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. See TRANSLATION for details.
15 Negative numbers are allowed:
16 > Are you sure? The following works well
18 > first-page-number = -2
20 > and prints page number -1 on the second page, for example.
23 In 5.2.1 the @refbugs (line 495 in spacing.itely on master) it
26 "@code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between
30 Could we add a sentence:
31 "Use instead the pair fontSize = #@var{N}
32 \override StaffSymbol #'staff-space = #(magstep
34 inside the Staff context to change the size of the font and the
36 staff lines accordingly."
38 Actually I found, that the @internalsref{StaffSymbol} at line 481
39 sends to an uncomplete
40 documentation. The property staff-space is not explained here. I
41 thought Y-extent might be of
42 help, but it is in turn explained by x-space which again is
43 missing from the list. Who has the
44 knowledge to fix this?
48 http://code.google.com/p/lilypond/issues/detail?id=68
54 @chapter Spacing issues
56 The global paper layout is determined by three factors: the page layout, the
57 line breaks, and the spacing. These all influence each other. The
58 choice of spacing determines how densely each system of music is set.
59 This influences where line breaks are chosen, and thus ultimately, how
60 many pages a piece of music takes.
62 Globally speaking, this procedure happens in four steps: first,
63 flexible distances (@q{springs}) are chosen, based on durations. All
64 possible line breaking combinations are tried, and a @q{badness} score
65 is calculated for each. Then the height of each possible system is
66 estimated. Finally, a page breaking and line breaking combination is chosen
67 so that neither the horizontal nor the vertical spacing is too cramped
70 Settings which influence layout may be placed in two blocks.
71 The @code{\paper @{...@}} block is placed outside any
72 @code{\score @{...@}} blocks and contains settings that
73 relate to the entire document. The @code{\layout @{...@}}
74 block is placed within a @code{\score @{...@}} block and
75 contains settings for that particular score. If you have
76 only one @code{\score @{...@}} block the two have the same
77 effect. In general the commands shown in this chapter can
85 * Horizontal spacing::
86 * Fitting music onto fewer pages::
91 @section Paper and pages
93 This section deals with the boundaries that define the area
94 within which music can be printed.
103 @subsection Paper size
108 Two functions are available for changing the paper size:
109 @code{set-default-paper-size} and @code{set-paper-size}.
110 @code{set-default-paper-size} must be placed in the toplevel
111 scope, and @code{set-paper-size} must be placed in a @code{\paper}
115 #(set-default-paper-size "a4")
120 #(set-paper-size "a4")
125 @code{set-default-paper-size} sets the size of all pages, whereas
126 @code{set-paper-size} only sets the size of the pages that the
127 @code{\paper} block applies to. For example, if the @code{\paper}
128 block is at the top of the file, then it will apply the paper size
129 to all pages. If the @code{\paper} block is inside a
130 @code{\book}, then the paper size will only apply to that book.
132 Common paper sizes are available, including @code{a4},
133 @code{letter}, @code{legal}, and @code{11x17} (also known as
134 tabloid). Many more paper sizes are supported by default. For
135 details, see @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}, and search for the
136 definition of @code{paper-alist}.
138 @c TODO add a new appendix for paper sizes (auto-generated) -pm
140 @warning{The default paper size is @code{a4}.}
142 Extra sizes may be added by editing the definition of
143 @code{paper-alist} in the initialization file
144 @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}, however they will be overridden on a
150 If the symbol @code{'landscape} is supplied as an argument to
151 @code{set-default-paper-size}, pages will be rotated by 90
152 degrees, and wider line widths will be set accordingly.
155 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
158 Setting the paper size will adjust a number of @code{\paper}
159 variables, such as margins. To use a particular paper size with
160 altered @code{\paper} variables, set the paper size before setting
166 @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}.
172 @node Page formatting
173 @subsection Page formatting
175 Margins, headers, and footers and other layout variables are
176 automatically set according to the paper size.
178 Default margin values are accessible in
179 @file{ly/@/paper@/-defaults@/-init@/.ly}. They apply to the default
180 paper size (a4, unless specified differently) and are scaled
181 accordingly for other paper sizes.
183 This section lists and describes a number of paper variables that
187 * Vertical dimensions::
188 * Horizontal dimensions::
189 * Other layout variables::
193 @node Vertical dimensions
194 @unnumberedsubsubsec Vertical dimensions
196 These variables are used to set different vertical dimensions on a
203 @item after-title-spacing
204 @funindex after-title-spacing
206 Specifies how to calculate the space between a title (or top-level markup)
207 and the system that follows it. This is an associative list with five
210 @item @var{space} -- the amount of stretchable space between the baseline
211 of a title and the center of the staff that follows it;
212 @item @var{padding} -- the minimum amount of whitespace that must be
213 present between a title and the staff that follows it;
214 @item @var{stretchability} -- the ease with which the stretchable
215 space increases when a page is stretched.
216 If this is zero, the distance to the next staff will not stretch at all;
217 @item @var{minimum-distance} -- the minimum distance to place between
218 the baseline of a title and the center of the staff that follows it. This differs
219 from @var{padding} in that the height of a staff has no effect on
220 the application of @var{minimum-distance} (whereas the height of a
221 staff is crucial for @var{padding}).
224 If a page has a ragged bottom, @var{space} is not stretched. In particular, the
225 resulting distance on such a page is the largest of
228 @item @var{minimum-distance}, and
229 @item @var{padding} plus the smallest distance necessary to eliminate overlap.
232 @item before-title-spacing
233 @funindex before-title-spacing
235 Specifies the spacing between a system and the title (or top-level markup) that
237 The distances are measured from the center of the last staff in the system to
238 the baseline of the title that follows it. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
240 @item between-scores-system-spacing
241 @funindex between-scores-system-spacing
243 Specifies the spacing between two systems if they are in different scores, but
244 there is no title between them. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
246 @item between-system-spacing
247 @funindex between-system-spacing
249 Specifies the spacing between the center of the bottom staff of one system
250 and the center of the top staff of the following system. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
252 @item between-title-spacing
253 @funindex between-title-spacing
255 Specifies the spacing between two titles (or top-level markups).
256 The distances are measured from the baseline of the first title to the baseline
257 of the second. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
260 @funindex bottom-margin
262 The margin between footer and bottom of the page. Default:
265 @item bottom-system-spacing
266 @funindex bottom-system-spacing
268 Specifies the spacing from the center of the last staff (or the
269 baseline of the last top-level markup) to the bottom of the
270 printable area (ie. the top of the bottom margin).
271 See @var{after-title-spacing}.
273 @item top-title-spacing
274 @funindex top-title-spacing
276 Specifies the spacing from the top of the printable area (ie.
277 the bottom of the top margin) to the baseline of the title.
278 See @var{after-title-spacing}.
280 @item top-system-spacing
281 @funindex top-system-spacing
283 Specifies the spacing from the top of the printable area (ie.
284 the bottom of the top margin) to the center of the first staff.
285 This only takes effect if there is no title at the top of the
286 page (in which case @var{top-title-spacing} is used instead).
287 See @var{after-title-spacing}.
290 @funindex paper-height
292 The height of the page. Default: the height of the current paper
293 size. For details, see @ref{Paper size}.
298 The margin between header and top of the page. Default:
306 The header and footer are created by the functions make-footer and
307 make-header, defined in \paper. The default implementations are in
308 ly/paper-defaults.ly and ly/titling-init.ly.
310 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the \paper block,
311 page-music-height and page-make-stencil. The former tells the
312 line-breaking algorithm how much space can be spent on a page, the
313 latter creates the actual page given the system to put on it.
315 You can define paper block values in Scheme. In that case mm, in, pt,
316 and cm are variables defined in paper-defaults.ly with values in
317 millimeters. That is why the value 2 cm must be multiplied in the
322 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
334 ragged-last-bottom = ##t
338 This second example centers page numbers at the bottom of every page.
342 print-page-number = ##t
343 print-first-page-number = ##t
344 oddHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
345 evenHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
346 oddFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
347 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
348 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
349 evenFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
350 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
351 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
355 You can also define these values in Scheme. In that case @code{mm},
356 @code{in}, @code{pt}, and @code{cm} are variables defined in
357 @file{paper@/-defaults@/-init@/.ly} with values in millimeters. That is why the
358 value must be multiplied in the example
362 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
366 The header and footer are created by the functions @code{make-footer}
367 and @code{make-header}, defined in @code{\paper}. The default
368 implementations are in @file{ly/@/paper@/-defaults@/-init@/.ly} and
369 @file{ly/@/titling@/-init@/.ly}.
371 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the
372 @code{\paper} block, @code{page-music-height} and
373 @code{page-make-stencil}. The former tells the line-breaking algorithm
374 how much space can be spent on a page, the latter creates the actual
375 page given the system to put on it.
380 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
386 @node Horizontal dimensions
387 @unnumberedsubsubsec Horizontal dimensions
390 There are a few variables that determine the horizontal dimensions
396 @funindex binding-offset
398 The amount @code{inner-margin} is increased
399 to make sure nothing will be hidden by the binding.
400 Works only with @code{two-sided} set to true. Default:
403 @item horizontal-shift
404 @funindex horizontal-shift
406 The amount that all systems (including titles and system
407 separators) are shifted to the right. Default: @code{0.0}.
412 The level of indentation for the first system in a score.
413 Default: @code{15\mm}.
416 @funindex inner-margin
418 The margin all pages have at the inner side if they are part
419 of a book. Works only with @code{two-sided} set to true.
420 Default: @code{10\mm}.
423 @funindex left-margin
425 The margin between the left edge of the page and the beginning of
426 each system. Default: @code{10\mm}.
431 The width of music systems. Default: @code{paper-width} minus
432 @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin}.
435 @funindex outer-margin
437 The margin all pages have at the outer side if they are part
438 of a book. Works only with @code{two-sided} set to true.
439 Default: @code{20\mm}.
442 @funindex paper-width
444 The width of the page. Default: the width of the current paper
445 size. For details, see @ref{Paper size}.
448 @funindex right-margin
450 The margin between the right edge of the page and the end of
451 each system. Default: @code{10\mm}.
454 @funindex short-indent
456 The level of indentation for all systems in a score besides the
457 first system. Default: @code{0}.
461 If some values are not set, defaults will be taken. Their exact
462 value is adjusted, depending on the paper size specified. Currently,
463 the following values are affected by this scaling:
466 @item @var{left-margin}
467 @item @var{right-margin}
468 @item @var{top-margin}
469 @item @var{bottom-margin}
470 @item @var{head-separation}
471 @item @var{foot-separation}
473 @item @var{short-indent}
476 The settings for @code{line-width}, @code{left-margin},
477 @code{right-margin} and @code{paper-width} depend on
478 each other, but they do not have to be specified
487 In this example, only @code{left-margin} is set. The value for
488 @code{right-margin} will remain default, @code{line-width} is
489 calculated automatically.
497 Here @code{left-margin} and @code{right-margin} will be set
498 to the same value. Therefore, @code{line-width} is subtracted
499 from @code{paper-width} and divided by two. That means systems
500 are centered on the page, if only @code{line-width} is
503 Some checks occur to ensure the values are set correctly.
504 If the values do not match or systems would run off the page,
505 a warning is printed and default values are set.
516 These checks can be avoided by setting @code{check-consistency}
524 check-consistency = ##f
528 @warning{If @code{paper-width} is manually set, @code{line-width},
529 @code{left-margin}, @code{indent}, and @code{short-indent} may
530 have to be adjusted as well.}
538 @node Other layout variables
539 @unnumberedsubsubsec Other layout variables
541 These variables can be used to adjust page layout in general.
545 @item auto-first-page-number
546 @funindex auto-first-page-number
548 The page breaking algorithm is affected by the first page number
549 being odd or even. If set to true, the page breaking algorithm
550 will decide whether to start with an odd or even number. This
551 will result in the first page number remaining as is or being
552 increased by one. Default: @code{##f}.
556 FIXME: this variable is used, but I don't know what it does. -pm
557 @item blank-after-score-page-force
558 @funindex blank-after-score-page-force
564 @item blank-last-page-force
565 @funindex blank-last-page-force
567 The penalty for ending the score on an odd-numbered page.
570 @item blank-page-force
571 @funindex blank-page-force
573 The penalty for having a blank page in the middle of a
574 score. This is not used by @code{ly:optimal-breaking} since it will
575 never consider blank pages in the middle of a score. Default:
578 @item check-consistency
579 @funindex check-consistency
581 If set to true, check whether @code{left-margin}, @code{right-margin} and
582 @code{line-width} fit each other. Also make sure that their combination
583 does not exceed the available @code{paper-width}. Default: @code{##t}.
585 @item first-page-number
586 @funindex first-page-number
588 The value of the page number on the first page. Default:
591 @item max-systems-per-page
592 The maximum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
593 is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
596 @item min-systems-per-page
597 The minimum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
598 may cause pages to be overfilled if it is made too large. This is
599 currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
602 @item page-breaking-between-system-padding
603 @funindex page-breaking-between-system-padding
605 Tricks the page breaker into thinking that
606 @code{between-system-padding} is set to something different than
607 it really is. For example, if this variable is set to something
608 substantially larger than @code{between-system-padding}, then the
609 page-breaker will put fewer systems on each page. Default: unset.
614 The number of pages to be used for a score. Default: unset.
616 @item page-limit-inter-system-space
617 @funindex page-limit-inter-system-space
619 If set to true, limits space between systems on a page with a lot
620 of space left. Default: @code{##f}. For details, see
621 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
623 @item page-limit-inter-system-space-factor
624 @funindex page-limit-inter-system-space-factor
626 The factor used by @code{page-limit-inter-system-space}. Default:
627 @code{1.4}. For details, see
628 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
630 @item page-spacing-weight
631 @funindex page-spacing-weight
633 The relative importance of page (vertical) spacing and line
634 (horizontal) spacing. High values will make page spacing more
635 important. Default: @code{#10}.
637 @item print-all-headers
638 @funindex print-all-headers
640 If set to true, this will print all headers for each \score in the
641 output. Normally only the piece and opus header variables are
642 printed. Default: @code{##f}.
644 @item print-first-page-number
645 @funindex print-first-page-number
647 If set to true, a page number is printed on the first page.
650 @item print-page-number
651 @funindex print-page-number
653 If set to false, page numbers are not printed. Default:
657 @funindex ragged-bottom
659 If set to true, systems will not spread vertically across the
660 page. This does not affect the last page. Default: @code{##f}.
662 This should be set to true for pieces that have only two or three
663 systems per page, for example orchestral scores.
666 @funindex ragged-last
668 If set to true, the last system in the score will not fill the
669 line width. Instead the last system ends at its natural
670 horizontal length. Default: @code{##f}.
672 @item ragged-last-bottom
673 @funindex ragged-last-bottom
675 If set to false, systems will spread vertically across the last
676 page. Default: @code{##t}.
678 Pieces that amply fill two pages or more should have this set to
681 It also affects the last page of book parts, ie parts of a book created
682 with @code{\bookpart} blocks.
685 @funindex ragged-right
687 If set to true, systems will not fill the line width. Instead,
688 systems end at their natural horizontal length. Default:
691 If the score has only one system, the default value is @code{##t}.
693 @item system-separator-markup
694 @funindex system-separator-markup
696 A markup object that is inserted between systems. This is often
697 used for orchestral scores. Default: unset.
699 The markup command @code{\slashSeparator} is provided as a sensible
702 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
703 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
706 \relative { c1 \break c1 }
709 system-separator-markup = \slashSeparator
715 @funindex system-count
717 The number of systems to be used for a score.
720 @item systems-per-page
721 @funindex systems-per-page
723 The number of systems that should be placed on each page.
724 This is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
730 If set to true, use @code{inner-margin}, @code{outer-margin} and
731 @code{binding-offset} to determine margins depending on whether
732 the page number is odd or even. This overrides @code{left-margin}
733 and @code{right-margin}. Default: @code{##f}.
745 The default page header puts the page number and the @code{instrument}
746 field from the @code{\header} block on a line.
748 The titles (from the @code{\header@{@}} section) are treated as a
749 system, so @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom} will
750 add space between the titles and the first system of the score.
754 @section Music layout
757 * Setting the staff size::
762 @node Setting the staff size
763 @subsection Setting the staff size
765 @cindex font size, setting
766 @cindex staff size, setting
767 @funindex layout file
769 The default @strong{staff size} is set to 20 points.
770 This may be changed in two ways:
772 To set the staff size globally for all scores in a file (or
773 in a @code{book} block, to be precise), use @code{set-global-staff-size}.
776 #(set-global-staff-size 14)
780 This sets the global default size to 14pt staff height and scales all
783 To set the staff size individually for each score, use
788 #(layout-set-staff-size 15)
793 The Feta font provides musical symbols at eight different
794 sizes. Each font is tuned for a different staff size: at a smaller size
795 the font becomes heavier, to match the relatively heavier staff lines.
796 The recommended font sizes are listed in the following table:
799 @multitable @columnfractions .15 .2 .22 .2
802 @tab @b{staff height (pt)}
803 @tab @b{staff height (mm)}
845 @c modern rental material?
850 These fonts are available in any sizes. The context property
851 @code{fontSize} and the layout property @code{staff-space} (in
852 @rinternals{StaffSymbol}) can be used to tune the size for individual
853 staves. The sizes of individual staves are relative to the global size.
858 @ref{Selecting notation font size}.
866 @code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between the
871 @subsection Score layout
875 While @code{\paper} contains settings that relate to the page formatting
876 of the whole document, @code{\layout} contains settings for score-specific
883 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-6 . 6)
886 \override TextScript #'padding = #1.0
887 \override Glissando #'thickness = #3
895 @ref{Changing context default settings}.
907 * Optimal page breaking::
908 * Optimal page turning::
909 * Minimal page breaking::
911 * Using an extra voice for breaks::
916 @subsection Line breaking
919 @cindex breaking lines
921 Line breaks are normally determined automatically. They are chosen
922 so that lines look neither cramped nor loose, and consecutive
923 lines have similar density. Occasionally you might want to
924 override the automatic breaks; you can do this by specifying
925 @code{\break}. This will force a line break at this point. However,
926 line breaks can only occur at the end of @q{complete} bars, i.e.,
927 where there are no notes or tuplets left @q{hanging} over the bar
928 line. If you want to have a line break where there is no bar line,
929 you can force an invisible bar line by entering @code{\bar ""},
930 although again there must be no notes left hanging over in any of
931 the staves at this point, or it will be ignored.
933 The opposite command, @code{\noBreak}, forbids a line break at the
934 bar line where it is inserted.
936 The most basic settings influencing line spacing are @code{indent}
937 and @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block.
938 They control the indentation of the first line of music, and the
939 lengths of the lines.
941 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block,
942 then systems end at their natural horizontal length, instead of
943 being spread horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful
944 for short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural
947 @c TODO Check and add para on default for ragged-right
949 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right},
950 but affects only the last line of the piece.
962 @cindex regular line breaks
963 @cindex four bar music.
965 For line breaks at regular intervals use @code{\break} separated by
966 skips and repeated with @code{\repeat}. For example, this would
967 cause the following 28 measures (assuming 4/4 time) to be broken
968 every 4 measures, and only there:
971 << \repeat unfold 7 @{
972 s1 \noBreak s1 \noBreak
973 s1 \noBreak s1 \break @}
974 @emph{the real music}
979 A linebreaking configuration can be saved as a @code{.ly} file
980 automatically. This allows vertical alignments to be stretched to
981 fit pages in a second formatting run. This is fairly new and
982 complicated. More details are available in
996 @rinternals{LineBreakEvent}.
1004 Line breaks can only occur if there is a @q{proper} bar line. A note
1005 which is hanging over a bar line is not proper, such as
1007 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1008 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % this does nothing
1009 c2 c4 | % a break here would work
1010 c4 c2 c4 ~ \break % as does this break
1014 This can be avoided by removing the @code{Forbid_line_break_engraver}.
1015 Note that manually forced line breaks have to be added in parallel
1018 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
1020 \remove Forbid_line_break_engraver
1022 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % now the break is allowed
1027 Similarly, line breaks are normally forbidden when beams cross bar
1028 lines. This behavior can be changed by setting
1029 @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}.
1033 @subsection Page breaking
1035 The default page breaking may be overridden by inserting
1036 @code{\pageBreak} or @code{\noPageBreak} commands. These commands are
1037 analogous to @code{\break} and @code{\noBreak}. They should be
1038 inserted at a bar line. These commands force and forbid a page-break
1039 from happening. Of course, the @code{\pageBreak} command also forces
1042 The @code{\pageBreak} and @code{\noPageBreak} commands may also be
1043 inserted at top-level, between scores and top-level markups.
1045 There are also analogous settings to @code{ragged-right} and
1046 @code{ragged-last} which have the same effect on vertical spacing:
1047 @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom}. If set to
1048 @code{##t} the systems on all pages or just the last page
1049 respectively will not be justified vertically.
1051 For more details see @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1053 Page breaks are computed by the @code{page-breaking} function. LilyPond
1054 provides three algorithms for computing page breaks,
1055 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} and
1056 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}. The default is @code{ly:optimal-breaking},
1057 but the value can be changed in the @code{\paper} block:
1061 #(define page-breaking ly:page-turn-breaking)
1067 When a book has many scores and pages, the page breaking problem may be
1068 difficult to solve, requiring large processing time and memory. To ease
1069 the page breaking process, @code{\bookpart} blocks are used to divide
1070 the book into several parts: the page breaking occurs separately on each
1071 part. Different page breaking functions may also be used in different
1077 subtitle = "Preface"
1080 %% In a part consisting mostly of text,
1081 %% ly:minimal-breaking may be prefered
1082 #(define page-breaking ly:minimal-breaking)
1084 \markup @{ @dots{} @}
1088 %% In this part, consisting of music, the default optimal
1089 %% page breaking function is used.
1091 subtitle = "First movement"
1093 \score @{ @dots{} @}
1100 @funindex \pageBreak
1102 @funindex \noPageBreak
1103 @code{\noPageBreak}.
1112 @node Optimal page breaking
1113 @subsection Optimal page breaking
1115 @funindex ly:optimal-breaking
1117 The @code{ly:optimal-breaking} function is LilyPond's default method of
1118 determining page breaks. It attempts to find a page breaking that minimizes
1119 cramping and stretching, both horizontally and vertically. Unlike
1120 @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, it has no concept of page turns.
1128 @node Optimal page turning
1129 @subsection Optimal page turning
1131 @funindex ly:page-turn-breaking
1133 Often it is necessary to find a page breaking configuration so that there is
1134 a rest at the end of every second page. This way, the musician can turn the
1135 page without having to miss notes. The @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} function
1136 attempts to find a page breaking minimizing cramping and stretching, but with
1137 the additional restriction that it is only allowed to introduce page turns
1138 in specified places.
1140 There are two steps to using this page breaking function. First, you
1141 must enable it in the @code{\paper} block, as explained in @ref{Page
1142 breaking}. Then you must tell the function where you would like to allow
1145 There are two ways to achieve the second step. First, you can specify each
1146 potential page turn manually, by inserting @code{\allowPageTurn} into your
1147 input file at the appropriate places.
1149 If this is too tedious, you can add a @code{Page_turn_engraver} to a Staff or
1150 Voice context. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} will scan the context for
1151 sections without notes (note that it does not scan for rests; it scans for
1152 the absence of notes. This is so that single-staff polyphony with rests in one
1153 of the parts does not throw off the @code{Page_turn_engraver}). When it finds
1154 a sufficiently long section without notes, the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1155 insert an @code{\allowPageTurn} at the final bar line in that section, unless
1156 there is a @q{special} bar line (such as a double bar), in which case the
1157 @code{\allowPageTurn} will be inserted at the final @q{special} bar line in
1160 @funindex minimumPageTurnLength
1161 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} reads the context property
1162 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} to determine how long a note-free section must
1163 be before a page turn is considered. The default value for
1164 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} is @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 1)}. If you want
1165 to disable page turns, you can set it to something very large.
1168 \new Staff \with @{ \consists "Page_turn_engraver" @}
1171 R1 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1173 \set Staff.minimumPageTurnLength = #(ly:make-moment 5 2)
1174 R1 | % a page turn will not be allowed here
1176 R1*2 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1181 @funindex minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn
1182 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} detects volta repeats. It will only allow a page
1183 turn during the repeat if there is enough time at the beginning and end of the
1184 repeat to turn the page back. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} can also disable
1185 page turns if the repeat is very short. If you set the context property
1186 @code{minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn} then the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1187 only allow turns in repeats whose duration is longer than this value.
1189 The page turning commands, @code{\pageTurn}, @code{\noPageTurn} and
1190 @code{\allowPageTurn}, may also be used at top-level, between scores and
1197 @funindex \noPageTurn
1199 @funindex \allowPageTurn
1200 @code{\allowPageTurn}.
1211 There should only be one @code{Page_turn_engraver} in a score. If there is more
1212 than one, they will interfere with each other.
1215 @node Minimal page breaking
1216 @subsection Minimal page breaking
1218 @funindex ly:minimal-breaking
1220 The @code{ly:minimal-breaking} function performs minimal computations to
1221 calculate the page breaking: it fills a page with as many systems as
1222 possible before moving to the next one. Thus, it may be preferred for
1223 scores with many pages, where the other page breaking functions could be
1224 too slow or memory demanding, or a lot of texts. It is enabled using:
1228 #(define page-breaking ly:minimal-breaking)
1238 @node Explicit breaks
1239 @subsection Explicit breaks
1241 Lily sometimes rejects explicit @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak}
1242 commands. There are two commands to override this behavior:
1245 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1246 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1249 When @code{line-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1250 line breaks at explicit @code{\break} commands and nowhere else. When
1251 @code{page-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1252 page breaks at explicit @code{\pageBreak} commands and nowhere else.
1254 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1263 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1264 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1267 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1268 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1269 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1270 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \pageBreak
1271 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1272 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1273 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1274 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 }
1286 @node Using an extra voice for breaks
1287 @subsection Using an extra voice for breaks
1289 Line- and page-breaking information usually appears within note entry directly.
1294 \repeat unfold 2 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
1296 \repeat unfold 3 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
1301 This makes @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak} commands easy to enter but mixes
1302 music entry with information that specifies how music should lay out
1303 on the page. You can keep music entry and line- and page-breaking
1304 information in two separate places by introducing an extra voice to
1305 contain the breaks. This extra voice
1306 contains only skips together with @code{\break}, @code{pageBreak} and other
1307 breaking layout information.
1309 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1319 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1320 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1321 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1322 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1328 This pattern becomes especially helpful when overriding
1329 @code{line-break-system-details} and the other useful but long properties of
1330 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumnGrob}, as explained in @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1332 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1337 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1338 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1341 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1342 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 35))
1345 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1346 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 70))
1349 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1350 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 105))
1354 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1355 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1356 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1357 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1366 @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1372 @node Vertical spacing
1373 @section Vertical spacing
1375 @cindex vertical spacing
1376 @cindex spacing, vertical
1378 Vertical spacing is controlled by three things: the amount of
1379 space available (i.e., paper size and margins), the amount of
1380 space between systems, and the amount of space between
1381 staves inside a system.
1384 * Vertical spacing inside a system::
1385 * Vertical spacing between systems::
1386 * Explicit staff and system positioning::
1387 * Vertical collision avoidance::
1391 @node Vertical spacing inside a system
1392 @subsection Vertical spacing inside a system
1394 @cindex distance between staves
1395 @cindex staff distance
1396 @cindex space between staves
1397 @cindex space inside systems
1399 The height of each system is determined in two steps. First, all of the
1400 staves are spaced according to the amount of space available. Then, the
1401 non-staff lines (eg. lyrics or chords) are distributed between the
1404 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing between staves
1405 Spacing between staves is controlled by the @var{next-staff-spacing}
1406 property of the @var{VerticalAxisGroup} grob. This property is an alist
1407 with four elements: @var{space}, @var{minimum-distance}, @var{padding}
1408 and @var{stretchability}:
1411 @var{space} is the size of the stretchable space between the center line
1412 of one staff to the center line of the next staff.
1415 @var{minimum-distance} provides a lower bound on the final distance
1416 between the center line of one staff to the center line of the next
1417 staff. That is, if a page has many systems and needs to be compressed,
1418 the distance from this staff to the next will never be compressed to
1419 less than @var{minimum-distance}.
1422 @var{padding} is the amount of whitespace that must be present between
1423 the bottom of one staff and the top of the next. It differs from
1424 @var{minimum-distance} in that the effect of @var{padding} depends on
1425 the height of objects in the staff. For example, @var{padding} is more
1426 likely to come into effect for staves with notes that are far below the
1430 @var{stretchability} controls the stretchable space's propensity to
1431 stretch when the system is stretched. Large values will cause a
1432 system to stretch more, while a value of zero will prevent the
1433 space from stretching at all. If unset, @var{stretchability}
1434 defaults to @code{space - minimum-distance}.
1438 #(set-global-staff-size 16)
1440 % Since space is small and there is no minimum-distance, the distance
1441 % between this staff and the next will be determined by padding.
1443 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'next-staff-spacing = #'((space . 1) (padding . 1))
1446 % Since space is small and nothing sticks out very far, the distance
1447 % between this staff and the next will be determined by minimum-distance.
1449 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'next-staff-spacing = #'((space . 1) (minimum-distance . 12))
1452 % By setting padding to a negative value, staves can be made to collide.
1454 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'next-staff-spacing = #'((space . 4) (padding . -10))
1457 \new Staff { \clef bass c, }
1462 In orchestral and other large scores, it is common to place staves in
1463 groups. The space between groups is typically larger than the space
1464 between staves of the same group. This spacing can be tweaked with the
1465 @var{StaffGrouper} grob: the default value of @var{next-staff-spacing}
1466 for @var{VerticalAxisGroup} is a callback function which operates by
1467 searching for a @var{StaffGrouper} grob containing the staff. If it
1468 finds a @var{StaffGrouper} grob and the staff in question is in the
1469 middle of a group, it reads the @var{between-staff-spacing} property of
1470 @var{StaffGrouper} and returns it. If the staff in question is the last
1471 staff of a group, the callback reads the @var{after-last-staff-spacing}
1472 property of @var{StaffGrouper} and returns it. If the callback did not
1473 find a @var{StaffGrouper} grob, it reads
1474 @var{default-next-staff-spacing} from its @var{VerticalAxisGroup} and
1478 #(set-global-staff-size 16)
1480 \new PianoStaff \with {
1481 \override StaffGrouper #'between-staff-spacing #'space = #1
1482 \override StaffGrouper #'between-staff-spacing #'padding = #0
1483 \override StaffGrouper #'after-last-staff-spacing #'space = #20
1490 \new StaffGroup \with {
1491 \override StaffGrouper #'between-staff-spacing #'space = #1
1492 \override StaffGrouper #'between-staff-spacing #'padding = #0
1502 @unnumberedsubsubsec Spacing of non-staff lines
1504 After the positions of the staves are determined, the non-staff lines
1505 are distributed between the staves. Each of these lines has a
1506 @var{staff-affinity} property which controls its vertical alignment.
1510 \new Lyrics \with @{ \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN @}
1513 @noindent creates a lyrics context that will be placed close to the
1514 staff below it. Setting @var{staff-affinity} to something which is not
1515 a number (@code{#f}, for example) will cause that line to be treated
1516 like a staff. Conversely, setting @var{staff-affinity} for a staff will
1517 cause it to be treated like a non-staff.
1519 Non-staff lines admit three properties to control their spacing. Each
1520 of the these properties is an alist of the same format as
1521 @var{next-staff-spacing}, above.
1524 If the nearest line in the @var{staff-affinity} direction is a staff
1525 then @var{inter-staff-spacing} gives the spacing between the non-staff
1526 and the staff. If @var{staff-affinity} is @code{CENTER}, then
1527 @var{inter-staff-spacing} is used for both directions.
1530 If the nearest line in the @var{staff-affinity} direction is a non-staff
1531 then @var{inter-loose-line-spacing} gives the spacing between the two
1535 If the nearest line in the opposite direction to @var{staff-affinity} is
1536 a staff then @var{non-affinity-spacing} gives the spacing between the
1537 non-staff and the staff. This can be used, for example, to require
1538 a minimum amount of padding between a Lyrics line and the staff
1539 to which it does not belong.
1543 #(set-global-staff-size 16)
1547 % By default, Lyrics are placed close together. Here, we allow them to be stretched
1549 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'inter-loose-line-spacing #'stretchability = #1000
1555 \new Staff \with { \override VerticalAxisGroup #'next-staff-spacing = #'((space . 30)) } c'1
1556 \new Lyrics \with { \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #UP } \lyricmode { up }
1557 \new Lyrics \with { \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #CENTER } \lyricmode { center }
1558 \new Lyrics \with { \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN } \lyricmode { down }
1567 @c @lsr{spacing,page-spacing.ly},
1568 @c @lsr{spacing,alignment-vertical-spacing.ly}.
1570 Internals Reference:
1571 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup},
1572 @rinternals{VerticalAlignment},
1573 @rinternals{Axis_group_engraver}.
1576 Adjacent non-staff lines should have non-increasing
1577 @var{staff-affinity} from top-to-bottom. For example, the behavior of
1581 \new Lyrics \with @{ \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #DOWN @}
1582 \new Lyrics \with @{ \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #UP @}
1588 A non-staff line at the bottom of a system should have
1589 @var{staff-affinity} set to @code{UP}. Similarly, a non-staff
1590 line at the top of a system should have @var{staff-affinity} set
1593 @node Vertical spacing between systems
1594 @subsection Vertical spacing between systems
1596 The mechanisms that control spacing between systems are similar to those
1597 that control spacing between staves within a system (see
1598 @ref{Vertical spacing inside a system}). The main difference is that
1599 the variables to control spacing between systems are set in the
1600 @code{\paper} block, rather than as grob properties. These paper block
1601 variables are @var{between-system-spacing},
1602 @var{between-scores-system-spacing}, @var{after-title-spacing},
1603 @var{before-title-spacing}, @var{between-title-spacing},
1604 @var{top-system-spacing}, @var{top-system-spacing},
1605 @var{top-title-spacing} and @var{bottom-system-spacing}. Note that
1606 these variables ignore non-staff lines. For example,
1607 @var{between-system-spacing} controls the spacing from the middle staff
1608 line of the bottom staff from one system to the middle staff line of the
1609 top staff of the next system, whether or not there are lyrics below the
1610 upper system. See @ref{Vertical dimensions} for a description of each
1613 There are two more @code{\paper} block variables that affect vertical
1614 spacing: if @var{ragged-bottom} is set to @code{##t} then no pages will
1615 be stretched (which means that neither the space between systems nor the
1616 space within systems will be stretched). If @var{ragged-last-bottom}
1617 is set to @code{##t} then the last page will not be stretched.
1624 @node Explicit staff and system positioning
1625 @subsection Explicit staff and system positioning
1627 One way to understand the @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper}
1628 settings explained in the previous two sections is as a collection of
1629 different settings that primarily concern the amount of vertical padding
1630 different staves and systems running down the page.
1632 It is possible to approach vertical spacing in a different way using
1633 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}. Where
1634 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper} settings specify vertical padding,
1635 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} specifies exact
1636 vertical positions on the page.
1638 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} accepts an associative
1639 list of three different settings:
1642 @item @code{X-offset}
1643 @item @code{Y-offset}
1644 @item @code{alignment-distances}
1647 Grob overrides, including the overrides for @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}
1648 below, can occur in any of three different places in an input file:
1651 @item in the middle of note entry directly
1652 @item in a @code{\context} block
1653 @item in the @code{\with} block
1656 When we override @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}, we use the usual
1657 @code{\override} command in @code{\context} blocks and in the
1658 @code{\with} block. On the other hand, when we override
1659 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} in the middle of note entry,
1660 use the special @code{\overrideProperty} command. Here are some
1661 example @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} overrides with the special
1662 @code{\overrideProperty} command:
1665 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1666 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20))
1668 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1669 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1671 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1672 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40))
1674 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1675 #'line-break-system-details #'((alignment-distances . (15)))
1677 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1678 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40)
1679 (alignment-distances . (15)))
1682 To understand how each of these different settings work, we begin
1683 by looking at an example that includes no overrides at all.
1685 @c \book { } is required in these examples to ensure the spacing
1686 @c overrides can be seen between systems. -np
1689 \header { tagline = ##f }
1690 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1700 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1703 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
1710 This score isolates line- and page-breaking information in a dedicated
1711 voice. This technique of creating a breaks voice will help keep layout
1712 separate from music entry as our example becomes more complicated.
1713 See @ref{Using an extra voice for breaks}.
1715 Explicit @code{\breaks} evenly divide the music into six measures per
1716 line. Vertical spacing results from LilyPond's defaults. To set
1717 the vertical startpoint of each system explicitly, we can set
1718 the @code{Y-offset} pair in the @code{line-break-system-details}
1719 attribute of the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob:
1722 \header { tagline = ##f }
1723 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1729 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1730 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1732 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1733 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1735 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1736 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 80))
1739 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1742 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
1749 Note that @code{line-break-system-details} takes an associative list of
1750 potentially many values, but that we set only one value here. Note,
1751 too, that the @code{Y-offset} property here determines the exact vertical
1752 position on the page at which each new system will render.
1754 Now that we have set the vertical startpoint of each system
1755 explicitly, we can also set the vertical distances between staves
1756 within each system manually. We do this using the @code{alignment-distances}
1757 subproperty of @code{line-break-system-details}.
1760 \header { tagline = ##f }
1761 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1767 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1768 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 20)
1769 (alignment-distances . (15)))
1771 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1772 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1773 (alignment-distances . (15)))
1775 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1776 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1777 (alignment-distances . (15)))
1780 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1783 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
1790 Note that here we assign two different values to the
1791 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute of the
1792 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob. Though the
1793 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute alist accepts many
1794 additional spacing parameters (including, for example, a corresponding
1795 @code{X-offset} pair), we need only set the @code{Y-offset} and
1796 @code{alignment-distances} pairs to control the vertical startpoint of
1797 every system and every staff. Finally, note that @code{alignment-distances}
1798 specifies the vertical positioning of staves but not of staff groups.
1801 \header { tagline = ##f }
1802 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1808 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1809 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0)
1810 (alignment-distances . (30 10)))
1812 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1813 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1814 (alignment-distances . (10 10)))
1816 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1817 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1818 (alignment-distances . (10 30)))
1821 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1824 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' } }
1825 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { e'4 e' e' e' } }
1832 Some points to consider:
1835 @item When using @code{alignment-distances}, lyrics and other non-staff lines
1836 do not count as a staff.
1838 @item The units of the numbers passed to @code{X-offset},
1839 @code{Y-offset} and @code{alignment-distances} are interpreted as multiples
1840 of the distance between adjacent staff lines. Positive values move staves
1841 and lyrics up, negative values move staves and lyrics down.
1843 @item Because the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
1844 settings given here allow the positioning of staves and systems anywhere
1845 on the page, it is possible to violate paper or margin boundaries or even
1846 to print staves or systems on top of one another. Reasonable values
1847 passed to these different settings will avoid this.
1856 @node Vertical collision avoidance
1857 @subsection Vertical collision avoidance
1859 @funindex outside-staff-priority
1860 @funindex outside-staff-padding
1861 @funindex outside-staff-horizontal-padding
1863 Intuitively, there are some objects in musical notation that belong
1864 to the staff and there are other objects that should be placed outside
1865 the staff. Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
1866 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings (from now on, these will
1867 be called outside-staff objects). LilyPond's rule for the
1868 vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them as close
1869 to the staff as possible but not so close that they collide with
1872 LilyPond uses the @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine
1873 whether a grob is an outside-staff object: if @code{outside-staff-priority}
1874 is a number, the grob is an outside-staff object. In addition,
1875 @code{outside-staff-priority} tells LilyPond in which order the objects
1878 First, LilyPond places all the objects that do not belong outside
1879 the staff. Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
1880 @code{outside-staff-priority} (in increasing order). One by one, LilyPond
1881 takes the outside-staff objects and places them so that they do
1882 not collide with any objects that have already been placed. That
1883 is, if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the one
1884 with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed closer to
1887 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1890 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #1
1891 c4_"Text"\pp % this time the text will be closer to the staff
1893 % by setting outside-staff-priority to a non-number,
1894 % we disable the automatic collision avoidance
1895 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1896 \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1897 c4_"Text"\pp % now they will collide
1900 The vertical padding between an outside-staff object and the
1901 previously-positioned grobs can be controlled with
1902 @code{outside-staff-padding}.
1904 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1905 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #0
1906 a'^"This text is placed very close to the note"
1907 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #3
1908 c^"This text is padded away from the previous text"
1909 c^"This text is placed close to the previous text"
1913 By default, outside-staff objects are placed only to avoid
1914 a horizontal collision with previously-positioned grobs. This
1915 can lead to situations in which objects are placed very close to each
1916 other horizontally. The vertical spacing between staffs can
1917 also be set so that outside staff objects are interleaved.
1918 Setting @code{outside-staff-horizontal-padding}
1919 causes an object to be offset vertically so that such a situation
1922 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1923 % the markup is too close to the following note
1927 % setting outside-staff-horizontal-padding fixes this
1929 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-horizontal-padding = #1
1941 @node Horizontal spacing
1942 @section Horizontal spacing
1944 @cindex horizontal spacing
1945 @cindex spacing, horizontal
1948 * Horizontal spacing overview::
1949 * New spacing area::
1950 * Changing horizontal spacing::
1952 * Proportional notation::
1956 @node Horizontal spacing overview
1957 @subsection Horizontal spacing overview
1959 The spacing engine translates differences in durations into stretchable
1960 distances (@q{springs}) of differing lengths. Longer durations get
1961 more space, shorter durations get less. The shortest durations get a
1962 fixed amount of space (which is controlled by
1963 @code{shortest-duration-space} in the @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}
1964 object). The longer the duration, the more space it gets: doubling a
1965 duration adds a fixed amount (this amount is controlled by
1966 @code{spacing-increment}) of space to the note.
1968 For example, the following piece contains lots of half, quarter, and
1969 8th notes; the eighth note is followed by 1 note head width (NHW).
1970 The quarter note is followed by 2 NHW, the half by 3 NHW, etc.
1972 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=1]
1973 c2 c4. c8 c4. c8 c4. c8 c8
1977 Normally, @code{spacing-increment} is set to 1.2 staff space, which is
1978 approximately the width of a note head, and
1979 @code{shortest-duration-space} is set to 2.0, meaning that the
1980 shortest note gets 2.4 staff space (2.0 times the
1981 @code{spacing-increment}) of horizontal space. This space is counted
1982 from the left edge of the symbol, so the shortest notes are generally
1983 followed by one NHW of space.
1985 If one would follow the above procedure exactly, then adding a single
1986 32nd note to a score that uses 8th and 16th notes, would widen up the
1987 entire score a lot. The shortest note is no longer a 16th, but a 32nd,
1988 thus adding 1 NHW to every note. To prevent this, the shortest
1989 duration for spacing is not the shortest note in the score, but rather
1990 the one which occurs most frequently.
1993 The most common shortest duration is determined as follows: in every
1994 measure, the shortest duration is determined. The most common shortest
1995 duration is taken as the basis for the spacing, with the stipulation
1996 that this shortest duration should always be equal to or shorter than
1997 an 8th note. The shortest duration is printed when you run
1998 @code{lilypond} with the @code{--verbose} option.
2000 These durations may also be customized. If you set the
2001 @code{common-shortest-duration} in @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}, then
2002 this sets the base duration for spacing. The maximum duration for this
2003 base (normally an 8th), is set through @code{base-shortest-duration}.
2005 @funindex common-shortest-duration
2006 @funindex base-shortest-duration
2007 @funindex stem-spacing-correction
2010 Notes that are even shorter than the common shortest note are
2011 followed by a space that is proportional to their duration relative to
2012 the common shortest note. So if we were to add only a few 16th notes
2013 to the example above, they would be followed by half a NHW:
2015 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=2]
2016 c2 c4. c8 c4. c16[ c] c4. c8 c8 c8 c4 c4 c4
2022 @c (see @rlearning{Engraving}),
2023 it was explained that stem
2024 directions influence spacing. This is controlled with the
2025 @code{stem-spacing-correction} property in the
2026 @rinternals{NoteSpacing}, object. These are generated for every
2027 @rinternals{Voice} context. The @code{StaffSpacing} object
2028 (generated in @rinternals{Staff} context) contains the same property
2029 for controlling the stem/bar line spacing. The following example shows
2030 these corrections, once with default settings, and once with
2031 exaggerated corrections:
2033 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
2037 \override Staff.NoteSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2038 \override Staff.StaffSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
2044 Proportional notation is supported; see @ref{Proportional notation}.
2051 Internals Reference:
2052 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner},
2053 @rinternals{NoteSpacing},
2054 @rinternals{StaffSpacing},
2055 @rinternals{NonMusicalPaperColumn}.
2060 There is no convenient mechanism to manually override spacing. The
2061 following work-around may be used to insert extra space into a score,
2062 adjusting the padding value as necessary.
2064 \override Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn #'padding = #10
2067 No work-around exists for decreasing the amount of space.
2070 @node New spacing area
2071 @subsection New spacing area
2073 New sections with different spacing parameters can be started with
2074 @code{newSpacingSection}. This is useful when there are
2075 sections with a different notions of long and short notes.
2077 In the following example, the time signature change introduces a new
2078 section, and hence the 16ths notes are spaced wider.
2080 @lilypond[relative,fragment,verbatim,quote]
2083 c8 c c4 c16[ c c8] c4
2089 The @code{\newSpacingSection} command creates a new
2090 @code{SpacingSpanner} object, and hence new @code{\override}s
2091 may be used in that location.
2098 Internals Reference:
2099 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}.
2102 @node Changing horizontal spacing
2103 @subsection Changing horizontal spacing
2105 Horizontal spacing may be altered with the
2106 @code{base-shortest-duration} property. Here
2107 we compare the same music; once without altering
2108 the property, and then altered. Larger values
2109 of @code{ly:make-moment} will produce smaller
2110 music. Note that @code{ly:make-moment} constructs
2111 a duration, so @code{1 4} is a longer duration
2114 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2117 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2118 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2119 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2120 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2125 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
2128 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
2129 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2130 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
2131 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
2136 \override SpacingSpanner
2137 #'base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2146 By default, spacing in tuplets depends on various non-duration
2147 factors (such as accidentals, clef changes, etc). To disregard
2148 such symbols and force uniform equal-duration spacing, use
2149 @code{Score.SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching}. This
2150 property can only be changed at the beginning of a score,
2152 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
2154 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2171 When @code{strict-note-spacing} is set, notes are spaced without
2172 regard for clefs, bar lines, and grace notes,
2174 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
2175 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2176 \new Staff { c8[ c \clef alto c \grace { c16[ c] } c8 c c] c32[ c32] }
2186 @subsection Line length
2189 @cindex breaking pages
2192 @funindex line-width
2193 @funindex ragged-right
2194 @funindex ragged-last
2196 @c Although line-width can be set in \layout, it should be set in paper
2197 @c block, to get page layout right.
2198 @c Setting indent in \paper block makes not much sense, but it works.
2200 @c Bit verbose and vague, use examples?
2201 The most basic settings influencing the spacing are @code{indent} and
2202 @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block. They
2203 control the indentation of the first line of music, and the lengths of
2206 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block, then
2207 systems ends at their natural horizontal length, instead of being spread
2208 horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful for
2209 short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural spacing is.
2210 The normal default setting is false, but if the score has only one
2211 system the default value is true.
2214 @cindex vertical spacing
2216 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right}, but
2217 only affects the last line of the piece. No restrictions are put on
2218 that line. The result is similar to formatting text paragraphs. In a
2219 paragraph, the last line simply takes its natural horizontal length.
2220 @c Note that for text there are several options for the last line.
2221 @c While Knuth TeX uses natural length, lead typesetters use the same
2222 @c stretch as the previous line. eTeX uses \lastlinefit to
2223 @c interpolate between both these solutions.
2239 @node Proportional notation
2240 @subsection Proportional notation
2242 LilyPond supports proportional notation, a type of horizontal spacing
2243 in which each note consumes an amount of horizontal space exactly
2244 equivalent to its rhythmic duration. This type of proportional spacing
2245 is comparable to horizontal spacing on top of graph paper. Some late
2246 20th- and early 21st-century scores use proportional notation to
2247 clarify complex rhythmic relationships or to facilitate the placement
2248 of timelines or other graphics directly in the score.
2250 LilyPond supports five different settings for proportional notation,
2251 which may be used together or alone:
2254 @item @code{proportionalNotationDuration}
2255 @item @code{uniform-stretching}
2256 @item @code{strict-note-spacing}
2257 @item @code{\remove Separating_line_group_engraver}
2258 @item @code{\override PaperColumn #'used = ##t}
2261 In the examples that follow, we explore these five different
2262 proportional notation settings and examine how these settings interact.
2264 We start with the following one-measure example, which uses classical
2265 spacing with ragged-right turned on.
2267 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2269 \new RhythmicStaff {
2273 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2279 Notice that the half note which begins the measure takes up far less
2280 than half of the horizontal space of the measure. Likewise, the
2281 sixteenth notes and sixteenth-note quintuplets (or twentieth notes)
2282 which end the measure together take up far more than half the
2283 horizontal space of the measure.
2285 In classical engraving, this spacing may be exactly what we want
2286 because we can borrow horizontal space from the half note and conserve
2287 horizontal space across the measure as a whole.
2289 On the other hand, if we want to insert a measured timeline or other
2290 graphic above or below our score, we need proportional notation. We
2291 turn proportional notation on with the proportionalNotationDuration
2294 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2296 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2298 \new RhythmicStaff {
2302 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2308 The half note at the beginning of the measure and the faster notes in
2309 the second half of the measure now occupy equal amounts of horizontal
2310 space. We could place a measured timeline or graphic above or below
2313 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting is a context setting that
2314 lives in @code{Score}. Recall that context settings appear in one of
2315 three locations in our input file -- in a @code{\with} block, in a
2316 @code{\context} block, or directly in music entry
2317 preceded by the @code{\set} command. As with all
2318 context settings, users can pick which of the three different
2319 locations they would like to set @code{proportionalNotationDuration}.
2321 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting takes a single argument,
2322 which is the reference duration against which all music will be
2323 spaced. The LilyPond Scheme function make-moment takes two arguments
2324 -- a numerator and denominator which together express some fraction of
2325 a whole note. The call @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 20)} therefore produces a
2326 reference duration of a twentieth note. The values
2327 @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 16)}, @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 8)}, and
2328 @code{#(ly:make-moment 3 97)} are all possible as well.
2330 How do we select the right reference duration to pass to
2331 @code{proportionalNotationDuration}? Usually by a process of trial and error,
2332 beginning with a duration close to the fastest (or smallest) duration
2333 in the piece. Smaller reference durations space music loosely; larger
2334 reference durations space music tightly.
2336 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2338 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
2340 \new RhythmicStaff {
2344 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2350 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2352 \new RhythmicStaff {
2356 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2362 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
2364 \new RhythmicStaff {
2368 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2374 Note that too large a reference duration -- such as the eighth note,
2375 above -- spaces music too tightly and can cause note head collisions.
2376 Note also that proportional notation in general takes up more
2377 horizontal space that does classical spacing. Proportional spacing
2378 provides rhythmic clarity at the expense of horizontal space.
2380 Next we examine how to optimally space overlapping tuplets.
2382 We start by examining what happens to our original example, with
2383 classical spacing, when we add a second staff with a different type of
2386 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2388 \new RhythmicStaff {
2392 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2395 \new RhythmicStaff {
2397 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2403 The spacing is bad because the evenly notes of the bottom staff do not
2404 stretch uniformly. Classical engraving includes very few complex
2405 triplets and so classical engraving rules can generate this type of
2406 result. Setting @code{proportionalNotationDuration} remedies this
2407 situation considerably.
2409 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2411 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2413 \new RhythmicStaff {
2417 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2420 \new RhythmicStaff {
2422 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2428 But if we look very carefully we can see that notes of the second half
2429 of the 9-tuplet space ever so slightly more widely than do the notes
2430 of the first half of the 9-tuplet. To ensure uniform stretching, we
2431 turn on @code{uniform-stretching}, which is a property of
2432 @code{SpacingSpanner}.
2434 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2436 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2437 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2439 \new RhythmicStaff {
2443 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2446 \new RhythmicStaff {
2448 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2454 Our two-staff example now spaces exactly, our rhythmic
2455 relationships are visually clear, and we can include a measured
2456 timeline or graphic if we want.
2458 Note that the LilyPond's proportional notation package expects
2459 that all proportional scores set the SpacingSpanner's
2460 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t. Setting
2461 proportionalNotationDuration without also setting the
2462 SpacingSpanner's 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t will, for
2463 example, cause Skips to consume an incorrect amount of horizontal
2466 The SpacingSpanner is an abstract grob that lives in the Score
2467 context. As with our settings of proportionalNotationDuration,
2468 overrides to the SpacingSpanner can occur in any of three
2469 different places in our input file – in the Score \with block, in
2470 a Score \context block, or in note entry directly.
2472 There is by default only one @code{SpacingSpanner} per @code{Score}. This
2473 means that, by default, @code{uniform-stretching} is either turned on for the
2474 entire score or turned off for the entire score. We can, however,
2475 override this behavior and turn on different spacing features at
2476 different places in the score. We do this with the command
2477 @code{\newSpacingSection}. See @ref{New spacing area}, for more info.
2479 Next we examine the effects of the @code{Separating_line_group_engraver} and
2480 see why proportional scores frequently remove this engraver. The following
2481 example shows that there is a small amount of @qq{preferatory} space
2482 just before the first note in each system.
2484 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2497 The amount of this preferatory space is the same whether after a time
2498 signature, a key signature or a clef. @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
2499 is responsible for this space. Removing @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
2500 reduces this space to zero.
2502 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2508 \remove Separating_line_group_engraver
2516 Nonmusical elements like time signatures, key signatures, clefs and
2517 accidentals are problematic in proportional notation. None of these
2518 elements has rhythmic duration. But all of these elements consume
2519 horizontal space. Different proportional scores approach these
2520 problems differently.
2522 It may be possible to avoid spacing problems with key signatures
2523 simply by not having any. This is a valid option since most
2524 proportional scores are contemporary music. The same may be true
2525 of time signatures, especially for those scores
2526 that include a measured timeline or other graphic. But these scores
2527 are exceptional and most proportional scores include at least some
2528 time signatures. Clefs and accidentals are even more essential.
2530 So what strategies exist for spacing nonmusical elements in a
2531 proportional context? One good option is the @code{strict-note-spacing}
2532 property of @code{SpacingSpanner}. Compare the two scores below:
2534 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2536 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2546 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2547 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2557 Both scores are proportional, but the spacing in the first score
2558 is too loose because of the clef change. The spacing of the second
2559 score remains strict, however, because strict-note-spacing is
2560 turned on. Turning on strict-note-spacing causes the width of
2561 time signatures, key signatures, clefs and accidentals to play no
2562 part in the spacing algorithm.
2564 In addition to the settings given here, there are other settings
2565 that frequently appear in proportional scores. These include:
2568 @item @code{\override SpacingSpanner #'strict-grace-spacing = ##t}
2569 @item @code{tupletFullLength = ##t}
2570 @item @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}
2571 @item @code{\override Glissando #'breakable = ##t}
2572 @item @code{\override TextSpanner #'breakable = ##t}
2573 @item @code{\remove Forbid_line_break_engraver in the Voice context}
2576 These settings space grace notes strictly, extend tuplet brackets to
2577 mark both rhythmic start- and stop-points, and allow spanning elements
2578 to break across systems and pages. See the respective parts of the manual
2579 for these related settings.
2584 @ref{New spacing area}.
2590 @node Fitting music onto fewer pages
2591 @section Fitting music onto fewer pages
2593 Sometimes you can end up with one or two staves on a second
2594 (or third, or fourth...) page. This is annoying, especially
2595 if you look at previous pages and it looks like there is plenty
2596 of room left on those.
2598 When investigating layout issues, @code{annotate-spacing} is an
2599 invaluable tool. This command prints the values of various layout
2600 spacing variables; for more details see the following section,
2601 @ref{Displaying spacing}.
2604 * Displaying spacing::
2605 * Changing spacing::
2609 @node Displaying spacing
2610 @subsection Displaying spacing
2612 @funindex annotate-spacing
2613 @cindex spacing, display of layout
2615 To graphically display the dimensions of vertical layout variables
2616 that may be altered for page formatting, set
2617 @code{annotate-spacing} in the @code{\paper} block:
2619 @c need to have \book{} otherwise we get the separate systems. -hwn
2620 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2621 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
2624 \paper { annotate-spacing = ##t }
2630 All layout dimensions are displayed in staff-spaces, regardless
2631 of the units specified in the @code{\paper} or @code{\layout} block.
2632 In the above example, @code{paper-height} has a value of 59.75
2633 @code{staff-spaces}, and the @code{staff-size} is 20 points (the
2634 default value). Note that:
2636 @multitable {1 staff-space} {staff-size)/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm}
2639 @tab = (25.4/72.27) mm
2642 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 pts
2644 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm
2649 In this case, one @code{staff-space} is approximately equal to
2650 1.757mm. Thus the @code{paper-height} measurement of 59.75
2651 @code{staff-spaces} is equivalent to 105 millimeters, the height
2652 of @code{a6} paper in landscape orientation. The pairs
2653 (@var{a},@var{b}) are intervals, where @var{a} is the lower
2654 edge and @var{b} the upper edge of the interval.
2659 @ref{Setting the staff size}.
2665 @node Changing spacing
2666 @subsection Changing spacing
2668 The output of @code{annotate-spacing} reveals vertical dimensions
2669 in great detail. For details about modifying margins and other
2670 layout variables, see @ref{Page formatting}.
2672 Other than margins, there are a few other options to save space:
2676 Force systems to move as close together as possible (to fit as
2677 many systems as possible onto a page) while being spaced so that
2678 there is no blank space at the bottom of the page.
2682 between-system-padding = #0.1
2683 between-system-space = #0.1
2684 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
2690 Force the number of systems. This can help in two ways. Just
2691 setting a value, even the same value as the number of systems
2692 being typeset by default, will sometimes cause more systems to
2693 be fitted onto each page, as an estimation step is then bypassed,
2694 giving a more accurate fit to each page. Also, forcing an actual
2695 reduction in the number of systems may save a further page. For
2696 example, if the default layout has 11 systems, the following
2697 assignment will force a layout with 10 systems.
2706 Avoid (or reduce) objects that increase the vertical size of a
2707 system. For example, volta repeats (or alternate repeats) require
2708 extra space. If these repeats are spread over two systems, they
2709 will take up more space than one system with the volta repeats and
2710 another system without. For example, dynamics that @q{stick out} of
2711 a system can be moved closer to the staff:
2713 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
2715 \override DynamicText #'extra-offset = #'( -2.2 . 2.0)
2720 Alter the horizontal spacing via @code{SpacingSpanner}. For more
2721 details, see @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}. The following
2722 example illustrates the default spacing:
2724 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2737 The next example modifies @code{common-shortest-duration} from a
2738 value of @code{1/4} to @code{1/2}. The quarter note is the most
2739 common and shortest duration in this example, so by making this
2740 duration longer, a @q{squeezing} effect occurs:
2742 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2754 \override SpacingSpanner
2755 #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 2)
2762 The @code{common-shortest-duration} property cannot be modified
2763 dynamically, so it must always be placed in a @code{\context}
2764 block so that it applies to the whole score.
2771 @ref{Page formatting},
2772 @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}.