1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
3 Translation of GIT committish: FILL-IN-HEAD-COMMITTISH
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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{column-left-top}
31 @subheading Why use LilyPond?
36 @ref{Features}: What can LilyPond do?
39 @ref{Examples}: I want to see some music!
42 @ref{Freedom}: LilyPond is Free Software.
45 @ref{Background}: Our computational aesthetics.
50 @divClass{column-right-top}
51 @subheading Who uses it?
56 @ref{Productions}: Real-life use of LilyPond.
59 @ref{Testimonials}: What do people say?
64 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
65 @subheading Why not use LilyPond?
70 @ref{Text input}: You write music as @emph{text}?!
73 @ref{Easier editing}: Other ways of working with LilyPond.
78 @c TRANSLATORS, translations are not yet compiled in Info format, so
79 @c it's not worth translating the right column of the following
83 * Features:: What can LilyPond do?
84 * Examples:: I want to see some music!
85 * Freedom:: Freedom and the GPL.
86 * Background:: Computational aesthetics.
87 * Productions:: Real-life use of LilyPond.
88 * Testimonials:: What do people say about it?
89 * Text input:: You write music as text?!
90 * Easier editing:: Other ways of working with LilyPond.
97 @unnumberedsec Features
98 @divClass{column-center-top}
102 @subsubheading Excellent classical engraving
104 @imageFloat{flat-design,png,right}
106 LilyPond allows musicians to produce elegant sheet music that is
107 easy to read. Its developer community has spent thousands of hours
108 developing powerful music engraving software that results in beautifully
109 engraved music. All of LilyPond's style settings, font designs and
110 algorithms have been inspired by the finest hand-engraved music.
111 LilyPond output has the same strong, balanced and elegant look as the
112 best-engraved classical scores. This is further explained in our
115 @subsubheading Effective layout choices
117 Spend less time with tweaking the output; LilyPond gets the
118 formatting correct right from the start. It determines spacing by
119 itself, and breaks lines and pages to provide a tight and uniform
120 layout. Clashes between lyrics, notes, and chords are resolved
121 and slurs and beams are sloped, automatically!
124 @subheading Ease of use
126 @subsubheading Text-based input
128 LilyPond takes ASCII input, which you can produce in your favorite
129 text editor, quickly and comfortably. The input contains all the
130 information, so there is no need to remember complex command sequences:
131 simply save a file for later reference.
133 @subsubheading Mix music and text
135 @imageFloat{lilypond-book,png,right}
137 Put fragments of music into texts without cutting and pasting
138 pictures. Integrate music into @LaTeX{} or HTML seamlessly, or add
139 music to OpenOffice.org with OOoLilyPond.
142 @subsubheading Accessibility
144 Text-based input also makes score-writing possible for users with
145 severe physical disabilities. Dexterity-impaired users who are
146 unable to type or control a computer mouse can use
147 speech-recognition software to edit LilyPond files. Even users
148 who are totally blind can use screen-reading software to write
149 LilyPond files -- an impossible task in graphical-based
150 score-writing programs.
152 @subsubheading Extensible design
154 All settings can be changed to suit your personal typographical
155 taste. If that still is not enough, there is always the built-in
156 scripting language Scheme, a dialect of the powerful language
157 LISP. Settings, variables and functions are all documented in the
158 comprehensive program reference manual.
160 @subheading Environment
162 @subsubheading Free software
164 LilyPond can be downloaded free of charge! Yep - It's free. Get
165 it from the download page.
167 It's also free (as in @qq{speech}) software. It comes with source
168 code, and permission to change and copy it. So, are you irritated
169 by a bug, or yearning for a feature? Simply add it yourself, or
170 pay someone else to do it.
173 @subsubheading Excellent support
175 LilyPond runs on all popular platforms: GNU/Linux, MacOS X, and
176 Windows. LilyPond comes with extensive documentation and hundreds
177 of example files. There is an active user community answering
178 questions on the lilypond-user mailing list, while the development
179 team makes sure that problems are solved quickly.
183 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
184 @subheading Where now?
186 Still not convinced? Look at some specific @ref{Examples}. If you've
187 already decided to try LilyPond, first read about our
194 @unnumberedsec Examples
196 LilyPond is a powerful and flexible tool for engraving tasks of
197 all kinds. Please browse our gallery of examples and be inspired!
201 @subsubheading Classical Music
203 This organ work by J.S. Bach is a fairly typical engraving project
206 @exampleImage{bach-bwv610}
210 @subsubheading Complex Notation
212 This example from @emph{Goyescas} by Enrique Granados shows some
213 of the more advanced features of typesetting, including kneed
214 beams, cross-staff stems, and voice-follow lines.
216 @exampleImage{granados}
220 @subsubheading Early Music
222 LilyPond also supports various types of ancient notation, such
223 as this passage of Gregorian chant.
225 @exampleImage{ancient-headword}
229 @subsubheading Modern Music
231 Contemporary composers find LilyPond well-suited to displaying
232 unusual notation. Here is an excerpt from Trevor Bača's
233 @emph{Čáry}, for unaccompanied bass flute.
240 @subsubheading Efficient, flexible creation of performance materials
242 Various performance materials can be created from the same source
243 code. This is an excerpt of @uref{http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/,
244 Nicolas Sceaux's} engraving of Handel's @emph{Giulio Cesare}, in
245 full score, piano-vocal reduction, and a violin part.
247 @exampleImage{sesto-full}
249 @exampleImage{sesto-piano}
251 @exampleImage{sesto-violin}
256 @subsubheading Tablature
258 LilyPond supports tablature notation, which can be customized to
259 suit any instrument that reads from tablature. The tablature
260 staff is generated automatically from notes entered for the 5-line
263 @exampleImage{tab-example}
267 @subsubheading Schenker Graphs
269 Standard output can be modified heavily. Here is an impressive
270 Schenkerian analysis, created by Kris Schaffer, for an article
271 in @uref{http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8364 , Linux Journal}
273 @exampleImage{bach-schenker}
277 @subsubheading Vocal Music
279 LilyPond is excellent for vocal music of all kinds, from sacred
280 hymns to opera. Here is a medieval motet with slightly unusual
281 requirements. The tenor voice is written in a different meter
282 than the others, but must line up as if it were in the same meter.
283 LilyPond handles this most elegantly. Note also the incipits with
284 Vaticana style clefs, the slashed stems indicating plicated notes,
285 and the ligature braces above certain groups of notes.
287 @exampleImage{aucun-snippet}
291 @subsubheading Educational Applications
293 LilyPond is perfectly suited for educational purposes as well.
294 Here is an example of a simple counterpoint exercise.
296 @exampleImage{theory}
300 @subsubheading Popular Music
302 It is simple to create pop lead sheets with melody, lyrics,
303 chord names, and fretboards. In this example you see some of the
304 predefined fretboard diagrams, but these can be heavily customized
305 to suit nearly any situation.
311 @subsubheading Large Projects
313 LilyPond is excellent for large projects like operas or works for
314 full symphony orchestra, as well. In addition, the text-based
315 input provides greater accessibility -- this example was
316 contributed by Hu Haipeng, a blind composer.
318 @exampleImage{orchestra}
322 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
323 @subheading Where now?
325 Still not convinced? LilyPond is Free software, granting you
326 @ref{Freedom}. If you've already decided to try LilyPond, first
327 read about our @ref{Text input}.
332 @unnumberedsec Freedom
334 @divClass{column-center-top}
335 @subheading Free Software
337 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/, GNU} LilyPond is written and maintained
338 by a community of enthusiasts. It is published under the
339 @ref{GPL, GNU General Public License} and the @ref{FDL, GNU Free
340 Documentation License}, giving everybody the freedom to fix,
341 modify, and extend the program. Creating beautiful music should
342 not require hundreds of dollars of software!
346 @c @divClass{column-left-top}
348 @divClass{keep-bullets}
349 @subheading What are the benefits to users?
354 No cost: download and try it out! What do you have to lose?
357 Sharing: if you like the program, give a copy to your friends,
358 teachers, students, and colleagues!
361 Source available: if you are curious about how LilyPond creates
362 some notation, you can see exactly how it is done.
365 Extendible: you can add features, fix bugs, and change the
366 functionality. If you are not a programmer, you can hire somebody
369 This may not seem appealing to casual musicians, but the ability
370 to extend software can be highly valuable to serious composers,
371 companies, and academics.
374 Future safety: if a commercial company goes bankrupt, what happens
375 to any electronic music which depends on their products? This is
376 not a concern with LilyPond; even if the entire development team
377 quits (extremely unlikely), the program will still be legally
378 available for copying, modifications, and distribution.
387 @c @divClass{column-right-top}
389 @divClass{keep-bullets}
390 @subheading Why do LilyPond developers @qq{give away} their work for free?
392 Most of us view LilyPond development as a hobby or volunteer work.
393 So this question is really asking @qq{why do people volunteer}?
398 Fun: working towards a goal can be enjoyable, especially when you
402 Shared goals: we all want beautiful sheet music, but few people
403 have the expertise (and nobody has the time!), to create a program
404 which can handle all situations. By working together -- one
405 person improves the automatic beaming code, another person
406 improves the shape of slurs, and a third person writes
407 documentation explaining how to use these features -- we can
408 achieve our goal with only a fraction of the individual effort.
411 @qq{Gift culture}: the Free Software (or @qq{Open Source})
412 movement has created many great software projects, such as
413 @uref{http://kernel.org/, GNU/Linux},
414 @uref{http://www.getfirefox.com/, Mozilla Firefox}, and
415 @uref{http://www.wesnoth.org/, Battle for Wesnoth}. Having
416 benefitted from these projects, some developers want to @qq{give
417 back} to the community.
420 Work experience: contributing to open-source projects is a great way to
421 practice programming, documentation writing, documentation translation,
422 or design. This experience has helped some developers gain job offers
432 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
433 @subheading Where now?
435 Still not convinced? Read our extensive essay about our engraving
436 philosophy in @ref{Background}. If you've already decided to try
437 LilyPond, first read about our @ref{Text input}.
442 @unnumberedsec Background
444 @divClass{column-center-top}
445 @subheading Background essay
447 We have an extensive essay describing computational aesthetics:
448 the art of creating beauty with a computer.
450 If you just want a quick introduction to LilyPond, the essay might
451 be too much material to read. If you would like to read it now,
452 please progress to @ref{Essay}.
455 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
456 @subheading Where now?
458 Still not convinced? Read about some of our users'
459 @ref{Productions} and sheet music. If you've already decided to
460 try LilyPond, first read about our @ref{Text input}.
465 @unnumberedsec Productions
467 @divClass{column-left-top}
470 LilyPond engravings have been used for performances around the world.
473 @divClass{keep-bullets}
477 @emph{Affaire étrangère}, an opera by
478 @uref{http://valentin.villenave.net/,Valentin Villenave}
479 to a French libretto by
480 @uref{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Trondheim, Lewis
481 Trondheim}, premiered February 1, 2009 at
482 @uref{http://www.orchestre-montpellier.com/, L'Opéra National de
483 Montpellier}, France.
486 @uref{http://www.mercurybaroque.org/02/02109.aspx, Mercury Baroque}'s
487 performance of Lully's @emph{Armide}, May 15-16, 2009, in Houston,
488 Texas (engraving by @uref{http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/,
492 Instrumental excerpts from Rameau's @emph{Hippolyte et Aricie} at
493 St. James's Church in Manhattan, May 8, 2009, by Frederick Renz
494 and his ensemble @uref{http://www.earlymusicny.org/, Early Music
495 New York} (engraving by Nicolas Sceaux).
503 @divClass{column-right-top}
504 @subheading Published sheet music
506 @divClass{keep-bullets}
510 @uref{http://www.mutopiaproject.org/index.html, Mutopia Project},
511 over 1500 pieces of classical sheet music for free download, and
512 the main showcase of LilyPond scores.
514 @c don't make this "Mutopia" a link, since that looks silly.
516 @uref{http://etudeapp.com, Etude}, @qq{sheet music on steroids} is
517 an iPhone app which displays piano music engraved with LilyPond,
518 including many pieces from Mutopia. The app includes a virtual
519 piano keyboard showing which keys to press to help beginners learn
520 how to read sheet music.
523 @uref{http://www.adoromusicpub.com/, Adoro Music Publishing},
524 high-quality scores of sacred music, available for immediate
525 download or in traditional paper format.
528 @uref{http://theshadylanepublishing.com/, The Shady Lane
530 a @qq{micro musical publishing house} whose goal is to promote a
531 new form of musical economy closer to the musicians and music
541 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
542 @subheading Where now?
544 Still not convinced? Read some of our users' @ref{Testimonials}.
545 If you've already decided to try LilyPond, first read about our
549 @c TRANSLATORS, so far it's mostly from
550 @c http://lilypond.org/web/switch/testimonials
553 @unnumberedsec Testimonials
555 @divClass{testimonial-item}
556 @imageFloat{carter-brey,jpg, right}
557 @subsubheading @uref{http://nyphil.org/meet/orchestra/index.cfm?page=profile&personNum=7, Carter Brey}, Principal Cellist, New York Philharmonic
559 @qq{@dots{} I've written a couple of encore pieces for solo cello
560 which I've printed with LilyPond and which I'm going to submit to
561 Schirmer for publication. I'll bet their engraved version wouldn't
562 look half as sharp as mine!}
566 @divClass{testimonial-item}
567 @imageFloat{orm-finnendahl,jpg, left}
568 @subsubheading @uref{http://icem-www.folkwang-hochschule.de/~finnendahl/, Orm Finnendahl}, professor of Composition, Musikhochschule Freiburg
570 @qq{Although I don't know [LilyPond] very well yet, I'm
571 @strong{*very} impressed. I used the program to input a motet of
572 Josquin Desprez in mensural notation and there's no doubt that
573 lilypond outscores all other notation programs easily concerning
574 speed, ease of use and look!}
578 @divClass{testimonial-item}
579 @imageFloat{darius-blasband,jpg, right}
580 @subsubheading Darius Blasband, composer (Brussels, Belgium)
582 @qq{[..after the first orchestra rehearsal] I got numerous
583 compliments about the quality of the scores. Even more
584 importantly, while LilyPond provides numerous hacks to improve the
585 way its scores look, what the orchestra got from me is basically
586 the raw, untouched output.}
590 @divClass{testimonial-item}
591 @subsubheading Kieren MacMillan, composer (Toronto, Canada)
593 @qq{thanks and kudos to the development team for their incredible
594 work. I've never seen anything approaching the output that I get
595 from LilyPond -- I'm totally confident that my music publishing
596 needs will be fulfilled beyond my expectations using this great
597 application. [..] basically untweaked LilyPond output [..] looks
598 better than most recent @q{professional} publications I've compared
599 it to (q.v., just about any Warner Bros. score, and even many of
600 the most recent by @q{the old houses}). [..]}
602 @qq{Beat that, Finale/Sibelius/Igor/whatever!!!}
606 @divClass{testimonial-item}
607 @subsubheading Chris Cannam, lead programmer of the @uref{http://www.rosegardenmusic.com/, RoseGarden} project
609 @qq{LilyPond is obviously the zillion-ton gorilla [of great music
614 @divClass{testimonial-item}
615 @subsubheading Chris Snyder, @uref{http://www.adoromusicpub.com/, Adoro Music Publishing}
617 @qq{The way that music is entered for LilyPond causes me to think in a
618 more musical way -- there have been times when I've been stumped as
619 to how to tell Lily to engrave something, only to realize that
620 even if I did get it exactly as the composer wanted, the music
621 would be confusing to read. LilyPond makes it much easier for me
622 to work in my dual editor+engraver role.}
624 @qq{I've been using LilyPond exclusively for my fledgling music
625 publishing business. Virtually without exception, every composer
626 has been blown away by the quality of the engraving when presented
627 with the proofs of their music about to be published. I deserve
628 some of the credit for this -- I spend a lot of time tweaking
629 output, especially ties (mainly in chords) -- but LilyPond gives
630 me an excellent starting point, a very intuitive interface, and
631 the ability to modify absolutely anything if I want to take the
632 time. I'm convinced that no commercial product can come close.}
636 @divClass{testimonial-item}
637 @subsubheading David Bobroff, Bass Trombone, Iceland Symphony Orchestra
639 @qq{I think LilyPond is great [..] The more I learn about LilyPond
644 @divClass{testimonial-item}
645 @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})
647 @qq{I am super impressed with LilyPond [..]}
649 @qq{THIS IS THE BEST PROGRAM EVER!!!}
651 @qq{Thank you all SO MUCH for your hard work and dedication!}
655 @divClass{testimonial-item}
656 @subsubheading @uref{http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/, Nicolas Sceaux}, @uref{http://www.mutopiaproject.org/, Mutopia} contributor
658 @qq{I had a kind of hate-passion relationship with it. Passion
659 because the first score I saw was so amazing! The description of
660 LilyPond lies about its beautifulness, it is too modest! [..] as
661 LilyPond is getting always better, and as I look closer how things
662 are done in scheme, I have less and less frustrations. Anyway,
663 what I mean is: thank you for providing LilyPond, it is really
668 @divClass{testimonial-item}
669 @subsubheading @uref{http://www.troff.org/whoswho.html#werner, Werner Lemberg}, Conductor at the Theatre in Koblenz, Germany and distinguished GNU Hacker
671 @qq{Anyway, LilyPond does an amazingly good job!}
675 @divClass{testimonial-item}
676 @subsubheading Paul Davis, developer of @uref{http://jackaudio.org/, JACK} and @uref{http://www.ardour.org/, Ardour}
678 @qq{I think [LilyPond is] an incredible program, and it produces
679 wonderful, wonderful output. when i read an interview about it
680 last year, i was raving to several friends of mine about its
685 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
686 @subheading Where now?
688 Read about our @ref{Text input}.
694 @unnumberedsec Text input
696 @c TRANSLATORS, so far it's mostly from
697 @c http://lilypond.org/web/switch/howto
699 @subheading @qq{Compiling} Music
701 @imageClickable{nereid-shot-small,png, (click to enlarge), nereid-shot,png, right}
703 LilyPond is a @emph{compiled} system: it is run on a text file
704 describing the music. The resulting output is viewed on-screen or
705 printed. In some ways, LilyPond is more similar to a programming
706 language than graphical score editing software.
708 You do not write music by dragging notes from a graphical toolbar
709 and placing them on a dynamically refreshing score; you write
710 music by typing text. This text is interpreted (or @qq{compiled})
711 by LilyPond, which produces beautifully engraved sheet music.
713 People accustomed to graphical user interfaces might need to learn
714 a new way of working, but the results are definitely worth it!
716 @warning{We present a quick overview of our text input -- it's not
717 as complicated as it sounds! Don't worry about understanding
718 every detail in these examples; our beginner documentation covers
719 everything at a much more gradual pace.}
722 @subsubheading It's as simple as A B C
724 Notes are encoded with letters and numbers. Special commands are
725 entered with backslashes.
727 @imageFloat{text-input-1-annotate,png,center}
728 @imageFloat{text-input-1-output,png,center}
730 Alterations are made with different names: add @code{-is} for
731 sharp, and @code{-es} for flat (these are Dutch note names, other
732 languages are available). LilyPond figures out where to put
735 @imageFloat{text-input-2-annotate,png,center}
736 @imageFloat{text-input-2-output,png,center}
739 @subsubheading Pop music
741 Put chords and lyrics together to get a lead sheet:
743 @imageFloat{text-input-pop-annotate,png,center}
744 @imageFloat{text-input-pop-output,png,center}
748 @subsubheading Orchestral parts
750 The input file contains the notes of piece of music. Score and
751 parts can be made from a single input file, so that changing a
752 note always affects the score and parts. To be able to include
753 the same music in multiple places, the music is assigned to a
754 @qq{variable} (a name).
756 @imageFloat{text-input-parts-both-annotate,png,center}
759 This variable is then used in a single part (here transposed, with
760 condensed rests spanning several measures):
762 @imageFloat{text-input-parts-single-annotate,png,center}
763 @imageFloat{text-input-parts-single-output,png,center}
766 The same variable is used in the full score (here in concert
769 @imageFloat{text-input-score-annotate,png,center}
770 @imageFloat{text-input-score-output,png,center}
773 @subsubheading Beginner Documentation
775 We realize that many users find this way of entering music a bit
776 odd. For this reason, we have written extensive documentation to
777 help new users, beginning with @ref{Learning}. The Learning
778 Manual is the best place to start, as many questions are answered
781 Please read the Learning Manual before complaining about bugs!
782 New users occasionally believe that LilyPond is not working
783 correctly, when in fact it is working precisely as designed.
785 More in-depth information is available in @ref{Manuals}.
788 @subsubheading Easier editing environments
790 @imageClickable{lilykde-screenshot-small,png,
791 (click to enlarge),lilykde-screenshot,png,right}
793 LilyPond is primarily concerned with producing top-quality
794 engraved sheet music; creating a Graphical User Interface (GUI)
795 would distract us from this goal. However, there are other
796 projects aimed at making it easier to create LilyPond input files.
798 Some editing environments include syntax highlighting, automatic
799 command completion, and pre-made templates. Other programs
800 actually provide a GUI which allows direct manipulation of a
801 graphical score. For more information, see @ref{Easier editing}.
804 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
805 @subheading Where now?
807 You are now ready to @ref{Download, Download LilyPond}. Still not
808 convinced? Read about @ref{Easier editing}.
814 @unnumberedsec Easier editing
816 @divClass{column-center-top}
817 @subheading Graphical environment: Denemo
819 @imageClickable{screenshot-denemo-small,png,
820 (click to enlarge),screenshot-denemo,png,right}
822 @sourceimage{logo-linux,,,}
823 @sourceimage{logo-windows,,,}
825 @uref{http://denemo.org}
827 Denemo is a graphical editor which generates LilyPond source code,
828 at release 2.8.7, and also allows audio playback. It allows users
829 to view the LilyPond source code in parallel to the graphical view.
830 Extra LilyPond tweaks can be attached to notes, chords etc. and are
831 stored with the Denemo file, so that users can continue to edit graphically.
833 Moving the cursor in the LilyPond text moves the cursor in the graphical
834 view, and any syntax errors in your LilyPond tweaks are highlighted in
835 the text view when printed from there.
840 @divClass{column-center-top}
841 @subheading Mixed environment: LilyPondTool
843 @imageClickable{lilypondtool-2.12-screenshot-400wide,png,
844 (click to enlarge),lilypondtool-2.12-screenshot,png,right}
846 @sourceimage{logo-linux,,,}
847 @sourceimage{logo-freebsd,,,}
848 @sourceimage{logo-macosx,,,}
849 @sourceimage{logo-windows,,,}
851 @uref{http://lilypondtool.organum.hu}
853 Created as a plugin for the
854 @uref{http://www.jedit.org,jEdit} text editor,
855 LilyPondTool is one of the most feature-rich text-based tools for
856 editing LilyPond scores. Its features include a Document Wizard
857 with lyrics support to set up documents easier, and embedded PDF
858 viewer with advanced point-and-click support.
862 @divClass{column-center-top}
863 @subheading Mixed environment: Frescobaldi
865 @imageClickable{frescobaldi-lilypond-editor-small,png,
866 (click to enlarge),frescobaldi-lilypond-editor,png,right}
868 @sourceimage{logo-linux,,,}
869 @sourceimage{logo-freebsd,,,}
871 @uref{http://www.frescobaldi.org}
873 Frescobaldi is a dedicated LilyPond music and text editor with a
874 built-in PDF previewer, a powerful score wizard and many editing
875 features. It is built on top of the KDE4 libraries and runs
876 currently on all flavours of Linux and other UNIX-like operating
881 @divClass{column-center-top}
882 @subheading Text environment: Emacs and Vim
884 @sourceimage{logo-linux,,,}
885 @sourceimage{logo-freebsd,,,}
886 @sourceimage{logo-macosx,,,}
887 @sourceimage{logo-windows,,,}
889 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/}
891 Emacs is a text editor with language-sensitive capabilities for
892 many different computer languages. Emacs is a highly extensible
893 editor and can be used as an Integrated Development Environment.
894 There is a @q{lilypond mode} which supplies the language
895 definitions for working with LilyPond source files.
897 @uref{http://www.vim.org}
899 Vim is a minimal text editor and is an extension of the older Unix
900 @command{vi} editor. It is also extensible and configurable.
902 As a general rule, if you are not already familiar with Emacs or
903 Vim, then you would probably prefer to use a different editor for
904 writing LilyPond input files.
908 @divClass{column-center-top}
912 @subsubheading Text environment: TexShop
914 @sourceimage{logo-macosx,,,}
916 @uref{http://www.uoregon.edu/~koch/texshop}
918 The TexShop editor for MacOS@tie{}X can be extended to run LilyPond,
919 @command{lilypond-book} and @command{convert-ly} from within the editor,
920 using the extensions available at:
923 @uref{http://users.dimi.uniud.it/~nicola.vitacolonna/home/content/lilypond-scripts}
926 @subsubheading TextMate
928 @sourceimage{logo-macosx,,,}
930 There is a LilyPond bundle for TextMate. It may be installed by
934 mkdir -p /Library/Application\ Support/TextMate/Bundles
935 cd /Library/Application\ Support/TextMate/Bundles
936 svn co http://svn.textmate.org/trunk/Bundles/LilyPond.tmbundle/
941 @divClass{column-center-top}
942 @subheading Other programs can export LilyPond code
945 @subsubheading Graphical environments:
949 @uref{http://www.rosegardenmusic.com,Rosegarden}, an audio and
950 MIDI sequencer, which also has a score editor for single-staff
954 @uref{http://vsr.informatik.tu-chemnitz.de/staff/jan/nted/nted.xhtml,NtEd},
955 is based on the @uref{http://cairographics.org, Cairo} library and
956 has experimental export for LilyPond.
959 @uref{http://www.tuxguitar.com.ar/,TuxGuitar}, a multitrack
960 tablature editor and player, provides a score view as well as tab,
961 and can export to LilyPond.
964 @uref{http://musescore.org,MuseScore} has incomplete LilyPond
965 export but is being actively developed.
968 @uref{http://canorus.org,Canorus} can also export to LilyPond, but
969 is still beta-software. Testers are welcome, though.
972 @uref{http://strasheela.sourceforge.net, Strasheela} is @qq{a
973 highly expressive constraint-based music composition system}.
977 @subsubheading Command Line Tools:
981 @uref{http://www.volny.cz/smilauer/rumor/rumor.html,Rumor}, a realtime
982 monophonic MIDI to LilyPond converter.
985 @uref{http://nicolas.sceaux.free.fr/lilypond/lyqi.html,lyqi}, an
990 @subheading Other programs not being actively developed
995 @uref{http://lilykde.googlecode.com/,LilyKDE} has been replaced by
996 @uref{http://www.frescobaldi.org/,Frescobaldi}, and exists as
997 LilyKDE3 for KDE 3.5 and lilypond-KDE4 for KDE 4.1 only.
1000 @uref{http://noteedit.berlios.de,NoteEdit}, which imported
1001 @uref{http://www.musicxml.com/xml.html,MusicXML}, has been forked
1003 @uref{http://vsr.informatik.tu-chemnitz.de/staff/jan/nted/nted.xhtml,NtEd}
1004 and @uref{http://canorus.org,Canorus}.
1007 @uref{http://common-lisp.net/project/fomus/,FOMUS}, a LISP library
1008 to generate music notation a LISP library to generate music
1012 @uref{http://lilycomp.sourceforge.net, LilyComp} is a graphical
1013 note entry program, acting much like a number-pad which produces
1021 @divClass{column-center-bottom}
1022 @subheading Where now?
1024 You are now ready to @ref{Download, Download LilyPond}.
1026 Still not convinced? Many composers, musicians, and conductors
1027 have learned how to write music in our input format. Experienced
1028 users even report that they can enter a full score in LilyPond
1029 faster than with a piano keyboard or mouse+GUI! Perhaps you would
1030 like to review the @ref{Features}, @ref{Examples}, or the
1031 @ref{Freedom} that LilyPond provides, or read about users'
1032 @ref{Productions} and @ref{Testimonials}. In addition, our
1033 approach to the computational aesthetics of classical engraving is
1034 explained in our @ref{Background}.
1037 @subheading Legalese
1040 All logos and product images are copyright and trademark