1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
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11 @unnumbered Introduction
13 @divClass{column-center-top}
16 @imageFloat{flat-design,png,right}
18 LilyPond came about when two musicians wanted to go beyond the
19 soulless look of computer-printed sheet music. Musicians prefer
20 reading beautiful music, so why couldn't programmers write
21 software to produce elegant printed parts?
23 The result is a system which frees musicians from the details of
24 layout, allowing them to focus on making music. LilyPond works
25 with them to create publication-quality parts, crafted in the best
26 traditions of classical music engraving.
30 @divClass{link-headings}
32 @divClass{column-left-top}
33 @subheading What LilyPond does
38 @ref{Features}: What can LilyPond do?
41 @ref{Examples}: I want to see some music!
44 @ref{Freedom}: LilyPond is Free Software.
47 @ref{Background}: Our computational aesthetics.
52 @divClass{column-right-top}
53 @subheading LilyPond in use
57 @ref{Productions}: Real-life use of LilyPond.
60 @ref{Reviews}: What do people say?
65 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
66 @subheading How LilyPond works
70 @ref{Text input}: You write music as @emph{text}?!
73 @ref{Easier editing}: Other ways of working with LilyPond.
80 @c TRANSLATORS, translations are not yet compiled in Info format, so
81 @c it's not worth translating the right column of the following
85 * Features:: What can LilyPond do?
86 * Examples:: I want to see some music!
87 * Freedom:: Freedom and the GPL.
88 * Background:: Computational aesthetics.
89 * Productions:: Real-life use of LilyPond.
90 * Reviews:: What do people say about it?
91 * Text input:: You write music as text?!
92 * Easier editing:: Other ways of working with LilyPond.
99 @unnumberedsec Features
100 @divClass{column-center-top}
104 @subsubheading Excellent classical engraving
106 @imageFloat{flat-design,png,right}
108 LilyPond allows musicians to produce elegant sheet music that is
109 easy to read. Its developer community has spent thousands of hours
110 developing powerful music engraving software that results in beautifully
111 engraved music. All of LilyPond's style settings, font designs and
112 algorithms have been inspired by the finest hand-engraved music.
113 LilyPond output has the same strong, balanced and elegant look as the
114 best-engraved classical scores. This is further explained in our
119 @subsubheading Effective layout choices
121 Spend less time with tweaking the output; LilyPond gets the
122 formatting correct right from the start. It determines spacing by
123 itself, and breaks lines and pages to provide a tight and uniform
124 layout. Clashes between lyrics, notes, and chords are resolved
125 and slurs and beams are sloped, automatically!
131 @subheading Ease of use
133 @imageFloat{lilypond-book,png,right}
135 @subsubheading Text-based input
137 LilyPond takes ASCII input, which you can produce in your favorite
138 text editor, quickly and comfortably. The input contains all the
139 information, so there is no need to remember complex command sequences:
140 simply save a file for later reference.
142 @subsubheading Mix music and text
144 Put fragments of music into texts without cutting and pasting
145 pictures. Integrate music into @LaTeX{} or HTML seamlessly, or add
146 music to OpenOffice.org with OOoLilyPond. Plugins are also available
147 to allow LilyPond code in various blogs and wikis, making online
148 collaboration possible.
151 @subsubheading Accessibility
153 Text-based input also makes score-writing possible for users with
154 severe physical disabilities. Dexterity-impaired users who are
155 unable to type or control a computer mouse can use
156 speech-recognition software to edit LilyPond files. Even users
157 who are totally blind can use screen-reading software to write
158 LilyPond files -- an impossible task in graphical-based
159 score-writing programs.
161 @subsubheading Extensible design
163 All settings can be changed to suit your personal typographical
164 taste. If that still is not enough, there is always the built-in
165 scripting language Scheme, a dialect of the powerful language
166 LISP. Settings, variables and functions are all documented in the
167 comprehensive program reference manual.
173 @subheading Environment
175 @imageFloat{frescobaldi-lilypond-editor-small,png,right}
177 @subsubheading Free software
179 LilyPond can be downloaded free of charge! Yep - It's free. Get
180 it from the download page.
182 It's also free (as in @qq{speech}) software. It comes with source
183 code, and permission to change and copy it. So, are you irritated
184 by a bug, or yearning for a feature? Simply add it yourself, or
185 pay someone else to do it.
188 @subsubheading Excellent support
190 LilyPond runs on all popular platforms: GNU/Linux, MacOS X, and
191 Windows. LilyPond comes with extensive documentation and hundreds
192 of example files. There is an active user community answering
193 questions on the lilypond-user mailing list, while the development
194 team makes sure that problems are solved quickly.
197 @subsubheading Enhanced editors
200 Several developers, themselves active LilyPond users, have also
201 written tools specifically aimed at making the process of editing
202 LilyPond files faster and more effective. For some examples, see
203 @ref{Easier editing}.
206 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
207 @subheading Where now?
209 Still not convinced? Look at some specific @ref{Examples}. If you've
210 already decided to try LilyPond, first read about our
217 @unnumberedsec Examples
219 LilyPond is a powerful and flexible tool for engraving tasks of
220 all kinds. Please browse our gallery of examples and be inspired!
224 @subsubheading Classical Music
226 This organ work by J.S. Bach is a fairly typical engraving project
229 @exampleImage{bach-bwv610}
233 @subsubheading Complex Notation
235 This example from @emph{Goyescas} by Enrique Granados shows some
236 of the more advanced features of typesetting, including kneed
237 beams, cross-staff stems, and voice-follow lines.
239 @exampleImage{granados}
243 @subsubheading Early Music
245 LilyPond also supports various types of ancient notation, such
246 as this passage of Gregorian chant.
248 @exampleImage{ancient-headword}
252 @subsubheading Modern Music
254 Contemporary composers find LilyPond well-suited to displaying
255 unusual notation. Here is an excerpt from Trevor Bača's
256 @emph{Čáry}, for unaccompanied bass flute.
263 @subsubheading Efficient, flexible creation of performance materials
265 Various performance materials can be created from the same source
266 code. This is an excerpt of @uref{http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/,
267 Nicolas Sceaux's} engraving of Handel's @emph{Giulio Cesare}, in
268 full score, piano-vocal reduction, and a violin part.
270 @exampleImage{sesto-full}
272 @exampleImage{sesto-piano}
274 @exampleImage{sesto-violin}
279 @subsubheading Tablature
281 LilyPond supports tablature notation, which can be customized to
282 suit any instrument that reads from tablature. The tablature
283 staff is generated automatically from notes entered for the 5-line
286 @exampleImage{tab-example}
290 @subsubheading Schenker Graphs
292 Standard output can be modified heavily. Here is an impressive
293 Schenkerian analysis, created by Kris Schaffer, for an article
294 in @uref{http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8364 , Linux Journal.}.
295 The colors have been added for better visibility.
297 @exampleImage{bach-schenker}
301 @subsubheading Vocal Music
303 LilyPond is excellent for vocal music of all kinds, from sacred
304 hymns to opera. Here is a medieval motet with slightly unusual
305 requirements. The tenor voice is written in a different meter
306 than the others, but must line up as if it were in the same meter.
307 LilyPond handles this most elegantly. Note also the incipits with
308 Vaticana style clefs, the slashed stems indicating plicated notes,
309 and the ligature braces above certain groups of notes.
311 @exampleImage{aucun-snippet}
315 @subsubheading Educational Applications
317 LilyPond is perfectly suited for educational purposes as well.
318 Here is an example of a simple counterpoint exercise.
320 @exampleImage{theory}
324 @subsubheading Popular Music
326 It is simple to create pop lead sheets with melody, lyrics,
327 chord names, and fretboards. In this example you see some of the
328 predefined fretboard diagrams, but these can be heavily customized
329 to suit nearly any situation.
335 @subsubheading Large Projects
337 LilyPond is excellent for large projects like operas or works for
338 full symphony orchestra, as well. In addition, the text-based
339 input provides greater accessibility -- this example was
340 contributed by Hu Haipeng, a blind composer.
342 @exampleImage{orchestra}
346 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
347 @subheading Where now?
349 Still not convinced? LilyPond is Free software, granting you
350 @ref{Freedom}. If you've already decided to try LilyPond, first
351 read about our @ref{Text input}.
356 @unnumberedsec Freedom
358 @divClass{column-center-top}
359 @subheading Free Software
361 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/, GNU} LilyPond is written and maintained
362 by a community of enthusiasts. It is published under the
363 @ref{GPL, GNU General Public License} and the @ref{FDL, GNU Free
364 Documentation License}, giving everybody the freedom to fix,
365 modify, and extend the program. Creating beautiful music should
366 not require hundreds of dollars of software!
370 @c @divClass{column-left-top}
372 @divClass{keep-bullets}
373 @subheading What are the benefits to users?
378 No cost: download and try it out! What do you have to lose?
381 Sharing: if you like the program, give a copy to your friends,
382 teachers, students, and colleagues!
385 Source available: if you are curious about how LilyPond creates
386 some notation, you can see exactly how it is done.
389 Extendible: you can add features, fix bugs, and change the
390 functionality. If you are not a programmer, you can hire somebody
393 This may not seem appealing to casual musicians, but the ability
394 to extend software can be highly valuable to serious composers,
395 companies, and academics.
398 Future safety: if a commercial company goes bankrupt, what happens
399 to any electronic music which depends on their products? This is
400 not a concern with LilyPond; even if the entire development team
401 quits (extremely unlikely), the program will still be legally
402 available for copying, modifications, and distribution.
411 @c @divClass{column-right-top}
413 @divClass{keep-bullets}
414 @subheading Why do LilyPond developers @qq{give away} their work for free?
416 Most of us view LilyPond development as a hobby or volunteer work.
417 So this question is really asking @qq{why do people volunteer}?
422 Fun: working towards a goal can be enjoyable, especially when you
426 Shared goals: we all want beautiful sheet music, but few people
427 have the expertise (and nobody has the time!), to create a program
428 which can handle all situations. By working together -- one
429 person improves the automatic beaming code, another person
430 improves the shape of slurs, and a third person writes
431 documentation explaining how to use these features -- we can
432 achieve our goal with only a fraction of the individual effort.
435 @qq{Gift culture}: the Free Software (or @qq{Open Source})
436 movement has created many great software projects, such as
437 @uref{http://kernel.org/, GNU/Linux},
438 @uref{http://www.getfirefox.com/, Mozilla Firefox}, and
439 @uref{http://www.wesnoth.org/, Battle for Wesnoth}. Having
440 benefitted from these projects, some developers want to @qq{give
441 back} to the community.
444 Work experience: contributing to open-source projects is a great way to
445 practice programming, documentation writing, documentation translation,
446 or design. This experience has helped some developers gain job offers
456 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
457 @subheading Where now?
459 Still not convinced? Read our extensive essay about our engraving
460 philosophy in @ref{Background}. If you've already decided to try
461 LilyPond, first read about our @ref{Text input}.
466 @unnumberedsec Background
468 @divClass{column-center-top}
469 @subheading Background essay
471 We have an extensive essay describing computational aesthetics:
472 the art of creating beauty with a computer.
474 If you just want a quick introduction to LilyPond, the essay might
475 be too much material to read. If you would like to read it now,
476 please progress to @ref{Essay}.
479 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
480 @subheading Where now?
482 Still not convinced? Read about some of our users'
483 @ref{Productions} and sheet music. If you've already decided to
484 try LilyPond, first read about our @ref{Text input}.
489 @unnumberedsec Productions
491 @divClass{column-left-top}
494 LilyPond engravings have been used for performances around the world.
497 @divClass{keep-bullets}
501 @emph{Affaire étrangère}, an opera by
502 @uref{http://valentin.villenave.net/,Valentin Villenave}
503 to a French libretto by
504 @uref{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Trondheim, Lewis
505 Trondheim}, premiered February 1, 2009 at
506 @uref{http://www.orchestre-montpellier.com/, L'Opéra National de
507 Montpellier}, France.
510 @uref{http://www.mercurybaroque.org/02/02109.aspx, Mercury Baroque}'s
511 performance of Lully's @emph{Armide}, May 15-16, 2009, in Houston,
512 Texas (engraving by @uref{http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/,
516 Instrumental excerpts from Rameau's @emph{Hippolyte et Aricie} at
517 St. James's Church in Manhattan, May 8, 2009, by Frederick Renz
518 and his ensemble @uref{http://www.earlymusicny.org/, Early Music
519 New York} (engraving by Nicolas Sceaux).
527 @divClass{column-right-top}
528 @subheading Published sheet music
530 @divClass{keep-bullets}
534 @uref{http://www.mutopiaproject.org/index.html, Mutopia Project},
535 over 1500 pieces of classical sheet music for free download, and
536 the main showcase of LilyPond scores.
538 @c don't make this "Mutopia" a link, since that looks silly.
540 @uref{http://etudeapp.com, Etude}, @qq{sheet music on steroids} is
541 an iPhone app which displays piano music engraved with LilyPond,
542 including many pieces from Mutopia. The app includes a virtual
543 piano keyboard showing which keys to press to help beginners learn
544 how to read sheet music.
547 @uref{http://www.adoromusicpub.com/, Adoro Music Publishing},
548 high-quality scores of sacred music, available for immediate
549 download or in traditional paper format.
552 @uref{http://www.shadylane.fr, The Shady Lane Publishing},
553 a @qq{micro musical publishing house} whose goal is to promote a
554 new form of musical economy closer to the musicians and music
564 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
565 @subheading Where now?
567 Still not convinced? Read some of our users' @ref{Reviews}.
568 If you've already decided to try LilyPond, first read about our
572 @c TRANSLATORS, so far it's mostly from
573 @c http://lilypond.org/web/switch/testimonials
576 @unnumberedsec Reviews
578 @divClass{column-left-top}
579 @subheading Published articles
581 @divClass{keep-bullets}
587 The German LinuxUser magazine wrote an
588 @uref{http://www.linux-community.de/Internal/Artikel/Print-Artikel/LinuxUser/2009/10/Digitaler-Notenschluessel,
589 article about LilyPond}.
595 @uref{http://www.polyphonic.org/article.php?id=188, Polyphonic.org}
596 website, presents comments by two orchestra librarians who
597 talk about using software to maintain their libraries.
602 In @uref{http://www.musicbyandrew.ca/finale-lilypond-1.html,
603 articles on his personal site}, Andrew Hawryluk compares Finale
604 and LilyPond in general terms, and evaluates engraving
605 capabilities of both pieces of software in detail. The second
606 article is an instructive analysis of engraving issues in
607 Rachmaninoff's Piano Prelude No. 6, including comparisons with a
608 hand-engraved reference edition.
613 @uref{http://distrowatch.com,DistroWatch} awards LilyPond and
614 @uref{http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20060605,writes}
615 @qq{Ladies and Gentleman, we are pleased to announce that, based
616 on readers' requests, the DistroWatch May 2006 donation has been
617 awarded to LilyPond (@euro{}190.00) and Lua (US$250.00).}
622 @uref{http://linuxjournal.com,Linux Journal} publishes an article
623 titled @uref{http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8364, Make
624 Stunning Schenker Graphs with GNU LilyPond}. It is an in-depth
625 but hands-on feature article with crisp LilyPond graphics. Author
626 Kris Shaffer remarks @qq{GNU LilyPond generates beautiful graphics
627 that make commercial alternatives seem second-rate.}
632 The Belgian newspaper De Standaard investigates what drives Free
633 Software authors in an article titled
634 @uref{http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=G42H5GD6,
635 Delen van KENNIS zonder WINSTBEJAG} (Non-profit sharing of
636 knowlegde) in its @q{DS2 bijlage}. LilyPond is used as an example
637 and the article is interspersed with quotes from an email
638 interview with Jan Nieuwenhuizen. This marks LilyPond's first
639 appearance in mainstream printed press.
644 A French article on the LilyPond 2.6 release appeared on
645 @uref{http://linuxfr.org/2005/06/27/19210.html, linuxfr.org}.
650 The editors of Computer!Totaal, a Dutch computer magazine,
651 @uref{http://lilypond.org/web/images/computer-totaal.jpeg,
652 describe LilyPond} in the October 2004 issue as: @qq{Wonderful
653 free (open source) software [..] The sheet music produced by
654 LilyPond is exceptionally pretty [..] a very powerful system that
655 can do almost anything.}
660 Dave Phillips wrote an introductory article for
661 @uref{http://linuxjournal.com,Linux Journal}: At
662 the sounding edge: LilyPond, parts
663 @uref{http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7657, one} and
664 @uref{http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7719, two}.
670 @uref{http://www.all-day-breakfast.com/cannam/linux-musician/lilypond.html,interviewed}
671 Han-Wen Nienhuys and Jan Nieuwenhuizen on linuxmusician.com
672 (original site defunct). This interview was also reviewed in a
673 @uref{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/13/2054227&tid=,
679 Jazz singer Gail Selkirk writes about
680 @uref{http://www.songbirdofswing.com/editorial_page/lilypond/,
681 Diving into LilyPond}. @qq{... you can make lead sheets or full
682 orchestral parts, and the results can be stunning.}
683 @uref{http://www.computermusic.co.uk/, Computer Music Special},
692 @divClass{column-right-top}
693 @subheading User testimonials
695 @divClass{testimonial-item}
696 @imageFloat{carter-brey,jpg, right}
697 @subsubheading @uref{http://nyphil.org/meet/orchestra/index.cfm?page=profile&personNum=7, Carter Brey}, Principal Cellist, New York Philharmonic
699 @qq{@dots{} I've written a couple of encore pieces for solo cello
700 which I've printed with LilyPond and which I'm going to submit to
701 Schirmer for publication. I'll bet their engraved version wouldn't
702 look half as sharp as mine!}
706 @divClass{testimonial-item}
707 @imageFloat{orm-finnendahl,jpg, left}
708 @subsubheading @uref{http://icem-www.folkwang-hochschule.de/~finnendahl/, Orm Finnendahl}, professor of Composition, Musikhochschule Freiburg
710 @qq{Although I don't know [LilyPond] very well yet, I'm
711 @strong{*very} impressed. I used the program to input a motet of
712 Josquin Desprez in mensural notation and there's no doubt that
713 lilypond outscores all other notation programs easily concerning
714 speed, ease of use and look!}
718 @divClass{testimonial-item}
719 @imageFloat{darius-blasband,jpg, right}
720 @subsubheading Darius Blasband, composer (Brussels, Belgium)
722 @qq{[..after the first orchestra rehearsal] I got numerous
723 compliments about the quality of the scores. Even more
724 importantly, while LilyPond provides numerous hacks to improve the
725 way its scores look, what the orchestra got from me is basically
726 the raw, untouched output.}
730 @divClass{testimonial-item}
731 @subsubheading Kieren MacMillan, composer (Toronto, Canada)
733 @qq{thanks and kudos to the development team for their incredible
734 work. I've never seen anything approaching the output that I get
735 from LilyPond -- I'm totally confident that my music publishing
736 needs will be fulfilled beyond my expectations using this great
737 application. [..] basically untweaked LilyPond output [..] looks
738 better than most recent @q{professional} publications I've compared
739 it to (q.v., just about any Warner Bros. score, and even many of
740 the most recent by @q{the old houses}). [..]}
742 @qq{Beat that, Finale/Sibelius/Igor/whatever!!!}
746 @divClass{testimonial-item}
747 @subsubheading Chris Cannam, lead programmer of the @uref{http://www.rosegardenmusic.com/, RoseGarden} project
749 @qq{LilyPond is obviously the zillion-ton gorilla [of great music
754 @divClass{testimonial-item}
755 @subsubheading Chris Snyder, @uref{http://www.adoromusicpub.com/, Adoro Music Publishing}
757 @qq{The way that music is entered for LilyPond causes me to think in a
758 more musical way -- there have been times when I've been stumped as
759 to how to tell Lily to engrave something, only to realize that
760 even if I did get it exactly as the composer wanted, the music
761 would be confusing to read. LilyPond makes it much easier for me
762 to work in my dual editor+engraver role.}
764 @qq{I've been using LilyPond exclusively for my fledgling music
765 publishing business. Virtually without exception, every composer
766 has been blown away by the quality of the engraving when presented
767 with the proofs of their music about to be published. I deserve
768 some of the credit for this -- I spend a lot of time tweaking
769 output, especially ties (mainly in chords) -- but LilyPond gives
770 me an excellent starting point, a very intuitive interface, and
771 the ability to modify absolutely anything if I want to take the
772 time. I'm convinced that no commercial product can come close.}
776 @divClass{testimonial-item}
777 @subsubheading David Bobroff, Bass Trombone, Iceland Symphony Orchestra
779 @qq{I think LilyPond is great [..] The more I learn about LilyPond
784 @divClass{testimonial-item}
785 @subsubheading Vaylor Trucks, Electric guitar player (Yes, @uref{http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=userpage&file=content&page_id=12, related to})
787 @qq{I am super impressed with LilyPond [..]}
789 @qq{THIS IS THE BEST PROGRAM EVER!!!}
791 @qq{Thank you all SO MUCH for your hard work and dedication!}
795 @divClass{testimonial-item}
796 @subsubheading @uref{http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/, Nicolas Sceaux}, @uref{http://www.mutopiaproject.org/, Mutopia} contributor
798 @qq{I had a kind of hate-passion relationship with it. Passion
799 because the first score I saw was so amazing! The description of
800 LilyPond lies about its beautifulness, it is too modest! [..] as
801 LilyPond is getting always better, and as I look closer how things
802 are done in scheme, I have less and less frustrations. Anyway,
803 what I mean is: thank you for providing LilyPond, it is really
808 @divClass{testimonial-item}
809 @subsubheading @uref{http://www.troff.org/whoswho.html#werner, Werner Lemberg}, Conductor at the Theatre in Koblenz, Germany and distinguished GNU Hacker
811 @qq{Anyway, LilyPond does an amazingly good job!}
815 @divClass{testimonial-item}
816 @subsubheading Paul Davis, developer of @uref{http://jackaudio.org/, JACK} and @uref{http://www.ardour.org/, Ardour}
818 @qq{I think [LilyPond is] an incredible program, and it produces
819 wonderful, wonderful output. when i read an interview about it
820 last year, i was raving to several friends of mine about its
826 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
827 @subheading Where now?
829 Read about our @ref{Text input}.
835 @unnumberedsec Text input
837 @c TRANSLATORS, so far it's mostly from
838 @c http://lilypond.org/web/switch/howto
840 @subheading @qq{Compiling} Music
842 @imageClickable{nereid-shot-small,png, (click to enlarge), nereid-shot,png, right}
844 LilyPond is a @emph{compiled} system: it is run on a text file
845 describing the music. The resulting output is viewed on-screen or
846 printed. In some ways, LilyPond is more similar to a programming
847 language than graphical score editing software.
849 You do not write music by dragging notes from a graphical toolbar
850 and placing them on a dynamically refreshing score; you write
851 music by typing text. This text is interpreted (or @qq{compiled})
852 by LilyPond, which produces beautifully engraved sheet music.
854 People accustomed to graphical user interfaces might need to learn
855 a new way of working, but the results are definitely worth it!
857 @warning{We present a quick overview of our text input -- it's not
858 as complicated as it sounds! Don't worry about understanding
859 every detail in these examples; our beginner documentation covers
860 everything at a much more gradual pace.}
863 @subsubheading It's as simple as A B C
865 Notes are encoded with letters and numbers. Special commands are
866 entered with backslashes.
868 @imageFloat{text-input-1-annotate,png,center}
869 @imageFloat{text-input-1-output,png,center}
871 Alterations are made with different names: add @code{-is} for
872 sharp, and @code{-es} for flat (these are Dutch note names, other
873 languages are available). LilyPond figures out where to put
876 @imageFloat{text-input-2-annotate,png,center}
877 @imageFloat{text-input-2-output,png,center}
880 @subsubheading Pop music
882 Put chords and lyrics together to get a lead sheet:
884 @imageFloat{text-input-pop-annotate,png,center}
885 @imageFloat{text-input-pop-output,png,center}
889 @subsubheading Orchestral parts
891 The input file contains the notes of piece of music. Score and
892 parts can be made from a single input file, so that changing a
893 note always affects the score and parts. To be able to include
894 the same music in multiple places, the music is assigned to a
895 @qq{variable} (a name).
897 @imageFloat{text-input-parts-both-annotate,png,center}
900 This variable is then used in a single part (here transposed, with
901 condensed rests spanning several measures):
903 @imageFloat{text-input-parts-single-annotate,png,center}
904 @imageFloat{text-input-parts-single-output,png,center}
907 The same variable is used in the full score (here in concert
910 @imageFloat{text-input-score-annotate,png,center}
911 @imageFloat{text-input-score-output,png,center}
914 @subsubheading Beginner Documentation
916 We realize that many users find this way of entering music a bit
917 odd. For this reason, we have written extensive documentation to
918 help new users, beginning with @ref{Learning}. The Learning
919 Manual is the best place to start, as many questions are answered
922 Please read the Learning Manual before complaining about bugs!
923 New users occasionally believe that LilyPond is not working
924 correctly, when in fact it is working precisely as designed.
926 More in-depth information is available in @ref{Manuals}.
929 @subsubheading Easier editing environments
931 @imageClickable{lilykde-screenshot-small,png,
932 (click to enlarge),lilykde-screenshot,png,right}
934 LilyPond is primarily concerned with producing top-quality
935 engraved sheet music; creating a Graphical User Interface (GUI)
936 would distract us from this goal. However, there are other
937 projects aimed at making it easier to create LilyPond input files.
939 Some editing environments include syntax highlighting, automatic
940 command completion, and pre-made templates. Other programs
941 actually provide a GUI which allows direct manipulation of a
942 graphical score. For more information, see @ref{Easier editing}.
946 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
947 @subheading Where now?
949 You are now ready to @ref{Download, Download LilyPond}. Still not
950 convinced? Read about @ref{Easier editing}.
956 @unnumberedsec Easier editing
959 @divClass{column-center-top}
960 @subheading LilyPondTool
962 @imageClickable{lilypondtool-2.12-screenshot-400wide,png,
963 (click to enlarge),lilypondtool-2.12-screenshot,png,right}
965 @sourceimage{logo-linux,,,}
966 @sourceimage{logo-freebsd,,,}
967 @sourceimage{logo-macosx,,,}
968 @sourceimage{logo-windows,,,}
970 @uref{http://lilypondtool.organum.hu}
972 Created as a plugin for the
973 @uref{http://www.jedit.org,jEdit} text editor,
974 LilyPondTool is one of the most feature-rich text-based tools for
975 editing LilyPond scores. Its features include a Document Wizard
976 with lyrics support to set up documents easier, and embedded PDF
977 viewer with advanced point-and-click support.
981 @divClass{column-center-top}
982 @subheading Frescobaldi
984 @imageClickable{frescobaldi-lilypond-editor-small,png,
985 (click to enlarge),frescobaldi-lilypond-editor,png,right}
987 @sourceimage{logo-linux,,,}
988 @sourceimage{logo-freebsd,,,}
990 @uref{http://www.frescobaldi.org}
992 Frescobaldi is a dedicated LilyPond music and text editor with a
993 built-in PDF previewer, a powerful score wizard and many editing
994 features. It is built on top of the KDE4 libraries and runs
995 currently on all flavours of Linux and other UNIX-like operating
1000 @divClass{column-center-top}
1003 @imageClickable{screenshot-denemo-small,png,
1004 (click to enlarge),screenshot-denemo,png,right}
1006 @sourceimage{logo-linux,,,}
1007 @sourceimage{logo-windows,,,}
1009 @uref{http://denemo.org}
1011 Denemo is a graphical editor which generates LilyPond source code,
1012 and also allows audio playback. It allows users to view the
1013 LilyPond source code in parallel to the graphical view. Extra
1014 LilyPond tweaks can be attached to notes, chords etc. and are stored
1015 with the Denemo file, so that users can continue to edit graphically.
1017 Moving the cursor in the LilyPond text moves the cursor in the graphical
1018 view, and any syntax errors in your LilyPond tweaks are highlighted in
1019 the text view when printed from there.
1021 @warning{Denemo officially supports an outdated Lilypond version 2.8.7,
1022 which lacks many of the features added since then. The Denemo developers
1023 are actively working to bring it up to our present stable version, 2.12.}
1026 @divClass{column-center-top}
1027 @subheading Text editors
1029 @sourceimage{logo-linux,,,}
1030 @sourceimage{logo-freebsd,,,}
1031 @sourceimage{logo-macosx,,,}
1032 @sourceimage{logo-windows,,,}
1034 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/}
1036 Emacs is a text editor with language-sensitive capabilities for
1037 many different computer languages. Emacs is a highly extensible
1038 editor and can be used as an Integrated Development Environment.
1039 There is a @q{lilypond mode} which supplies the language
1040 definitions for working with LilyPond source files. As well, one of
1041 our developers has written
1042 @uref{http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/lilypond/lyqi.html,lyqi}, an
1045 @uref{http://www.vim.org}
1047 Vim is a minimal text editor and is an extension of the older Unix
1048 @command{vi} editor. It is also extensible and configurable.
1050 As a general rule, if you are not already familiar with Emacs or
1051 Vim, then you would probably prefer to use a different editor for
1052 writing LilyPond input files.
1054 More information on setting up Emacs and Vim can be found in
1055 @rprogram{Text editor support}.
1057 @sourceimage{logo-macosx,,,}
1058 @uref{http://www.uoregon.edu/~koch/texshop}
1060 The TexShop editor for MacOS@tie{}X can be extended to run LilyPond,
1061 @command{lilypond-book} and @command{convert-ly} from within the editor,
1062 using the extensions available at:
1065 @uref{http://users.dimi.uniud.it/~nicola.vitacolonna/home/content/lilypond-scripts}
1068 @sourceimage{logo-macosx,,,}
1069 There is a LilyPond bundle for TextMate, a commercial editor for MacOS.
1070 It may be installed by running:
1073 mkdir -p /Library/Application\ Support/TextMate/Bundles
1074 cd /Library/Application\ Support/TextMate/Bundles
1075 git clone http://github.com/textmate/lilypond.tmbundle.git
1081 @divClass{column-center-top}
1082 @subheading Other programs can export LilyPond code
1085 @subsubheading Score, tab and MIDI editors:
1089 @uref{http://www.rosegardenmusic.com,Rosegarden}, an audio and
1090 MIDI sequencer, which also has a score editor for single-staff
1094 @uref{http://vsr.informatik.tu-chemnitz.de/staff/jan/nted/nted.xhtml,NtEd},
1095 is based on the @uref{http://cairographics.org, Cairo} library and
1096 has experimental export for LilyPond.
1099 @uref{http://www.tuxguitar.com.ar/,TuxGuitar}, a multitrack
1100 tablature editor and player, provides a score view as well as tab,
1101 and can export to LilyPond.
1104 @uref{http://musescore.org,MuseScore} has incomplete LilyPond
1105 export but is being actively developed.
1108 @uref{http://canorus.org,Canorus} can also export to LilyPond, but
1109 is still beta-software. Testers are welcome, though.
1112 @uref{http://www.volny.cz/smilauer/rumor/rumor.html,Rumor}, a realtime
1113 monophonic MIDI to LilyPond converter.
1117 @subsubheading Algorithmic code generators
1122 @uref{http://strasheela.sourceforge.net, Strasheela} is @qq{a
1123 highly expressive constraint-based music composition system}.
1126 @uref{http://common-lisp.net/project/fomus/,FOMUS}, a LISP library
1127 to generate music notation from computer music software environments.
1132 @divClass{column-center-top}
1134 @subheading Other programs not being actively developed
1139 @uref{http://lilykde.googlecode.com/,LilyKDE} has been replaced by
1140 @uref{http://www.frescobaldi.org/,Frescobaldi}, and exists as
1141 LilyKDE3 for KDE 3.5 and lilypond-KDE4 for KDE 4.1 only.
1144 @uref{http://noteedit.berlios.de,NoteEdit}, which imported
1145 @uref{http://www.musicxml.com/xml.html,MusicXML}, has been forked
1147 @uref{http://vsr.informatik.tu-chemnitz.de/staff/jan/nted/nted.xhtml,NtEd}
1148 and @uref{http://canorus.org,Canorus}.
1152 @uref{http://lilycomp.sourceforge.net, LilyComp} is a graphical
1153 note entry program, acting much like a number-pad which produces
1161 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
1162 @subheading Where now?
1164 You are now ready to @ref{Download, Download LilyPond}.
1166 Still not convinced? Many composers, musicians, and conductors
1167 have learned how to write music in our input format. Experienced
1168 users even report that they can enter a full score in LilyPond
1169 faster than with a piano keyboard or mouse+GUI! Perhaps you would
1170 like to review the @ref{Features}, @ref{Examples}, or the
1171 @ref{Freedom} that LilyPond provides, or read about users'
1172 @ref{Productions} and @ref{Reviews}. In addition, our
1173 approach to the computational aesthetics of classical engraving is
1174 explained in our @ref{Background}.
1177 @subheading Legalese
1180 All logos and product images are copyright and trademark