<c e g>2 <c f a>4-> <e g c>-.
@end lilypond
+Relative mode can be used for pitches in chords; the preceding pitch
+into the same chord is still used as a reference for relative pitches,
+but when a chord is completed, the reference pitch for relative mode
+is the first note of this chord --not the last note of the chord.
+
For more information about chords, see @ref{Chord notation}.
@seealso
@node Single-staff polyphony
@unnumberedsubsubsec Single-staff polyphony
-To typeset parallel pieces of music that have the same rhythm, they
-can be combined into a single @code{Voice} context, thus forming
-chords. To achieve this, enclose them in a simultaneous music
-construction:
+@c Already reordered as Carl suggested --FV
+The basic structure of code needed to achieve multiple, independent
+voices in a single staff is illustrated in the following example:
-@lilypond[quote,relative=2,verbatim]
-\new Voice <<
- { e4 f8 d e16 f g8 d4 }
- { c4 d8 b c16 d e8 b4 }
+@lilypond[quote,relative=3,verbatim]
+\new Staff <<
+ \new Voice = "first"
+ { \voiceOne r8 r16 g e8. f16 g8[ c,] f e16 d }
+ \new Voice= "second"
+ { \voiceTwo d16 c d8~ d16 b c8~ c16 b c8~ c16 b8. }
>>
@end lilypond
-This method leads to strange beamings and warnings if the pieces of
-music do not have the same rhythm. To typeset multiple, truly
-independent voices in a single staff, the @code{<<@{...@} \\
-@{...@}>>} construction is used, where the two (or more) voices are
-separated by double backslashes.
+Here, voices are instantiated explicitly and are given a name. The
+@code{\voiceOne} ... @code{\voiceFour} commands set up the voices so
+that first and third voices get stems up, second and fourth voices get
+stems down, third and fourth voice note heads are horizontally
+shifted, and rests in the respective voices move to avoid collisions.
+
+Using the @code{\oneVoice} command, we can make a voice to be into the
+same @code{Voice} context before and after a temporary polyphonic
+passage. For example:
+
+@example
+<< @{ \voiceOne ... @} \new Voice @{ \voiceTwo ... @} >> \oneVoice
+@end example
+
+This construct keeps a voice alive throughout the polyphonic section.
+Using the name given when created, this allows lyrics to be assigned
+to one consistent voice.
+
+@lilypond[quote, verbatim, relative=2]
+<<
+ \new Voice = "melody" {
+ a4
+ <<
+ {
+ \voiceOne
+ g f
+ }
+ \new Voice {
+ \voiceTwo
+ e d
+ }
+ >>
+ \oneVoice
+ e
+ }
+ \new Lyrics \lyricsto "melody" {
+ This is my song.
+ }
+>>
+@end lilypond
+
+The @code{<<@{...@} \\ @{...@}>>} construction can be used as a
+simplified method, where the two (or more) voices are separated by
+double backslashes. Our first example could be typeset as follows:
@lilypond[quote,relative=3,verbatim]
<<
>>
@end lilypond
-First and third voices get stems up, second and fourth voices get
-stems down, third and fourth voice note heads are horizontally shifted,
-and rests move to avoid collisions. In the following example, the
-intermediate voice has stems up, therefore we enter it in the third
-place, so it becomes voice three which has the stems up as desired.
+This syntax is simpler and can be used where it does not care that
+temporary voices are created and then discarded. These implicitly
+created voices are given the settings equivalent to the effect of the
+@code{\voiceOne} ... @code{\voiceFour} commands, in the order in which
+they appear in the code. In the following example, the intermediate
+voice has stems up, therefore we enter it in the third place, so it
+becomes voice three which has the stems up as desired.
@lilypond[quote,relative=3,verbatim]
<<
Spacing rests are often used to avoid too many rests, as seen in the
example above.
-Each music expression in the @code{<<@{...@} \\ @{...@}>>} construct
-is placed in a new voice, distinct from the voice for single-voice
-music; to temporarily add only one additional voice to an existing
-one, it is necessary to instantiate that voice explicitly. For
-these purposes, the @code{\voiceOne} ... @code{\voiceFour}, and
-@code{\oneVoice} commands can be used:
+In all but simplest works it is advised to create explicit
+@code{Voice} contexts using the @code{\new} and @code{\context}
+commands as it is explained in @rlearning{Contexts and engravers} and
+@rlearning{Explicitly instantiating voices}.
-@example
-<< @{ \voiceOne ... @} \new Voice @{ \voiceTwo ... @} >> \oneVoice
-@end example
+In the special case that we want to typeset parallel pieces of music
+that have the same rhythm, we can combine them into a single
+@code{Voice} context, thus forming chords. To achieve this, enclose
+them in a simple simultaneous music construction and make it to be an
+explicit voice:
-This is a better construct to keep the control of the voices, for
-example, to ease a consistent assign of lyrics to the proper voice
-context.
+@lilypond[quote,relative=2,verbatim]
+\new Voice <<
+ { e4 f8 d e16 f g8 d4 }
+ { c4 d8 b c16 d e8 b4 }
+>>
+@end lilypond
+
+This method leads to strange beamings and warnings if the pieces of
+music do not have the same rhythm.
@predefined
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