1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
2 @c This file is part of lilypond.tely
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
167 @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}.
173 @node Page formatting
174 @subsection Page formatting
176 Margins, headers, and footers and other layout variables are
177 automatically set according to the paper size.
179 This section lists and describes a number of paper variables that
183 * Vertical dimensions::
184 * Horizontal dimensions::
185 * Other layout variables::
189 @node Vertical dimensions
190 @unnumberedsubsubsec Vertical dimensions
192 These variables are used to set different vertical dimensions on a
199 @item after-title-space
200 @funindex after-title-space
202 The amount of space between the title and the first system.
203 Default: @code{5\mm}.
205 @item before-title-space
206 @funindex before-title-space
208 Amount of space between the last system of the previous piece and the
209 title of the next. Default: @code{10\mm}.
211 @item between-system-padding
212 @funindex between-system-padding
214 The minimum amount of white space that will always be present
215 between the bottom-most symbol of one system, and the top-most of
216 the next system. Default: @code{4\mm}.
218 Increasing this will put systems whose bounding boxes almost touch
221 @item between-system-space
222 @funindex between-system-space
224 The distance between systems. It is the ideal distance between
225 the center of the bottom staff of one system and the center of the
226 top staff of the next system. Default: @code{20\mm}.
228 Increasing this value will provide a more even appearance of the
229 page at the cost of using more vertical space.
231 @item between-title-space
232 @funindex between-title-space
234 Amount of space between consecutive titles (e.g., the title of the
235 book and the title of a piece). Default: @code{2\mm}.
238 @funindex bottom-margin
240 The margin between footer and bottom of the page. Default:
243 @item foot-separation
244 @funindex foot-separation
246 Distance between the bottom-most music system and the page
247 footer. Default: @code{4\mm}.
249 @item head-separation
250 @funindex head-separation
252 Distance between the top-most music system and the page header.
253 Default: @code{4\mm}.
256 @funindex page-top-space
258 Distance from the top of the printable area to the center of the
259 first staff. This only works for staves that are vertically
260 small. Big staves are set with the top of their bounding box
261 aligned to the top of the printable area. Default: @code{12\mm}.
264 @funindex paper-height
266 The height of the page. Default: the height of the current paper
267 size. For details, see @ref{Paper size}.
272 The margin between header and top of the page. Default:
280 The header and footer are created by the functions make-footer and
281 make-header, defined in \paper. The default implementations are in
282 ly/paper-defaults.ly and ly/titling-init.ly.
284 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the \paper block,
285 page-music-height and page-make-stencil. The former tells the
286 line-breaking algorithm how much space can be spent on a page, the
287 latter creates the actual page given the system to put on it.
289 You can define paper block values in Scheme. In that case mm, in, pt,
290 and cm are variables defined in paper-defaults.ly with values in
291 millimeters. That is why the value 2 cm must be multiplied in the
296 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
308 ragged-last-bottom = ##t
312 This second example centers page numbers at the bottom of every page.
316 print-page-number = ##t
317 print-first-page-number = ##t
318 oddHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
319 evenHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
320 oddFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
321 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
322 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
323 evenFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
324 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
325 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
329 You can also define these values in Scheme. In that case @code{mm},
330 @code{in}, @code{pt}, and @code{cm} are variables defined in
331 @file{paper-defaults.ly} with values in millimeters. That is why the
332 value must be multiplied in the example
336 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
340 The header and footer are created by the functions @code{make-footer}
341 and @code{make-header}, defined in @code{\paper}. The default
342 implementations are in @file{ly/@/paper@/-defaults@/.ly} and
343 @file{ly/@/titling@/-init@/.ly}.
345 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the
346 @code{\paper} block, @code{page-music-height} and
347 @code{page-make-stencil}. The former tells the line-breaking algorithm
348 how much space can be spent on a page, the latter creates the actual
349 page given the system to put on it.
355 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
361 @node Horizontal dimensions
362 @unnumberedsubsubsec Horizontal dimensions
364 @warning{If @code{paper-width} is manually set, @code{line-width},
365 @code{left-margin}, @code{indent}, and @code{short-indent} may
366 have to be adjusted as well.}
368 There are a few variables that determine the horizontal dimensions
373 @item horizontal-shift
374 @funindex horizontal-shift
376 The amount that all systems (including titles and system
377 separators) are shifted to the right. Default: @code{0.0}.
382 The level of indentation for the first system in a score.
383 Default: @code{paper-width} divided by @code{14}, as determined by
384 @code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}.
387 @funindex left-margin
389 The margin between the left edge of the page and the beginning of
390 each system. Default: @code{10\mm}, as determined by
391 @code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}.
396 The width of music systems. Default: @code{paper-width} minus
397 @code{20\mm}, as determined by @code{set-default-paper-size} or
398 @code{set-paper-size}.
401 @funindex paper-width
403 The width of the page. Default: the width of the current paper
404 size. For details, see @ref{Paper size}.
407 @funindex short-indent
409 The level of indentation for all systems in a score besides the
410 first system. Default: @code{0}, as determined by
411 @code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}.
424 The option @code{right-margin} is defined but doesn't set the
425 right margin yet. The value for the right margin has to be
426 defined by adjusting the values of @code{left-margin} and
430 @node Other layout variables
431 @unnumberedsubsubsec Other layout variables
433 These variables can be used to adjust page layout in general.
437 @item auto-first-page-number
438 @funindex auto-first-page-number
440 The page breaking algorithm is affected by the first page number
441 being odd or even. If set to true, the page breaking algorithm
442 will decide whether to start with an odd or even number. This
443 will result in the first page number remaining as is or being
444 increased by one. Default: @code{##f}.
448 FIXME: this variable is used, but I don't know what it does. -pm
449 @item blank-after-score-page-force
450 @funindex blank-after-score-page-force
456 @item blank-last-page-force
457 @funindex blank-last-page-force
459 The penalty for ending the score on an odd-numbered page.
462 @item blank-page-force
463 @funindex blank-page-force
465 The penalty for having a blank page in the middle of a
466 score. This is not used by @code{ly:optimal-breaking} since it will
467 never consider blank pages in the middle of a score. Default:
470 @item first-page-number
471 @funindex first-page-number
473 The value of the page number on the first page. Default:
476 @item page-breaking-between-system-padding
477 @funindex page-breaking-between-system-padding
479 Tricks the page breaker into thinking that
480 @code{between-system-padding} is set to something different than
481 it really is. For example, if this variable is set to something
482 substantially larger than @code{between-system-padding}, then the
483 page-breaker will put fewer systems on each page. Default: unset.
488 The number of pages to be used for a score. Default: unset.
490 @item page-limit-inter-system-space
491 @funindex page-limit-inter-system-space
493 If set to true, limits space between systems on a page with a lot
494 of space left. Default: @code{##f}. For details, see
495 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
497 @item page-limit-inter-system-space-factor
498 @funindex page-limit-inter-system-space-factor
500 The factor used by @code{page-limit-inter-system-space}. Default:
501 @code{1.4}. For details, see
502 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
504 @item page-spacing-weight
505 @funindex page-spacing-weight
507 The relative importance of page (vertical) spacing and line
508 (horizontal) spacing. High values will make page spacing more
509 important. Default: @code{#10}.
511 @item print-all-headers
512 @funindex print-all-headers
514 If set to true, this will print all headers for each \score in the
515 output. Normally only the piece and opus header variables are
516 printed. Default: @code{##f}.
518 @item print-first-page-number
519 @funindex print-first-page-number
521 If set to true, a page number is printed on the first page.
524 @item print-page-number
525 @funindex print-page-number
527 If set to false, page numbers are not printed. Default:
531 @funindex ragged-bottom
533 If set to true, systems will not spread vertically across the
534 page. This does not affect the last page. Default: @code{##f}.
536 This should be set to true for pieces that have only two or three
537 systems per page, for example orchestral scores.
540 @funindex ragged-last
542 If set to true, the last system in the score will not fill the
543 line width. Instead the last system ends at its natural
544 horizontal length. Default: @code{##f}.
546 @item ragged-last-bottom
547 @funindex ragged-last-bottom
549 If set to false, systems will spread vertically across the last
550 page. Default: @code{##t}.
552 Pieces that amply fill two pages or more should have this set to
555 It also affects the last page of book parts, ie parts of a book created
556 with @code{\bookpart} blocks.
559 @funindex ragged-right
561 If set to true, systems will not fill the line width. Instead,
562 systems end at their natural horizontal length. Default:
565 If the score has only one system, the default value is @code{##t}.
567 @item system-separator-markup
568 @funindex system-separator-markup
570 A markup object that is inserted between systems. This is often
571 used for orchestral scores. Default: unset.
573 The markup command @code{\slashSeparator} is provided as a sensible
576 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
577 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
580 \relative { c1 \break c1 }
583 system-separator-markup = \slashSeparator
589 @funindex system-count
591 The number of systems to be used for a score.
605 The default page header puts the page number and the @code{instrument}
606 field from the @code{\header} block on a line.
608 The titles (from the @code{\header@{@}} section) are treated as a
609 system, so @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom} will
610 add space between the titles and the first system of the score.
614 @section Music layout
617 * Setting the staff size::
622 @node Setting the staff size
623 @subsection Setting the staff size
625 @cindex font size, setting
626 @cindex staff size, setting
627 @funindex layout file
629 The default @strong{staff size} is set to 20 points.
630 This may be changed in two ways:
632 To set the staff size globally for all scores in a file (or
633 in a @code{book} block, to be precise), use @code{set-global-staff-size}.
636 #(set-global-staff-size 14)
640 This sets the global default size to 14pt staff height and scales all
643 To set the staff size individually for each score, use
648 #(layout-set-staff-size 15)
653 The Feta font provides musical symbols at eight different
654 sizes. Each font is tuned for a different staff size: at a smaller size
655 the font becomes heavier, to match the relatively heavier staff lines.
656 The recommended font sizes are listed in the following table:
659 @multitable @columnfractions .15 .2 .22 .2
662 @tab @b{staff height (pt)}
663 @tab @b{staff height (mm)}
705 @c modern rental material?
710 These fonts are available in any sizes. The context property
711 @code{fontSize} and the layout property @code{staff-space} (in
712 @rinternals{StaffSymbol}) can be used to tune the size for individual
713 staves. The sizes of individual staves are relative to the global size.
723 @ref{Selecting notation font size}.
731 @code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between the
736 @subsection Score layout
740 While @code{\paper} contains settings that relate to the page formatting
741 of the whole document, @code{\layout} contains settings for score-specific
748 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-6 . 6)
751 \override TextScript #'padding = #1.0
752 \override Glissando #'thickness = #3
761 @ref{Changing context default settings}.
773 * Optimal page breaking::
774 * Optimal page turning::
775 * Minimal page breaking::
777 * Using an extra voice for breaks::
782 @subsection Line breaking
785 @cindex breaking lines
787 Line breaks are normally determined automatically. They are chosen
788 so that lines look neither cramped nor loose, and consecutive
789 lines have similar density. Occasionally you might want to
790 override the automatic breaks; you can do this by specifying
791 @code{\break}. This will force a line break at this point. However,
792 line breaks can only occur at the end of @q{complete} bars, i.e.,
793 where there are no notes or tuplets left @q{hanging} over the bar
794 line. If you want to have a line break where there is no bar line,
795 you can force an invisible bar line by entering @code{\bar ""},
796 although again there must be no notes left hanging over in any of
797 the staves at this point, or it will be ignored.
799 The opposite command, @code{\noBreak}, forbids a line break at the
800 bar line where it is inserted.
802 The most basic settings influencing line spacing are @code{indent}
803 and @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block.
804 They control the indentation of the first line of music, and the
805 lengths of the lines.
807 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block,
808 then systems end at their natural horizontal length, instead of
809 being spread horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful
810 for short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural
813 @c TODO Check and add para on default for ragged-right
815 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right},
816 but affects only the last line of the piece.
828 @cindex regular line breaks
829 @cindex four bar music.
831 For line breaks at regular intervals use @code{\break} separated by
832 skips and repeated with @code{\repeat}. For example, this would
833 cause the following 28 measures (assuming 4/4 time) to be broken
834 every 4 measures, and only there:
837 << \repeat unfold 7 @{
838 s1 \noBreak s1 \noBreak
839 s1 \noBreak s1 \break @}
840 @emph{the real music}
845 A linebreaking configuration can be saved as a @code{.ly} file
846 automatically. This allows vertical alignments to be stretched to
847 fit pages in a second formatting run. This is fairly new and
848 complicated. More details are available in
863 @rinternals{LineBreakEvent}.
871 Line breaks can only occur if there is a @q{proper} bar line. A note
872 which is hanging over a bar line is not proper, such as
874 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
875 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % this does nothing
876 c2 c4 | % a break here would work
877 c4 c2 c4 ~ \break % as does this break
881 This can be avoided by removing the @code{Forbid_line_break_engraver}.
882 Note that manually forced line breaks have to be added in parallel
885 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
887 \remove Forbid_line_break_engraver
889 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % now the break is allowed
894 Similarly, line breaks are normally forbidden when beams cross bar
895 lines. This behavior can be changed by setting
896 @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}.
900 @subsection Page breaking
902 The default page breaking may be overridden by inserting
903 @code{\pageBreak} or @code{\noPageBreak} commands. These commands are
904 analogous to @code{\break} and @code{\noBreak}. They should be
905 inserted at a bar line. These commands force and forbid a page-break
906 from happening. Of course, the @code{\pageBreak} command also forces
909 The @code{\pageBreak} and @code{\noPageBreak} commands may also be
910 inserted at top-level, between scores and top-level markups.
912 There are also analogous settings to @code{ragged-right} and
913 @code{ragged-last} which have the same effect on vertical spacing:
914 @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom}. If set to
915 @code{##t} the systems on all pages or just the last page
916 respectively will not be justified vertically.
918 For more details see @ref{Vertical spacing}.
920 Page breaks are computed by the @code{page-breaking} function. LilyPond
921 provides three algorithms for computing page breaks,
922 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} and
923 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}. The default is @code{ly:optimal-breaking},
924 but the value can be changed in the @code{\paper} block:
928 #(define page-breaking ly:page-turn-breaking)
932 @c TODO Check this -td
933 The old page breaking algorithm is called
934 @code{optimal-page-breaks}. If you are having trouble with the new page
935 breakers, you can enable the old one as a workaround.
939 When a book has many scores and pages, the page breaking problem may be
940 difficult to solve, requiring large processing time and memory. To ease
941 the page breaking process, @code{\bookpart} blocks are used to divide
942 the book into several parts: the page breaking occurs separately on each
943 part. Different page breaking functions may also be used in different
952 %% In a part consisting mostly of text,
953 %% ly:minimal-breaking may be prefered
954 #(define page-breaking ly:minimal-breaking)
956 \markup @{ @dots{} @}
960 %% In this part, consisting of music, the default optimal
961 %% page breaking function is used.
963 subtitle = "First movement"
974 @funindex \noPageBreak
984 @node Optimal page breaking
985 @subsection Optimal page breaking
987 @funindex ly:optimal-breaking
989 The @code{ly:optimal-breaking} function is LilyPond's default method of
990 determining page breaks. It attempts to find a page breaking that minimizes
991 cramping and stretching, both horizontally and vertically. Unlike
992 @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, it has no concept of page turns.
1001 @node Optimal page turning
1002 @subsection Optimal page turning
1004 @funindex ly:page-turn-breaking
1006 Often it is necessary to find a page breaking configuration so that there is
1007 a rest at the end of every second page. This way, the musician can turn the
1008 page without having to miss notes. The @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} function
1009 attempts to find a page breaking minimizing cramping and stretching, but with
1010 the additional restriction that it is only allowed to introduce page turns
1011 in specified places.
1013 There are two steps to using this page breaking function. First, you
1014 must enable it in the @code{\paper} block, as explained in @ref{Page
1015 breaking}. Then you must tell the function where you would like to allow
1018 There are two ways to achieve the second step. First, you can specify each
1019 potential page turn manually, by inserting @code{\allowPageTurn} into your
1020 input file at the appropriate places.
1022 If this is too tedious, you can add a @code{Page_turn_engraver} to a Staff or
1023 Voice context. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} will scan the context for
1024 sections without notes (note that it does not scan for rests; it scans for
1025 the absence of notes. This is so that single-staff polyphony with rests in one
1026 of the parts does not throw off the @code{Page_turn_engraver}). When it finds
1027 a sufficiently long section without notes, the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1028 insert an @code{\allowPageTurn} at the final bar line in that section, unless
1029 there is a @q{special} bar line (such as a double bar), in which case the
1030 @code{\allowPageTurn} will be inserted at the final @q{special} bar line in
1033 @funindex minimumPageTurnLength
1034 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} reads the context property
1035 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} to determine how long a note-free section must
1036 be before a page turn is considered. The default value for
1037 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} is @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 1)}. If you want
1038 to disable page turns, you can set it to something very large.
1041 \new Staff \with @{ \consists "Page_turn_engraver" @}
1044 R1 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1046 \set Staff.minimumPageTurnLength = #(ly:make-moment 5 2)
1047 R1 | % a page turn will not be allowed here
1049 R1*2 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1054 @funindex minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn
1055 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} detects volta repeats. It will only allow a page
1056 turn during the repeat if there is enough time at the beginning and end of the
1057 repeat to turn the page back. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} can also disable
1058 page turns if the repeat is very short. If you set the context property
1059 @code{minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn} then the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1060 only allow turns in repeats whose duration is longer than this value.
1062 The page turning commands, @code{\pageTurn}, @code{\noPageTurn} and
1063 @code{\allowPageTurn}, may also be used at top-level, between scores and
1071 @funindex \noPageTurn
1073 @funindex \allowPageTurn
1074 @code{\allowPageTurn}.
1085 There should only be one @code{Page_turn_engraver} in a score. If there is more
1086 than one, they will interfere with each other.
1089 @node Minimal page breaking
1090 @subsection Minimal page breaking
1092 @funindex ly:minimal-breaking
1094 The @code{ly:minimal-breaking} function performs minimal computations to
1095 calculate the page breaking: it fills a page with as many systems as
1096 possible before moving to the next one. Thus, it may be preferred for
1097 scores with many pages, where the other page breaking functions could be
1098 too slow or memory demanding, or a lot of texts. It is enabled using:
1102 #(define page-breaking ly:minimal-breaking)
1113 @node Explicit breaks
1114 @subsection Explicit breaks
1116 Lily sometimes rejects explicit @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak}
1117 commands. There are two commands to override this behavior:
1120 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1121 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1124 When @code{line-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1125 line breaks at explicit @code{\break} commands and nowhere else. When
1126 @code{page-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1127 page breaks at explicit @code{\pageBreak} commands and nowhere else.
1129 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1138 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1139 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1142 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1143 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1144 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1145 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \pageBreak
1146 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1147 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1148 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1149 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 }
1162 @node Using an extra voice for breaks
1163 @subsection Using an extra voice for breaks
1165 Line- and page-breaking information usually appears within note entry directly.
1170 \repeat unfold 2 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
1172 \repeat unfold 3 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
1177 This makes @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak} commands easy to enter but mixes
1178 music entry with information that specifies how music should lay out
1179 on the page. You can keep music entry and line- and page-breaking
1180 information in two separate places by introducing an extra voice to
1181 contain the breaks. This extra voice
1182 contains only skips together with @code{\break}, @code{pageBreak} and other
1183 breaking layout information.
1185 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1195 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1196 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1197 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1198 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1204 This pattern becomes especially helpful when overriding
1205 @code{line-break-system-details} and the other useful but long properties of
1206 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumnGrob}, as explained in @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1208 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1213 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1214 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1217 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1218 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 35))
1221 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1222 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 70))
1225 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1226 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 105))
1230 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1231 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1232 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1233 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1243 @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1249 @node Vertical spacing
1250 @section Vertical spacing
1252 @cindex vertical spacing
1253 @cindex spacing, vertical
1255 Vertical spacing is controlled by three things: the amount of
1256 space available (i.e., paper size and margins), the amount of
1257 space between systems, and the amount of space between
1258 staves inside a system.
1261 * Vertical spacing inside a system::
1262 * Vertical spacing between systems::
1263 * Explicit staff and system positioning::
1264 * Two-pass vertical spacing::
1265 * Vertical collision avoidance::
1269 @node Vertical spacing inside a system
1270 @subsection Vertical spacing inside a system
1272 @cindex distance between staves
1273 @cindex staff distance
1274 @cindex space between staves
1275 @cindex space inside systems
1277 The height of each system is determined automatically. To prevent
1278 staves from bumping into each other, some minimum distances are set.
1279 By changing these, you can put staves closer together. This
1280 reduces the amount of space each system requires, and may result
1281 in having more systems per page.
1283 Normally staves are stacked vertically. To make staves maintain a
1284 distance, their vertical size is padded. This is done with the
1285 property @code{minimum-Y-extent}. When applied to a
1286 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup}, it controls the size of a horizontal
1287 line, such as a staff or a line of lyrics. @code{minimum-Y-extent}
1288 takes a pair of numbers, so
1289 if you want to make it smaller than its default @code{#'(-4 . 4)}
1293 \override Staff.VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-3 . 3)
1297 This sets the vertical size of the current staff to 3 staff spaces on
1298 either side of the center staff line. The value @code{(-3 . 3)} is
1299 interpreted as an interval, where the center line is the 0, so the
1300 first number is generally negative. The numbers need not match;
1301 for example, the staff can be made larger at the bottom by setting
1302 it to @code{(-6 . 4)}.
1304 After page breaks are determined, the vertical spacing within each
1305 system is reevaluated in order to fill the page more evenly; if a page
1306 has space left over, systems are stretched in order to fill that space.
1307 The amount of stretching can be configured though the @code{max-stretch}
1308 property of the @rinternals{VerticalAlignment} grob. By default,
1309 @code{max-stretch} is set to zero, disabling stretching. To enable
1310 stretching, a sane value for @code{max-stretch}
1311 is @code{ly:align-interface::calc-max-stretch}.
1313 In some situations, you may want to stretch most of a system while
1314 leaving some parts fixed. For example, if a piano part occurs in the
1315 middle of an orchestral score, you may want to leave the piano staves
1316 close to each other while stretching the rest of the score. The
1317 @code{keep-fixed-while-stretching} property of
1318 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup} can be used to achieve this. When set
1319 to @code{##t}, this property keeps its staff (or line of lyrics) from
1320 moving relative to the one directly above it. In the example above,
1321 you would override @code{keep-fixed-while-stretching} to @code{##t} in
1322 the second piano staff:
1325 #(set-default-paper-size "a6")
1326 #(set-global-staff-size 14.0)
1330 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
1335 \override VerticalAlignment #'max-stretch = #ly:align-interface::calc-max-stretch
1342 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1343 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1344 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1349 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1351 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'keep-fixed-while-stretching = ##t
1358 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1359 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1366 Vertical alignment of staves is handled by the
1367 @code{VerticalAlignment} object. The context parameters
1368 specifying the vertical extent are described in connection with
1369 the @code{Axis_group_engraver}.
1377 @c @lsr{spacing,page-spacing.ly},
1378 @c @lsr{spacing,alignment-vertical-spacing.ly}.
1380 Internals Reference:
1381 @rinternals{VerticalAlignment},
1382 @rinternals{Axis_group_engraver}.
1385 @node Vertical spacing between systems
1386 @subsection Vertical spacing between systems
1388 Space between systems are controlled by four @code{\paper} variables,
1392 between-system-space = 1.5\cm
1393 between-system-padding = #1
1395 ragged-last-bottom=##f
1399 When only a couple of flat systems are placed on a page, the resulting
1400 vertical spacing may be non-elegant: one system at the top of the page,
1401 and the other at the bottom, with a huge gap between them. To avoid this
1402 situation, the space added between the systems can be limited. This
1403 feature is activated by setting to @code{#t} the
1404 @code{page-limit-inter-system-space} variable in the @code{\paper}
1405 block. The paper variable @code{page-limit-inter-system-space-factor}
1406 determines how much the space can be increased: for instance, the value
1407 @code{1.3} means that the space can be 30% larger than what it would be
1408 on a ragged-bottom page.
1410 In the following example, if the inter system space were not limited,
1411 the second system of page 1 would be placed at the page bottom. By
1412 activating the space limitation, the second system is placed closer to
1413 the first one. By setting @code{page-limit-inter-system-space-factor} to
1414 @code{1}, the spacing would the same as on a ragged-bottom page, like
1418 #(set-default-paper-size "a6")
1421 page-limit-inter-system-space = ##t
1422 page-limit-inter-system-space-factor = 1.3
1424 oddFooterMarkup = \markup "page bottom"
1425 evenFooterMarkup = \markup "page bottom"
1426 oddHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line {
1427 "page top" \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string }
1428 evenHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line {
1429 "page top" \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string }
1431 \new Staff << \repeat unfold 4 { g'4 g' g' g' \break }
1432 { s1*2 \pageBreak } >>
1443 @node Explicit staff and system positioning
1444 @subsection Explicit staff and system positioning
1446 One way to understand the @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper}
1447 settings explained in the previous two sections is as a collection of
1448 different settings that primarily concern the amount of vertical padding
1449 different staves and systems running down the page.
1451 It is possible to approach vertical spacing in a different way using
1452 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}. Where
1453 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper} settings specify vertical padding,
1454 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} specifies exact
1455 vertical positions on the page.
1457 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} accepts an associative
1458 list of five different settings:
1461 @item @code{X-offset}
1462 @item @code{Y-offset}
1463 @item @code{alignment-offsets}
1464 @item @code{alignment-extra-space}
1465 @item @code{fixed-alignment-extra-space}
1468 Grob overrides, including the overrides for @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}
1469 below, can occur in any of three different places in an input file:
1472 @item in the middle of note entry directly
1473 @item in a @code{\context} block
1474 @item in the @code{\with} block
1477 When we override @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}, we use the usual
1478 @code{\override} command in @code{\context} blocks and in the
1479 @code{\with} block. On the other hand, when we override
1480 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} in the middle of note entry,
1481 use the special @code{\overrideProperty} command. Here are some
1482 example @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} overrides with the special
1483 @code{\overrideProperty} command:
1486 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1487 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20))
1489 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1490 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1492 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1493 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40))
1495 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn
1496 #'line-break-system-details #'((alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1498 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn
1499 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40)
1500 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1503 To understand how each of these different settings work, we begin
1504 by looking at an example that includes no overrides at all.
1506 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1514 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1517 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1522 This score isolates line- and page-breaking information in a dedicated
1523 voice. This technique of creating a breaks voice will help keep layout
1524 separate from music entry as our example becomes more complicated.
1525 See @ref{Using an extra voice for breaks}.
1527 Explicit @code{\breaks} evenly divide the music into six measures per
1528 line. Vertical spacing results from LilyPond's defaults. To set
1529 the vertical startpoint of each system explicitly, we can set
1530 the @code{Y-offset} pair in the @code{line-break-system-details}
1531 attribute of the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob:
1533 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1537 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1538 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1540 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1541 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1543 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1544 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 80))
1547 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1550 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1555 Note that @code{line-break-system-details} takes an associative list of
1556 potentially many values, but that we set only one value here. Note,
1557 too, that the @code{Y-offset} property here determines the exact vertical
1558 position on the page at which each new system will render.
1560 Now that we have set the vertical startpoint of each system
1561 explicitly, we can also set the vertical startpoint of each staff
1562 within each system manually. We do this using the @code{alignment-offsets}
1563 subproperty of @code{line-break-system-details}.
1565 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1569 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1570 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 20)
1571 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1573 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1574 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1575 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1577 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1578 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1579 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1582 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1585 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1590 Note that here we assign two different values to the
1591 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute of the
1592 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob. Though the
1593 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute alist accepts many
1594 additional spacing parameters (including, for example, a corresponding
1595 @code{X-offset} pair), we need only set the @code{Y-offset} and
1596 @code{alignment-offsets} pairs to control the vertical startpoint of
1597 every system and every staff. Finally, note that @code{alignment-offsets}
1598 specifies the vertical positioning of staves but not of staff groups.
1600 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1604 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1605 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0)
1606 (alignment-offsets . (0 -30 -40)))
1608 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1609 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1610 (alignment-offsets . (0 -10 -20)))
1612 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1613 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1614 (alignment-offsets . (0 -10, -40)))
1617 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 } }
1621 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4 }
1624 \repeat unfold 15 { e'4 e'4 e'4 e'4 }
1630 Some points to consider:
1633 @item When using @code{alignment-offsets}, lyrics count as a staff.
1635 @item The units of the numbers passed to @code{X-offset},
1636 @code{Y-offset} and @code{alignment-offsets} are interpreted as multiples
1637 of the distance between adjacent staff lines. Positive values move staves
1638 and lyrics up, negative values move staves and lyrics down.
1640 @item Because the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
1641 settings given here allow the positioning of staves and systems anywhere
1642 on the page, it is possible to violate paper or margin boundaries or even
1643 to print staves or systems on top of one another. Reasonable values
1644 passed to these different settings will avoid this.
1654 @node Two-pass vertical spacing
1655 @subsection Two-pass vertical spacing
1657 @warning{Two-pass vertical spacing is deprecated and will be removed in
1658 a future version of LilyPond. Systems are now stretched automatically
1659 in a single pass. See @ref{Vertical spacing inside a system}.}
1661 In order to automatically stretch systems so that they should fill the
1662 space left on a page, a two-pass technique can be used:
1665 @item In the first pass, the amount of vertical space used to increase
1666 the height of each system is computed and dumped to a file.
1667 @item In the second pass, spacing inside the systems are
1668 stretched according to the data in the page layout file.
1671 The @code{ragged-bottom} property adds space between systems, while
1672 the two-pass technique adds space between staves inside a system.
1674 To allow this behavior, a @code{tweak-key} variable has to be set in
1675 each score @code{\layout} block, and the tweaks included in each score
1676 music, using the @code{\scoreTweak} music function.
1680 %% include the generated page layout file:
1681 \includePageLayoutFile
1686 %% Include this score tweaks:
1687 \scoreTweak "scoreA"
1688 { \clef french c''1 \break c''1 }
1690 \new Staff { \clef soprano g'1 g'1 }
1691 \new Staff { \clef mezzosoprano e'1 e'1 }
1692 \new Staff { \clef alto g1 g1 }
1693 \new Staff { \clef bass c1 c1 }
1696 piece = "Score with tweaks"
1698 %% Define how to name the tweaks for this score:
1699 \layout { #(define tweak-key "scoreA") }
1704 For the first pass, the @code{dump-tweaks} option should be set to
1705 generate the page layout file.
1708 lilypond -dbackend=null -d dump-tweaks <file>.ly
1719 @node Vertical collision avoidance
1720 @subsection Vertical collision avoidance
1722 @funindex outside-staff-priority
1723 @funindex outside-staff-padding
1724 @funindex outside-staff-horizontal-padding
1726 Intuitively, there are some objects in musical notation that belong
1727 to the staff and there are other objects that should be placed outside
1728 the staff. Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
1729 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings (from now on, these will
1730 be called outside-staff objects). LilyPond's rule for the
1731 vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them as close
1732 to the staff as possible but not so close that they collide with
1735 LilyPond uses the @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine
1736 whether a grob is an outside-staff object: if @code{outside-staff-priority}
1737 is a number, the grob is an outside-staff object. In addition,
1738 @code{outside-staff-priority} tells LilyPond in which order the objects
1741 First, LilyPond places all the objects that do not belong outside
1742 the staff. Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
1743 @code{outside-staff-priority} (in increasing order). One by one, LilyPond
1744 takes the outside-staff objects and places them so that they do
1745 not collide with any objects that have already been placed. That
1746 is, if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the one
1747 with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed closer to
1750 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1753 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #1
1754 c4_"Text"\pp % this time the text will be closer to the staff
1756 % by setting outside-staff-priority to a non-number,
1757 % we disable the automatic collision avoidance
1758 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1759 \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1760 c4_"Text"\pp % now they will collide
1763 The vertical padding between an outside-staff object and the
1764 previously-positioned grobs can be controlled with
1765 @code{outside-staff-padding}.
1767 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1768 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #0
1769 a'^"This text is placed very close to the note"
1770 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #3
1771 c^"This text is padded away from the previous text"
1772 c^"This text is placed close to the previous text"
1775 TODO: this example doesn't work any more ?
1777 By default, outside-staff objects are placed without regard to
1778 their horizontal distance from the previously-positioned grobs. This
1779 can lead to situations in which objects are placed very close to each
1780 other horizontally. Setting @code{outside-staff-horizontal-padding}
1781 causes an object to be offset vertically so that such a situation
1784 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1785 % the markup is too close to the following note
1788 % setting outside-staff-horizontal-padding fixes this
1790 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-horizontal-padding = #1
1802 @node Horizontal spacing
1803 @section Horizontal spacing
1805 @cindex horizontal spacing
1806 @cindex spacing, horizontal
1809 * Horizontal spacing overview::
1810 * New spacing area::
1811 * Changing horizontal spacing::
1813 * Proportional notation::
1817 @node Horizontal spacing overview
1818 @subsection Horizontal spacing overview
1820 The spacing engine translates differences in durations into stretchable
1821 distances (@q{springs}) of differing lengths. Longer durations get
1822 more space, shorter durations get less. The shortest durations get a
1823 fixed amount of space (which is controlled by
1824 @code{shortest-duration-space} in the @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}
1825 object). The longer the duration, the more space it gets: doubling a
1826 duration adds a fixed amount (this amount is controlled by
1827 @code{spacing-increment}) of space to the note.
1829 For example, the following piece contains lots of half, quarter, and
1830 8th notes; the eighth note is followed by 1 note head width (NHW).
1831 The quarter note is followed by 2 NHW, the half by 3 NHW, etc.
1833 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=1]
1834 c2 c4. c8 c4. c8 c4. c8 c8
1838 Normally, @code{spacing-increment} is set to 1.2 staff space, which is
1839 approximately the width of a note head, and
1840 @code{shortest-duration-space} is set to 2.0, meaning that the
1841 shortest note gets 2.4 staff space (2.0 times the
1842 @code{spacing-increment}) of horizontal space. This space is counted
1843 from the left edge of the symbol, so the shortest notes are generally
1844 followed by one NHW of space.
1846 If one would follow the above procedure exactly, then adding a single
1847 32nd note to a score that uses 8th and 16th notes, would widen up the
1848 entire score a lot. The shortest note is no longer a 16th, but a 32nd,
1849 thus adding 1 NHW to every note. To prevent this, the shortest
1850 duration for spacing is not the shortest note in the score, but rather
1851 the one which occurs most frequently.
1854 The most common shortest duration is determined as follows: in every
1855 measure, the shortest duration is determined. The most common shortest
1856 duration is taken as the basis for the spacing, with the stipulation
1857 that this shortest duration should always be equal to or shorter than
1858 an 8th note. The shortest duration is printed when you run
1859 @code{lilypond} with the @code{--verbose} option.
1861 These durations may also be customized. If you set the
1862 @code{common-shortest-duration} in @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}, then
1863 this sets the base duration for spacing. The maximum duration for this
1864 base (normally an 8th), is set through @code{base-shortest-duration}.
1866 @funindex common-shortest-duration
1867 @funindex base-shortest-duration
1868 @funindex stem-spacing-correction
1871 Notes that are even shorter than the common shortest note are
1872 followed by a space that is proportional to their duration relative to
1873 the common shortest note. So if we were to add only a few 16th notes
1874 to the example above, they would be followed by half a NHW:
1876 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=2]
1877 c2 c4. c8 c4. c16[ c] c4. c8 c8 c8 c4 c4 c4
1881 In the introduction (see @rlearning{Engraving}), it was explained that stem
1882 directions influence spacing. This is controlled with the
1883 @code{stem-spacing-correction} property in the
1884 @rinternals{NoteSpacing}, object. These are generated for every
1885 @rinternals{Voice} context. The @code{StaffSpacing} object
1886 (generated in @rinternals{Staff} context) contains the same property
1887 for controlling the stem/bar line spacing. The following example shows
1888 these corrections, once with default settings, and once with
1889 exaggerated corrections:
1891 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1895 \override Staff.NoteSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
1896 \override Staff.StaffSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
1902 Proportional notation is supported; see @ref{Proportional notation}.
1910 Internals Reference:
1911 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner},
1912 @rinternals{NoteSpacing},
1913 @rinternals{StaffSpacing},
1914 @rinternals{SeparationItem}.
1919 There is no convenient mechanism to manually override spacing. The
1920 following work-around may be used to insert extra space into a score.
1922 \once \override Score.SeparationItem #'padding = #1
1925 No work-around exists for decreasing the amount of space.
1928 @node New spacing area
1929 @subsection New spacing area
1931 New sections with different spacing parameters can be started with
1932 @code{newSpacingSection}. This is useful when there are
1933 sections with a different notions of long and short notes.
1935 In the following example, the time signature change introduces a new
1936 section, and hence the 16ths notes are spaced wider.
1938 @lilypond[relative,fragment,verbatim,quote]
1941 c8 c c4 c16[ c c8] c4
1947 The @code{\newSpacingSection} command creates a new
1948 @code{SpacingSpanner} object, and hence new @code{\override}s
1949 may be used in that location.
1957 Internals Reference:
1958 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}.
1961 @node Changing horizontal spacing
1962 @subsection Changing horizontal spacing
1964 Horizontal spacing may be altered with the
1965 @code{base-shortest-duration} property. Here
1966 we compare the same music; once without altering
1967 the property, and then altered. Larger values
1968 of @code{ly:make-moment} will produce smaller
1969 music. Note that @code{ly:make-moment} constructs
1970 a duration, so @code{1 4} is a longer duration
1973 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
1976 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
1977 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1978 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
1979 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1984 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
1987 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
1988 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1989 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
1990 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1995 \override SpacingSpanner
1996 #'base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2005 By default, spacing in tuplets depends on various non-duration
2006 factors (such as accidentals, clef changes, etc). To disregard
2007 such symbols and force uniform equal-duration spacing, use
2008 @code{Score.SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching}. This
2009 property can only be changed at the beginning of a score,
2011 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
2013 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2030 When @code{strict-note-spacing} is set, notes are spaced without
2031 regard for clefs, bar lines, and grace notes,
2033 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
2034 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2035 \new Staff { c8[ c \clef alto c \grace { c16[ c] } c8 c c] c32[ c32] }
2046 @subsection Line length
2049 @cindex breaking pages
2052 @funindex line-width
2053 @funindex ragged-right
2054 @funindex ragged-last
2056 @c Although line-width can be set in \layout, it should be set in paper
2057 @c block, to get page layout right.
2058 @c Setting indent in \paper block makes not much sense, but it works.
2060 @c Bit verbose and vague, use examples?
2061 The most basic settings influencing the spacing are @code{indent} and
2062 @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block. They
2063 control the indentation of the first line of music, and the lengths of
2066 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block, then
2067 systems ends at their natural horizontal length, instead of being spread
2068 horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful for
2069 short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural spacing is.
2072 @cindex vertical spacing
2074 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right}, but
2075 only affects the last line of the piece. No restrictions are put on
2076 that line. The result is similar to formatting text paragraphs. In a
2077 paragraph, the last line simply takes its natural horizontal length.
2078 @c Note that for text there are several options for the last line.
2079 @c While Knuth TeX uses natural length, lead typesetters use the same
2080 @c stretch as the previous line. eTeX uses \lastlinefit to
2081 @c interpolate between both these solutions.
2098 @node Proportional notation
2099 @subsection Proportional notation
2101 LilyPond supports proportional notation, a type of horizontal spacing
2102 in which each note consumes an amount of horizontal space exactly
2103 equivalent to its rhythmic duration. This type of proportional spacing
2104 is comparable to horizontal spacing on top of graph paper. Some late
2105 20th- and early 21st-century scores use proportional notation to
2106 clarify complex rhythmic relationships or to facilitate the placement
2107 of timelines or other graphics directly in the score.
2109 LilyPond supports five different settings for proportional notation,
2110 which may be used together or alone:
2113 @item @code{proportionalNotationDuration}
2114 @item @code{uniform-stretching}
2115 @item @code{strict-note-spacing}
2116 @item @code{\remove Separating_line_group_engraver}
2117 @item @code{\override PaperColumn #'used = ##t}
2120 In the examples that follow, we explore these five different
2121 proportional notation settings and examine how these settings interact.
2123 We start with the following one-measure example, which uses classical
2124 spacing with ragged-right turned on.
2126 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2128 \new RhythmicStaff {
2132 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2138 Notice that the half note which begins the measure takes up far less
2139 than half of the horizontal space of the measure. Likewise, the
2140 sixteenth notes and sixteenth-note quintuplets (or twentieth notes)
2141 which end the measure together take up far more than half the
2142 horizontal space of the measure.
2144 In classical engraving, this spacing may be exactly what we want
2145 because we can borrow horizontal space from the half note and conserve
2146 horizontal space across the measure as a whole.
2148 On the other hand, if we want to insert a measured timeline or other
2149 graphic above or below our score, we need proportional notation. We
2150 turn proportional notation on with the proportionalNotationDuration
2153 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2155 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2157 \new RhythmicStaff {
2161 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2167 The half note at the beginning of the measure and the faster notes in
2168 the second half of the measure now occupy equal amounts of horizontal
2169 space. We could place a measured timeline or graphic above or below
2172 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting is a context setting that
2173 lives in @code{Score}. Recall that context settings appear in one of
2174 three locations in our input file -- in a @code{\with} block, in a
2175 @code{\context} block, or directly in music entry
2176 preceded by the @code{\set} command. As with all
2177 context settings, users can pick which of the three different
2178 locations they would like to set @code{proportionalNotationDuration}.
2180 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting takes a single argument,
2181 which is the reference duration against which all music will be
2182 spaced. The LilyPond Scheme function make-moment takes two arguments
2183 -- a numerator and denominator which together express some fraction of
2184 a whole note. The call @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 20)} therefore produces a
2185 reference duration of a twentieth note. The values
2186 @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 16)}, @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 8)}, and
2187 @code{#(ly:make-moment 3 97)} are all possible as well.
2189 How do we select the right reference duration to pass to
2190 @code{proportionalNotationDuration}? Usually by a process of trial and error,
2191 beginning with a duration close to the fastest (or smallest) duration
2192 in the piece. Smaller reference durations space music loosely; larger
2193 reference durations space music tightly.
2195 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2197 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
2199 \new RhythmicStaff {
2203 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2209 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2211 \new RhythmicStaff {
2215 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2221 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
2223 \new RhythmicStaff {
2227 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2233 Note that too large a reference duration -- such as the eighth note,
2234 above -- spaces music too tightly and can cause note head collisions.
2235 Note also that proportional notation in general takes up more
2236 horizontal space that does classical spacing. Proportional spacing
2237 provides rhythmic clarity at the expense of horizontal space.
2239 Next we examine how to optimally space overlapping tuplets.
2241 We start by examining what happens to our original example, with
2242 classical spacing, when we add a second staff with a different type of
2245 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2247 \new RhythmicStaff {
2251 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2254 \new RhythmicStaff {
2256 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2262 The spacing is bad because the evenly notes of the bottom staff do not
2263 stretch uniformly. Classical engraving includes very few complex
2264 triplets and so classical engraving rules can generate this type of
2265 result. Setting @code{proportionalNotationDuration} remedies this
2266 situation considerably.
2268 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2270 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2272 \new RhythmicStaff {
2276 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2279 \new RhythmicStaff {
2281 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2287 But if we look very carefully we can see that notes of the second half
2288 of the 9-tuplet space ever so slightly more widely than do the notes
2289 of the first half of the 9-tuplet. To ensure uniform stretching, we
2290 turn on @code{uniform-stretching}, which is a property of
2291 @code{SpacingSpanner}.
2293 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2295 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2296 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2298 \new RhythmicStaff {
2302 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2305 \new RhythmicStaff {
2307 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2313 Our two-staff example now spaces exactly, our rhythmic
2314 relationships are visually clear, and we can include a measured
2315 timeline or graphic if we want.
2317 Note that the LilyPond's proportional notation package expects
2318 that all proportional scores set the SpacingSpanner's
2319 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t. Setting
2320 proportionalNotationDuration without also setting the
2321 SpacingSpanner's 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t will, for
2322 example, cause Skips to consume an incorrect amount of horizontal
2325 The SpacingSpanner is an abstract grob that lives in the Score
2326 context. As with our settings of proportionalNotationDuration,
2327 overrides to the SpacingSpanner can occur in any of three
2328 different places in our input file – in the Score \with block, in
2329 a Score \context block, or in note entry directly.
2331 There is by default only one @code{SpacingSpanner} per @code{Score}. This
2332 means that, by default, @code{uniform-stretching} is either turned on for the
2333 entire score or turned off for the entire score. We can, however,
2334 override this behavior and turn on different spacing features at
2335 different places in the score. We do this with the command
2336 @code{\newSpacingSection}. See @ref{New spacing area}, for more info.
2338 Next we examine the effects of the @code{Separating_line_group_engraver} and
2339 see why proportional scores frequently remove this engraver. The following
2340 example shows that there is a small amount of @qq{preferatory} space
2341 just before the first note in each system.
2343 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2356 The amount of this preferatory space is the same whether after a time
2357 signature, a key signature or a clef. @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
2358 is responsible for this space. Removing @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
2359 reduces this space to zero.
2361 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2367 \remove Separating_line_group_engraver
2375 Nonmusical elements like time signatures, key signatures, clefs and
2376 accidentals are problematic in proportional notation. None of these
2377 elements has rhythmic duration. But all of these elements consume
2378 horizontal space. Different proportional scores approach these
2379 problems differently.
2381 It may be possible to avoid spacing problems with key signatures
2382 simply by not having any. This is a valid option since most
2383 proportional scores are contemporary music. The same may be true
2384 of time signatures, especially for those scores
2385 that include a measured timeline or other graphic. But these scores
2386 are exceptional and most proportional scores include at least some
2387 time signatures. Clefs and accidentals are even more essential.
2389 So what strategies exist for spacing nonmusical elements in a
2390 proportional context? One good option is the @code{strict-note-spacing}
2391 property of @code{SpacingSpanner}. Compare the two scores below:
2393 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2395 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2405 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2406 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2416 Both scores are proportional, but the spacing in the first score
2417 is too loose because of the clef change. The spacing of the second
2418 score remains strict, however, because strict-note-spacing is
2419 turned on. Turning on strict-note-spacing causes the width of
2420 time signatures, key signatures, clefs and accidentals to play no
2421 part in the spacing algorithm.
2423 In addition to the settings given here, there are other settings
2424 that frequently appear in proportional scores. These include:
2427 @item @code{\override SpacingSpanner #'strict-grace-spacing = ##t}
2428 @item @code{tupletFullLength = ##t}
2429 @item @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}
2430 @item @code{\override Glissando #'breakable = ##t}
2431 @item @code{\override TextSpanner #'breakable = ##t}
2432 @item @code{\remove Forbid_line_break_engraver in the Voice context}
2435 These settings space grace notes strictly, extend tuplet brackets to
2436 mark both rhythmic start- and stop-points, and allow spanning elements
2437 to break across systems and pages. See the respective parts of the manual
2438 for these related settings.
2444 @ref{New spacing area}.
2450 @node Fitting music onto fewer pages
2451 @section Fitting music onto fewer pages
2453 Sometimes you can end up with one or two staves on a second
2454 (or third, or fourth...) page. This is annoying, especially
2455 if you look at previous pages and it looks like there is plenty
2456 of room left on those.
2458 When investigating layout issues, @code{annotate-spacing} is an
2459 invaluable tool. This command prints the values of various layout
2460 spacing variables; for more details see the following section,
2461 @ref{Displaying spacing}.
2464 * Displaying spacing::
2465 * Changing spacing::
2469 @node Displaying spacing
2470 @subsection Displaying spacing
2472 @funindex annotate-spacing
2473 @cindex spacing, display of layout
2475 To graphically display the dimensions of vertical layout variables
2476 that may be altered for page formatting, set
2477 @code{annotate-spacing} in the @code{\paper} block:
2479 @c need to have \book{} otherwise we get the separate systems. -hwn
2480 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2481 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
2484 \paper { annotate-spacing = ##t }
2489 All layout dimensions are displayed in staff spaces, regardless of
2490 the units specified in the @code{\paper} or @code{\layout} block.
2491 For example, @code{paper-height} has a value of 59.75 staff
2492 spaces, using the default staff size of 20 points, which is
2493 equivalent to 148 millimeters, the height of @code{a6} paper in
2494 landscape orientation. The pairs (@var{a},@var{b}) are intervals,
2495 where @var{a} is the lower edge and @var{b} the upper edge of the
2505 @node Changing spacing
2506 @subsection Changing spacing
2508 The output of @code{annotate-spacing} reveals vertical dimensions
2509 in great detail. For details about modifying margins and other
2510 layout variables, see @ref{Page formatting}.
2512 Other than margins, there are a few other options to save space:
2516 Force systems to move as close together as possible (to fit as
2517 many systems as possible onto a page) while being spaced so that
2518 there is no blank space at the bottom of the page.
2522 between-system-padding = #0.1
2523 between-system-space = #0.1
2524 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
2530 Force the number of systems. For example, if the default layout
2531 has 11 systems, the following assignment will force a layout with
2541 Avoid (or reduce) objects that increase the vertical size of a
2542 system. For example, volta repeats (or alternate repeats) require
2543 extra space. If these repeats are spread over two systems, they
2544 will take up more space than one system with the volta repeats and
2545 another system without. For example, dynamics that @q{stick out} of
2546 a system can be moved closer to the staff:
2548 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
2550 \override DynamicText #'extra-offset = #'( -2.2 . 2.0)
2555 Alter the horizontal spacing via @code{SpacingSpanner}. For more
2556 details, see @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}. The following
2557 example illustrates the default spacing:
2559 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2572 The next example modifies @code{common-shortest-duration} from a
2573 value of @code{1/4} to @code{1/2}. The quarter note is the most
2574 common and shortest duration in this example, so by making this
2575 duration longer, a @q{squeezing} effect occurs:
2577 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2589 \override SpacingSpanner
2590 #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 2)
2597 The @code{common-shortest-duration} property cannot be modified
2598 dynamically, so it must always be placed in a @code{\context}
2599 block so that it applies to the whole score.
2607 @ref{Page formatting},
2608 @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}.