1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
4 Translation of GIT committish: FILL-IN-HEAD-COMMITTISH
6 When revising a translation, copy the HEAD committish of the
7 version that you are working on. For details, see the Contributors'
8 Guide, node Updating translation committishes..
16 Negative numbers are allowed:
17 > Are you sure? The following works well
19 > first-page-number = -2
21 > and prints page number -1 on the second page, for example.
24 In 5.2.1 the @refbugs (line 495 in spacing.itely on master) it
27 "@code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between
31 Could we add a sentence:
32 "Use instead the pair fontSize = #@var{N}
33 \override StaffSymbol #'staff-space = #(magstep
35 inside the Staff context to change the size of the font and the
37 staff lines accordingly."
39 Actually I found, that the @internalsref{StaffSymbol} at line 481
40 sends to an incomplete
41 documentation. The property staff-space is not explained here. I
42 thought Y-extent might be of
43 help, but it is in turn explained by x-space which again is
44 missing from the list. Who has the
45 knowledge to fix this?
49 http://code.google.com/p/lilypond/issues/detail?id=68
55 @chapter Spacing issues
57 The global paper layout is determined by three factors: the page layout, the
58 line breaks, and the spacing. These all influence each other. The
59 choice of spacing determines how densely each system of music is set.
60 This influences where line breaks are chosen, and thus ultimately, how
61 many pages a piece of music takes.
63 Globally speaking, this procedure happens in four steps: first,
64 flexible distances (@q{springs}) are chosen, based on durations. All
65 possible line breaking combinations are tried, and a @q{badness} score
66 is calculated for each. Then the height of each possible system is
67 estimated. Finally, a page breaking and line breaking combination is chosen
68 so that neither the horizontal nor the vertical spacing is too cramped
71 Two types of blocks can contain layout settings:
72 @code{\paper @{@dots{}@}} and @code{\layout @{@dots{}@}}. The
73 @code{\paper} block contains page layout settings that are
74 expected to be the same for all scores in a book, such as the
75 paper height, or whether to print page numbers, etc. See
76 @ref{Page layout}. The @code{\layout} block contains score layout
77 settings, such as the number of systems to use, or the space
78 between staff-groups, etc. See @ref{Score layout}.
85 * Horizontal spacing::
86 * Fitting music onto fewer pages::
93 This section discusses page layout options for the @code{\paper}
98 * Paper size and automatic scaling::
99 * Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables::
100 * Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables::
101 * Horizontal spacing \paper variables::
102 * Other \paper variables::
106 @node The \paper block
107 @subsection The @code{\paper} block
109 The @code{\paper} block can appear within a @code{\book} block,
110 but not within a @code{\score} block. Settings in a @code{\paper}
111 block apply to the entire book, which may include multiple scores.
112 Settings that can appear in a @code{\paper} block include:
117 the @code{set-paper-size} scheme function,
120 @code{\paper} variables used for customizing page layout, and
123 markup definitions used for customizing the layout of headers,
128 The @code{set-paper-size} function is discussed in the next
129 section, @ref{Paper size and automatic scaling}. The
130 @code{\paper} variables that deal with page layout are discussed
131 in later sections. The markup definitions that deal with headers,
132 footers, and titles are discussed in
133 @ref{Custom headers footers and titles}.
135 Most @code{\paper} variables will only work in a @code{\paper}
136 block. The few that will also work in a @code{\layout} block are
137 listed in @ref{The \layout block}.
139 Except when specified otherwise, all @code{\paper} variables that
140 correspond to distances on the page are measured in millimeters,
141 unless a different unit is specified by the user. For example,
142 the following declaration sets @code{top-margin} to ten
151 To set it to @code{0.5} inches, use the @code{\in} unit suffix:
159 The available unit suffixes are @code{\mm}, @code{\cm},
160 @code{\in}, and @code{\pt}. These units are simple values for
161 converting from millimeters; they are defined in
162 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}. For the sake of clarity, when
163 using millimeters, the @code{\mm} is typically included in the
164 code, even though it is not technically necessary.
166 It is also possible to define @code{\paper} values using Scheme.
167 The Scheme equivalent of the above example is:
171 #(define top-margin (* 0.5 in))
177 @ref{Paper size and automatic scaling},
178 @ref{Custom headers footers and titles},
179 @ref{The \layout block}.
182 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
185 @node Paper size and automatic scaling
186 @subsection Paper size and automatic scaling
194 * Setting paper size::
195 * Automatic scaling to paper size::
199 @node Setting paper size
200 @unnumberedsubsubsec Setting paper size
202 Two functions are available for changing the paper size:
203 @code{set-default-paper-size} and @code{set-paper-size}.
204 @code{set-default-paper-size} must be placed in the toplevel
205 scope, and @code{set-paper-size} must be placed in a @code{\paper}
209 #(set-default-paper-size "a4")
214 #(set-paper-size "a4")
219 In the toplevel scope, the @code{set-default-paper-size} function
220 can safely be called anywhere before the first @code{\paper}
221 block. Within a @code{\paper} block, the safest place to call
222 @code{set-paper-size} is at the top, above the list of variable
223 declarations. The reasons for this are discussed in
224 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
226 @code{set-default-paper-size} sets the size of all pages, whereas
227 @code{set-paper-size} only sets the size of the pages that the
228 @code{\paper} block applies to. For example, if the @code{\paper}
229 block is at the top of the file, then it will apply the paper size
230 to all pages. If the @code{\paper} block is inside a
231 @code{\book}, then the paper size will only apply to that book.
233 Common paper sizes are available, including @code{a4},
234 @code{letter}, @code{legal}, and @code{11x17} (also known as
235 tabloid). Many more paper sizes are supported by default. For
236 details, see @file{scm/paper.scm}, and search for the
237 definition of @code{paper-alist}.
239 @c TODO add a new appendix for paper sizes (auto-generated) -pm
241 @warning{The default paper size is @code{a4}.}
243 Extra sizes may be added by editing the definition of
244 @code{paper-alist} in the initialization file
245 @file{scm/paper.scm}, however they will be overridden on a
251 If the symbol @code{'landscape} is supplied as an argument to
252 @code{set-default-paper-size}, pages will be rotated by 90
253 degrees, and wider line widths will be set accordingly.
256 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
261 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
264 @file{scm/paper.scm}.
267 @node Automatic scaling to paper size
268 @unnumberedsubsubsec Automatic scaling to paper size
270 If the paper size is changed with one of the scheme functions
271 (@code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}), the
272 values of several @code{\paper} variables are automatically scaled
273 to the new size. To bypass the automatic scaling for a particular
274 variable, set the variable after setting the paper size. Note
275 that the automatic scaling is not triggered by setting the
276 @code{paper-height} or @code{paper-width} variables, even though
277 @code{paper-width} can influence other values (this is separate
278 from scaling and is discussed below). The
279 @code{set-default-paper-size} and @code{set-paper-size} functions
280 are described in @ref{Setting paper size}.
282 The vertical dimensions affected by automatic scaling are
283 @code{top-margin} and @code{bottom-margin} (see
284 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables}). The horizontal
285 dimensions affected by automatic scaling are @code{left-margin},
286 @code{right-margin}, @code{inner-margin}, @code{outer-margin},
287 @code{binding-offset}, @code{indent}, and @code{short-indent} (see
288 @ref{Horizontal spacing \paper variables}).
290 The default values for these dimensions are set in
291 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}, using internal variables named
292 @code{top-margin-default}, @code{bottom-margin-default}, etc.
293 These are the values that result at the default paper size
294 @code{a4}. For reference, with @code{a4} paper the
295 @code{paper-height} is @code{297\mm} and the @code{paper-width} is
300 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables},
301 @ref{Horizontal spacing \paper variables}.
304 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly},
305 @file{scm/paper.scm}.
308 @node Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables
309 @subsection Fixed vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
311 @warning{Some @code{@bs{}paper} dimensions are automatically
312 scaled to the paper size, which may lead to unexpected behavior.
313 See @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.}
315 Default values (before scaling) are defined in
316 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
320 @funindex paper-height
322 The height of the page, unset by default. Note that the automatic
323 scaling of some vertical dimensions is not affected by this.
328 The margin between the top of the page and the top of the
329 printable area. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
330 default value is scaled accordingly.
333 @funindex bottom-margin
335 The margin between the bottom of the printable area and the bottom
336 of the page. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
337 default value is scaled accordingly.
340 @funindex ragged-bottom
342 If set to true, systems will not spread vertically down the page.
343 This does not affect the last page. This should be set to true
344 for pieces that have only two or three systems per page, for
345 example orchestral scores.
347 @item ragged-last-bottom
348 @funindex ragged-last-bottom
350 If set to false, systems will spread vertically down the last
351 page. Pieces that amply fill two pages or more should have this
352 set to true. It also affects the last page of book parts, i.e.
353 parts of a book created with @code{\bookpart} blocks.
359 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
362 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
369 The titles (from the @code{\header} block) are treated as a
370 system, so @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom} will
371 add space between the titles and the first system of the score.
374 @node Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables
375 @subsection Flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
377 In most cases, it is preferable for the vertical distances between
378 certain items (such as margins, titles, systems, and separate
379 scores) to be flexible, so that they stretch and compress nicely
380 according to each situation. A number of @code{\paper} variables
381 (listed below) are available to fine-tune the stretching behavior
384 Note that the @code{\paper} variables discussed in this section do
385 not control the spacing of staves within individual systems.
386 Within-system spacing is controlled by grob properties, with
387 settings typically entered inside a @code{\score} or
388 @code{\layout} block, and not inside a @code{\paper} block. See
389 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing within systems}.
392 * Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists::
393 * List of flexible vertical spacing \paper variables::
397 @node Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists
398 @unnumberedsubsubsec Structure of flexible vertical spacing alists
400 Each of the flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables is
401 an alist (association list) containing four @emph{keys}:
406 @code{basic-distance} -- the vertical distance, measured in
407 staff-spaces, between the @emph{reference points} of the two
408 items, when no collisions would result, and no stretching or
409 compressing is in effect. The reference point of a (title or
410 top-level) markup is its highest point, and the reference point of
411 a system is the vertical center of the nearest @code{StaffSymbol}
412 -- even if a non-staff line (such as a @code{Lyrics} context) is
413 in the way. Values for @code{basic-distance} that are less than
414 either @code{padding} or @code{minimum-distance} are not
415 meaningful, since the resulting distance will never be less than
416 either @code{padding} or @code{minimum-distance}.
419 @code{minimum-distance} -- the smallest allowable vertical
420 distance, measured in staff-spaces, between the reference points
421 of the two items, when compressing is in effect. Values for
422 @code{minimum-distance} that are less than @code{padding} are not
423 meaningful, since the resulting distance will never be less than
426 @c TODO: explain skylines somewhere and xref to it from here.
429 @code{padding} -- the minimum required amount of unobstructed
430 vertical whitespace between the bounding boxes (or skylines) of
431 the two items, measured in staff-spaces.
434 @code{stretchability} -- a unitless measure of the dimension's
435 relative propensity to stretch. If zero, the distance will not
436 stretch (unless collisions would result). When positive, the
437 significance of a particular dimension's @code{stretchability}
438 value lies only in its relation to the @code{stretchability}
439 values of the other dimensions. For example, if one dimension has
440 twice the @code{stretchability} of another, it will stretch twice
441 as easily. Values should be non-negative and finite. The value
442 @code{+inf.0} triggers a @code{programming_error} and is ignored,
443 but @code{1.0e7} can be used for an almost infinitely stretchable
444 spring. If unset, the default value is set to
445 @code{basic-distance}. Note that the dimension's propensity to
446 @emph{compress} cannot be directly set by the user and is equal to
447 (@code{basic-distance}@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}@code{minimum-distance}).
451 If a page has a ragged bottom, the resulting distance is the
457 @code{basic-distance},
460 @code{minimum-distance}, and
463 @code{padding} plus the smallest distance necessary to eliminate
468 Specific methods for modifying alists are discussed in
469 @ref{Modifying alists}. The following example demonstrates the
470 two ways these alists can be modified. The first declaration
471 updates one key-value individually, and the second completely
472 redefines the variable:
476 system-system-spacing #'basic-distance = #8
477 score-system-spacing =
478 #'((basic-distance . 12)
479 (minimum-distance . 6)
481 (stretchability . 12))
486 @node List of flexible vertical spacing \paper variables
487 @unnumberedsubsubsec List of flexible vertical spacing @code{\paper} variables
489 The names of these variables follow the format
490 @code{@var{upper}-@var{lower}-spacing}, where @code{@var{upper}}
491 and @code{@var{lower}} are the items to be spaced. Each distance
492 is measured between the reference points of the two items (see the
493 description of the alist structure above). Note that in these
494 variable names, the term @q{@code{markup}} refers to both
495 @emph{title markups} (@code{bookTitleMarkup} or
496 @code{scoreTitleMarkup}) and @emph{top-level markups} (see
497 @ref{File structure}). All distances are measured in
500 Default settings are defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
502 @c TODO: Where do headers/footers fit in? -mp
505 @item markup-system-spacing
506 @funindex markup-system-spacing
508 the distance between a (title or top-level) markup and the system
511 @item score-markup-spacing
512 @funindex score-markup-spacing
514 the distance between the last system of a score and the (title or
515 top-level) markup that follows it.
517 @item score-system-spacing
518 @funindex score-system-spacing
520 the distance between the last system of a score and the first
521 system of the score that follows it, when no (title or top-level)
522 markup exists between them.
524 @item system-system-spacing
525 @funindex system-system-spacing
527 the distance between two systems in the same score.
529 @item markup-markup-spacing
530 @funindex markup-markup-spacing
532 the distance between two (title or top-level) markups.
534 @item last-bottom-spacing
535 @funindex last-bottom-spacing
537 the distance from the last system or top-level markup on a page to
538 the bottom of the printable area (i.e. the top of the bottom
541 @item top-system-spacing
542 @funindex top-system-spacing
544 the distance from the top of the printable area (i.e. the bottom
545 of the top margin) to the first system on a page, when there is no
546 (title or top-level) markup between the two.
548 @item top-markup-spacing
549 @funindex top-markup-spacing
551 the distance from the top of the printable area (i.e. the bottom
552 of the top margin) to the first (title or top-level) markup on a
553 page, when there is no system between the two.
558 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing within systems}.
561 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
567 @node Horizontal spacing \paper variables
568 @subsection Horizontal spacing @code{\paper} variables
570 @warning{Some @code{@bs{}paper} dimensions are automatically
571 scaled to the paper size, which may lead to unexpected behavior.
572 See @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.}
575 * \paper variables for widths and margins::
576 * \paper variables for two-sided mode::
577 * \paper variables for shifts and indents::
581 @node \paper variables for widths and margins
582 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for widths and margins
584 Default values (before scaling) that are not listed here are
585 defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
590 @funindex paper-width
592 The width of the page, unset by default. While @code{paper-width}
593 has no effect on the automatic scaling of some horizontal
594 dimensions, it does influence the @code{line-width} variable. If
595 both @code{paper-width} and @code{line-width} are set, then
596 @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin} will also be updated.
597 Also see @code{check-consistency}.
602 The horizontal extent of the staff lines in unindented, non-ragged
604 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}left-margin@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}right-margin)}
605 when unset. If @code{line-width} is set, and both
606 @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin} are unset, then the
607 margins will be updated to center the systems on the page
608 automatically. Also see @code{check-consistency}. This variable
609 can also be set in a @code{\layout} block.
612 @funindex left-margin
614 The margin between the left edge of the page and the start of the
615 staff lines in unindented systems. If the paper size is modified,
616 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. If
617 @code{left-margin} is unset, and both @code{line-width} and
618 @code{right-margin} are set, then @code{left-margin} is set to
619 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}right-margin)}.
620 If only @code{line-width} is set, then both margins are set to
621 @code{((paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width)@tie{}/@tie{}2)},
622 and the systems are consequently centered on the page. Also see
623 @code{check-consistency}.
626 @funindex right-margin
628 The margin between the right edge of the page and the end of the
629 staff lines in non-ragged systems. If the paper size is modified,
630 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. If
631 @code{right-margin} is unset, and both @code{line-width} and
632 @code{left-margin} are set, then @code{right-margin} is set to
633 @code{(paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}left-margin)}.
634 If only @code{line-width} is set, then both margins are set to
635 @code{((paper-width@tie{}@minus{}@tie{}line-width)@tie{}/@tie{}2)},
636 and the systems are consequently centered on the page. Also see
637 @code{check-consistency}.
639 @item check-consistency
640 @funindex check-consistency
642 If set to true, print a warning if @code{left-margin},
643 @code{line-width}, and @code{right-margin} do not exactly add up
644 to @code{paper-width}, and replace each of these (except
645 @code{paper-width}) with its default value (scaled to the paper
646 size if necessary). If set to false, ignore any inconsistencies
647 and allow systems to run off the edge of the page.
650 @funindex ragged-right
652 If set to true, systems will not fill the line width. Instead,
653 systems end at their natural horizontal length. Default:
654 @code{#t} for scores with only one system, and @code{#f} for
655 scores with two or more systems. This variable can also be set in
656 a @code{\layout} block.
659 @funindex ragged-last
661 If set to true, the last system in the score will not fill the
662 line width. Instead the last system ends at its natural
663 horizontal length. Default: @code{#f}. This variable can also be
664 set in a @code{\layout} block.
670 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
673 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
676 @node \paper variables for two-sided mode
677 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for two-sided mode
679 Default values (before scaling) are defined in
680 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
688 @cindex binding gutter
690 If set to true, use @code{inner-margin}, @code{outer-margin} and
691 @code{binding-offset} to determine margins depending on whether
692 the page number is odd or even. This overrides @code{left-margin}
693 and @code{right-margin}.
696 @funindex inner-margin
698 The margin all pages have at the inner side if they are part of a
699 book. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's default
700 value is scaled accordingly. Works only with @code{two-sided} set
704 @funindex outer-margin
706 The margin all pages have at the outer side if they are part of a
707 book. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's default
708 value is scaled accordingly. Works only with @code{two-sided} set
712 @funindex binding-offset
714 The amount @code{inner-margin} is increased to make sure nothing
715 will be hidden by the binding. If the paper size is modified,
716 this dimension's default value is scaled accordingly. Works only
717 with @code{two-sided} set to true.
723 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
726 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
729 @node \paper variables for shifts and indents
730 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for shifts and indents
732 Default values (before scaling) that are not listed here are
733 defined in @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
737 @item horizontal-shift
738 @funindex horizontal-shift
740 @c This default value is buried in the middle of page.scm. -mp
742 The amount that all systems (including titles and system
743 separators) are shifted to the right. Default: @code{0.0\mm}.
748 The level of indentation for the first system in a score. If the
749 paper size is modified, this dimension's default value is scaled
750 accordingly. This variable can also be set in a @code{\layout}
754 @funindex short-indent
756 The level of indentation for all systems in a score besides the
757 first system. If the paper size is modified, this dimension's
758 default value is scaled accordingly. This variable can also be
759 set in a @code{\layout} block.
765 @ref{Automatic scaling to paper size}.
768 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
774 @node Other \paper variables
775 @subsection Other @code{\paper} variables
778 * \paper variables for line breaking::
779 * \paper variables for page breaking::
780 * \paper variables for page numbering::
781 * Miscellaneous \paper variables::
785 @node \paper variables for line breaking
786 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for line breaking
788 @c TODO: Mention that ly:optimal-breaking is on by default? -mp
792 @item max-systems-per-page
793 @funindex max-systems-per-page
795 The maximum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
796 is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
799 @item min-systems-per-page
800 @funindex min-systems-per-page
802 The minimum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
803 may cause pages to be overfilled if it is made too large. This is
804 currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
807 @item systems-per-page
808 @funindex systems-per-page
810 The number of systems that should be placed on each page.
811 This is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
815 @funindex system-count
817 The number of systems to be used for a score. Default: unset.
818 This variable can also be set in a @code{\layout} block.
827 @node \paper variables for page breaking
828 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for page breaking
830 Default values not listed here are defined in
831 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}
835 @item blank-after-score-page-force
836 @funindex blank-after-score-page-force
838 The penalty for having a blank page after the end of one score and
839 before the next. By default, this is smaller than
840 @code{blank-page-force}, so that we prefer blank pages after
841 scores to blank pages within a score.
843 @item blank-last-page-force
844 @funindex blank-last-page-force
846 The penalty for ending the score on an odd-numbered page.
848 @item blank-page-force
849 @funindex blank-page-force
851 The penalty for having a blank page in the middle of a
852 score. This is not used by @code{ly:optimal-breaking} since it will
853 never consider blank pages in the middle of a score.
856 @funindex page-breaking
858 The page-breaking algorithm to use. Choices are
859 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, and
860 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}.
862 @item page-breaking-system-system-spacing
863 @funindex page-breaking-system-system-spacing
865 Tricks the page breaker into thinking that
866 @code{system-system-spacing} is set to something different than
867 it really is. For example, if
868 @code{page-breaking-system-system-spacing #'padding} is set to something
869 substantially larger than @code{system-system-spacing #'padding}, then the
870 page-breaker will put fewer systems on each page. Default: unset.
875 The number of pages to be used for a score, unset by default.
882 @ref{Optimal page breaking},
883 @ref{Optimal page turning},
884 @ref{Minimal page breaking}.
887 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
890 @node \paper variables for page numbering
891 @unnumberedsubsubsec @code{\paper} variables for page numbering
893 Default values not listed here are defined in
894 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}
898 @cindex page numbers, auto-numbering
899 @item auto-first-page-number
900 @funindex auto-first-page-number
902 The page breaking algorithm is affected by the first page number
903 being odd or even. If set to true, the page breaking algorithm
904 will decide whether to start with an odd or even number. This
905 will result in the first page number remaining as is or being
906 increased by one. Default: @code{#f}.
908 @cindex page numbers, specify the first
909 @item first-page-number
910 @funindex first-page-number
912 The value of the page number on the first page.
914 @item print-first-page-number
915 @funindex print-first-page-number
917 If set to true, a page number is printed on the first page.
919 @cindex page numbers, suppress
920 @item print-page-number
921 @funindex print-page-number
923 If set to false, page numbers are not printed.
929 @file{ly/paper-defaults-init.ly}.
932 Odd page numbers are always on the right. If you want the
933 music to start on page 1 there must be a blank page on the back
934 of the cover page so that page 1 is on the right hand side.
937 @node Miscellaneous \paper variables
938 @unnumberedsubsubsec Miscellaneous @code{\paper} variables
942 @item page-spacing-weight
943 @funindex page-spacing-weight
945 The relative importance of page (vertical) spacing and line
946 (horizontal) spacing. High values will make page spacing more
947 important. Default: @code{#10}.
949 @item print-all-headers
950 @funindex print-all-headers
952 If set to true, this will print all headers for each @code{\score}
953 in the output. Normally only the @code{piece} and @code{opus}
954 header variables are printed. Default: @code{#f}.
956 @item system-separator-markup
957 @funindex system-separator-markup
959 A markup object that is inserted between systems, often used for
960 orchestral scores. Default: unset. The @code{\slashSeparator}
961 markup, defined in @file{ly/titling-init.ly}, is provided as a
962 sensible default, for example:
964 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,noragged-right,line-width=30\mm]
965 #(set-default-paper-size "a8")
969 system-separator-markup = \slashSeparator
975 \relative c'' { c1 \break c1 \break c1 }
985 @file{ly/titling-init.ly}.
993 The default page header puts the page number and the @code{instrument}
994 field from the @code{\header} block on a line.
998 @section Score layout
1000 This section discusses score layout options for the @code{\layout}
1004 * The \layout block::
1005 * Setting the staff size::
1009 @node The \layout block
1010 @subsection The @code{\layout} block
1014 While the @code{\paper} block contains settings that relate to the
1015 page formatting of the whole document, the @code{\layout} block
1016 contains settings for score-specific layout. To set score layout
1017 options globally, enter them in a toplevel @code{\layout} block.
1018 To set layout options for an individual score, enter them in a
1019 @code{\layout} block inside the @code{\score} block, after the
1020 music. Settings that can appear in a @code{\layout} block
1024 @item the @code{layout-set-staff-size} scheme function,
1025 @item context modifications in @code{\context} blocks, and
1026 @item @code{\paper} variables that affect score layout.
1029 The @code{layout-set-staff-size} function is discussed in the next
1030 section, @ref{Setting the staff size}. Context modifications are
1031 discussed in a separate chapter; see
1032 @ref{Modifying context plug-ins} and
1033 @ref{Changing context default settings}. The @code{\paper}
1034 variables that can appear in a @code{\layout} block are:
1039 @code{line-width}, @code{ragged-right} and @code{ragged-last}
1040 (see @ref{\paper variables for widths and margins})
1043 @code{indent} and @code{short-indent}
1044 (see @ref{\paper variables for shifts and indents})
1048 (see @ref{\paper variables for line breaking})
1052 Here is an example @code{\layout} block:
1059 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #'basic-distance = #8
1063 \override TextScript #'padding = #1
1064 \override Glissando #'thickness = #3
1072 @ref{Changing context default settings}.
1078 @node Setting the staff size
1079 @subsection Setting the staff size
1081 @cindex font size, setting
1082 @cindex staff size, setting
1083 @funindex layout file
1085 The default @strong{staff size} is set to 20 points.
1086 This may be changed in two ways:
1088 To set the staff size globally for all scores in a file (or
1089 in a @code{book} block, to be precise), use @code{set-global-staff-size}.
1092 #(set-global-staff-size 14)
1096 This sets the global default size to 14pt staff height and scales all
1099 To set the staff size individually for each score, use
1104 #(layout-set-staff-size 15)
1109 The Feta font provides musical symbols at eight different
1110 sizes. Each font is tuned for a different staff size: at a smaller size
1111 the font becomes heavier, to match the relatively heavier staff lines.
1112 The recommended font sizes are listed in the following table:
1115 @multitable @columnfractions .15 .2 .22 .2
1118 @tab @b{staff height (pt)}
1119 @tab @b{staff height (mm)}
1161 @c modern rental material?
1166 These fonts are available in any sizes. The context property
1167 @code{fontSize} and the layout property @code{staff-space} (in
1168 @rinternals{StaffSymbol}) can be used to tune the size for individual
1169 staves. The sizes of individual staves are relative to the global size.
1174 @ref{Selecting notation font size}.
1182 @code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between the
1192 * Optimal page breaking::
1193 * Optimal page turning::
1194 * Minimal page breaking::
1196 * Using an extra voice for breaks::
1201 @subsection Line breaking
1204 @cindex breaking lines
1206 Line breaks are normally determined automatically. They are chosen
1207 so that lines look neither cramped nor loose, and consecutive
1208 lines have similar density.
1210 To manually force a line break at a bar line, use the
1211 @code{\break} command:
1213 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
1218 By default, a @code{\break} in the middle of a measure is ignored,
1219 and a warning is printed. To force a line break in the middle of
1220 a measure, add an invisible bar line with @w{@samp{\bar ""}}:
1222 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
1229 A @code{\break} occurring at a bar line is also ignored if the
1230 previous measure ends in the middle of a note, such as when a
1231 tuplet begins and ends in different measures. To allow
1232 @code{\break} commands to work in these situations, remove the
1233 @code{Forbid_line_break_engraver} from the @code{Voice} context.
1234 Note that manually forced line breaks have to be added in parallel
1237 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
1239 \remove Forbid_line_break_engraver
1242 { c2. \times 2/3 { c4 c c } c2. | }
1243 { s1 | \break s1 | }
1248 Similarly, line breaks are normally forbidden when beams cross bar
1249 lines. This behavior can be changed by setting
1250 @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}:
1252 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
1253 \override Beam #'breakable = ##t
1258 The @code{\noBreak} command forbids a line break at the bar line
1259 where it is inserted.
1261 The most basic settings influencing line spacing are @code{indent}
1262 and @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block.
1263 They control the indentation of the first line of music, and the
1264 lengths of the lines.
1266 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block,
1267 then systems end at their natural horizontal length, instead of
1268 being spread horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful
1269 for short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural
1272 @c TODO Check and add para on default for ragged-right
1274 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right},
1275 but affects only the last line of the piece.
1287 @cindex regular line breaks
1288 @cindex four bar music.
1290 For line breaks at regular intervals use @code{\break} separated by
1291 skips and repeated with @code{\repeat}. For example, this would
1292 cause the following 28 measures (assuming 4/4 time) to be broken
1293 every 4 measures, and only there:
1298 s1 \noBreak s1 \noBreak
1299 s1 \noBreak s1 \break
1301 @{ @var{the actual music@dots{}} @}
1306 A linebreaking configuration can be saved as a @file{.ly} file
1307 automatically. This allows vertical alignments to be stretched to
1308 fit pages in a second formatting run. This is fairly new and
1309 complicated. More details are available in
1323 @ref{\paper variables for line breaking}.
1328 Internals Reference:
1329 @rinternals{LineBreakEvent}.
1333 @subsection Page breaking
1335 The default page breaking may be overridden by inserting
1336 @code{\pageBreak} or @code{\noPageBreak} commands. These commands are
1337 analogous to @code{\break} and @code{\noBreak}. They should be
1338 inserted at a bar line. These commands force and forbid a page-break
1339 from happening. Of course, the @code{\pageBreak} command also forces
1342 The @code{\pageBreak} and @code{\noPageBreak} commands may also be
1343 inserted at top-level, between scores and top-level markups.
1345 There are also analogous settings to @code{ragged-right} and
1346 @code{ragged-last} which have the same effect on vertical spacing:
1347 @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom}. If set to
1348 @code{##t} the systems on all pages or just the last page
1349 respectively will not be justified vertically. See
1350 @ref{Fixed vertical spacing \paper variables}.
1352 Page breaks are computed by the @code{page-breaking} function. LilyPond
1353 provides three algorithms for computing page breaks,
1354 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} and
1355 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}. The default is @code{ly:optimal-breaking},
1356 but the value can be changed in the @code{\paper} block:
1360 page-breaking = #ly:page-turn-breaking
1366 When a book has many scores and pages, the page breaking problem may be
1367 difficult to solve, requiring large processing time and memory. To ease
1368 the page breaking process, @code{\bookpart} blocks are used to divide
1369 the book into several parts: the page breaking occurs separately on each
1370 part. Different page breaking functions may also be used in different
1376 subtitle = "Preface"
1379 %% In a part consisting mostly of text,
1380 %% ly:minimal-breaking may be preferred
1381 page-breaking = #ly:minimal-breaking
1383 \markup @{ @dots{} @}
1387 %% In this part, consisting of music, the default optimal
1388 %% page breaking function is used.
1390 subtitle = "First movement"
1392 \score @{ @dots{} @}
1399 @funindex \pageBreak
1401 @funindex \noPageBreak
1402 @code{\noPageBreak}.
1408 @ref{\paper variables for page breaking}.
1414 @node Optimal page breaking
1415 @subsection Optimal page breaking
1417 @funindex ly:optimal-breaking
1419 The @code{ly:optimal-breaking} function is LilyPond's default method of
1420 determining page breaks. It attempts to find a page breaking that minimizes
1421 cramping and stretching, both horizontally and vertically. Unlike
1422 @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, it has no concept of page turns.
1430 @node Optimal page turning
1431 @subsection Optimal page turning
1433 @funindex ly:page-turn-breaking
1435 Often it is necessary to find a page breaking configuration so that there is
1436 a rest at the end of every second page. This way, the musician can turn the
1437 page without having to miss notes. The @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} function
1438 attempts to find a page breaking minimizing cramping and stretching, but with
1439 the additional restriction that it is only allowed to introduce page turns
1440 in specified places.
1442 There are two steps to using this page breaking function. First, you
1443 must enable it in the @code{\paper} block, as explained in @ref{Page
1444 breaking}. Then you must tell the function where you would like to allow
1447 There are two ways to achieve the second step. First, you can specify each
1448 potential page turn manually, by inserting @code{\allowPageTurn} into your
1449 input file at the appropriate places.
1451 If this is too tedious, you can add a @code{Page_turn_engraver} to a Staff or
1452 Voice context. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} will scan the context for
1453 sections without notes (note that it does not scan for rests; it scans for
1454 the absence of notes. This is so that single-staff polyphony with rests in one
1455 of the parts does not throw off the @code{Page_turn_engraver}). When it finds
1456 a sufficiently long section without notes, the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1457 insert an @code{\allowPageTurn} at the final bar line in that section, unless
1458 there is a @q{special} bar line (such as a double bar), in which case the
1459 @code{\allowPageTurn} will be inserted at the final @q{special} bar line in
1462 @funindex minimumPageTurnLength
1463 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} reads the context property
1464 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} to determine how long a note-free section must
1465 be before a page turn is considered. The default value for
1466 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} is @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 1)}. If you want
1467 to disable page turns, you can set it to something very large.
1470 \new Staff \with @{ \consists "Page_turn_engraver" @}
1473 R1 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1475 \set Staff.minimumPageTurnLength = #(ly:make-moment 5 2)
1476 R1 | % a page turn will not be allowed here
1478 R1*2 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1483 @funindex minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn
1484 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} detects volta repeats. It will only allow a page
1485 turn during the repeat if there is enough time at the beginning and end of the
1486 repeat to turn the page back. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} can also disable
1487 page turns if the repeat is very short. If you set the context property
1488 @code{minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn} then the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1489 only allow turns in repeats whose duration is longer than this value.
1491 The page turning commands, @code{\pageTurn}, @code{\noPageTurn} and
1492 @code{\allowPageTurn}, may also be used at top-level, between scores and
1499 @funindex \noPageTurn
1501 @funindex \allowPageTurn
1502 @code{\allowPageTurn}.
1513 There should only be one @code{Page_turn_engraver} in a score. If there is more
1514 than one, they will interfere with each other.
1517 @node Minimal page breaking
1518 @subsection Minimal page breaking
1520 @funindex ly:minimal-breaking
1522 The @code{ly:minimal-breaking} function performs minimal computations to
1523 calculate the page breaking: it fills a page with as many systems as
1524 possible before moving to the next one. Thus, it may be preferred for
1525 scores with many pages, where the other page breaking functions could be
1526 too slow or memory demanding, or a lot of texts. It is enabled using:
1530 page-breaking = #ly:minimal-breaking
1540 @node Explicit breaks
1541 @subsection Explicit breaks
1543 Lily sometimes rejects explicit @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak}
1544 commands. There are two commands to override this behavior:
1547 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1548 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1551 When @code{line-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1552 line breaks at explicit @code{\break} commands and nowhere else. When
1553 @code{page-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1554 page breaks at explicit @code{\pageBreak} commands and nowhere else.
1556 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1563 music = \relative c'' { c8 c c c }
1567 \repeat unfold 2 { \music } \break
1568 \repeat unfold 4 { \music } \break
1569 \repeat unfold 6 { \music } \break
1570 \repeat unfold 8 { \music } \pageBreak
1571 \repeat unfold 8 { \music } \break
1572 \repeat unfold 6 { \music } \break
1573 \repeat unfold 4 { \music } \break
1574 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1579 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1580 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1592 @node Using an extra voice for breaks
1593 @subsection Using an extra voice for breaks
1595 Line- and page-breaking information usually appears within note entry directly.
1598 music = \relative c'' @{ c4 c c c @}
1602 \repeat unfold 2 @{ \music @} \break
1603 \repeat unfold 3 @{ \music @}
1608 This makes @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak} commands easy to enter but mixes
1609 music entry with information that specifies how music should lay out
1610 on the page. You can keep music entry and line- and page-breaking
1611 information in two separate places by introducing an extra voice to
1612 contain the breaks. This extra voice
1613 contains only skips together with @code{\break}, @code{pageBreak} and other
1614 breaking layout information.
1616 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1617 music = \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
1628 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1629 \repeat unfold 3 { \music }
1630 \repeat unfold 6 { \music }
1631 \repeat unfold 5 { \music }
1637 This pattern becomes especially helpful when overriding
1638 @code{line-break-system-details} and the other useful but long properties of
1639 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumnGrob}, as explained in @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1641 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1642 music = \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
1647 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1648 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1651 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1652 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 35))
1655 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1656 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 70))
1659 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1660 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 105))
1664 \repeat unfold 2 { \music }
1665 \repeat unfold 3 { \music }
1666 \repeat unfold 6 { \music }
1667 \repeat unfold 5 { \music }
1676 @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1682 @node Vertical spacing
1683 @section Vertical spacing
1685 @cindex vertical spacing
1686 @cindex spacing, vertical
1688 Vertical spacing is controlled by three things: the amount of
1689 space available (i.e., paper size and margins), the amount of
1690 space between systems, and the amount of space between
1691 staves inside a system.
1694 * Flexible vertical spacing within systems::
1695 * Explicit staff and system positioning::
1696 * Vertical collision avoidance::
1700 @node Flexible vertical spacing within systems
1701 @subsection Flexible vertical spacing within systems
1703 @cindex distance between staves
1704 @cindex staff distance
1705 @cindex space between staves
1706 @cindex space inside systems
1708 Three separate mechanisms control the flexible vertical spacing
1709 within systems, one for each of the following categories:
1714 @emph{ungrouped staves},
1717 @emph{grouped staves} (staves within a staff-group such as
1718 @code{ChoirStaff}, etc.), and
1721 @emph{non-staff lines} (such as @code{Lyrics}, @code{ChordNames},
1726 @c TODO: Clarify this. This almost implies that non-staff lines
1727 @c have NO effect on the spacing between staves. -mp
1729 The height of each system is determined in two steps. First, all
1730 of the staves are spaced according to the amount of space
1731 available. Then, the non-staff lines are distributed between the
1734 Note that the spacing mechanisms discussed in this section only
1735 control the vertical spacing of staves and non-staff lines within
1736 individual systems. The vertical spacing between separate
1737 systems, scores, markups, and margins is controlled by
1738 @code{\paper} variables, which are discussed in
1739 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables}.
1742 * Within-system spacing properties::
1743 * Spacing of ungrouped staves::
1744 * Spacing of grouped staves::
1745 * Spacing of non-staff lines::
1749 @node Within-system spacing properties
1750 @unnumberedsubsubsec Within-system spacing properties
1752 @funindex staff-affinity
1753 @funindex staffgroup-staff-spacing
1754 @funindex staff-staff-spacing
1755 @funindex nonstaff-unrelatedstaff-spacing
1756 @funindex nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing
1757 @funindex nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing
1758 @funindex default-staff-staff-spacing
1759 @funindex minimum-Y-extent
1760 @funindex extra-offset
1761 @funindex self-alignment-X
1763 @funindex VerticalAxisGroup
1765 The within-system vertical spacing mechanisms are controlled by
1766 two sets of grob properties. The first set is associated with the
1767 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob, which is created by all staves and
1768 non-staff lines. The second set is associated with the
1769 @code{StaffGrouper} grob, which can be created by staff-groups,
1770 but only if explicitly called. These properties are described
1771 individually at the end of this section.
1773 The names of these properties (except for @code{staff-affinity})
1774 follow the format @code{@var{item1}-@var{item2}-spacing}, where
1775 @code{@var{item1}} and @code{@var{item2}} are the items to be
1776 spaced. Note that @code{@var{item2}} is not necessarily below
1777 @code{@var{item1}}; for example,
1778 @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing} will measure upwards from the
1779 non-staff line if @code{staff-affinity} is @code{#UP}.
1781 Each distance is measured between the @emph{reference points} of
1782 the two items. The reference point for a staff is the vertical
1783 center of its @code{StaffSymbol} (i.e. the middle line if
1784 @code{line-count} is odd; the middle space if @code{line-count} is
1785 even). The reference points for individual non-staff lines are
1786 given in the following table:
1788 @multitable {Non-staff line} {Reference point}
1789 @headitem Non-staff line @tab Reference point
1790 @item @code{ChordNames} @tab baseline
1791 @item @code{NoteNames} @tab baseline
1792 @item @code{Lyrics} @tab baseline
1793 @item @code{Dynamics} @tab vertical center
1794 @item @code{FiguredBass} @tab highest point
1795 @item @code{FretBoards} @tab top line
1798 In the following image, horizontal lines indicate the positions
1799 of these reference points:
1801 @lilypond[quote,noragged-right,line-width=110\mm]
1802 #(define zero-space '((padding . -inf.0) (basic-distance . 0)))
1804 alignToZero = \with {
1805 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing = #zero-space
1806 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing = #zero-space
1808 lowerCaseChords = \with {
1809 chordNameLowercaseMinor = ##t
1811 staffAffinityDown = \with {
1812 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN
1815 #(define-music-function
1816 (parser location context)
1818 #{ s1*0^\markup { \typewriter $context } #})
1821 \context { \Dynamics \alignToZero }
1822 \context { \FiguredBass \alignToZero }
1823 \context { \Lyrics \alignToZero }
1824 \context { \NoteNames \alignToZero }
1825 \context { \ChordNames \alignToZero \lowerCaseChords }
1826 \context { \FretBoards \alignToZero \staffAffinityDown }
1828 \override BarLine #'stencil = ##f
1829 \override DynamicText #'self-alignment-X = #-1
1830 \override FretBoard #'X-offset = #1.75
1831 \override InstrumentName #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-2 . 2)
1832 \override InstrumentName #'extra-offset = #'(0 . -0.5)
1833 \override TextScript #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-2 . 3)
1834 \override TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1838 %% These contexts have reference points at the baseline:
1839 %% ChordNames, NoteNames, and Lyrics
1841 \new ChordNames { \chords { g1:m } }
1842 \new NoteNames { s1 | g1 | }
1843 \new RhythmicStaff {
1844 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"baseline "
1846 \labelContext "ChordNames" s1 |
1847 \labelContext "NoteNames" s1 |
1848 \labelContext "Lyrics" s1 |
1850 \new Lyrics { \lyrics { \skip 1*2 | ghijk1 | } }
1853 %% The reference point for Dynamics is its vertical center
1855 \new RhythmicStaff {
1856 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"vertical center "
1857 \labelContext "Dynamics" s1*3
1859 \new Dynamics { s2\mp s\fp }
1862 %% The reference point for FiguredBass is its highest point
1864 \new RhythmicStaff {
1865 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"highest point "
1866 \labelContext "FiguredBass" s1
1868 \new FiguredBass { \figuremode { <6 5>1 } }
1871 %% The reference point for FretBoards is the top line
1872 \include "predefined-guitar-fretboards.ly"
1874 \new FretBoards { \chordmode { e1 } }
1875 \new RhythmicStaff {
1876 \set RhythmicStaff.instrumentName = #"top line "
1877 \labelContext "FretBoards " s1
1882 Each of the vertical spacing grob properties (except
1883 @code{staff-affinity}) uses the same alist structure as the
1884 @code{\paper} spacing variables discussed in
1885 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables}. Specific methods
1886 for modifying alists are discussed in @ref{Modifying alists}.
1887 Grob properties should be adjusted with an @code{\override} inside
1888 a @code{\score} or @code{\layout} block, and not inside a
1889 @code{\paper} block.
1891 The following example demonstrates the two ways these alists can
1892 be modified. The first declaration updates one key-value
1893 individually, and the second completely re-defines the property:
1897 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing
1898 #'basic-distance = #10
1902 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing =
1903 #'((basic-distance . 10)
1904 (minimum-distance . 9)
1906 (stretchability . 10))
1910 To change any spacing settings globally, put them in the
1911 @code{\layout} block:
1917 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing
1918 #'basic-distance = #10
1923 Standard settings for the vertical spacing grob properties are
1924 listed in @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup} and
1925 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}. Default overrides for specific types
1926 of non-staff lines are listed in the relevant context descriptions
1927 in @rinternals{Contexts}.
1930 @subsubheading Properties of the @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob
1932 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties are typically adjusted with an
1933 @code{\override} at the @code{Staff} level (or equivalent).
1936 @item staff-staff-spacing
1938 Used to determine the distance between the current staff and the
1939 staff just below it in the same system, even if one or more
1940 non-staff lines (such as @code{Lyrics}) are placed between the two
1941 staves. Does not apply to the bottom staff of a system.
1943 Initially, the @code{staff-staff-spacing} of a
1944 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} is a Scheme function that applies the
1945 properties of the @code{StaffGrouper} if the staff is part of a
1946 group, or the @code{default-staff-staff-spacing} of the staff
1947 otherwise. This allows staves to be spaced differently when they
1948 are grouped. For uniform spacing regardless of grouping, this
1949 function may be replaced by a flexible-spacing alist, using the
1950 complete-redefinition form of override shown above.
1952 @item default-staff-staff-spacing
1953 A flexible-spacing alist defining the @code{staff-staff-spacing} used for
1954 ungrouped staves, unless @code{staff-staff-spacing} has been explicitly
1955 set with an @code{\override}.
1957 @item staff-affinity
1958 The direction of the staff to use for spacing the current
1959 non-staff line. Choices are @code{UP}, @code{DOWN}, and
1960 @code{CENTER}. If @code{CENTER}, the non-staff line will be
1961 placed equidistant between the two nearest staves on either side,
1962 unless collisions or other spacing constraints prevent this.
1963 Adjacent non-staff lines should have non-increasing
1964 @code{staff-affinity} from top to bottom, e.g. a non-staff line
1965 set to @code{UP} should not immediately follow one that is set to
1966 @code{DOWN}. Non-staff lines at the top of a system should use
1967 @code{DOWN}; those at the bottom should use @code{UP}. Setting
1968 @code{staff-affinity} for a staff causes it to be treated as a
1969 non-staff line. Setting @code{staff-affinity} to @code{#f} causes
1970 a non-staff line to be treated as a staff. Setting
1971 @code{staff-affinity} to @code{UP}, @code{CENTER}, or @code{DOWN}
1972 causes a staff to be spaced as a non-staff line.
1974 @item nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing
1975 The distance between the current non-staff line and the nearest
1976 staff in the direction of @code{staff-affinity}, if there are no
1977 non-staff lines between the two, and @code{staff-affinity} is
1978 either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}. If @code{staff-affinity} is
1979 @code{CENTER}, then @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing} is used
1980 for the nearest staves on @emph{both} sides, even if other
1981 non-staff lines appear between the current one and either of the
1982 staves. This means that the placement of a non-staff line depends
1983 on both the surrounding staves and the surrounding non-staff lines.
1984 Setting the @code{stretchability} of one of these types of spacing to
1985 a small value will make that spacing dominate. Setting the
1986 @code{stretchability} to a large value will make that spacing have
1989 @item nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing
1990 The distance between the current non-staff line and the next
1991 non-staff line in the direction of @code{staff-affinity}, if both
1992 are on the same side of the related staff, and
1993 @code{staff-affinity} is either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}.
1995 @item nonstaff-unrelatedstaff-spacing
1996 The distance between the current non-staff line and the staff in
1997 the opposite direction from @code{staff-affinity}, if there are no
1998 other non-staff lines between the two, and @code{staff-affinity}
1999 is either @code{UP} or @code{DOWN}. This can be used, for
2000 example, to require a minimum amount of padding between a
2001 @code{Lyrics} line and the staff to which it does not belong.
2005 @subsubheading Properties of the @code{StaffGrouper} grob
2007 @code{StaffGrouper} properties are typically adjusted with an
2008 @code{\override} at the @code{StaffGroup} level (or equivalent).
2011 @item staff-staff-spacing
2012 The distance between consecutive staves within the current
2013 staff-group. The @code{staff-staff-spacing} property of an
2014 individual staff's @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob can be
2015 overriden with different spacing settings for that staff.
2017 @item staffgroup-staff-spacing
2018 The distance between the last staff of the current staff-group and
2019 the staff just below it in the same system, even if one or more
2020 non-staff lines (such as @code{Lyrics}) exist between the two
2021 staves. Does not apply to the bottom staff of a system. The
2022 @code{staff-staff-spacing} property of an individual staff's
2023 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} grob can be overriden with different
2024 spacing settings for that staff.
2029 @ref{Flexible vertical spacing \paper variables},
2030 @ref{Modifying alists}.
2032 Internals Reference:
2033 @rinternals{Contexts},
2034 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup},
2035 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}.
2038 @file{ly/engraver-init.ly},
2039 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2042 @node Spacing of ungrouped staves
2043 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of ungrouped staves
2045 @emph{Staves} (such as @code{Staff}, @code{DrumStaff},
2046 @code{TabStaff}, etc.) are contexts that can contain one or more
2047 voice contexts, but cannot contain any other staves.
2049 The following properties affect the spacing of @emph{ungrouped}
2053 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
2055 @item @code{default-staff-staff-spacing}
2056 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
2060 These grob properties are described individually above; see
2061 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
2063 Additional properties are involved for staves that are part of a
2064 staff-group; see @ref{Spacing of grouped staves}.
2066 The following example shows how the @code{default-staff-staff-spacing}
2067 property can affect the spacing of ungrouped staves.
2068 The same overrides applied to @code{staff-staff-spacing} would
2069 have the same effect, but would also apply in cases where the staves
2070 are combined in a group or groups.
2072 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2076 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing =
2077 #'((basic-distance . 8)
2078 (minimum-distance . 7)
2084 % The very low note here needs more room than 'basic-distance
2085 % can provide, so the distance between this staff and the next
2086 % is determined by 'padding.
2087 \new Staff { b,2 r | }
2089 % Here, 'basic-distance provides enough room, and there is no
2090 % need to compress the space (towards 'minimum-distance) to make
2091 % room for anything else on the page, so the distance between
2092 % this staff and the next is determined by 'basic-distance.
2093 \new Staff { \clef bass g2 r | }
2095 % By setting 'padding to a negative value, staves can be made to
2096 % collide. The lowest acceptable value for 'basic-distance is 0.
2098 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'default-staff-staff-spacing =
2099 #'((basic-distance . 3.5)
2101 } { \clef bass g2 r | }
2102 \new Staff { \clef bass g2 r | }
2108 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2113 Internals Reference:
2114 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup}.
2117 @node Spacing of grouped staves
2118 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of grouped staves
2120 In orchestral and other large scores, it is common to place staves
2121 in groups. The space between groups is typically larger than the
2122 space between staves of the same group.
2124 @emph{Staff-groups} (such as @code{StaffGroup}, @code{ChoirStaff},
2125 etc.) are contexts that can contain one or more staves
2128 The following properties affect the spacing of staves inside
2132 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
2134 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
2136 @item @code{StaffGrouper} properties:
2138 @item @code{staff-staff-spacing}
2139 @item @code{staffgroup-staff-spacing}
2143 These grob properties are described individually above; see
2144 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
2146 The following example shows how properties of the
2147 @code{StaffGrouper} grob can affect the spacing of grouped staves:
2149 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2153 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #'padding = #0
2154 \override StaffGrouper #'staff-staff-spacing #'basic-distance = #1
2159 \new PianoStaff \with {
2160 \override StaffGrouper #'staffgroup-staff-spacing #'basic-distance = #20
2175 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2180 Internals Reference:
2181 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup},
2182 @rinternals{StaffGrouper}.
2185 @node Spacing of non-staff lines
2186 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of non-staff lines
2188 @emph{Non-staff lines} (such as @code{Lyrics}, @code{ChordNames},
2189 etc.) are contexts whose layout objects are engraved like staves
2190 (i.e. in horizontal lines within systems). Specifically,
2191 non-staff lines are non-staff contexts that create the
2192 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} layout object.
2194 The following properties affect the spacing of non-staff lines:
2197 @item @code{VerticalAxisGroup} properties:
2199 @item @code{staff-affinity}
2200 @item @code{nonstaff-relatedstaff-spacing}
2201 @item @code{nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing}
2202 @item @code{nonstaff-unrelatedstaff-spacing}
2206 These grob properties are described individually above; see
2207 @ref{Within-system spacing properties}.
2209 The following example shows how the
2210 @code{nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing} property can affect the spacing
2211 of consecutive non-staff lines. Here, by setting the
2212 @code{stretchability} key to a very high value, the lyrics are
2213 able to stretch much more than usual:
2215 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2219 \override VerticalAxisGroup
2220 #'nonstaff-nonstaff-spacing #'stretchability = #1000
2227 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-staff-spacing = #'((basic-distance . 30))
2230 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #UP
2233 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #CENTER
2234 } \lyricmode { center }
2236 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN
2237 } \lyricmode { down }
2245 @file{ly/engraver-init.ly},
2246 @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}.
2251 @c @lsr{spacing,page-spacing.ly},
2252 @c @lsr{spacing,alignment-vertical-spacing.ly}.
2254 Internals Reference:
2255 @rinternals{Contexts},
2256 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup}.
2259 @node Explicit staff and system positioning
2260 @subsection Explicit staff and system positioning
2262 One way to understand the flexible vertical spacing mechanisms
2263 explained above is as a collection of settings that control the
2264 amount of vertical padding between staves and systems.
2266 It is possible to approach vertical spacing in a different way
2267 using @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}.
2268 While the flexible vertical spacing mechanisms specify vertical
2269 padding, @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
2270 can specify exact vertical positions on the page.
2272 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} accepts
2273 an associative list of three different settings:
2276 @item @code{X-offset}
2277 @item @code{Y-offset}
2278 @item @code{alignment-distances}
2281 Grob overrides, including the overrides for @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}
2282 below, can occur in any of three different places in an input file:
2285 @item in the middle of note entry directly
2286 @item in a @code{\context} block
2287 @item in the @code{\with} block
2290 When we override @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}, we use the usual
2291 @code{\override} command in @code{\context} blocks and in the
2292 @code{\with} block. On the other hand, when we override
2293 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} in the middle of note entry,
2294 use the special @code{\overrideProperty} command. Here are some
2295 example @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} overrides with the special
2296 @code{\overrideProperty} command:
2299 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2300 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20))
2302 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2303 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
2305 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2306 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20)
2309 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2310 #'line-break-system-details #'((alignment-distances . (15)))
2312 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
2313 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20)
2315 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2318 To understand how each of these different settings work, we begin
2319 by looking at an example that includes no overrides at all.
2321 @c \book { } is required in these examples to ensure the spacing
2322 @c overrides can be seen between systems. -np
2324 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2325 \header { tagline = ##f }
2326 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2336 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2339 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2346 This score isolates line- and page-breaking information in a dedicated
2347 voice. This technique of creating a breaks voice will help keep layout
2348 separate from music entry as our example becomes more complicated.
2349 See @ref{Using an extra voice for breaks}.
2351 Explicit @code{\breaks} evenly divide the music into six measures per
2352 line. Vertical spacing results from LilyPond's defaults. To set
2353 the vertical startpoint of each system explicitly, we can set
2354 the @code{Y-offset} pair in the @code{line-break-system-details}
2355 attribute of the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob:
2357 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2358 \header { tagline = ##f }
2359 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2365 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2366 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
2368 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2369 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
2371 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2372 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 80))
2375 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2378 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2385 Note that @code{line-break-system-details} takes an associative list of
2386 potentially many values, but that we set only one value here. Note,
2387 too, that the @code{Y-offset} property here determines the exact vertical
2388 position on the page at which each new system will render.
2390 Now that we have set the vertical startpoint of each system
2391 explicitly, we can also set the vertical distances between staves
2392 within each system manually. We do this using the @code{alignment-distances}
2393 subproperty of @code{line-break-system-details}.
2395 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2396 \header { tagline = ##f }
2397 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2403 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2404 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 20)
2405 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2407 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2408 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
2409 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2411 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2412 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
2413 (alignment-distances . (15)))
2416 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2419 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
2426 Note that here we assign two different values to the
2427 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute of the
2428 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob. Though the
2429 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute alist accepts many
2430 additional spacing parameters (including, for example, a corresponding
2431 @code{X-offset} pair), we need only set the @code{Y-offset} and
2432 @code{alignment-distances} pairs to control the vertical startpoint of
2433 every system and every staff. Finally, note that @code{alignment-distances}
2434 specifies the vertical positioning of staves but not of staff groups.
2436 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,staffsize=16]
2437 \header { tagline = ##f }
2438 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
2444 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2445 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0)
2446 (alignment-distances . (30 10)))
2448 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2449 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
2450 (alignment-distances . (10 10)))
2452 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
2453 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
2454 (alignment-distances . (10 30)))
2457 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
2460 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' } }
2461 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { e'4 e' e' e' } }
2468 Some points to consider:
2471 @item When using @code{alignment-distances}, lyrics and other non-staff lines
2472 do not count as a staff.
2474 @item The units of the numbers passed to @code{X-offset},
2475 @code{Y-offset} and @code{alignment-distances} are interpreted as multiples
2476 of the distance between adjacent staff lines. Positive values move staves
2477 and lyrics up, negative values move staves and lyrics down.
2479 @item Because the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
2480 settings given here allow the positioning of staves and systems anywhere
2481 on the page, it is possible to violate paper or margin boundaries or even
2482 to print staves or systems on top of one another. Reasonable values
2483 passed to these different settings will avoid this.
2492 @node Vertical collision avoidance
2493 @subsection Vertical collision avoidance
2495 @funindex outside-staff-priority
2496 @funindex outside-staff-padding
2497 @funindex outside-staff-horizontal-padding
2499 Intuitively, there are some objects in musical notation that belong
2500 to the staff and there are other objects that should be placed outside
2501 the staff. Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
2502 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings (from now on, these will
2503 be called outside-staff objects). LilyPond's rule for the
2504 vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them as close
2505 to the staff as possible but not so close that they collide with
2508 LilyPond uses the @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine
2509 whether a grob is an outside-staff object: if @code{outside-staff-priority}
2510 is a number, the grob is an outside-staff object. In addition,
2511 @code{outside-staff-priority} tells LilyPond in which order the objects
2514 First, LilyPond places all the objects that do not belong outside
2515 the staff. Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
2516 @code{outside-staff-priority} (in increasing order). One by one, LilyPond
2517 takes the outside-staff objects and places them so that they do
2518 not collide with any objects that have already been placed. That
2519 is, if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the one
2520 with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed closer to
2523 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2526 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #1
2527 c4_"Text"\pp % this time the text will be closer to the staff
2529 % by setting outside-staff-priority to a non-number,
2530 % we disable the automatic collision avoidance
2531 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
2532 \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
2533 c4_"Text"\pp % now they will collide
2536 The vertical padding between an outside-staff object and the
2537 previously-positioned grobs can be controlled with
2538 @code{outside-staff-padding}.
2540 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2541 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #0
2542 a'^"This text is placed very close to the note"
2543 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #3
2544 c^"This text is padded away from the previous text"
2545 c^"This text is placed close to the previous text"
2549 By default, outside-staff objects are placed only to avoid
2550 a horizontal collision with previously-positioned grobs. This
2551 can lead to situations in which objects are placed very close to each
2552 other horizontally. The vertical spacing between staves can
2553 also be set so that outside staff objects are interleaved.
2554 Setting @code{outside-staff-horizontal-padding}
2555 causes an object to be offset vertically so that such a situation
2558 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2559 % the markup is too close to the following note
2563 % setting outside-staff-horizontal-padding fixes this
2565 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-horizontal-padding = #1
2577 @node Horizontal spacing
2578 @section Horizontal spacing
2580 @cindex horizontal spacing
2581 @cindex spacing, horizontal
2584 * Horizontal spacing overview::
2585 * New spacing area::
2586 * Changing horizontal spacing::
2588 * Proportional notation::
2592 @node Horizontal spacing overview
2593 @subsection Horizontal spacing overview
2595 The spacing engine translates differences in durations into stretchable
2596 distances (@q{springs}) of differing lengths. Longer durations get
2597 more space, shorter durations get less. The shortest durations get a
2598 fixed amount of space (which is controlled by
2599 @code{shortest-duration-space} in the @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}
2600 object). The longer the duration, the more space it gets: doubling a
2601 duration adds a fixed amount (this amount is controlled by
2602 @code{spacing-increment}) of space to the note.
2604 For example, the following piece contains lots of half, quarter, and
2605 8th notes; the eighth note is followed by 1 note head width (NHW).
2606 The quarter note is followed by 2 NHW, the half by 3 NHW, etc.
2608 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=1]
2609 c2 c4. c8 c4. c8 c4. c8 c8
2613 Normally, @code{spacing-increment} is set to 1.2 staff space, which is
2614 approximately the width of a note head, and
2615 @code{shortest-duration-space} is set to 2.0, meaning that the
2616 shortest note gets 2.4 staff space (2.0 times the
2617 @code{spacing-increment}) of horizontal space. This space is counted
2618 from the left edge of the symbol, so the shortest notes are generally
2619 followed by one NHW of space.
2621 If one would follow the above procedure exactly, then adding a single
2622 32nd note to a score that uses 8th and 16th notes, would widen up the
2623 entire score a lot. The shortest note is no longer a 16th, but a 32nd,
2624 thus adding 1 NHW to every note. To prevent this, the shortest
2625 duration for spacing is not the shortest note in the score, but rather
2626 the one which occurs most frequently.
2629 The most common shortest duration is determined as follows: in every
2630 measure, the shortest duration is determined. The most common shortest
2631 duration is taken as the basis for the spacing, with the stipulation
2632 that this shortest duration should always be equal to or shorter than
2633 an 8th note. The shortest duration is printed when you run
2634 @code{lilypond} with the @code{--verbose} option.
2636 These durations may also be customized. If you set the
2637 @code{common-shortest-duration} in @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}, then
2638 this sets the base duration for spacing. The maximum duration for this
2639 base (normally an 8th), is set through @code{base-shortest-duration}.
2641 @funindex common-shortest-duration
2642 @funindex base-shortest-duration
2643 @funindex stem-spacing-correction
2646 Notes that are even shorter than the common shortest note are
2647 followed by a space that is proportional to their duration relative to
2648 the common shortest note. So if we were to add only a few 16th notes
2649 to the example above, they would be followed by half a NHW:
2651 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
2652 c2 c4. c8 c4. c16[ c] c4. c8 c8 c8 c4 c4 c4
2656 In the @emph{Essay on automated music engraving}, it was explained
2657 that stem directions influence spacing (see
2658 @ressay{Optical spacing}). This is controlled with the
2659 @code{stem-spacing-correction} property in the
2660 @rinternals{NoteSpacing}, object. These are generated for every
2661 @rinternals{Voice} context. The @code{StaffSpacing} object
2662 (generated in @rinternals{Staff} context) contains the same
2663 property for controlling the stem/bar line spacing. The following
2664 example shows these corrections, once with default settings, and
2665 once with exaggerated corrections:
2667 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
2671 \override Staff.NoteSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2672 \override Staff.StaffSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2678 Proportional notation is supported; see @ref{Proportional notation}.
2685 Internals Reference:
2686 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner},
2687 @rinternals{NoteSpacing},
2688 @rinternals{StaffSpacing},
2689 @rinternals{NonMusicalPaperColumn}.
2691 Essay on automated music engraving:
2692 @ressay{Optical spacing}.
2697 There is no convenient mechanism to manually override spacing. The
2698 following work-around may be used to insert extra space into a score,
2699 adjusting the padding value as necessary.
2701 \override Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn #'padding = #10
2704 No work-around exists for decreasing the amount of space.
2707 @node New spacing area
2708 @subsection New spacing area
2710 New sections with different spacing parameters can be started with
2711 @code{newSpacingSection}. This is useful when there are
2712 sections with a different notions of long and short notes.
2714 In the following example, the time signature change introduces a new
2715 section, and hence the 16ths notes are spaced wider.
2717 @lilypond[relative=1,verbatim,quote]
2720 c8 c c4 c16[ c c8] c4
2726 The @code{\newSpacingSection} command creates a new
2727 @code{SpacingSpanner} object, and hence new @code{\override}s
2728 may be used in that location.
2735 Internals Reference:
2736 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}.
2739 @node Changing horizontal spacing
2740 @subsection Changing horizontal spacing
2742 Horizontal spacing may be altered with the
2743 @code{base-shortest-duration} property. Here
2744 we compare the same music; once without altering
2745 the property, and then altered. Larger values
2746 of @code{ly:make-moment} will produce smaller
2747 music. Note that @code{ly:make-moment} constructs
2748 a duration, so @code{1 4} is a longer duration
2751 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2754 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2755 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2756 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2757 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2762 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2765 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2766 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2767 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2768 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2773 \override SpacingSpanner
2774 #'base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2783 By default, spacing in tuplets depends on various non-duration
2784 factors (such as accidentals, clef changes, etc). To disregard
2785 such symbols and force uniform equal-duration spacing, use
2786 @code{Score.SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching}. This
2787 property can only be changed at the beginning of a score,
2789 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
2808 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2814 When @code{strict-note-spacing} is set, notes are spaced without
2815 regard for clefs, bar lines, and grace notes,
2817 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,verbatim]
2818 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2819 \new Staff { c8[ c \clef alto c \grace { c16[ c] } c8 c c] c32[ c32] }
2829 @subsection Line length
2832 @cindex breaking pages
2835 @funindex line-width
2836 @funindex ragged-right
2837 @funindex ragged-last
2839 @c Although line-width can be set in \layout, it should be set in paper
2840 @c block, to get page layout right.
2841 @c Setting indent in \paper block makes not much sense, but it works.
2843 @c Bit verbose and vague, use examples?
2844 The most basic settings influencing the spacing are @code{indent} and
2845 @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block. They
2846 control the indentation of the first line of music, and the lengths of
2849 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block, then
2850 systems ends at their natural horizontal length, instead of being spread
2851 horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful for
2852 short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural spacing is.
2853 The normal default setting is false, but if the score has only one
2854 system the default value is true.
2857 @cindex vertical spacing
2859 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right}, but
2860 only affects the last line of the piece. No restrictions are put on
2861 that line. The result is similar to formatting text paragraphs. In a
2862 paragraph, the last line simply takes its natural horizontal length.
2863 @c Note that for text there are several options for the last line.
2864 @c While Knuth TeX uses natural length, lead typesetters use the same
2865 @c stretch as the previous line. eTeX uses \lastlinefit to
2866 @c interpolate between both these solutions.
2882 @node Proportional notation
2883 @subsection Proportional notation
2885 LilyPond supports proportional notation, a type of horizontal spacing
2886 in which each note consumes an amount of horizontal space exactly
2887 equivalent to its rhythmic duration. This type of proportional spacing
2888 is comparable to horizontal spacing on top of graph paper. Some late
2889 20th- and early 21st-century scores use proportional notation to
2890 clarify complex rhythmic relationships or to facilitate the placement
2891 of timelines or other graphics directly in the score.
2893 LilyPond supports five different settings for proportional notation,
2894 which may be used together or alone:
2897 @item @code{proportionalNotationDuration}
2898 @item @code{uniform-stretching}
2899 @item @code{strict-note-spacing}
2900 @item @code{\remove Separating_line_group_engraver}
2901 @item @code{\override PaperColumn #'used = ##t}
2904 In the examples that follow, we explore these five different
2905 proportional notation settings and examine how these settings interact.
2907 We start with the following one-measure example, which uses classical
2908 spacing with ragged-right turned on.
2910 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2913 \new RhythmicStaff {
2917 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2924 Notice that the half note which begins the measure takes up far less
2925 than half of the horizontal space of the measure. Likewise, the
2926 sixteenth notes and sixteenth-note quintuplets (or twentieth notes)
2927 which end the measure together take up far more than half the
2928 horizontal space of the measure.
2930 In classical engraving, this spacing may be exactly what we want
2931 because we can borrow horizontal space from the half note and conserve
2932 horizontal space across the measure as a whole.
2934 On the other hand, if we want to insert a measured timeline or other
2935 graphic above or below our score, we need proportional notation. We
2936 turn proportional notation on with the proportionalNotationDuration
2939 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2942 \new RhythmicStaff {
2946 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2953 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2959 The half note at the beginning of the measure and the faster notes in
2960 the second half of the measure now occupy equal amounts of horizontal
2961 space. We could place a measured timeline or graphic above or below
2964 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting is a context setting
2965 that lives in @code{Score}. Remember that context settings can appear
2966 in one of three locations within our input file -- in a @code{\with}
2967 block, in a @code{\context} block, or directly in music entry preceded
2968 by the @code{\set} command. As with all context settings, users can
2969 pick which of the three different locations they would like to
2970 set @code{proportionalNotationDuration} in to.
2972 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting takes a single argument,
2973 which is the reference duration against that all music will be spaced.
2974 The LilyPond Scheme function @code{make-moment} takes two arguments
2975 -- a numerator and denominator which together express some fraction of
2976 a whole note. The call @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 20)} therefore produces
2977 a reference duration of a twentieth note. Values such as
2978 @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 16)}, @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 8)}, and
2979 @code{#(ly:make-moment 3 97)} are all possible as well.
2981 How do we select the right reference duration to pass to
2982 @code{proportionalNotationDuration}? Usually by a process of trial
2983 and error, beginning with a duration close to the fastest (or smallest)
2984 duration in the piece. Smaller reference durations space music loosely;
2985 larger reference durations space music tightly.
2987 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2990 \new RhythmicStaff {
2994 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3001 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
3008 \new RhythmicStaff {
3012 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3019 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
3026 \new RhythmicStaff {
3030 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3037 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
3043 Note that too large a reference duration -- such as the eighth note,
3044 above -- spaces music too tightly and can cause note head collisions.
3045 Also that proportional notation in general takes up more horizontal
3046 space than classical spacing. Proportional spacing provides rhythmic
3047 clarity at the expense of horizontal space.
3049 Next we examine how to optimally space overlapping tuplets.
3051 We start by examining what happens to our original example, with
3052 classical spacing, when we add a second staff with a different type of
3055 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3058 \new RhythmicStaff {
3062 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3065 \new RhythmicStaff {
3067 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3074 The spacing is bad because the evenly spaced notes of the bottom staff
3075 do not stretch uniformly. Classical engravings include very few complex
3076 triplets and so classical engraving rules can generate this type of
3077 result. Setting @code{proportionalNotationDuration} fixes this.
3079 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3082 \new RhythmicStaff {
3086 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3089 \new RhythmicStaff {
3091 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3098 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
3104 But if we look very carefully we can see that notes of the second half
3105 of the 9-tuplet space ever so slightly more widely than the notes
3106 of the first half of the 9-tuplet. To ensure uniform stretching, we
3107 turn on @code{uniform-stretching}, which is a property of
3108 @code{SpacingSpanner}.
3110 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3113 \new RhythmicStaff {
3117 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
3120 \new RhythmicStaff {
3122 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
3129 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
3130 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
3136 Our two-staff example now spaces exactly, our rhythmic
3137 relationships are visually clear, and we can include a measured
3138 timeline or graphic if we want.
3140 Note that the LilyPond's proportional notation package expects
3141 that all proportional scores set the SpacingSpanner's
3142 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t. Setting
3143 proportionalNotationDuration without also setting the
3144 SpacingSpanner's 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t will, for
3145 example, cause Skips to consume an incorrect amount of horizontal
3148 The SpacingSpanner is an abstract grob that lives in the Score
3149 context. As with our settings of proportionalNotationDuration,
3150 overrides to the SpacingSpanner can occur in any of three
3151 different places in our input file – in the Score \with block, in
3152 a Score \context block, or in note entry directly.
3154 There is by default only one @code{SpacingSpanner} per @code{Score}. This
3155 means that, by default, @code{uniform-stretching} is either turned on for the
3156 entire score or turned off for the entire score. We can, however,
3157 override this behavior and turn on different spacing features at
3158 different places in the score. We do this with the command
3159 @code{\newSpacingSection}. See @ref{New spacing area}, for more info.
3161 Next we examine the effects of the @code{Separating_line_group_engraver} and
3162 see why proportional scores frequently remove this engraver. The following
3163 example shows that there is a small amount of @qq{prefatory} space
3164 just before the first note in each system.
3166 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3179 The amount of this prefatory space is the same whether after a time
3180 signature, a key signature or a clef. @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
3181 is responsible for this space. Removing @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
3182 reduces this space to zero.
3184 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3190 \remove Separating_line_group_engraver
3198 non-musical elements like time signatures, key signatures, clefs and
3199 accidentals are problematic in proportional notation. None of these
3200 elements has rhythmic duration. But all of these elements consume
3201 horizontal space. Different proportional scores approach these
3202 problems differently.
3204 It may be possible to avoid spacing problems with key signatures
3205 simply by not having any. This is a valid option since most
3206 proportional scores are contemporary music. The same may be true
3207 of time signatures, especially for those scores
3208 that include a measured timeline or other graphic. But these scores
3209 are exceptional and most proportional scores include at least some
3210 time signatures. Clefs and accidentals are even more essential.
3212 So what strategies exist for spacing non-musical elements in a
3213 proportional context? One good option is the @code{strict-note-spacing}
3214 property of @code{SpacingSpanner}. Compare the two scores below:
3216 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3218 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
3228 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
3229 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
3239 Both scores are proportional, but the spacing in the first score
3240 is too loose because of the clef change. The spacing of the second
3241 score remains strict, however, because strict-note-spacing is
3242 turned on. Turning on strict-note-spacing causes the width of
3243 time signatures, key signatures, clefs and accidentals to play no
3244 part in the spacing algorithm.
3246 In addition to the settings given here, there are other settings
3247 that frequently appear in proportional scores. These include:
3250 @item @code{\override SpacingSpanner #'strict-grace-spacing = ##t}
3251 @item @code{tupletFullLength = ##t}
3252 @item @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}
3253 @item @code{\override Glissando #'breakable = ##t}
3254 @item @code{\override TextSpanner #'breakable = ##t}
3255 @item @code{\remove Forbid_line_break_engraver in the Voice context}
3258 These settings space grace notes strictly, extend tuplet brackets to
3259 mark both rhythmic start- and stop-points, and allow spanning elements
3260 to break across systems and pages. See the respective parts of the manual
3261 for these related settings.
3266 @ref{New spacing area}.
3272 @node Fitting music onto fewer pages
3273 @section Fitting music onto fewer pages
3275 Sometimes you can end up with one or two staves on a second
3276 (or third, or fourth...) page. This is annoying, especially
3277 if you look at previous pages and it looks like there is plenty
3278 of room left on those.
3280 When investigating layout issues, @code{annotate-spacing} is an
3281 invaluable tool. This command prints the values of various layout
3282 spacing variables; for more details see the following section,
3283 @ref{Displaying spacing}.
3286 * Displaying spacing::
3287 * Changing spacing::
3291 @node Displaying spacing
3292 @subsection Displaying spacing
3294 @funindex annotate-spacing
3295 @cindex spacing, display of layout
3297 To graphically display the dimensions of vertical layout variables
3298 that may be altered for page formatting, set
3299 @code{annotate-spacing} in the @code{\paper} block:
3301 @c need to have \book{} otherwise we get the separate systems. -hwn
3302 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3303 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
3306 \paper { annotate-spacing = ##t }
3312 All layout dimensions are displayed in staff-spaces, regardless
3313 of the units specified in the @code{\paper} or @code{\layout} block.
3314 In the above example, @code{paper-height} has a value of 59.75
3315 @code{staff-spaces}, and the @code{staff-size} is 20 points (the
3316 default value). Note that:
3318 @multitable {1 staff-space} {staff-size)/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm}
3321 @tab = (25.4/72.27) mm
3324 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 pts
3326 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm
3331 In this case, one @code{staff-space} is approximately equal to
3332 1.757mm. Thus the @code{paper-height} measurement of 59.75
3333 @code{staff-spaces} is equivalent to 105 millimeters, the height
3334 of @code{a6} paper in landscape orientation. The pairs
3335 (@var{a},@var{b}) are intervals, where @var{a} is the lower
3336 edge and @var{b} the upper edge of the interval.
3341 @ref{Setting the staff size}.
3347 @node Changing spacing
3348 @subsection Changing spacing
3350 The output of @code{annotate-spacing} reveals vertical dimensions
3351 in great detail. For details about modifying margins and other
3352 layout variables, see @ref{Page layout}.
3354 Other than margins, there are a few other options to save space:
3358 Force systems to move as close together as possible (to fit as
3359 many systems as possible onto a page) while being spaced so that
3360 there is no blank space at the bottom of the page.
3364 system-system-spacing = #'((basic-distance . 0.1) (padding . 0))
3365 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
3371 Force the number of systems. This can help in two ways. Just
3372 setting a value, even the same value as the number of systems
3373 being typeset by default, will sometimes cause more systems to
3374 be fitted onto each page, as an estimation step is then bypassed,
3375 giving a more accurate fit to each page. Also, forcing an actual
3376 reduction in the number of systems may save a further page. For
3377 example, if the default layout has 11 systems, the following
3378 assignment will force a layout with 10 systems.
3387 Avoid (or reduce) objects that increase the vertical size of a
3388 system. For example, volta repeats (or alternate repeats) require
3389 extra space. If these repeats are spread over two systems, they
3390 will take up more space than one system with the volta repeats and
3391 another system without. For example, dynamics that @q{stick out} of
3392 a system can be moved closer to the staff:
3394 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
3396 e4 c g-\tweak #'X-offset #-2.7 -\tweak #'Y-offset #2.5 \f c
3400 Alter the horizontal spacing via @code{SpacingSpanner}. For more
3401 details, see @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}. The following
3402 example illustrates the default spacing:
3404 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3417 The next example modifies @code{common-shortest-duration} from a
3418 value of @code{1/4} to @code{1/2}. The quarter note is the most
3419 common and shortest duration in this example, so by making this
3420 duration longer, a @q{squeezing} effect occurs:
3422 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
3434 \override SpacingSpanner
3435 #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 2)
3442 The @code{common-shortest-duration} property cannot be modified
3443 dynamically, so it must always be placed in a @code{\context}
3444 block so that it applies to the whole score.
3452 @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}.