+the metrum. They are inserted automatically in most cases.
+
+@lilypond[fragment,verbatim, relative=2]
+\time 2/4 c8 c c c \time 6/8 c c c c8. c16 c8
+@end lilypond
+
+If you're not satisfied with the automatic beaming, you can enter the
+beams explicitly. If you have beaming patterns that differ from the
+defaults, you can also set the patterns for automatic beamer.
+
+The beam symbol is @internalsref{Beam} in @internalsref{Voice}
+context, both for automatically created and manual beams.
+
+@c . {Manual beams}
+@cindex Automatic beams
+@subsection Manual beams
+@cindex beams, manual
+@cindex @code{]}
+@cindex @code{[}
+
+In some cases it may be necessary to override LilyPond's automatic
+beaming algorithm. For example, the auto beamer will not beam over
+rests or bar lines, If you want that, specify the begin and end point
+manually using a @code{[} before the first beamed note and a @code{]}
+after the last note:
+
+@lilypond[fragment,relative,verbatim]
+ \context Staff {
+ r4 [r8 g' a r8] r8 [g | a] r8
+ }
+@end lilypond
+
+@cindex @code{stemLeftBeamCount}
+
+Normally, beaming patterns within a beam are determined automatically.
+When this mechanism fouls up, the properties
+@code{Voice.stemLeftBeamCount} and @code{Voice.stemRightBeamCount} can
+be used to control the beam subdivision on a stem. If you set either
+property, it's value will be used only once, and then it is erased.
+
+@lilypond[fragment,relative,verbatim]
+ \context Staff {
+ [f8 r16 f g a]
+ [f8 r16 \property Voice.stemLeftBeamCount = #1 f g a]
+ }
+@end lilypond
+@cindex @code{stemRightBeamCount}
+
+@ignore
+TODO: FIXME, we don't want this doc here.
+
+ can be tweaked through
+grob-property @code{positions}. The value is a pair.
+specify vertical location of the left and right end point. Both are
+measured in half staff-spaces, and the middle staff line is the value
+of 0.
+
+@li lypond[fragment,relative,verbatim]
+ \property Voice.Beam \set #'position = #
+ \property Voice.Beam \set #'height = #0
+ [a'8 e' d c]
+@end lilyp ond
+
+Here's how you'd specify a weird looking beam that instead of being
+horizontal, falls two staff spaces:
+
+
+[FIXME]
+
+
+@li lypond[fragment,relative,verbatim]
+ \property Voice.Beam \set #'staff-position = #4
+ \property Voice.Beam \set #'height = #-4
+ [c8 c]
+@end lilypond
+
+@end ignore
+
+
+Kneed beams are inserted automatically, when a large gap between two
+adjacent beamed notes is detected. This behavior can be tuned through
+the grob property @code{auto-knee-gap}.
+
+@cindex beams, kneed
+@cindex kneed beams
+@cindex auto-knee-gap
+@cindex hara kiri
+
+
+@c TODO -> why this ref? Document?
+@cindex @code{neutral-direction}
+
+@refbugs
+
+Auto knee beams can not be used together with hara kiri staffs.
+
+@menu
+* Beam typography::
+* Setting automatic beam behavior ::
+@end menu
+
+@node Beam typography
+@subsection Beam typography
+
+One of the strong points of LilyPond is how beams are formatted. Beams
+are quantized, meaning that the left and right endpoints beams start
+exactly on staff lines. Without quantization, small wedges of white
+space appear between the beam and staff line, and this looks untidy.
+
+Beams are also slope-damped: melodies that go up or down should also
+have beams that go up or down, but the slope of the beams should be
+less than the slope of the notes themselves.
+
+Some beams should be horizontal. These are so-called concave beams.
+
+[TODO: some pictures.]