{between-system-padding} is set to something different than it
218 really is. For example, if this variable is set to something substantially
219 larger than @code{between-system-padding}, then the page-breaker will put
220 fewer systems on each page.
222 @funindex horizontal-shift
223 @item horizontal-shift
224 All systems (including titles and system separators) are shifted by
225 this amount to the right. Page markup, such as headers and footers are
226 not affected by this. The purpose of this variable is to make space
227 for instrument names at the left. Default is@tie{}0.
229 @funindex after-title-space
230 @item after-title-space
231 Amount of space between the title and the first system. Default is@tie{}5mm.
233 @funindex before-title-space
234 @item before-title-space
235 Amount of space between the last system of the previous piece and the
236 title of the next. Default is@tie{}10mm.
238 @funindex between-title-space
239 @item between-title-space
240 Amount of space between consecutive titles (e.g., the title of the
241 book and the title of a piece). Default is@tie{}2mm.
243 @funindex printallheaders
244 @item printallheaders
245 Setting this to #t will print all headers for each \score in the
246 output. Normally only the piece and opus \headers are printed.
248 @funindex systemSeparatorMarkup
249 @item systemSeparatorMarkup
250 This contains a markup object, which will be inserted between
251 systems. This is often used for orchestral scores. Unset by default.
253 The markup command @code{\slashSeparator} is provided as a sensible
256 @lilypond[ragged-right]
257 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
260 \relative { c1 \break c1 }
263 systemSeparatorMarkup = \slashSeparator
268 @funindex blank-page-force
269 @item blank-page-force
270 The penalty for having a blank page in the middle of a
271 score. This is not used by @code{ly:optimal-breaking} since it will
272 never consider blank pages in the middle of a score. Default value
275 @funindex blank-last-page-force
276 @item blank-last-page-force
277 The penalty for ending the score on an odd-numbered page.
280 @funindex page-spacing-weight
281 @item page-spacing-weight
282 The relative importance of page (vertical) spacing and line (horizontal)
283 spacing. High values will make page spacing more important. Default
286 @funindex auto-first-page-number
287 @item auto-first-page-number
288 The page breaking algorithm is affected by the first page number being
289 odd or even. If this variable is set to #t, the page breaking algorithm
290 will decide whether to start with an odd or even number. This will
291 result in the first page number remaining as is or being increased by one.
299 The header and footer are created by the functions make-footer and
300 make-header, defined in \paper. The default implementations are in
301 ly/paper-defaults.ly and ly/titling-init.ly.
303 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the \paper block,
304 page-music-height and page-make-stencil. The former tells the
305 line-breaking algorithm how much space can be spent on a page, the
306 latter creates the actual page given the system to put on it.
308 You can define paper block values in Scheme. In that case mm, in, pt,
309 and cm are variables defined in paper-defaults.ly with values in
310 millimeters. That is why the value 2 cm must be multiplied in the
315 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
327 ragged-last-bottom = ##t
331 This second example centers page numbers at the bottom of every page.
335 print-page-number = ##t
336 print-first-page-number = ##t
337 oddHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
338 evenHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
339 oddFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
340 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
341 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
342 evenFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
343 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
344 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
348 You can also define these values in Scheme. In that case @code{mm},
349 @code{in}, @code{pt}, and @code{cm} are variables defined in
350 @file{paper-defaults.ly} with values in millimeters. That is why the
351 value must be multiplied in the example
355 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
359 The header and footer are created by the functions @code{make-footer}
360 and @code{make-header}, defined in @code{\paper}. The default
361 implementations are in @file{ly/@/paper@/-defaults@/.ly} and
362 @file{ly/@/titling@/-init@/.ly}.
364 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the
365 @code{\paper} block, @code{page-music-height} and
366 @code{page-make-stencil}. The former tells the line-breaking algorithm
367 how much space can be spent on a page, the latter creates the actual
368 page given the system to put on it.
373 The option right-margin is defined but doesn't set the right margin
374 yet. The value for the right margin has to be defined adjusting the
375 values of @code{left-margin} and @code{line-width}.
377 The default page header puts the page number and the @code{instrument}
378 field from the @code{\header} block on a line.
380 The titles (from the @code{\header@{@}} section) are treated as a
381 system, so @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom} will
382 add space between the titles and the first system of the score.
386 @section Music layout
389 * Setting the staff size::
394 @node Setting the staff size
395 @subsection Setting the staff size
397 @cindex font size, setting
398 @cindex staff size, setting
399 @funindex layout file
401 To set the staff size globally for all scores in a file (or
402 in a @code{book} block, to be precise), use @code{set-global-staff-size}.
405 #(set-global-staff-size 14)
409 This sets the global default size to 14pt staff height and scales all
412 To set the staff size individually for each score, use
417 #(layout-set-staff-size 15)
422 The Feta font provides musical symbols at eight different
423 sizes. Each font is tuned for a different staff size: at a smaller size
424 the font becomes heavier, to match the relatively heavier staff lines.
425 The recommended font sizes are listed in the following table:
428 @multitable @columnfractions .15 .2 .22 .2
431 @tab @b{staff height (pt)}
432 @tab @b{staff height (mm)}
474 @c modern rental material?
479 These fonts are available in any sizes. The context property
480 @code{fontSize} and the layout property @code{staff-space} (in
481 @internalsref{StaffSymbol}) can be used to tune the size for individual
482 staves. The sizes of individual staves are relative to the global size.
490 This manual: @ref{Selecting notation font size}.
494 @subsection Score layout
498 While @code{\paper} contains settings that relate to the page formatting
499 of the whole document, @code{\layout} contains settings for score-specific
506 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-6 . 6)
509 \override TextScript #'padding = #1.0
510 \override Glissando #'thickness = #3
518 This manual: @ref{Changing context default settings}.
521 @node Displaying spacing
522 @section Displaying spacing
524 @funindex annotate-spacing
525 @cindex Spacing, display of properties
527 To graphically display the dimensions of vertical properties that may
528 be altered for page formatting, set @code{annotate-spacing} in the
529 @code{\paper} block, like this
533 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
537 \paper { annotate-spacing = ##t }
541 @c need to have \book{} otherwise we get the separate systems. -hwn
544 @c FIXME: really bad vagueness due to bug in annotate-spacing. -gp
545 Some unit dimensions are measured in staff spaces, while others
546 are measured in millimeters.
548 (@var{a},@var{b}) are intervals, where @var{a} is the lower edge and
549 @var{b} the upper edge of the interval.
558 * Optimal page breaking::
559 * Optimal page turning::
561 * Using an extra voice for breaks::
565 @subsection Line breaking
568 @cindex breaking lines
570 Line breaks are normally computed automatically. They are chosen so
571 that lines look neither cramped nor loose, and that consecutive lines
572 have similar density.
574 Occasionally you might want to override the automatic breaks; you can
575 do this by specifying @code{\break}. This will force a line break at
576 this point. Line breaks can only occur at places where there are bar
577 lines. If you want to have a line break where there is no bar line,
578 you can force an invisible bar line by entering @code{\bar
579 ""}. Similarly, @code{\noBreak} forbids a line break at a
583 @cindex regular line breaks
584 @cindex four bar music.
586 For line breaks at regular intervals use @code{\break} separated by
587 skips and repeated with @code{\repeat}:
589 << \repeat unfold 7 @{
590 s1 \noBreak s1 \noBreak
591 s1 \noBreak s1 \break @}
592 @emph{the real music}
597 This makes the following 28 measures (assuming 4/4 time) be broken every
598 4 measures, and only there.
602 @code{\break}, and @code{\noBreak}.
608 Internals: @internalsref{LineBreakEvent}.
613 Line breaks can only occur if there is a @q{proper} bar line. A note
614 which is hanging over a bar line is not proper, such as
616 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
617 c4 c2 c2 \break % this does nothing
618 c2 c4 | % a break here would work
619 c4 c2 c4 ~ \break % as does this break
623 To allow line breaks on such bar lines, the
624 @code{Forbid_line_break_engraver} can be removed from @code{Voice}
628 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
630 \remove "Forbid_line_break_engraver"
632 c4 c2 c2 \break % now the break is allowed
640 @subsection Page breaking
642 The default page breaking may be overriden by inserting
643 @code{\pageBreak} or @code{\noPageBreak} commands. These commands are
644 analogous to @code{\break} and @code{\noBreak}. They should be
645 inserted at a bar line. These commands force and forbid a page-break
646 from happening. Of course, the @code{\pageBreak} command also forces
649 Page breaks are computed by the @code{page-breaking} function.
650 LilyPond provides two algorithms for computing page
651 breaks, @code{ly:optimal-breaking} and @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}. The
652 default is @code{ly:optimal-breaking}, but the value can be changed in
653 the @code{\paper} block:
657 #(define page-breaking ly:page-turn-breaking)
661 The old page breaking algorithm is called
662 @code{optimal-page-breaks}. If you are having trouble with the new page
663 breakers, you can enable the old one as a workaround.
669 @funindex \noPageBreak
673 @node Optimal page breaking
674 @subsection Optimal page breaking
676 @funindex ly:optimal-breaking
678 The @code{ly:optimal-breaking} function is LilyPond's default method of
679 determining page breaks. It attempts to find a page breaking that minimizes
680 cramping and stretching, both horizontally and vertically. Unlike
681 @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, it has no concept of page turns.
684 @node Optimal page turning
685 @subsection Optimal page turning
687 @funindex ly:page-turn-breaking
689 Often it is necessary to find a page breaking configuration so that there is
690 a rest at the end of every second page. This way, the musician can turn the
691 page without having to miss notes. The @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} function
692 attempts to find a page breaking minimizing cramping and stretching, but with
693 the additional restriction that it is only allowed to introduce page turns
696 There are two steps to using this page breaking function. First, you must
697 enable it in the @code{\paper} block. Then, you must tell the function
698 where you would like to allow page breaks.
700 There are two ways to achieve the second step. First, you can specify each
701 potential page turn manually, by inserting @code{\allowPageTurn} into your
702 input file at the appropriate places.
704 If this is too tedious, you can add a @code{Page_turn_engraver} to a Staff or
705 Voice context. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} will scan the context for
706 sections without notes (note that it does not scan for rests; it scans for
707 the absence of notes. This is so that single-staff polyphony with rests in one
708 of the parts does not throw off the @code{Page_turn_engraver}). When it finds
709 a sufficiently long section without notes, the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
710 insert an @code{\allowPageTurn} at the final barline in that section, unless
711 there is a @q{special} barline (such as a double bar), in which case the
712 @code{\allowPageTurn} will be inserted at the final @q{special} barline in
715 @funindex minimumPageTurnLength
716 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} reads the context property
717 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} to determine how long a note-free section must
718 be before a page turn is considered. The default value for
719 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} is @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 1)}. If you want
720 to disable page turns, you can set it to something very large.
723 \new Staff \with @{ \consists "Page_turn_engraver" @}
726 R1 | % a page turn will be allowed here
728 \set Staff.minimumPageTurnLength = #(ly:make-moment 5 2)
729 R1 | % a page turn will not be allowed here
731 R1*2 | % a page turn will be allowed here
736 @funindex minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn
737 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} detects volta repeats. It will only allow a page
738 turn during the repeat if there is enough time at the beginning and end of the
739 repeat to turn the page back. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} can also disable
740 page turns if the repeat is very short. If you set the context property
741 @code{minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn} then the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
742 only allow turns in repeats whose duration is longer than this value.
746 There should only be one @code{Page_turn_engraver} in a score. If there is more
747 than one, they will interfere with each other.
750 @node Explicit breaks
751 @subsection Explicit breaks
753 Lily sometimes rejects explicit @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak}
754 commands. There are two commands to override this behavior:
757 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
758 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
761 When @code{line-break-permission} is overriden to false, Lily will insert
762 line breaks at explicit @code{\break} commands and nowhere else. When
763 @code{page-break-permission} is overriden to false, Lily will insert
764 page breaks at explicit @code{\pageBreak} commands and nowhere else.
766 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
775 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
776 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
779 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
780 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
781 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
782 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \pageBreak
783 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
784 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
785 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
786 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 }
793 @node Using an extra voice for breaks
794 @subsection Using an extra voice for breaks
796 Line- and page-breaking information usually appears within note entry directly.
801 \repeat unfold 2 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
803 \repeat unfold 3 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
808 This makes @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak} commands easy to enter but mixes
809 music entry with information that specifies how music should lay out
810 on the page. You can keep music entry and line- and page-breaking
811 information in two separate places by introducing an extra voice to
812 contain the breaks. This extra voice
813 contains only skips together with @code{\break}, @code{pageBreak} and other
814 breaking layout information.
816 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
826 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
827 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
828 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
829 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
835 This pattern becomes especially helpful when overriding
836 @code{line-break-system-details} and the other useful but long properties of
837 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumnGrob}, as explained in @ref{Vertical spacing}.
839 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
844 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
845 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
848 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
849 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 35))
852 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
853 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 70))
856 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
857 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 105))
861 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
862 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
863 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
864 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
871 @node Vertical spacing
872 @section Vertical spacing
874 @cindex vertical spacing
875 @cindex spacing, vertical
877 Vertical spacing is controlled by three things: the amount of
878 space available (i.e., paper size and margins), the amount of
879 space between systems, and the amount of space between
880 staves inside a system.
883 * Vertical spacing inside a system::
884 * Vertical spacing between systems::
885 * Explicit staff and system positioning::
886 * Two-pass vertical spacing::
887 * Vertical collision avoidance::
891 @node Vertical spacing inside a system
892 @subsection Vertical spacing inside a system
894 @cindex distance between staves
895 @cindex staff distance
896 @cindex space between staves
897 @cindex space inside systems
899 The height of each system is determined automatically. To prevent
900 staves from bumping into each other, some minimum distances are set.
901 By changing these, you can put staves closer together. This
902 reduces the amount of space each system requires, and may result
903 in having more systems per page.
905 Normally staves are stacked vertically. To make staves maintain a
906 distance, their vertical size is padded. This is done with the
907 property @code{minimum-Y-extent}. When applied to a
908 @internalsref{VerticalAxisGroup}, it controls the size of a horizontal
909 line, such as a staff or a line of lyrics. @code{minimum-Y-extent}
910 takes a pair of numbers, so
911 if you want to make it smaller than its default @code{#'(-4 . 4)}
915 \override Staff.VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-3 . 3)
919 This sets the vertical size of the current staff to 3 staff spaces on
920 either side of the center staff line. The value @code{(-3 . 3)} is
921 interpreted as an interval, where the center line is the 0, so the
922 first number is generally negative. The numbers need not match;
923 for example, the staff can be made larger at the bottom by setting
924 it to @code{(-6 . 4)}.
926 After page breaks are determined, the vertical spacing within each
927 system is reevaluated in order to fill the page more evenly; if a page
928 has space left over, systems are stretched in order to fill that space.
929 The amount of stretching can be configured though the @code{max-stretch}
930 property of the @internalsref{VerticalAlignment} grob. To disable this
931 stretching entirely, set @code{max-stretch} to zero.
933 In some situations, you may want to stretch most of a system while
934 leaving some parts fixed. For example, if a piano part occurs in the
935 middle of an orchestral score, you may want to leave the piano staves
936 close to each other while stretching the rest of the score. The
937 @code{keep-fixed-while-stretching} property of
938 @internalsref{VerticalAxisGroup} can be used to achieve this. When set
939 to @code{##t}, this property keeps its staff (or line of lyrics) from
940 moving relative to the one directly above it. In the example above,
941 you would override @code{keep-fixed-while-stretching} to @code{##t} in
942 the second piano staff:
946 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
953 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
954 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
955 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
960 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
962 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'keep-fixed-while-stretching = ##t
969 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
970 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
977 Internals: Vertical alignment of staves is handled by the
978 @internalsref{VerticalAlignment} object. The context parameters
979 specifying the vertical extent are described in connection with
980 the @internalsref{Axis_group_engraver}.
982 Example files: @lsr{spacing,page-spacing.ly},
983 @lsr{spacing,alignment-vertical-spacing.ly}.
986 @node Vertical spacing between systems
987 @subsection Vertical spacing between systems
989 Space between systems are controlled by four @code{\paper} variables,
993 between-system-space = 1.5\cm
994 between-system-padding = #1
996 ragged-last-bottom=##f
1001 @node Explicit staff and system positioning
1002 @subsection Explicit staff and system positioning
1004 One way to understand the @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper}
1005 settings explained in the previous two sections is as a collection of
1006 different settings that primarily concern the amount of vertical padding
1007 different staves and systems running down the page.
1009 It is possible to approach vertical spacing in a different way using
1010 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}. Where
1011 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper} settings specify vertical padding,
1012 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} specifies exact
1013 vertical positions on the page.
1015 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} accepts an associative
1016 list of five different settings:
1019 @item @code{X-offset}
1020 @item @code{Y-offset}
1021 @item @code{alignment-offsets}
1022 @item @code{alignment-extra-space}
1023 @item @code{fixed-alignment-extra-space}
1026 Grob overrides, including the overrides for @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}
1027 below, can occur in any of three different places in an input file:
1030 @item in the middle of note entry directly
1031 @item in a @code{\context} block
1032 @item in the @code{\with} block
1035 When we override @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}, we use the usual
1036 @code{\override} command in @code{\context} blocks and in the
1037 @code{\with} block. On the other hand, when we override
1038 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} in the middle of note entry,
1039 use the special @code{\overrideProperty} command. Here are some
1040 example @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} overrides with the special
1041 @code{\overrideProperty} command:
1044 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1045 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20))
1047 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1048 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1050 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1051 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40))
1053 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn
1054 #'line-break-system-details #'((alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1056 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn
1057 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40)
1058 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1061 To understand how each of these different settings work, we begin
1062 by looking at an example that includes no overrides at all.
1064 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1072 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 18 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1075 \repeat unfold 18 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1080 This score isolates line- and page-breaking information in a dedicated
1081 voice. This technique of creating a breaks voice will help keep layout
1082 separate from music entry as our example becomes more complicated.
1083 See @ref{Using an extra voice for breaks}.
1085 Explicit @code{\breaks} evenly divide the music into six measures per
1086 line. Vertical spacing results from LilyPond's defaults. To set
1087 the vertical startpoint of each system explicitly, we can set
1088 the @code{Y-offset} pair in the @code{line-break-system-details}
1089 attribute of the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob:
1091 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1095 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1096 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1098 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1099 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1101 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1102 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 80))
1105 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 18 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1108 \repeat unfold 18 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1113 Note that @code{line-break-system-details} takes an associative list of
1114 potentially many values, but that we set only one value here. Note,
1115 too, that the @code{Y-offset} property here determines the exact vertical
1116 position on the page at which each new system will render.
1118 Now that we have set the vertical startpoint of each system
1119 explicitly, we can also set the vertical startpoint of each staff
1120 within each system manually. We do this using the @code{alignment-offsets}
1121 subproperty of @code{line-break-system-details}.
1123 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1127 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1128 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 20)
1129 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1131 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1132 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1133 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1135 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1136 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1137 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1140 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 18 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1143 \repeat unfold 18 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1148 Note that here we assign two different values to the
1149 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute of the
1150 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob. Though the
1151 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute alist accepts many
1152 additional spacing parameters (including, for example, a corresponding
1153 @code{X-offset} pair), we need only set the @code{Y-offset} and
1154 @code{alignment-offsets} pairs to control the vertical startpoint of
1155 every system and every staff. Finally, note that @code{alignment-offsets}
1156 specifies the vertical positioning of staves but not of staff groups.
1158 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1162 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1163 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0)
1164 (alignment-offsets . (0 -30 -40)))
1166 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1167 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1168 (alignment-offsets . (0 -10 -20)))
1170 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1171 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1172 (alignment-offsets . (0 -10, -40)))
1175 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 18 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1179 \repeat unfold 18 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1182 \repeat unfold 18 { e'4 e'4 e'4 e'4 }
1188 Some points to consider:
1191 @item When using @code{alignment-offsets}, lyrics count as a staff.
1193 @item The units of the numbers passed to @code{X-offset},
1194 @code{Y-offset} and @code{alignment-offsets} are interpreted as multiples
1195 of the distance between adjacent staff lines. Positive values move staves
1196 and lyrics up, negative values move staves and lyrics down.
1198 @item Because the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
1199 settings given here allow the positioning of staves and systems anywhere
1200 on the page, it is possible to violate paper or margin boundaries or even
1201 to print staves or systems on top of one another. Reasonable values
1202 passed to these different settings will avoid this.
1205 @node Vertical collision avoidance
1206 @subsection Vertical collision avoidance
1208 @funindex outside-staff-priority
1209 @funindex outside-staff-padding
1210 @funindex outside-staff-horizontal-padding
1212 Intuitively, there are some objects in musical notation that belong
1213 to the staff and there are other objects that should be placed outside
1214 the staff. Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
1215 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings (from now on, these will
1216 be called outside-staff objects). LilyPond's rule for the
1217 vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them as close
1218 to the staff as possible but not so close that they collide with
1221 LilyPond uses the @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine
1222 whether a grob is an outside-staff object: if @code{outside-staff-priority}
1223 is a number, the grob is an outside-staff object. In addition,
1224 @code{outside-staff-priority} tells LilyPond in which order the objects
1227 First, LilyPond places all the objects that do not belong outside
1228 the staff. Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
1229 @code{outside-staff-priority} (in increasing order). One by one, LilyPond
1230 takes the outside-staff objects and places them so that they do
1231 not collide with any objects that have already been placed. That
1232 is, if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the one
1233 with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed closer to
1236 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1239 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #1
1240 c4_"Text"\pp % this time the text will be closer to the staff
1242 % by setting outside-staff-priority to a non-number, we
1243 % disable the automatic collision avoidance
1244 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1245 \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1246 c4_"Text"\pp % now they will collide
1249 The vertical padding between an outside-staff object and the
1250 previously-positioned grobs can be controlled with
1251 @code{outside-staff-padding}.
1253 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1254 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #0
1255 a'^"This text is placed very close to the note"
1256 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #3
1257 c^"This text is padded away from the previous text"
1258 c^"This text is placed close to the previous text"
1261 By default, outside-staff objects are placed without regard to
1262 their horizontal distance from the previously-posititioned grobs. This
1263 can lead to situations in which objects are placed very close to each
1264 other horizontally. Setting @code{outside-staff-horizontal-padding}
1265 causes an object to be offset vertically so that such a situation
1268 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1269 % the markup is too close to the following note
1272 % setting outside-staff-horizontal-padding fixes this
1274 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-horizontal-padding = #1
1281 @node Horizontal spacing
1282 @section Horizontal Spacing
1284 @cindex horizontal spacing
1285 @cindex spacing, horizontal
1288 * Horizontal spacing overview::
1289 * New spacing area::
1290 * Changing horizontal spacing::
1292 * Proportional notation::
1296 @node Horizontal spacing overview
1297 @subsection Horizontal spacing overview
1299 The spacing engine translates differences in durations into stretchable
1300 distances (@q{springs}) of differring lengths. Longer durations get
1301 more space, shorter durations get less. The shortest durations get a
1302 fixed amount of space (which is controlled by
1303 @code{shortest-duration-space} in the @internalsref{SpacingSpanner}
1304 object). The longer the duration, the more space it gets: doubling a
1305 duration adds a fixed amount (this amount is controlled by
1306 @code{spacing-increment}) of space to the note.
1308 For example, the following piece contains lots of half, quarter, and
1309 8th notes; the eighth note is followed by 1 note head width (NHW).
1310 The quarter note is followed by 2 NHW, the half by 3 NHW, etc.
1312 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=1]
1313 c2 c4. c8 c4. c8 c4. c8 c8
1317 Normally, @code{spacing-increment} is set to 1.2 staff space, which is
1318 approximately the width of a note head, and
1319 @code{shortest-duration-space} is set to 2.0, meaning that the
1320 shortest note gets 2.4 staff space (2.0 times the
1321 @code{spacing-increment}) of horizontal space. This space is counted
1322 from the left edge of the symbol, so the shortest notes are generally
1323 followed by one NHW of space.
1325 If one would follow the above procedure exactly, then adding a single
1326 32nd note to a score that uses 8th and 16th notes, would widen up the
1327 entire score a lot. The shortest note is no longer a 16th, but a 32nd,
1328 thus adding 1 NHW to every note. To prevent this, the shortest
1329 duration for spacing is not the shortest note in the score, but rather
1330 the one which occurs most frequently.
1333 The most common shortest duration is determined as follows: in every
1334 measure, the shortest duration is determined. The most common shortest
1335 duration is taken as the basis for the spacing, with the stipulation
1336 that this shortest duration should always be equal to or shorter than
1337 an 8th note. The shortest duration is printed when you run
1338 @code{lilypond} with the @code{--verbose} option.
1340 These durations may also be customized. If you set the
1341 @code{common-shortest-duration} in @internalsref{SpacingSpanner}, then
1342 this sets the base duration for spacing. The maximum duration for this
1343 base (normally an 8th), is set through @code{base-shortest-duration}.
1345 @funindex common-shortest-duration
1346 @funindex base-shortest-duration
1347 @funindex stem-spacing-correction
1350 Notes that are even shorter than the common shortest note are
1351 followed by a space that is proportional to their duration relative to
1352 the common shortest note. So if we were to add only a few 16th notes
1353 to the example above, they would be followed by half a NHW:
1355 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=2]
1356 c2 c4. c8 c4. c16[ c] c4. c8 c8 c8 c4 c4 c4
1360 In the introduction (see @ref{Engraving}), it was explained that stem
1361 directions influence spacing. This is controlled with the
1362 @code{stem-spacing-correction} property in the
1363 @internalsref{NoteSpacing}, object. These are generated for every
1364 @internalsref{Voice} context. The @code{StaffSpacing} object
1365 (generated in @internalsref{Staff} context) contains the same property
1366 for controlling the stem/bar line spacing. The following example shows
1367 these corrections, once with default settings, and once with
1368 exaggerated corrections:
1370 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1374 \override Staff.NoteSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
1375 \override Staff.StaffSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
1381 Proportional notation is supported; see @ref{Proportional notation}.
1386 Internals: @internalsref{SpacingSpanner}, @internalsref{NoteSpacing},
1387 @internalsref{StaffSpacing}, @internalsref{SeparationItem}, and
1388 @internalsref{SeparatingGroupSpanner}.
1393 There is no convenient mechanism to manually override spacing. The
1394 following work-around may be used to insert extra space into a score.
1396 \once \override Score.SeparationItem #'padding = #1
1399 No work-around exists for decreasing the amount of space.
1402 @node New spacing area
1403 @subsection New spacing area
1405 New sections with different spacing parameters can be started with
1406 @code{newSpacingSection}. This is useful when there are
1407 sections with a different notions of long and short notes.
1409 In the following example, the time signature change introduces a new
1410 section, and hence the 16ths notes are spaced wider.
1412 @lilypond[relative,fragment,verbatim,quote]
1415 c8 c c4 c16[ c c8] c4
1422 The @code{\newSpacingSection} command creates a new
1423 @internalsref{SpacingSpanner} object, and hence new @code{\override}s
1424 may be used in that location.
1427 @node Changing horizontal spacing
1428 @subsection Changing horizontal spacing
1430 Horizontal spacing may be altered with the
1431 @code{base-shortest-duration} property. Here
1432 we compare the same music; once without altering
1433 the property, and then altered. Larger values
1434 of @code{ly:make-moment} will produce smaller
1435 music. Note that @code{ly:make-moment} constructs
1436 a duration, so @code{1 4} is a longer duration
1439 @lilypond[relative,verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
1442 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
1443 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1444 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
1445 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1450 @lilypond[relative,verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
1453 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
1454 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1455 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
1456 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1461 \override SpacingSpanner
1462 #'base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
1471 By default, spacing in tuplets depends on various non-duration
1472 factors (such as accidentals, clef changes, etc). To disregard
1473 such symbols and force uniform equal-duration spacing, use
1474 @code{Score.SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching}. This
1475 property can only be changed at the beginning of a score,
1477 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1479 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
1497 When @code{strict-note-spacing} is set, notes are spaced without
1498 regard for clefs, bar lines, and grace notes,
1500 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1501 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
1502 \new Staff { c8[ c \clef alto c \grace { c16[ c] } c8 c c] c32[ c32] }
1507 @subsection Line length
1510 @cindex breaking pages
1513 @funindex line-width
1514 @funindex ragged-right
1515 @funindex ragged-last
1517 @c Although line-width can be set in \layout, it should be set in paper
1518 @c block, to get page layout right.
1519 @c Setting indent in \paper block makes not much sense, but it works.
1521 @c Bit verbose and vague, use examples?
1522 The most basic settings influencing the spacing are @code{indent} and
1523 @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block. They
1524 control the indentation of the first line of music, and the lengths of
1527 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block, then
1528 systems ends at their natural horizontal length, instead of being spread
1529 horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful for
1530 short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural spacing is.
1533 @cindex vertical spacing
1535 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right}, but
1536 only affects the last line of the piece. No restrictions are put on
1537 that line. The result is similar to formatting text paragraphs. In a
1538 paragraph, the last line simply takes its natural horizontal length.
1539 @c Note that for text there are several options for the last line.
1540 @c While Knuth TeX uses natural length, lead typesetters use the same
1541 @c stretch as the previous line. eTeX uses \lastlinefit to
1542 @c interpolate between both these solutions.
1553 @node Proportional notation
1554 @subsection Proportional notation
1556 LilyPond supports proportional notation, a type of horizontal spacing
1557 in which each note consumes an amount of horizontal space exactly
1558 equivalent to its rhythmic duration. This type of proportional spacing
1559 is comparable to horizontal spacing on top of graph paper. Some late
1560 20th- and early 21st-century scores use proportional notation to
1561 clarify complex rhythmic relationships or to faciliate the placement
1562 of timelines or other graphics directly in the score.
1564 LilyPond supports five different settings for proportional notation,
1565 which may be used together or alone:
1568 @item @code{proportionalNotationDuration}
1569 @item @code{uniform-stretching}
1570 @item @code{strict-note-spacing}
1571 @item @code{\remove Separating_line_group_engraver}
1572 @item @code{\override PaperColumn #'used = ##t}
1575 In the examples that follow, we explore these five different
1576 proportional notation settings and examine how these settings interact.
1578 We start with the following one-measure example, which uses classical
1579 spacing with ragged-right turned on.
1581 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1583 \new RhythmicStaff {
1587 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
1593 Notice that the half note which begins the measure takes up far less
1594 than half of the horizontal space of the measure. Likewise, the
1595 sixteenth notes and sixteenth-note quintuplets (or twentieth notes)
1596 which end the measure together take up far more than half the
1597 horizontal space of the measure.
1599 In classical engraving, this spacing may be exactly what we want
1600 because we can borrow horizontal space from the half note and conserve
1601 horizontal space across the measure as a whole.
1603 On the other hand, if we want to insert a measured timeline or other
1604 graphic above or below our score, we need proportional notation. We
1605 turn proportional notation on with the proportionalNotationDuration
1608 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1610 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
1612 \new RhythmicStaff {
1616 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
1622 The half note at the beginning of the measure and the faster notes in
1623 the second half of the measure now occupy equal amounts of horizontal
1624 space. We could place a measured timeline or graphic above or below
1627 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting is a context setting that
1628 lives in @context{Score}. Recall that context settings appear in one of
1629 three locations in our input file -- in a @code{\with} block, in a
1630 @code{\context} block, or directly in music entry
1631 preceeded by the @code{\set} command. As with all
1632 context settings, users can pick which of the three different
1633 locations they would like to set @code{proportionalNotationDuration}.
1635 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting takes a single argument,
1636 which is the reference duration against which all music will be
1637 spaced. The LilyPond Scheme function make-moment takes two arguments
1638 -- a numerator and denominator which together express some fraction of
1639 a whole note. The call @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 20)} therefore produces a
1640 reference duration of a twentieth note. The values
1641 @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 16)}, @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 8)}, and
1642 @code{#(ly:make-moment 3 97)} are all possible as well.
1644 How do we select the right reference duration to pass to
1645 @code{proportionalNotationDuration}? Usually by a process of trial and error,
1646 beginning with a duration close to the fastest (or smallest) duration
1647 in the piece. Smaller reference durations space music loosely; larger
1648 reference durations space music tightly.
1650 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1652 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
1654 \new RhythmicStaff {
1658 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
1664 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
1666 \new RhythmicStaff {
1670 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
1676 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
1678 \new RhythmicStaff {
1682 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
1688 Note that too large a reference duration -- such as the eighth note,
1689 above -- spaces music too tightly and can cause notehead collisions.
1690 Note also that proportional notation in general takes up more
1691 horizontal space that does classical spacing. Proportional spacing
1692 provides rhythmic clarity at the expense of horizontal space.
1694 Next we examine how to optimally space overlapping tuplets.
1696 We start by examining what happens to our original example, with
1697 classical spacing, when we add a second staff with a different type of
1700 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1702 \new RhythmicStaff {
1706 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
1709 \new RhythmicStaff {
1711 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
1717 The spacing is bad because the evenly notes of the bottom staff do not
1718 stretch uniformly. Classical engraving includes very few complex
1719 triplets and so classical engraving rules can generate this type of
1720 result. Setting @code{proportionalNotationDuration} remedies this
1721 situation considerably.
1723 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1725 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
1727 \new RhythmicStaff {
1731 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
1734 \new RhythmicStaff {
1736 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
1742 But if we look very carefully we can see that notes of the second half
1743 of the 9-tuplet space ever so slightly more widely than do the notes
1744 of the first half of the 9-tuplet. To ensure uniform stretching, we
1745 turn on @code{uniform-stretching}, which is a property of
1746 @code{SpacingSpanner}.
1748 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1750 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
1751 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
1753 \new RhythmicStaff {
1757 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
1760 \new RhythmicStaff {
1762 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
1768 Our two-staff example now spaces exactly, our rhythmic relationships
1769 are visually clear, and we can include a measured timeline or graphic
1772 The @code{SpacingSpanner} is an abstract grob that lives in the
1773 @context{Score} context. As with our settings of
1774 @code{proportionalNotationDuration},
1775 overrides to the @code{SpacingSpanner} can occur in any of three different
1776 places in our input file -- in the Score @code{\with} block, in a
1777 Score @code{\context} block, or in note entry directly.
1779 There is by default only one @code{SpacingSpanner} per @code{Score}. This
1780 means that, by default, @code{uniform-stretching} is either turned on for the
1781 entire score or turned off for the entire score. We can, however,
1782 override this behavior and turn on different spacing features at
1783 different places in the score. We do this with the command
1784 @code{\newSpacingSection}. See @ref{New spacing area}, for more info.
1786 Next we examine the effects of the @code{Separating_line_group_engraver} and
1787 see why proportional scores frequently remove this engraver. The following
1788 example shows that there is a small amount of @qq{preferatory} space
1789 just before the first note in each system.
1791 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1804 The amount of this preferatory space is the same whether after a time
1805 signature, a key signature or a clef. @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
1806 is responsible for this space. Removing @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
1807 reduces this space to zero.
1809 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1815 \remove Separating_line_group_engraver
1823 Nonmusical elements like time signatures, key signatures, clefs and
1824 accidentals are problemmatic in proportional notation. None of these
1825 elements has rhythmic duration. But all of these elements consume
1826 horizontal space. Different proportional scores approach these
1827 problems differently.
1829 It may be possible to avoid spacing problems with key signatures
1830 simply by not having any. This is a valid option since most
1831 proportional scores are contemporary music. The same may be true
1832 of time signatures, especially for those scores
1833 that include a measured timeline or other graphic. But these scores
1834 are exceptional and most proportional scores include at least some
1835 time signatures. Clefs and accidentals are even more essential.
1837 So what strategies exist for spacing nonmusical elements in a
1838 proportional context? One good option is the @code{strict-note-spacing}
1839 property of @code{SpacingSpanner}. Compare the two scores below:
1841 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1843 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
1853 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
1854 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
1864 Both scores are proportional, but the spacing in the first score is
1865 too loose because of the clef change. The spacing of the second score
1866 remains strict, however, because @code{strict-note-spacing} is turned
1867 on. Turning on @code{strict-note-spacing} causes the width of time
1868 signatures, key signatures and clefs to play no part in the spacing
1869 algorithm. Accidentals are a different matter, however. By default, all
1870 accidentals consume a little extra space, as the following pair of
1873 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1875 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
1887 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
1899 Both scores are proportional but the second score exhibits spacing
1900 irregularities due to accidentals. Turning on @code{strict-note-spacing}
1901 does not work for accidentals. Instead,
1902 we override the @code{X-extent} of all accidentals to zero and then move the
1903 accidentals to the left of the notes they modify.
1905 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
1907 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
1908 \override Accidental #'X-extent = #'(0 . 0)
1909 \override Accidental #'extra-offset = #'(-1 . 0)
1921 In addition to the settings given here, there are other settings that
1922 frequently appear in proportional scores. These include:
1925 @item @code{\override SpacingSpanner #'strict-grace-spacing = ##t}
1926 @item @code{tupletFullLength = ##t}
1927 @item @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}
1928 @item @code{\override Glissando #'breakable = ##t}
1929 @item @code{\override TextSpanner #'breakable = ##t}
1930 @item @code{\remove Forbid_line_break_engraver in the Voice context}
1933 These settings space grace notes strictly, extend tuplet brackets to
1934 mark both rhythmic start- and stop-points, and allow spanning elements
1935 to break across systems and pages. See the respective parts of the manual
1936 for these related settings.