@rglos{dotted note}.
The @notation{duration} of a note is specified by a number after
-the note name. @code{1} for a @notation{whole note}, @code{2} for
+the note name: @code{1} for a @notation{whole note}, @code{2} for
a @notation{half note}, @code{4} for a @notation{quarter note} and
so on. @notation{Beams} are added automatically.
@item
@strong{Whitespace insensitive}:
-it does not matter how many spaces (or new lines) you add.
+it does not matter how many spaces (or tabs or new lines) you add.
@w{@code{@{ c d e @}}} means the same thing as
@w{@code{@{ c @tie{}} @tie{} @tie{} d e @}} and:
@}
@end example
+However, whitespace @emph{is} required to separate many syntactical
+elements from others. In other words, whitespace can always be
+@emph{added}, but it cannot be @emph{eliminated}. As missing
+whitespace can give rise to strange errors it is advisable to
+always insert whitespace before and after every syntactic element,
+for example, before and after every curly brace.
+
@item
@strong{Expressions}:
every piece of LilyPond input needs to have @strong{@{ curly
@subheading Simultaneous music expressions: single staff
To determine the number of staves in a piece, LilyPond looks at
-the beginning of the first expression. If is a single note, there
-is one staff; if there is a simultaneous expression, there is more
-than one staff.
+the beginning of the first expression. If there is a single note,
+there is one staff; if there is a simultaneous expression, there
+is more than one staff. The following example shows a complex
+expression, but as it begins with a single note it will be set
+out on a single staff.
@lilypond[verbatim,quote]
\relative c'' {
@funindex \\
@funindex >>
-When different melodic lines are combined on a single staff they
-are printed as polyphonic voices; each voice has its own stems,
-slurs and beams, and the top voice has the stems up, while the
-bottom voice has them down.
-
-A temporary polyphonic passage can be created with the following
-construct:
-
-@example
-<< @{ \voiceOne ... @}
- \new Voice @{ \voiceTwo ... @}
->> \oneVoice
-@end example
-
-Here, the first expression within a temporary polyphonic passage is
-placed into the @code{Voice} context which was in use immediately
-before the polyphonic passage, and that same @code{Voice} context
-continues after the temporary section. Other expressions within
-the angle brackets are assigned to distinct temporary voices.
-This allows lyrics to be assigned to one continuing voice before,
-during and after a polyphonic section:
-
-@lilypond[quote, verbatim, relative=2]
-<<
- \new Voice = "melody" {
- a4
- <<
- {
- \voiceOne
- g f
- }
- \new Voice {
- \voiceTwo
- d2
- }
- >>
- \oneVoice
- e4
- }
- \new Lyrics \lyricsto "melody" {
- This is my song.
- }
->>
-@end lilypond
-
-Here, the @code{\voiceOne} and @code{\voiceTwo} commands are
-required to define the settings of each voice.
-
-For polyphonic music typesetting, spacer rests can also be
-convenient; these are rests that do not print. They are useful
-for filling up voices that temporarily do not play. Here is the
-same example with a spacer rest (@code{s}) instead of a normal
-rest (@code{r}),
-
-@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=2]
-<<
- { \voiceOne a4 g2 f4~ f4 }
- \new Voice { \voiceTwo s4 g4 f2 f4 }
->>
-\oneVoice
-@end lilypond
-
-@noindent
-Again, these expressions can be nested arbitrarily.
-
-@lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=2]
-<<
- \new Staff <<
- { \voiceOne a4 g2 f4~ f4 }
- \new Voice { \voiceTwo s4 g4 f2 f4 }
- >>
- \oneVoice
- \new Staff <<
- \clef bass
- { \voiceOne <c g>1 ~ <c g>4 }
- \new Voice { \voiceTwo e,,4 d e2 ~ e4}
- >>
- \oneVoice
->>
-@end lilypond
-
+Polyphonic music in lilypond, while not difficult, uses concepts
+that we haven't discussed yet, so we're not going to introduce
+them here. Instead, the following sections introduce these concepts
+and explain them thoroughly.
@seealso
-Notation Reference: @ruser{Simultaneous notes}.
+Learning Manual: @ref{Voices contain music}.
+Notation Reference: @ruser{Simultaneous notes}.
@node Songs
@section Songs