@cindex relative mode, and accidentals
@funindex \relative
-@funindex relative
@funindex '
@funindex ,
@rglos{scale}, @rglos{middle C}, @rglos{octave},
@rglos{accidental}.
+LilyPond uses lower-case letters for pitches. The letters
+@code{c} through@tie{}@code{b} denote pitches in the
+@q{small octave} below @notation{middle C}. Added @code{'}
+or@tie{}@code{,} suffixes indicate higher or lower octaves.
+Here is a scale starting on @notation{middle C}, and an arpeggio:
+
+@lilypond[verbatim,quote]
+{ c' d' e' f' g' a' b' c'' g c' e' g' c'' e'' g'' c''' }
+@end lilypond
+
The easiest way to enter notes is by using @code{\relative} mode.
In this mode, the octave is chosen automatically by assuming the
following note is always to be placed closest to the previous
@cindex time signature
@funindex \time
-@funindex time
Music Glossary: @rglos{time signature}.
@cindex metronome marks
@funindex \tempo
-@funindex tempo
Music Glossary: @rglos{tempo indication}, @rglos{metronome}.
@cindex bass
@funindex \clef
-@funindex clef
Music Glossary: @rglos{clef}.
LilyPond input must be surrounded by @code{@{ @}} marks or a
@q{@w{@code{@bs{}relative @{ @dots{} @}}}}, as we saw in
-@ref{Working on input files}. For the rest of this manual, most
-examples will omit this. To replicate the examples, you may copy
-and paste the displayed input, but to put the pitches in the same
-octaves as seen in the manual you @strong{must} add a particular
-form of @code{@bs{}relative} with an explicit starting pitch
-@code{c''} like this:
+@ref{Working on input files}. For the rest of this manual,
+some short examples will omit this. To replicate these examples,
+you can copy displayed input, but paste it between @code{@{}
+and @code{@}} in your input file.
@example
-\relative c'' @{
+@{
@dots{}example goes here@dots{}
@}
@end example
-Why omit the braces? Most examples in this manual can be inserted
-into the middle of a longer piece of music. For these examples,
-it does not make sense to add
-@q{@w{@code{@bs{}relative c'' @{ @dots{} @}}}} -- you should not
-place a @code{\relative} inside another @code{\relative}! If we
-included @q{@w{@code{@bs{}relative c'' @{ @dots{} @}}}} around
-every example, you would not be able to copy a small documentation
-example and paste it inside a longer piece of your own. Most
-people want to add material to an existing piece, so we format the
-manual this way.
-
Also, remember that every LilyPond file should have a
@code{\version} statement. Because the examples in the manuals
are snippets, not files, the @code{\version} statement is omitted.