@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'' {