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13 @chapter Tweaking output
15 This chapter discusses how to modify output. LilyPond is extremely
16 configurable; virtually every fragment of output may be changed.
21 * The Internals Reference manual::
22 * Appearance of objects::
23 * Placement of objects::
24 * Collisions of objects::
29 @section Tweaking basics
32 * Introduction to tweaks::
33 * Objects and interfaces::
34 * Naming conventions of objects and properties::
38 @node Introduction to tweaks
39 @subsection Introduction to tweaks
41 @q{Tweaking} is a LilyPond term for the various methods available
42 to the user for modifying the actions taken during interpretation
43 of the input file and modifying the appearance of the printed
44 output. Some tweaks are very easy to use; others are more
45 complex. But taken together the methods available for tweaking
46 permit almost any desired appearance of the printed music to be
49 In this section we cover the basic concepts required to understand
50 tweaking. Later we give a variety of ready-made commands which can
51 simply be copied to obtain the same effect in your own scores, and
52 at the same time we show how these commands may be constructed so
53 that you may learn how to develop your own tweaks.
55 Before starting on this Chapter you may wish to review the section
56 @ref{Contexts and engravers}, as Contexts, Engravers, and the
57 Properties contained within them are fundamental to understanding
58 and constructing Tweaks.
60 @node Objects and interfaces
61 @subsection Objects and interfaces
68 Tweaking involves modifying the internal operation and structures
69 of the LilyPond program, so we must first introduce some terms
70 which are used to describe those internal operations and
73 The term @q{Object} is a generic term used to refer to the
74 multitude of internal structures built by LilyPond during the
75 processing of an input file. So when a command like @code{\new
76 Staff} is encountered a new object of type @code{Staff} is
77 constructed. That @code{Staff} object then holds all the
78 properties associated with that particular staff, for example, its
79 name and its key signature, together with details of the engravers
80 which have been assigned to operate within that staff's context.
81 Similarly, there are objects to hold the properties of all other
82 contexts, such as @code{Voice} objects, @code{Score} objects,
83 @code{Lyrics} objects, as well as objects to represent all
84 notational elements such as bar lines,
85 note heads, ties, dynamics, etc. Every object has its own set of
88 Some types of object are given special names. Objects which
89 represent items of notation on the printed output such as
90 note heads, stems, slurs, ties, fingering, clefs, etc are called
91 @q{Layout objects}, often known as @q{Graphical Objects}, or
92 @q{Grobs} for short. These are still objects in the generic sense
93 above, and so they too all have properties associated with them,
94 such as their position, size, color, etc.
96 Some layout objects are still more specialized. Phrasing slurs,
97 crescendo hairpins, ottava marks, and many other grobs are not
98 localized in a single place -- they have a starting point, an
99 ending point, and maybe other properties concerned with their
100 shape. Objects with an extended shape like these are called
103 It remains to explain what @q{Interfaces} are. Many objects,
104 even though they are quite different, share common features
105 which need to be processed in the same way.
106 For example, all grobs have a color, a size, a position, etc,
107 and all these properties are processed in the same way during
109 interpretation of the input file. To simplify these internal
110 operations these common actions and properties are grouped
111 together in an object called a @code{grob-interface}. There
112 are many other groupings of common properties like this, each
113 one given a name ending in @code{interface}. In total there
114 are over 100 such interfaces. We shall see later why this is
115 of interest and use to the user.
117 These, then, are the main terms relating to objects which we
118 shall use in this chapter.
120 @node Naming conventions of objects and properties
121 @subsection Naming conventions of objects and properties
123 We met some object naming conventions previously, in
124 @ref{Contexts and engravers}. Here for reference is a list
125 of the most common object and property types together with
126 the conventions for naming them and a couple of examples of
127 some real names. We have used @q{A} to stand for any capitalized
128 alphabetic character and @q{aaa} to stand for any number of
129 lower-case alphabetic characters. Other characters are used
132 @multitable @columnfractions .33 .33 .33
133 @headitem Object/property type
134 @tab Naming convention
137 @tab Aaaa or AaaaAaaaAaaa
138 @tab Staff, GrandStaff
140 @tab Aaaa or AaaaAaaaAaaa
143 @tab Aaaa_aaa_engraver
144 @tab Clef_engraver, Note_heads_engraver
146 @tab aaa-aaa-interface
147 @tab grob-interface, break-aligned-interface
148 @item Context Properties
149 @tab aaa or aaaAaaaAaaa
150 @tab alignAboveContext, skipBars
151 @item Layout Object Properties
152 @tab aaa or aaa-aaa-aaa
153 @tab direction, beam-thickness
156 As we shall see shortly, the properties of different types of
157 object are modified by different commands, so it is useful to
158 be able to recognize the type of object from the names of its
162 @node Tweaking methods
163 @subsection Tweaking methods
165 @strong{\override command}
167 @cindex override command
170 We have already met the commands @code{\set} and @code{\with},
171 used to change the properties of @strong{contexts} and to remove
172 and add @strong{engravers}, in
173 @ref{Modifying context properties}, and @ref{Adding
174 and removing engravers}. We now must meet some more important
177 The command to change the properties of @strong{layout objects} is
178 @code{\override}. Because this command has to modify
179 internal properties deep within LilyPond its syntax is not
180 as simple as the commands you have met so far. It needs to
181 know precisely which property of which object in which context
182 has to be modified, and what its new value is to be. Let's see
185 The general syntax of this command is:
188 \override @var{Context}.@var{LayoutObject} #'@var{layout-property} = #@var{value}
192 This will set the property with the name @var{layout-property}
193 of the layout object with the name
194 @var{LayoutObject}, which is a member of the @var{Context}
195 context, to the value @var{value}.
197 The @var{Context} can be omitted (and usually is) when the
198 required context is unambiguously implied and is one of lowest
199 level contexts, i.e., @code{Voice}, @code{ChordNames} or
200 @code{Lyrics}, and we shall omit it in many of the following
201 examples. We shall see later when it must be specified.
203 Later sections deal comprehensively with properties and their
204 values, but to illustrate the format and use of these commands
205 we shall use just a few simple properties and values which are
208 For now, don't worry about the @code{#'}, which must precede the
209 layout property, and the @code{#}, which must precede the value.
210 These must always be present in exactly this form. This is the
211 most common command used in tweaking, and most of the rest of
212 this chapter will be directed to presenting examples of how it is
213 used. Here is a simple example to change the color of the
216 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
218 \override NoteHead #'color = #red
220 \override NoteHead #'color = #green
224 @strong{\revert command}
226 @cindex revert command
229 Once overridden, the property retains its new value until it is
230 overridden again or a @code{\revert} command is encountered.
231 The @code{\revert} command has the following syntax and causes
232 the value of the property to revert to its original default
233 value; note, not its previous value if several @code{\override}
234 commands have been issued.
237 \revert @var{Context}.@var{LayoutObject} #'@var{layout-property}
240 Again, just like @var{Context} in the @code{\override} command,
241 @var{Context} is often not needed. It will be omitted
242 in many of the following examples. Here we revert the color
243 of the note head to the default value for the final two notes:
245 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
247 \override NoteHead #'color = #red
249 \override NoteHead #'color = #green
251 \revert NoteHead #'color
255 @strong{\once prefix}
257 Both the @code{\override} and the @code{\set} commands may be
258 prefixed by @code{\once}. This causes the following
259 @code{\override} or @code{\set} command to be effective only
260 during the current musical moment before the property reverts
261 back to its default value. Using the same example, we can
262 change the color of a single note like this:
264 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
266 \once \override NoteHead #'color = #red
268 \once \override NoteHead #'color = #green
272 @strong{\overrideProperty command}
274 @cindex overrideProperty command
275 @funindex \overrideProperty
277 There is another form of the override command,
278 @code{\overrideProperty}, which is occasionally required.
279 We mention it here for completeness, but for details see
280 @ruser{Difficult tweaks}.
281 @c Maybe explain in a later iteration -td
283 @strong{\tweak command}
285 @cindex tweak command
288 The final tweaking command which is available is @code{\tweak}.
289 This should be used to change the properties of objects which
290 occur at the same musical moment, such as the notes within a
291 chord. Using @code{\override} would affect all the notes
292 within a chord, whereas @code{\tweak} affects just the following
293 item in the input stream.
295 Here's an example. Suppose we wish to change the size of the
296 middle note head (the E) in a C major chord. Let's first see what
297 @code{\once \override} would do:
299 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
301 \once \override NoteHead #'font-size = #-3
306 We see the override affects @emph{all} the note heads in the chord.
307 This is because all the notes of a chord occur at the same
308 @emph{musical moment}, and the action of @code{\once} is to
309 apply the override to all layout objects of the type specified
310 which occur at the same musical moment as the @code{\override}
313 The @code{\tweak} command operates in a different way. It acts
314 on the immediately following item in the input stream. However,
315 it is effective only on objects which are created directly from
316 the input stream, essentially note heads and articulations;
317 objects such as stems and accidentals are created later and
318 cannot be tweaked in this way. Furthermore, when it is applied
319 to note heads these @emph{must} be within a chord, i.e., within
320 single angle brackets, so to tweak a single note the @code{\tweak}
321 command must be placed inside single angle brackets with the
324 So to return to our example, the size of the middle note of
325 a chord would be changed in this way:
327 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
329 <c \tweak #'font-size #-3 e g>4
332 Note that the syntax of @code{\tweak} is different from that
333 of the @code{\override} command. Neither the context nor the
334 layout object should be specified; in fact, it would generate
335 an error to do so. These are both implied by the following
336 item in the input stream. So the general syntax of the
337 @code{\tweak} command is simply
340 \tweak #'@var{layout-property} = #@var{value}
343 A @code{\tweak} command can also be used to modify just one in
344 a series of articulations, as shown here:
346 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
348 -\tweak #'color #red ^Red
349 -\tweak #'color #green _Green
353 Note that the @code{\tweak} command must be preceded by an
354 articulation mark as if it were an articulation itself.
356 @cindex tuplets, nested
357 @cindex triplets, nested
358 @cindex bracket, tuplet
359 @cindex tuplet bracket
360 @cindex triplet bracket
361 @funindex TupletBracket
363 The @code{\tweak} command must also be used to change the
364 appearance of one of a set of nested tuplets which begin at the
365 same musical moment. In the following example, the long tuplet
366 bracket and the first of the three short brackets begin at the
367 same musical moment, so any @code{\override} command would apply
368 to both of them. In the example, @code{\tweak} is used to
369 distinguish between them. The first @code{\tweak} command
370 specifies that the long tuplet bracket is to be placed above the
371 notes and the second one specifies that the tuplet number is to be
372 printed in red on the first short tuplet bracket.
374 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim,fragment,relative=2]
375 \tweak #'direction #up
378 \times 2/3 { c8[ c8 c8] }
379 \times 2/3 { c8[ c8 c8] }
380 \times 2/3 { c8[ c8 c8] }
384 If nested tuplets do not begin at the same moment, their
385 appearance may be modified in the usual way with
386 @code{\override} commands:
388 @c NOTE Tuplet brackets collide if notes are high on staff
390 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim,fragment,relative=1]
391 \times 2/3 { c8[ c c]}
392 \once \override TupletNumber
393 #'text = #tuplet-number::calc-fraction-text
397 \once \override TupletNumber #'transparent = ##t
398 \times 2/3 { c8[ c c] }
399 \times 2/3 { c8[ c c]}
406 @ruser{The tweak command}.
409 @node The Internals Reference manual
410 @section The Internals Reference manual
412 @cindex Internals Reference
415 * Properties of layout objects::
416 * Properties found in interfaces::
417 * Types of properties::
420 @node Properties of layout objects
421 @subsection Properties of layout objects
423 @cindex properties of layout objects
424 @cindex properties of grobs
425 @cindex grobs, properties of
426 @cindex layout objects, properties of
428 Suppose you have a slur in a score which, to your mind,
429 appears too thin and you'd like to draw it a little heavier.
430 How do you go about doing this? You know from the statements
431 earlier about the flexibility of LilyPond that such a thing
432 should be possible, and you would probably guess that an
433 @code{\override} command would be needed. But is there a
434 heaviness property for a slur, and if there is, how might it
435 be modified? This is where the Internals Reference manual
436 comes in. It contains all the information you might need to
437 construct this and all other @code{\override} commands.
439 Before we look at the Internals Reference a word of warning.
440 This is a @strong{reference} document, which means there is
441 little or no explanation contained within it: its purpose is
442 to present information precisely and concisely. This
443 means it might look daunting at first sight. Don't worry!
444 The guidance and explanation presented here will enable you
445 to extract the information from the Internals Reference for
446 yourself with just a little practice.
448 @cindex override example
449 @cindex Internals Reference, example of using
451 Let's use a concrete example with a simple fragment of real
454 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
459 g[( e]) e d[( f]) a |
463 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
468 Suppose now that we decide we would like the slurs to be a
469 little heavier. Is this possible? The slur is certainly a
470 layout object, so the question is, @q{Is there a property
471 belonging to a slur which controls the heaviness?} To answer
472 this we must look in the Internals Reference, or IR for short.
474 The IR for the version of LilyPond you are using may be found
475 on the LilyPond website at @uref{http://lilypond.org}. Go to the
476 documentation page and click on the Internals Reference link.
477 For learning purposes you should use the standard HTML version,
478 not the @q{one big page} or the PDF. For the next few
479 paragraphs to make sense you will need to actually do this
482 Under the heading @strong{Top} you will see five links. Select
483 the link to the @emph{Backend}, which is where information about
484 layout objects is to be found. There, under the heading
485 @strong{Backend}, select the link to @emph{All layout objects}.
486 The page that appears lists all the layout objects used in your
487 version of LilyPond, in alphabetic order. Select the link to
488 Slur, and the properties of Slurs are listed.
490 An alternative way of finding this page is from the Notation
491 Reference. On one of the pages that deals with slurs you may find a
492 link to the Internals Reference. This link will take you directly to
493 this page, but if you have an idea about the name of the layout object
494 to be tweaked, it is easier to go straight to the IR and search there.
496 This Slur page in the IR tells us first that Slur objects are created
497 by the Slur_engraver. Then it lists the standard settings. Note
498 these are @strong{not} in alphabetic order. Browse down them looking
499 for a property that might control the heaviness of slurs, and you
503 @code{thickness} (number)
505 Line thickness, generally measured in @code{line-thickness}
508 This looks a good bet to change the heaviness. It tells us that
509 the value of @code{thickness} is a simple @emph{number},
510 that the default value is 1.2, and that the units are
511 in another property called @code{line-thickness}.
513 As we said earlier, there are few to no explanations in the IR,
514 but we already have enough information to try changing the
515 slur thickness. We see that the name of the layout object
516 is @code{Slur}, that the name of the property to change is
517 @code{thickness} and that the new value should be a number
518 somewhat larger than 1.2 if we are to make slurs thicker.
520 We can now construct the @code{\override} command by simply
521 substituting the values we have found for the names, omitting
522 the context. Let's use a very large value for the thickness
523 at first, so we can be sure the command is working. We get:
526 \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
529 Don't forget the @code{#'} preceding the
530 property name and and @code{#} preceding the new value!
532 The final question is, @q{Where should this command be
533 placed?} While you are unsure and learning, the best
534 answer is, @q{Within the music, before the first slur and
535 close to it.} Let's do that:
537 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
541 % Increase thickness of all following slurs from 1.2 to 5.0
542 \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
544 g[( e]) e d[( f]) a |
548 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
554 and we see that the slur is indeed heavier.
556 So this is the basic way of constructing @code{\override}
557 commands. There are a few more complications that we
558 shall meet in later sections, but you now know all the
559 essentials required to make up your own -- but you will
560 still need some practice. This is provided in the examples
563 @subheading Finding the context
564 @cindex context, finding
566 But first, what if we had needed to specify the Context?
567 What should it be? We could guess that slurs are in
568 the Voice context, as they are clearly closely associated
569 with individual lines of music, but can we be sure? To
570 find out, go back to the top of the IR page describing the
571 Slur, where it says @q{Slur objects are created by: Slur
572 engraver}. So slurs will be created in whichever context
573 the @code{Slur_engraver} is in. Follow the link to the
574 @code{Slur_engraver} page. At the very bottom it tells
575 us that @code{Slur_engraver} is part of five Voice contexts,
576 including the standard voice context, @code{Voice}, so our
577 guess was correct. And because @code{Voice} is one of the
578 lowest level contexts which is implied unambiguously by
579 the fact that we are entering notes, we can omit it in this
582 @subheading Overriding once only
584 @cindex overriding once only
585 @cindex once override
588 As you can see, @emph{all} the slurs are thicker in the
589 final example above. But what if we
590 wanted just the first slur to be thicker? This is achieved
591 with the @code{\once} command. Placed immediately before
592 the @code{\override} command it causes it to change only the
593 slur which begins on the @strong{immediately following} note.
595 immediately following note does not begin a slur the command
596 has no effect at all -- it is not remembered until a slur
597 is encountered, it is simply discarded. So the command with
599 repositioned as follows:
601 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
606 % Increase thickness of immediately following slur only
607 \once \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
609 g[( e]) e d[( f]) a |
613 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
619 Now only the first slur is made heavier.
621 The @code{\once} command can also be used before the @code{\set}
624 @subheading Reverting
627 @cindex default properties, reverting
630 Finally, what if we wanted just the first two slurs to be
631 heavier? Well, we could use two commands, each preceded by
632 @code{\once} placed immediately before each of the notes where
635 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
640 % Increase thickness of immediately following slur only
641 \once \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
643 % Increase thickness of immediately following slur only
644 \once \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
645 g[( e]) e d[( f]) a |
649 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
655 or we could omit the @code{\once} command and use the
656 @code{\revert} command
657 to return the @code{thickness} property to its default value
658 after the second slur:
660 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
665 % Increase thickness of all following slurs from 1.2 to 5.0
666 \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
669 % Revert thickness of all following slurs to default of 1.2
670 \revert Slur #'thickness
675 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
681 The @code{\revert} command can be used to return any property
682 changed with @code{\override} back to its default value.
683 You may use whichever method best suits what you want to do.
685 That concludes our introduction to the IR, and the basic
686 method of tweaking. Several examples follow in the later
687 sections of this Chapter, partly to introduce you to some of the
688 additional features of the IR, and partly to give you more
689 practice in extracting information from it. These examples will
690 contain progressively fewer words of guidance and explanation.
693 @node Properties found in interfaces
694 @subsection Properties found in interfaces
696 @cindex interface properties
697 @cindex properties in interfaces
699 Suppose now that we wish to print the lyrics in italics. What
700 form of @code{\override} command do we need to do this?
701 We first look in the IR page listing @q{All layout objects}, as
702 before, and look for an object that might control lyrics. We
703 find @code{LyricText}, which looks right. Clicking on this shows
704 the settable properties for lyric text. These include the
705 @code{font-series} and @code{font-size}, but nothing that might
706 give an italic shape.
707 This is because the shape property is one that is common to all
708 font objects, so, rather than including it in every layout
709 object, it is grouped together with other similar common
710 properties and placed in an @strong{Interface}, the
711 @code{font-interface}.
713 So now we need to learn how to find the properties of interfaces,
714 and to discover what objects use these interface properties.
716 Look again at the IR page which describes LyricText. At the bottom of
717 the page is a list of clickable interfaces which LyricText supports.
718 The list has several items, including @code{font-interface}. Clicking
719 on this brings up the properties associated with this interface, which
720 are also properties of all the objects which support it, including
723 Now we see all the user-settable properties which control fonts,
724 including @code{font-shape(symbol)}, where @code{symbol} can be
725 set to @code{upright}, @code{italics} or @code{caps}.
727 You will notice that @code{font-series} and @code{font-size}
728 are also listed there.
729 This immediately raises the question: Why are the common font
730 properties @code{font-series} and @code{font-size} listed under
731 @code{LyricText} as well as under the interface
732 @code{font-interface} but @code{font-shape} is not? The answer
733 is that @code{font-series} and @code{font-size} are changed
734 from their global default values when a @code{LyricText} object
735 is created, but @code{font-shape} is not. The entries in
736 @code{LyricText} then tell you the values for those two
737 properties which apply to @code{LyricText}. Other objects
738 which support @code{font-interface} will set these
739 properties differently when they are created.
741 Let's see if we can now construct the @code{\override} command
742 to change the lyrics to italics. The object is @code{LyricText},
743 the property is @code{font-shape} and the value is
744 @code{italic}. As before, we'll omit the context.
746 As an aside, although it is an important one, note that because the
747 values of @code{font-shape} are symbols they must be introduced with a
748 single apostrophe, @code{'}. That is why apostrophes are needed
749 before @code{thickness} in the earlier example and @code{font-shape}.
750 These are both symbols too. Symbols are then read internally by
751 LilyPond. Some of them are the names of properties, like
752 @code{thickness} or @code{font-shape}, others are used as values that
753 can be given to properties, like @code{italic}. Note the distinction
754 from arbitrary text strings, which would appear as @code{"a text
755 string"}; for more details about symbols and strings, see @ref{Scheme
758 Ok, so the @code{\override} command we need to print the lyrics
762 \override LyricText #'font-shape = #'italic
766 and this should be placed just in front of and close to the
767 lyrics which it should affect, like this:
769 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
774 g[( e]) e d[( f]) a |
778 \override LyricText #'font-shape = #'italic
779 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
785 and the lyrics are all printed in italics.
787 @subheading Specifying the context in lyric mode
788 @cindex context, specifying in lyric mode
790 In the case of lyrics, if you try specifying the context in the
791 format given earlier the command will fail. A syllable
792 entered in lyricmode is terminated by either a space,
793 a newline or a digit. All other characters are included
794 as part of the syllable. For this reason a space or newline
795 must appear before the terminating @code{@}} to prevent it being
796 included as part of the final syllable. Similarly,
797 spaces must be inserted before and after the
798 period or dot, @q{.}, separating the context name from the
799 object name, as otherwise the two names are run together and
800 the interpreter cannot recognize them. So the command should be:
803 \override Lyrics . LyricText #'font-shape = #'italic
806 @warning{In lyrics always leave whitespace between the final
807 syllable and the terminating brace.}
809 @warning{In overrides in lyrics always place spaces around
810 the dot between the context name and the object name.}
814 Learning Manual: @ref{Scheme tutorial}.
817 @node Types of properties
818 @subsection Types of properties
820 @cindex Property types
822 So far we have seen two types of property: @code{number} and
823 @code{symbol}. To be valid, the value given to a property
824 must be of the correct type and obey the rules for that type.
825 The type of property is always shown in brackets after the
826 property name in the IR. Here is a list of the types you may
827 need, together with the rules for that type, and some examples.
828 You must always add a hash symbol, @code{#}, of course,
829 to the front of these values when they are entered in the
830 @code{\override} command.
832 @multitable @columnfractions .2 .45 .35
833 @headitem Property type
837 @tab Either True or False, represented by #t or #f
838 @tab @code{#t}, @code{#f}
839 @item Dimension (in staff space)
840 @tab A positive decimal number (in units of staff space)
841 @tab @code{2.5}, @code{0.34}
843 @tab A valid direction constant or its numerical equivalent (decimal
844 values between -1 and 1 are allowed)
845 @tab @code{LEFT}, @code{CENTER}, @code{UP},
848 @tab A positive whole number
849 @tab @code{3}, @code{1}
851 @tab A set of values separated by spaces, enclosed in parentheses
852 and preceded by an apostrophe
853 @tab @code{'(left-edge staff-bar)}, @code{'(1)},
854 @code{'(1.0 0.25 0.5)}
856 @tab Any valid markup
857 @tab @code{\markup @{ \italic "cresc." @}}
859 @tab A fraction of a whole note constructed with the
861 @tab @code{(ly:make-moment 1 4)},
862 @code{(ly:make-moment 3 8)}
864 @tab Any positive or negative decimal value
865 @tab @code{3.5}, @code{-2.45}
866 @item Pair (of numbers)
867 @tab Two numbers separated by a @q{space . space} and enclosed
868 in brackets preceded by an apostrophe
869 @tab @code{'(2 . 3.5)}, @code{'(0.1 . -3.2)}
871 @tab Any of the set of permitted symbols for that property,
872 preceded by an apostrophe
873 @tab @code{'italic}, @code{'inside}
875 @tab A procedure, or @code{#f} to cause no action
876 @tab @code{bend::print}, @code{ly:text-interface::print},
879 @tab A list of three items enclosed in parentheses and preceded
880 by apostrophe-hash, @code{'#}.
881 @tab @code{'#(#t #t #f)}
886 Learning Manual: @ref{Scheme tutorial}.
889 @node Appearance of objects
890 @section Appearance of objects
892 Let us now put what we have learned into practice with a few
893 examples which show how tweaks may be used to change the
894 appearance of the printed music.
897 * Visibility and color of objects::
899 * Length and thickness of objects::
902 @node Visibility and color of objects
903 @subsection Visibility and color of objects
905 In the educational use of music we might wish to print a score
906 with certain elements omitted as an exercise for the student,
907 who is required to supply them. As a simple example,
908 let us suppose the exercise is to supply the missing bar lines
909 in a piece of music. But the bar lines are normally inserted
910 automatically. How do we prevent them printing?
912 Before we tackle this, let us remember that object properties are
913 grouped in what are called @emph{interfaces} -- see @ref{Properties
914 found in interfaces}. This is simply to group together those
915 properties that may be used together to tweak a graphical object -- if
916 one of them is allowed for an object, so are the others. Some objects
917 then use the properties in some interfaces, others use them from other
918 interfaces. The interfaces which contain the properties used by a
919 particular grob are listed in the IR at the bottom of the page
920 describing that grob, and those properties may be viewed by looking at
923 We explained how to find information about grobs in
924 @ref{Properties of layout objects}. Using the same approach,
925 we go to the IR to find the layout object which prints
926 bar lines. Going via @emph{Backend} and @emph{All layout objects}
928 is a layout object called @code{BarLine}. Its properties include
929 two that control its visibility: @code{break-visibility} and
930 @code{stencil}. Barline also supports a number of interfaces,
931 including the @code{grob-interface}, where we find the
932 @code{transparent} and the @code{color} properties. All
933 of these can affect the visibility of bar lines (and, of course,
934 by extension, many other layout objects too.) Let's consider
935 each of these in turn.
938 @cindex stencil property
940 This property controls the appearance of the bar lines by specifying
941 the symbol (glyph) which should be printed. In common
942 with many other properties, it can be set to print nothing by
943 setting its value to @code{#f}. Let's try it, as before, omitting
944 the implied Context, @code{Voice}:
946 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
949 \override BarLine #'stencil = ##f
956 The bar lines are still printed. What is wrong? Go back to the
957 IR and look again at the page giving the properties of BarLine.
958 At the top of the page it says @qq{Barline objects are created
959 by: Bar_engraver}. Go to the @code{Bar_engraver} page.
961 it gives a list of Contexts in which the bar engraver operates.
962 All of them are of the type @code{Staff}, so the reason the
963 @code{\override} command failed to work as expected is because
964 @code{Barline} is not in the default @code{Voice} context.
966 is specified wrongly, the command simply does not work. No
967 error message is produced, and nothing is logged in the log
968 file. Let's try correcting it by adding the correct context:
970 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
973 \override Staff.BarLine #'stencil = ##f
980 Now the bar lines have vanished.
982 @subheading break-visibility
984 @cindex break-visibility property
986 We see from the @code{BarLine} properties in the IR that the
987 @code{break-visibility} property requires a vector of three
989 These control respectively whether bar lines are printed at
990 the end of a line, in the middle of lines, and at the beginning
991 of lines. For our example we want all bar lines to be suppressed,
992 so the value we need is @code{'#(#f #f #f)}.
993 Let's try that, remembering
994 to include the @code{Staff} context. Note also that in writing
995 this value we have @code{#'#} before the opening bracket.
996 The @code{'#} is required as part of the value to introduce a
997 vector, and the first @code{#} is required, as always, to precede
998 the value itself in the @code{\override} command.
1000 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1003 \override Staff.BarLine #'break-visibility = #'#(#f #f #f)
1005 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1010 And we see this too removes all the bar lines.
1012 @subheading transparent
1013 @cindex transparent property
1015 We see from the properties specified in the @code{grob-interface}
1016 page in the IR that the @code{transparent} property is a boolean.
1018 should be set to @code{#t} to make the grob transparent.
1019 In this next example let us make the time signature invisible
1020 rather than the bar lines.
1021 To do this we need to find the grob name for the time signature.
1023 the @q{All layout objects} page in the IR to find the properties
1024 of the @code{TimeSignature} layout object. This is produced by
1025 the @code{Time_signature_engraver} which you can check also lives
1026 in the @code{Staff} context and also supports the
1027 @code{grob-interface}. So the command to make the time signature
1030 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1033 \override Staff.TimeSignature #'transparent = ##t
1035 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1041 The time signature is gone, but this command leaves a gap where
1042 the time signature should be. Maybe this is what is wanted for
1043 an exercise for the student to fill it in, but in other
1044 circumstances a gap might be undesirable. To remove it, the
1045 stencil for the time signature should be set to @code{#f}
1048 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1051 \override Staff.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1053 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1059 and the difference is obvious: setting the stencil to @code{#f}
1060 removes the object entirely; making the object @code{transparent}
1061 leaves it where it is, but makes it invisible.
1064 @cindex color property
1066 Finally let us try making the bar lines invisible by coloring
1067 them white. (There is a difficulty with this in that the
1068 white bar line may or may not blank out the staff lines where
1069 they cross. You may see in some of the examples below that this
1070 happens unpredictably. The details of why this is so and how to
1071 control it are covered in @ruser{Painting objects white}. But at
1072 the moment we are learning about color, so please just accept this
1073 limitation for now.)
1075 The @code{grob-interface} specifies that the
1076 color property value is a list, but there is no
1077 explanation of what that list should be. The list it
1078 requires is actually a list of values in internal units,
1079 but, to avoid having to know what these are, several ways
1080 are provided to specify colors. The first way is to use one
1081 of the @q{normal} colors listed in the first table in
1082 @ruser{List of colors}. To set the bar lines to white
1085 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1088 \override Staff.BarLine #'color = #white
1090 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1096 and again, we see the bar lines are not visible. Note that
1097 @emph{white} is not preceded by an apostrophe -- it is not
1098 a symbol, but a @emph{function}. When called, it provides
1099 the list of internal values required to set the color to
1100 white. The other colors in the normal list are functions
1101 too. To convince yourself this is working you might like
1102 to change the color to one of the other functions in the
1108 The second way of changing the color is to use the list of
1109 X11 color names in the second list in @ruser{List of colors}.
1110 However, these must be preceded by another function, which
1111 converts X11 color names into the list of internal values,
1112 @code{x11-color}, like this:
1114 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1117 \override Staff.BarLine #'color = #(x11-color 'white)
1119 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1125 Note that in this case the function @code{x11-color} takes
1126 a symbol as an argument, so the symbol must be preceded by
1127 an apostrophe and the two enclosed in brackets.
1132 There is yet a third function, one which converts RGB values into
1133 internal colors -- the @code{rgb-color} function. This takes
1134 three arguments giving the intensities of the red, green and
1135 blue colors. These take values in the range 0 to 1. So to
1136 set the color to red the value should be @code{(rgb-color 1 0 0)}
1137 and to white it should be @code{(rgb-color 1 1 1)}:
1139 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1142 \override Staff.BarLine #'color = #(rgb-color 1 1 1)
1144 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1149 Finally, there is also a grey scale available as part of the
1150 X11 set of colors. These range from black, @code{'grey0'},
1151 to white, @code{'grey100}, in steps of 1. Let's illustrate
1152 this by setting all the layout objects in our example to
1153 various shades of grey:
1155 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1158 \override Staff.StaffSymbol #'color = #(x11-color 'grey30)
1159 \override Staff.TimeSignature #'color = #(x11-color 'grey60)
1160 \override Staff.Clef #'color = #(x11-color 'grey60)
1161 \override Voice.NoteHead #'color = #(x11-color 'grey85)
1162 \override Voice.Stem #'color = #(x11-color 'grey85)
1163 \override Staff.BarLine #'color = #(x11-color 'grey10)
1165 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1171 Note the contexts associated with each of the layout objects.
1172 It is important to get these right, or the commands will not
1173 work! Remember, the context is the one in which the appropriate
1174 engraver is placed. The default context for engravers can be
1175 found by starting from the layout object, going from there to
1176 the engraver which produces it, and on the engraver page in the
1177 IR it tells you in which context the engraver will normally be
1181 @node Size of objects
1182 @subsection Size of objects
1184 Let us begin by looking again at the earlier example
1185 see @ref{Nesting music expressions}) which showed
1186 how to introduce a new temporary staff, as in an @rglos{ossia}.
1188 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1189 \new Staff ="main" {
1196 alignAboveContext = "main" }
1204 Ossia are normally written without clef and time signature, and
1205 are usually printed slightly smaller than the main staff. We
1206 already know now how to remove the clef and time signature --
1207 we simply set the stencil of each to @code{#f}, as follows:
1209 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1210 \new Staff ="main" {
1217 alignAboveContext = "main"
1220 \override Staff.Clef #'stencil = ##f
1221 \override Staff.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1231 where the extra pair of braces after the @code{\with} clause are
1232 required to ensure the enclosed overrides and music are applied
1235 But what is the difference between modifying the staff context by
1236 using @code{\with} and modifying the stencils of the clef and the
1237 time signature with \override? The main difference is that
1238 changes made in a @code{\with} clause are made at the time the
1239 context is created, and remain in force as the @strong{default}
1240 values for the duration of that context, whereas
1241 @code{\set} or @code{\override} commands embedded in the
1242 music are dynamic -- they make changes synchronized with
1243 a particular point in the music. If changes are unset or
1244 reverted using @code{\unset} or @code{\revert} they return to
1245 their default values, which will be the ones set in the
1246 @code{\with} clause, or if none have been set there, the normal
1249 Some context properties
1250 can be modified only in @code{\with} clauses. These are those
1251 properties which cannot sensibly be changed after the context
1252 has been created. @code{alignAboveContext} and its partner,
1253 @code{alignBelowContext}, are two such properties -- once the
1254 staff has been created its alignment is decided and it would
1255 make no sense to try to change it later.
1257 The default values of layout object properties can also be set
1258 in @code{\with} clauses. Simply use the normal @code{\override}
1259 command leaving out the context name, since this is unambiguously
1260 defined as the context which the @code{\with} clause is modifying.
1261 If fact, an error will be generated if a context is specified
1264 So we could replace the example above with
1266 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1267 \new Staff ="main" {
1274 alignAboveContext = "main"
1275 % Don't print clefs in this staff
1276 \override Clef #'stencil = ##f
1277 % Don't print time signatures in this staff
1278 \override TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1287 Finally we come to changing the size of layout objects.
1289 Some layout objects are created as glyphs selected from
1290 a typeface font. These include note heads, accidentals, markup,
1291 clefs, time signatures, dynamics and lyrics.
1292 Their size is changed by modifying the
1293 @code{font-size} property, as we shall shortly see. Other
1294 layout objects such as slurs and ties -- in general, spanner
1295 objects -- are drawn individually, so there is no
1297 associated with them. These objects generally derive their
1298 size from the objects to which they are attached, so usually
1299 there is no need to change their size manually. Still other
1300 properties such as the length of stems and bar lines, thickness
1301 of beams and other lines, and the separation of staff lines all
1302 need to be modified in special ways.
1304 Returning to the ossia example, let us first change the font-size.
1305 We can do this in two ways. We can either change the size of the
1306 fonts of each object type, like @code{NoteHead}s with commands
1310 \override NoteHead #'font-size = #-2
1313 or we can change the size of all fonts by setting a special
1314 property, @code{fontSize}, using @code{\set}, or by including
1315 it in a @code{\with} clause (but without the @code{\set}).
1321 Both of these statements would cause the font size to be reduced
1322 by 2 steps from its previous value, where each
1323 step reduces or increases the size by approximately 12%.
1325 Let's try it in our ossia example:
1327 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1328 \new Staff ="main" {
1335 alignAboveContext = "main"
1336 \override Clef #'stencil = ##f
1337 \override TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1338 % Reduce all font sizes by ~24%
1348 This is still not quite right. The note heads and flags are
1349 smaller, but the stems are too long in proportion and the
1350 staff lines are spaced too widely apart. These need to be
1351 scaled down in proportion to the font reduction. The next
1352 sub-section discusses how this is done.
1354 @node Length and thickness of objects
1355 @subsection Length and thickness of objects
1361 @cindex size, changing
1362 @cindex stem length, changing
1363 @cindex staff line spacing, changing
1365 Distances and lengths in LilyPond are generally measured in
1366 staff-spaces, the distance between adjacent lines in the staff,
1367 (or occasionally half staff spaces) while most @code{thickness}
1368 properties are measured in units of an internal property called
1369 @code{line-thickness.} For example, by default, the lines of
1370 hairpins are given a thickness of 1 unit of @code{line-thickness},
1371 while the @code{thickness} of a note stem is 1.3. Note, though,
1372 that some thickness properties are different; for example, the
1373 thickness of beams is measured in staff-spaces.
1375 So how are lengths to be scaled in proportion to the font size?
1376 This can be done with the help of a special function called
1377 @code{magstep} provided for exactly this purpose. It takes
1378 one argument, the change in font size (#-2 in the example above)
1379 and returns a scaling factor suitable for reducing other
1380 objects in proportion. It is used like this:
1382 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1383 \new Staff ="main" {
1390 alignAboveContext = "main"
1391 \override Clef #'stencil = ##f
1392 \override TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1394 % Reduce stem length and line spacing to match
1395 \override StaffSymbol #'staff-space = #(magstep -2)
1405 Since the length of stems and many other length-related properties
1406 are always calculated relative to the
1407 value of the @code{staff-space} property these are automatically
1408 scaled down in length too. Note that this affects only the
1409 vertical scale of the ossia -- the horizontal scale is determined
1410 by the layout of the main music in order to remain synchronized
1411 with it, so it is not affected by any of these changes in size.
1412 Of course, if the scale of all the main music were changed in this
1413 way then the horizontal spacing would be affected. This is
1414 discussed later in the layout section.
1416 This, then, completes the creation of an ossia. The sizes and
1417 lengths of all other objects may be modified in analogous ways.
1419 For small changes in scale, as in the example above, the
1420 thickness of the various drawn lines such as bar lines,
1421 beams, hairpins, slurs, etc does not usually require global
1422 adjustment. If the thickness of any particular layout object
1423 needs to be adjusted this can be best achieved by overriding its
1424 @code{thickness} property. An example of changing the thickness
1425 of slurs was shown above in @ref{Properties of layout objects}.
1426 The thickness of all drawn objects (i.e., those not produced
1427 from a font) may be changed in the same way.
1430 @node Placement of objects
1431 @section Placement of objects
1434 * Automatic behavior::
1435 * Within-staff objects::
1436 * Outside staff objects::
1440 @node Automatic behavior
1441 @subsection Automatic behavior
1443 There are some objects in musical notation that belong to
1444 the staff and there are other objects that should be
1445 placed outside the staff. These are called within-staff
1446 objects and outside-staff objects respectively.
1448 Within-staff objects are those that are located on the staff
1449 -- note heads, stems, accidentals, etc. The positions of
1450 these are usually fixed by the music itself -- they are
1451 vertically positioned on specific lines of the staff or are
1452 tied to other objects that are so positioned. Collisions of
1453 note heads, stems and accidentals in closely set chords are
1454 normally avoided automatically. There are commands and
1455 overrides which can modify this automatic behavior, as we
1458 Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
1459 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings. LilyPond's rule for
1460 the vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them
1461 as close to the staff as possible but not so close that they
1462 collide with any other object. LilyPond uses the
1463 @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine the order in
1464 which the objects should be placed, as follows.
1466 First, LilyPond places all the within-staff objects.
1467 Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
1468 @code{outside-staff-priority}. The outside-staff objects are
1469 taken one by one, beginning with the object with the lowest
1470 @code{outside-staff-priority}, and placed so that they do not
1471 collide with any objects that have already been placed. That is,
1472 if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the
1473 one with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed
1474 closer to the staff. If two objects have the same
1475 @code{outside-staff-priority} the one encountered first will be
1476 placed closer to the staff.
1478 In the following example all the markup texts have the same
1479 priority (since it is not explicitly set). Note that @q{Text3}
1480 is automatically positioned close to the staff again, nestling
1483 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1490 Staves are also positioned, by default, as closely together as
1491 possible (subject to a minimum separation). If notes project
1492 a long way towards an adjacent staff they will force the
1493 staves further apart only if an overlap of the notation
1494 would otherwise occur. The following example demonstrates
1495 this @q{nestling} of the notes on adjacent staves:
1497 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
1500 \relative c' { c a, }
1503 \relative c'''' { c a, }
1509 @node Within-staff objects
1510 @subsection Within-staff objects
1512 We have already seen how the commands @code{\voiceXXX} affect
1513 the direction of slurs, ties, fingering and
1514 everything else which depends on the direction of the stems.
1515 These commands are essential when writing polyphonic music to
1516 permit interweaving melodic lines to be distinguished.
1517 But occasionally it may be necessary to override this automatic
1518 behavior. This can be done for whole sections of music or even
1519 for an individual note. The property which controls this
1520 behavior is the @code{direction} property of each layout object.
1521 We first explain what this does, and then introduce a number of
1522 ready-made commands which avoid your having to code explicit
1523 overrides for the more common modifications.
1525 Some layout objects like slurs and ties curve, bend or point
1526 either up or down; others like stems and flags also move to
1527 right or left when they point up or down. This is controlled
1528 automatically when @code{direction} is set.
1530 The following example shows in bar 1 the default behavior of
1532 with those on high notes pointing down and those on low notes
1533 pointing up, followed by four notes with all stems forced down,
1534 four notes with all stems forced up, and finally four notes
1535 reverted back to the default behavior.
1537 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1539 \override Stem #'direction = #DOWN
1541 \override Stem #'direction = #UP
1543 \revert Stem #'direction
1547 Here we use the constants @code{DOWN} and @code{UP}.
1548 These have the values @code{-1} and @code{+1} respectively, and
1549 these numerical values may be used instead. The value @code{0}
1550 may also be used in some cases. It is simply treated as meaning
1551 @code{UP} for stems, but for some objects it means @q{center}.
1552 There is a constant, @code{CENTER} which has the value @code{0}.
1554 However, these explicit overrides are not usually used, as there
1555 are simpler equivalent predefined commands available.
1556 Here is a table of the commonest. The meaning of each is stated
1557 where it is not obvious.
1559 @multitable @columnfractions .2 .2 .25 .35
1564 @item @code{\arpeggioArrowDown}
1565 @tab @code{\arpeggioArrowUp}
1566 @tab @code{\arpeggioNormal}
1567 @tab Arrow is at bottom, at top, or no arrow
1568 @item @code{\dotsDown}
1570 @tab @code{\dotsNeutral}
1571 @tab Direction of movement to avoid staff lines
1572 @item @code{\dynamicDown}
1573 @tab @code{\dynamicUp}
1574 @tab @code{\dynamicNeutral}
1576 @item @code{\phrasingSlurDown}
1577 @tab @code{\phrasingSlurUp}
1578 @tab @code{\phrasingSlurNeutral}
1579 @tab Note: distinct from slur commands
1580 @item @code{\slurDown}
1582 @tab @code{\slurNeutral}
1584 @item @code{\stemDown}
1586 @tab @code{\stemNeutral}
1588 @item @code{\textSpannerDown}
1589 @tab @code{\textSpannerUp}
1590 @tab @code{\textSpannerNeutral}
1591 @tab Text entered as spanner is below/above staff
1592 @item @code{\tieDown}
1594 @tab @code{\tieNeutral}
1596 @item @code{\tupletDown}
1597 @tab @code{\tupletUp}
1598 @tab @code{\tupletNeutral}
1599 @tab Tuplets are below/above notes
1602 Note that these predefined commands may @strong{not} be
1603 preceded by @code{\once}. If you wish to limit the
1604 effect to a single note you must either use the equivalent
1605 @code{\once \override} command or use the predefined command
1606 followed after the affected note by the corresponding
1607 @code{\xxxNeutral} command.
1609 @subheading Fingering
1610 @cindex fingering, placement
1612 The placement of fingering is also affected by the value
1613 of its @code{direction} property, but there are special
1614 commands which allow the fingering of individual notes
1615 of chords to be controlled, with the fingering being placed
1616 above, below, to the left or to the right of each note.
1618 First, here's the effect of @code{direction} on fingering,
1619 the first bar shows the default, then the effect of specifying
1620 @code{DOWN} and @code{UP}:
1622 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1624 \override Fingering #'direction = #DOWN
1626 \override Fingering #'direction = #UP
1630 This is how to control fingering on single notes, but the
1632 property is ignored for chords. Instead, by default, the
1633 fingering is automatically placed both above and below the
1634 notes of a chord, as shown:
1636 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1642 Greater control over the placement of fingering of the
1643 individual notes in a chord is possible by using
1644 the @code{\set fingeringOrientations} command. The format of
1648 @code{\set fingeringOrientations = #'([up] [left/right] [down])}
1652 @code{\set} is used because @code{fingeringOrientations} is a
1653 property of the @code{Voice} context, created and used by the
1654 @code{New_fingering_engraver}.
1656 The property may be set to a list of one to three values.
1657 It controls whether fingerings may be placed above (if
1658 @code{up} appears in the list), below (if @code{down} appears),
1659 to the left (if @code{left} appears, or to the right
1660 (if @code{right} appears). Conversely, if a location is not
1661 listed, no fingering is placed there. LilyPond takes these
1662 constraints and works out the best placement for the fingering
1663 of the notes of the following chords. Note that @code{left} and
1664 @code{right} are mutually exclusive -- fingering may be placed
1665 only on one side or the other, not both.
1667 To control the placement of the fingering of a single note
1668 using this command it is necessary to write it as a single
1669 note chord by placing angle brackets round it.
1671 Here are a few examples:
1673 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
1674 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
1676 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1677 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
1679 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1680 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up left down)
1682 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1683 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up left)
1685 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1686 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(right)
1688 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1692 If the fingering seems a little crowded the @code{font-size}
1693 could be reduced. The default value can be seen from the
1694 @code{Fingering} object in the IR to be @code{-5}, so let's
1697 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
1698 \override Fingering #'font-size = #-7
1699 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
1701 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1702 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
1704 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1705 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up left down)
1707 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1708 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up left)
1710 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1711 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(right)
1713 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1716 @node Outside staff objects
1717 @subsection Outside staff objects
1719 Outside-staff objects are automatically placed to avoid collisions.
1720 Objects with the lower value of the @code{outside-staff-priority}
1721 property are placed nearer to the staff, and other outside-staff
1722 objects are then raised as far as necessary to avoid collisions.
1723 The @code{outside-staff-priority} is defined in the
1724 @code{grob-interface} and so is a property of all layout objects.
1725 By default it is set to @code{#f} for all within-staff objects,
1726 and to a numerical value appropriate to each outside-staff object
1727 when the object is created. The following table shows
1728 the default numerical values for some of the commonest
1729 outside-staff objects which are, by default, placed in the
1730 @code{Staff} or @code{Voice} contexts.
1732 @multitable @columnfractions .3 .3 .3
1733 @headitem Layout Object
1735 @tab Controls position of:
1736 @item @code{MultiMeasureRestText}
1738 @tab Text over full-bar rests
1739 @item @code{TextScript}
1742 @item @code{OttavaBracket}
1744 @tab Ottava brackets
1745 @item @code{TextSpanner}
1748 @item @code{DynamicLineSpanner}
1750 @tab All dynamic markings
1751 @item @code{VoltaBracketSpanner}
1754 @item @code{TrillSpanner}
1756 @tab Spanning trills
1759 Here is an example showing the default placement of some of
1762 @cindex text spanner
1763 @funindex \startTextSpan
1764 @funindex \stopTextSpan
1765 @cindex ottava bracket
1767 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
1768 % Set details for later Text Spanner
1769 \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'left #'text
1770 = \markup { \small \bold Slower }
1771 % Place dynamics above staff
1773 % Start Ottava Bracket
1778 % Add Dynamic Line Spanner
1784 c\ff c \stopTextSpan
1785 % Stop Ottava Bracket
1790 This example also shows how to create Text Spanners --
1791 text with extender lines above a section of music. The
1792 spanner extends from the @code{\startTextSpan} command to
1793 the @code{\stopTextSpan} command, and the format of the
1794 text is defined by the @code{\override TextSpanner} command.
1795 For more details see @ruser{Text spanners}.
1797 It also shows how ottava brackets are created.
1799 Note that bar numbers, metronome marks and rehearsal marks
1800 are not shown. By default these are created in the
1801 @code{Score} context and their @code{outside-staff-priority}
1802 is ignored relative to the layout objects which are created
1803 in the @code{Staff} context.
1804 If you wish to place bar numbers, metronome marks or rehearsal
1805 marks in accordance with the value of their
1806 @code{outside-staff-priority} the @code{Bar_number_engraver},
1807 @code{Metronome_mark_engraver} or @code{Mark_engraver} respectively
1808 should be removed from the @code{Score} context and placed in the
1809 top @code{Staff} context. If this is done, these marks will be
1810 given the following default @code{outside-staff-priority} values:
1812 @multitable @columnfractions .3 .3
1813 @headitem Layout Object @tab Priority
1814 @item @code{RehearsalMark} @tab @code{1500}
1815 @item @code{MetronomeMark} @tab @code{1000}
1816 @item @code{BarNumber} @tab @code{ 100}
1819 If the default values of @code{outside-staff-priority} do not
1820 give you the placing you want, the priority of any of the objects
1821 may be overridden. Suppose we would
1822 like the ottava bracket to be placed below the text spanner in the
1823 example above. All we need to do is to look up the priority of
1824 @code{OttavaBracket} in the IR or in the tables above, and reduce
1825 it to a value lower than that of a @code{TextSpanner}, remembering
1826 that @code{OttavaBracket} is created in the @code{Staff} context:
1828 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
1829 % Set details for later Text Spanner
1830 \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'left #'text
1831 = \markup { \small \bold Slower }
1832 % Place dynamics above staff
1834 %Place following Ottava Bracket below Text Spanners
1835 \once \override Staff.OttavaBracket #'outside-staff-priority = #340
1836 % Start Ottava Bracket
1841 % Add Dynamic Line Spanner
1847 c\ff c \stopTextSpan
1848 % Stop Ottava Bracket
1853 Changing the @code{outside-staff-priority} can also be used to
1854 control the vertical placement of individual objects, although
1855 the results may not always be desirable. Suppose we would
1856 like @qq{Text3} to be placed above @qq{Text4} in the example
1857 under Automatic behavior, above (see @ref{Automatic behavior}).
1858 All we need to do is to look up the priority of @code{TextScript}
1859 in the IR or in the tables above, and increase the priority of
1860 @qq{Text3} to a higher value:
1862 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1865 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #500
1870 This certainly lifts @qq{Text3} above @qq{Text4} but it also
1871 lifts it above @qq{Text2}, and @qq{Text4} now drops down.
1872 Perhaps this is not so good. What we would really like to do
1873 is to position all the annotation at the same distance above
1874 the staff? To do this, we clearly
1875 will need to space the notes out horizontally to make more
1876 room for the text. This is done using the @code{textLengthOn}
1879 @subheading \textLengthOn
1881 @funindex \textLengthOn
1882 @cindex notes, spreading out with text
1884 By default, text produced by markup takes up no horizontal space
1885 as far as laying out the music is concerned. The @code{\textLengthOn}
1886 command reverses this behavior, causing the notes to be spaced
1887 out as far as is necessary to accommodate the text:
1889 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1890 \textLengthOn % Cause notes to space out to accommodate text
1897 The command to revert to the default behavior is
1898 @code{\textLengthOff}. Remember @code{\once} only works with
1899 @code{\override}, @code{\set}, @code{\revert} or @code{unset},
1900 so cannot be used with @code{\textLengthOn}.
1902 Markup text will also avoid notes which project above the staff.
1903 If this is not desired, the automatic displacement upwards may
1904 be turned off by setting the priority to @code{#f}. Here's an
1905 example to show how markup text interacts with such notes.
1907 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1908 % This markup is short enough to fit without collision
1912 % This is too long to fit, so it is displaced upwards
1916 % Turn off collision avoidance
1917 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1921 % Turn off collision avoidance
1922 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1923 \textLengthOn % and turn on textLengthOn
1924 c,,2^"Long Text " % Spaces at end are honored
1929 @subheading Dynamics
1931 Dynamic markings will normally be positioned beneath the
1932 staff, but may be positioned above with the @code{dynamicUp}
1933 command. They will be positioned vertically relative to the
1934 note to which they are attached, and will float below (or above)
1935 all within-staff objects such as phrasing slurs and bar numbers.
1936 This can give quite acceptable results, as this example
1939 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
1944 bes4.~\f\< \( bes4 bes8 des4\ff\> c16 bes\! |
1945 ees,2.~\)\mf ees4 r8 |
1948 However, if the notes and attached dynamics are close
1949 together the automatic placement will avoid collisions
1950 by displacing later dynamic markings further away, but this may
1951 not be the optimum placement, as this rather artificial example
1954 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1960 Should a similar situation arise in @q{real} music, it may
1961 be preferable to space out the notes
1962 a little further, so the dynamic markings can all fit at the
1963 same vertical distance from the staff. We were able to do this
1964 for markup text by using the @code{\textLengthOn} command, but there
1965 is no equivalent command for dynamic marks. So we shall have to
1966 work out how to do this using @code{\override} commands.
1968 @subheading Grob sizing
1971 @cindex sizing grobs
1972 @cindex @code{X-offset}
1973 @cindex @code{Y-offset}
1974 @cindex @code{X-extent}
1975 @cindex @code{Y-extent}
1977 First we must learn how grobs are sized. All grobs have a
1978 reference point defined within them which is used to position
1979 them relative to their parent object. This point in the grob
1980 is then positioned at a horizontal distance, @code{X-offset},
1981 and at a vertical distance, @code{Y-offset}, from its parent.
1982 The horizontal extent of the object is given by a pair of
1983 numbers, @code{X-extent}, which say where the left and right
1984 edges are relative to the reference point. The vertical extent
1985 is similarly defined by a pair of numbers, @code{Y-extent}.
1986 These are properties of all grobs which support the
1987 @code{grob-interface}.
1989 @cindex @code{extra-spacing-width}
1991 By default, outside-staff objects are given a width of zero so
1992 that they may overlap in the horizontal direction. This is done
1993 by the trick of adding infinity to the leftmost extent and
1994 minus infinity to the rightmost extent by setting the
1995 @code{extra-spacing-width} to @code{'(+inf.0 . -inf.0)}. So
1996 to ensure they do not overlap in the horizontal direction we
1997 must override this value of @code{extra-spacing-width} to
1998 @code{'(0 . 0)} so the true width shines through. This is
1999 the command to do this for dynamic text:
2002 \override DynamicText #'extra-spacing-width = #'(0 . 0)
2006 Let's see if this works in our previous example:
2008 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
2010 \override DynamicText #'extra-spacing-width = #'(0 . 0)
2015 Well, it has certainly stopped the dynamic marks being
2016 displaced, but two problems remain. The marks should be
2017 spaced a little further apart and it would be better
2018 if they were all the same distance from the staff.
2019 We can solve the first problem easily. Instead of making
2020 the @code{extra-spacing-width} zero we could add a little
2021 more to it. The units are the space between two staff
2022 lines, so moving the left edge half a unit to the left and the
2023 right edge half a unit to the right should do it:
2025 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
2027 % Extend width by 1 staff space
2028 \override DynamicText #'extra-spacing-width = #'(-0.5 . 0.5)
2033 This looks better, but maybe we would prefer the dynamic marks
2034 to be aligned along the same baseline rather than going up and
2035 down with the notes. The property to do this is
2036 @code{staff-padding} which is covered in the following section.
2039 @node Collisions of objects
2040 @section Collisions of objects
2044 * Fixing overlapping notation::
2045 * Real music example::
2048 @node Moving objects
2049 @subsection Moving objects
2051 This may come as a surprise, but LilyPond is not perfect. Some
2052 notation elements can overlap. This is unfortunate, but in fact
2053 rather rare. Usually the need to move objects is for clarity or
2054 aesthetic reasons -- they would look better with a little more
2055 or a little less space around them.
2057 There are three main approaches to resolving overlapping
2058 notation. They should be considered in the following order:
2062 The @strong{direction} of one of the overlapping objects may
2063 be changed using the predefined commands listed above for
2064 within-staff objects (see @ref{Within-staff objects}).
2065 Stems, slurs, beams, ties, dynamics, text and tuplets may be
2066 repositioned easily in this way. The limitation is that you
2067 have a choice of only two positions, and neither may be
2071 The @strong{object properties}, which LilyPond uses
2072 when positioning layout objects, may be modified using
2073 @code{\override}. The advantages
2074 of making changes to this type of property are (a) that some
2075 other objects will be moved automatically if necessary to make
2076 room and (b) the single override can apply to all instances of
2077 the same type of object. Such properties include:
2084 This has already been covered in some detail -- see
2085 @ref{Within-staff objects}.
2088 @code{padding}, @code{left-padding},
2089 @code{right-padding}, @code{staff-padding}
2091 @cindex left-padding property
2092 @cindex padding property
2093 @cindex right-padding property
2094 @cindex staff-padding property
2095 As an object is being positioned the value of its @code{padding}
2096 property specifies the gap that must be left between itself and
2097 the nearest edge of the object against which it is being
2098 positioned. Note that it is the @code{padding} value of the object
2099 @strong{being placed} that is used;
2100 the @code{padding} value of the object which is already placed is
2101 ignored. Gaps specified by @code{padding} can be applied
2102 to all objects which support the @code{side-position-interface}.
2104 Instead of @code{padding}, the placement of groups of accidentals
2105 is controlled by @code{left-padding} and @code{right-padding}.
2106 These properties are to be found in the @code{AccidentalPlacement}
2107 object which, note, lives in the @strong{staff} context. In the
2108 type-setting process the note heads are type-set first and then
2109 the accidentals, if any, are added to the left of the note heads
2110 using the @code{right-padding} property to determine the separation
2111 from the note heads. So only the @code{right-padding} property of the
2112 @code{AccidentalPlacement} object has any effect on the placement
2115 The @code{staff-padding} property is closely related to the
2116 @code{padding} property: @code{padding}
2117 controls the minimum amount of space between any object which
2118 supports the @code{side-position-interface} and the nearest
2119 other object (generally the note or the staff lines);
2120 @code{staff-padding} applies only to those objects which are always
2121 set outside the staff -- it controls the minimum amount of space
2122 that should be inserted between that object and the staff. Note
2123 that @code{staff-padding} has no effect on objects which are
2124 positioned relative to the note rather than the staff, even though
2125 it may be overridden without error for such objects -- it is simply
2128 To discover which padding property is required for the object
2129 you wish to reposition, you
2130 need to return to the IR and look up the object's properties.
2131 Be aware that the padding properties might not be located in the
2132 obvious object, so look in objects that appear to be related.
2134 All padding values are measured in staff spaces. For most
2135 objects, this value is set by default to be around 1.0 or less
2136 (it varies with each object). It may be overridden if a larger
2137 (or smaller) gap is required.
2140 @code{self-alignment-X}
2142 @cindex self-alignment-X property
2143 This property can be used to align the object to the left, to
2144 the right, or to center it with respect to the parent object's
2145 reference point. It may be used with all objects which support
2146 the @code{self-alignment-interface}. In general these are objects
2147 that contain text. The values are @code{LEFT}, @code{RIGHT}
2148 or @code{CENTER}. Alternatively, a numerical value between
2149 @code{-1} and @code{+1} may be specified, where @code{-1} is
2150 left-aligned, @code{+1} is right-aligned, and numbers in between
2151 move the text progressively from left-aligned to right-aligned.
2152 Numerical values greater than @code{1} may be specified to move
2153 the text even further to the left, or less than @code{-1} to
2154 move the text even further to the right. A change of @code{1}
2155 in the value corresponds to a movement of half the text's length.
2158 @code{extra-spacing-width}
2160 @cindex extra-spacing-width property
2161 This property is available for all objects which support the
2162 @code{item-interface}. It takes two numbers, the first is added
2163 to the leftmost extent and the second is added to the rightmost
2164 extent. Negative numbers move the edge to the left, positive to
2165 the right, so to widen an object the first number must be negative,
2166 the second positive. Note that not all objects honor both
2167 numbers. For example, the @code{Accidental} object only takes
2168 notice of the first (left edge) number.
2171 @code{staff-position}
2173 @cindex staff-position property
2174 @code{staff-position} is a property of the
2175 @code{staff-symbol-referencer-interface}, which is supported by
2176 objects which are positioned relative to the staff. It specifies
2177 the vertical position of the object relative to the center line
2178 of the staff in half staff-spaces. It is useful in resolving
2179 collisions between layout objects like multi-measure rests, ties
2180 and notes in different voices.
2185 @cindex force-hshift property
2187 Closely spaced notes in a chord, or notes occurring at the same
2188 time in different voices, are arranged in two, occasionally more,
2189 columns to prevent the note heads overlapping. These are called
2190 note columns, and an object called @code{NoteColumn} is created
2191 to lay out the notes in that column.
2193 The @code{force-hshift}
2194 property is a property of a @code{NoteColumn} (actually of the
2195 @code{note-column-interface}). Changing it permits a note column
2196 to be moved in units appropriate to a note column, viz. the note
2197 head width of the first voice note. It should be used in
2198 complex situations where the normal @code{\shiftOn} commands (see
2199 @ref{Explicitly instantiating voices}) do
2200 not resolve the note conflict. It is preferable to the
2201 @code{extra-offset} property for this purpose as there is no need
2202 to work out the distance in staff-spaces, and moving the notes
2203 into or out of a @code{NoteColumn} affects other actions such as
2209 Finally, when all else fails, objects may be manually repositioned
2210 relative to the staff center line vertically, or by
2211 displacing them by any distance to a new position. The
2212 disadvantages are that the correct values for the repositioning
2213 have to be worked out, often by trial and error, for every object
2214 individually, and, because the movement is done after LilyPond has
2215 placed all other objects, the user is responsible for avoiding any
2216 collisions that might ensue. But the main difficulty with this
2217 approach is that the repositioning values may need to be reworked
2218 if the music is later modified. The properties that can be used
2219 for this type of manual repositioning are:
2223 @cindex extra-offset property
2224 This property applies to any layout object
2225 supporting the @code{grob-interface}. It takes a pair of
2226 numbers which specify the extra displacement in the horizontal and
2227 vertical directions. Negative numbers move the object to
2228 the left or down. The units are staff-spaces. The extra
2229 displacement is made after the typesetting of objects is
2230 finished, so an object may be repositioned anywhere without
2231 affecting anything else.
2234 @cindex positions property
2235 This is most useful for manually adjusting the slope and height
2236 of beams, slurs, and tuplets. It takes a pair of numbers
2237 giving the position of the left and right ends of the beam, slur,
2238 etc. relative to the center line of the staff. Units are
2239 staff-spaces. Note, though, that slurs and phrasing slurs cannot
2240 be repositioned by arbitrarily large amounts. LilyPond first
2241 generates a list of possible positions for the slur and by default
2242 finds the slur that @qq{looks best}. If the @code{positions}
2243 property has been overridden the slur that is closest to the
2244 requested positions is selected from the list.
2249 A particular object may not have all of these properties.
2250 It is necessary to go to the IR to look up which properties
2251 are available for the object in question.
2253 Here is a list of the objects which are most likely to be
2254 involved in collisions, together with the name of the object which
2255 should be looked up in the IR in order to discover which properties
2256 should be used to move them.
2258 @multitable @columnfractions .5 .5
2259 @headitem Object type @tab Object name
2260 @item Articulations @tab @code{Script}
2261 @item Beams @tab @code{Beam}
2262 @item Dynamics (vertically) @tab @code{DynamicLineSpanner}
2263 @item Dynamics (horizontally) @tab @code{DynamicText}
2264 @item Fingerings @tab @code{Fingering}
2265 @item Rehearsal / Text marks @tab @code{RehearsalMark}
2266 @item Slurs @tab @code{Slur}
2267 @item Text e.g. @code{^"text"} @tab @code{TextScript}
2268 @item Ties @tab @code{Tie}
2269 @item Tuplets @tab @code{TupletBracket}
2273 @node Fixing overlapping notation
2274 @subsection Fixing overlapping notation
2276 Let's now see how the properties in the previous section can
2277 help to resolve overlapping notation.
2279 @subheading padding property
2280 @cindex padding property
2282 The @code{padding} property can be set to increase
2283 (or decrease) the distance between symbols that are printed
2284 above or below notes.
2286 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=1,verbatim]
2288 \override Script #'padding = #3
2292 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=1,verbatim]
2293 % This will not work, see below:
2294 \override MetronomeMark #'padding = #3
2298 \override Score.MetronomeMark #'padding = #3
2303 Note in the second example how important it is to figure out what
2304 context handles a certain object. Since the @code{MetronomeMark}
2306 is handled in the @code{Score} context, property changes in the
2307 @code{Voice} context will not be noticed. For more details, see
2308 @ruser{Modifying properties}.
2310 If the @code{padding} property of an object is increased when that
2311 object is in a stack of objects being positioned according to
2312 their @code{outside-staff-priority}, then that object and all
2313 objects outside it are moved.
2316 @subheading left-padding and right-padding
2317 @cindex left-padding property
2318 @cindex right-padding property
2320 The @code{right-padding} property affects the spacing between the
2321 accidental and the note to which it applies. It is not often
2322 required, but the following example shows one situation where it
2323 is needed. Suppose we wish to show a chord containing both
2324 a B-natural and a B-flat. To avoid ambiguity we would like to
2325 precede the notes with both a natural and a flat sign. Here
2326 are a few attempts to do this:
2328 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
2334 None work, with the second two showing bad collisions between
2337 One way of achieving this is to override the accidental stencil
2338 with a markup containing the natural and flat symbols in the
2339 order we would like, like this:
2341 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
2342 naturalplusflat = \markup { \natural \flat }
2344 \once \override Accidental
2345 #'stencil = #ly:text-interface::print
2346 \once \override Accidental #'text = #naturalplusflat
2347 \once \override Score.AccidentalPlacement #'right-padding = #1.5
2353 This necessarily uses an override for the accidental stencil which
2354 will not be covered until later. The stencil type must be a
2355 procedure, here changed to print the contents of the @code{text}
2356 property of @code{Accidental}, which itself is set to be a natural
2357 sign followed by a flat sign. These are then moved further away
2358 from the note head by overriding @code{right-padding}.
2362 @subheading staff-padding property
2363 @cindex staff-padding property
2365 @code{staff-padding} can be used to align objects such as dynamics
2366 along a baseline at a fixed height above the staff, rather than
2367 at a height dependent on the position of the note to which they
2368 are attached. It is not a property of
2369 @code{DynamicText} but of @code{DynamicLineSpanner}.
2370 This is because the baseline should apply equally to @strong{all}
2371 dynamics, including those created as extended spanners.
2372 So this is the way to align the dynamic marks in the example
2373 taken from the previous section:
2375 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
2377 % Extend width by 1 unit
2378 \override DynamicText #'extra-spacing-width = #'(-0.5 . 0.5)
2379 % Align dynamics to a base line 2 units above staff
2380 \override DynamicLineSpanner #'staff-padding = #2
2385 @subheading self-alignment-X property
2386 @cindex self-alignment-X property
2388 The following example shows how this can resolve the collision
2389 of a string fingering object with a note's stem by aligning the
2390 right edge with the reference point of the parent note:
2392 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=3]
2395 \once \override StringNumber #'self-alignment-X = #RIGHT
2399 @subheading staff-position property
2400 @cindex staff-position property
2402 Multimeasure rests in one voice can collide with notes in another.
2403 Since these rests are typeset centered between the bar lines, it
2404 would require significant effort for LilyPond to figure out which
2405 other notes might collide with it, since all the current collision
2406 handling between notes and between notes and rests is done only
2407 for notes and rests that occur at the same time. Here's an
2408 example of a collision of this type:
2410 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right, relative=1]
2411 << {c c c c} \\ {R1} >>
2414 The best solution here is to move the multimeasure rest down,
2415 since the rest is in voice two.
2416 The default in @code{\voiceTwo} (i.e. in the second voice of a
2417 @code{<<@{...@} \\ @{...@}>>} construct)
2418 is that @code{staff-position} is set to -4 for MultiMeasureRest,
2419 so we need to move it, say, four half-staff spaces down to
2422 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right, relative=1]
2426 \override MultiMeasureRest #'staff-position = #-8
2431 This is better than using, for example, @code{extra-offset},
2432 because the ledger line above the rest is inserted automatically.
2434 @subheading extra-offset property
2435 @cindex extra-offset property
2437 The @code{extra-offset} property provides complete control over the
2438 positioning of an object both horizontally and vertically.
2440 In the following example, the second fingering is moved a little to
2441 the left, and 1.8 staff space downwards:
2443 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=1,verbatim]
2446 \once \override Fingering
2447 #'extra-offset = #'(-0.3 . -1.8)
2452 @subheading positions property
2453 @cindex positions property
2455 The @code{positions} property allows the position and slope of
2456 tuplets, slurs, phrasing slurs and beams to be controlled
2457 manually. Here's an example which has an ugly phrasing slur
2458 due to its trying to avoid the slur on the acciaccatura.
2460 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=1]
2461 r4 \acciaccatura e8\( d8 c ~c d c d\)
2465 We could simply move the phrasing slur above the notes, and this
2466 would be the preferred solution:
2468 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=1]
2471 \acciaccatura e8\( d8 c ~c d c d\)
2475 but if there were some reason why this could not be done the
2476 other alternative would be to move the left end of the phrasing
2477 slur down a little using the @code{positions} property. This
2478 also resolves the rather nasty shape.
2480 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=1]
2482 \once \override PhrasingSlur #'positions = #'(-4 . -3)
2484 e8\( d8 c ~c d c d\)
2487 Here's a further example taken from the opening of the left-hand
2488 staff of Chopin's Prelude Op 28 No. 2. We see that the beam
2489 collides with the upper notes:
2491 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right]
2494 << {b,8 ais, b, g,} \\ {e, g e, g} >>
2495 << {b,8 ais, b, g,} \\ {e, g e, g} >>
2500 This can be resolved by manually moving both ends of the beam
2501 up from their position at 2 staff-spaces above the center line to,
2504 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right]
2508 \override Beam #'positions = #'(3 . 3)
2513 << {b,8 ais, b, g,} \\ {e, g e, g} >>
2518 Note that the override continues to apply in the first voice of
2519 the second block of quavers, but not to any of the beams in the
2522 @subheading force-hshift property
2523 @cindex force-hshift property
2524 @c FIXME: formatting stuff (ie not important right now IMO)
2525 @c @a nchor Chopin finally corrected TODOgp
2527 We can now see how to apply the final corrections to the Chopin
2528 example introduced at the end of @ref{I'm hearing Voices}, which
2529 was left looking like this:
2531 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right]
2532 \new Staff \relative c'' {
2535 { c2 aes4. bes8 } \\
2547 The lower two notes of the first chord (i.e,
2548 those in the third voice) should not be shifted away from the
2549 note column of the higher two notes. To correct this we set
2550 @code{force-hshift}, which is a property of
2551 @code{NoteColumn}, of these notes to zero.
2552 The lower note of the second chord is best placed just to the
2553 right of the higher notes. We achieve this by setting
2554 @code{force-hshift} of this note to 0.5, ie half a note head's
2555 width to the right of the note column of the higher notes.
2557 Here's the final result:
2559 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right]
2560 \new Staff \relative c'' {
2563 { c2 aes4. bes8 } \\
2566 \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #0 <ees c>2
2567 \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #0.5 des2
2575 @node Real music example
2576 @subsection Real music example
2578 We end this section on Tweaks by showing the steps to be taken to
2579 deal with a tricky example which needs several tweaks to produce
2580 the desired output. The example has been deliberately chosen to
2581 illustrate the use of the Notation Reference to resolve unusual
2582 problems with notation. It is not representative of more usual
2583 engraving process, so please do not let these difficulties put
2584 you off! Fortunately, difficulties like these are not very common!
2586 The example is from Chopin's Première Ballade, Op. 23, bars 6 to
2587 9, the transition from the opening Lento to Moderato.
2588 Here, first, is what we want the output to look like, but to avoid
2589 over-complicating the example too much we have left out the
2590 dynamics, fingering and pedalling.
2592 @c The following should appear as music without code
2593 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
2594 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2597 \once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5
2601 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOn
2602 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOn
2603 bes2.^\markup {\bold "Moderato"} r8
2605 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
2607 % Reposition the c2 to the right of the merged note
2608 {c,8~ \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #1.0
2609 % Move the c2 out of the main note column so the merge will work
2612 % Stem on the d2 must be down to permit merging
2613 {s8 \stemDown \once \override Stem #'transparent = ##t d2}
2617 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOff
2618 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOff
2622 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2624 <d g, d>1)\arpeggio |
2631 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2635 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2644 We note first that the right hand part in the third bar
2645 requires four voices. These are the five beamed eighth notes,
2646 the tied C, the half-note D which is merged with the eighth note
2647 D, and the dotted quarter note F-sharp, which is also merged with
2648 the eighth note at the same pitch. Everything else is in a single
2649 voice, so the easiest way is to introduce these four voices
2650 temporarily at the time they are needed. If you have forgotten
2651 how to do this, look at @ref{I'm hearing Voices}. Let us begin
2652 by entering the notes as two variables and setting up the staff
2653 structure in a score block, and see what LilyPond produces by
2656 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2657 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2662 % Start polyphonic section of four voices
2664 {c,8 d fis bes a | }
2675 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2684 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2688 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2697 All the notes are right, but the appearance is far from
2698 satisfactory. The tie clashes with the change in time signature,
2699 the beaming in the third bar is wrong, the notes are not
2700 merged together, and several notation elements are missing.
2701 Let's first deal with the easier things.
2702 We can correct the beaming by inserting a beam
2703 manually, and we can easily add the left hand slur and the right
2704 hand phrasing slur, since these were all covered in the Tutorial.
2707 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2708 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2713 % Start polyphonic section of four voices
2715 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
2726 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2735 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2739 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2748 The first bar is now correct. The second bar contains an arpeggio
2749 and is terminated by a double bar line. How do we do these, as they
2750 have not been mentioned in this Learning Manual? This is where
2751 we need to turn to the Notation Reference. Looking up @q{arpeggio}
2752 and @q{bar line} in the
2753 index quickly shows us that an arpeggio is produced by appending
2754 @code{\arpeggio} to a chord, and a double bar line is produced by
2755 the @code{\bar "||"} command. That's easily done. We next need
2756 to correct the collision of the tie with the time signature. This
2757 is best done by moving the tie upwards. Moving objects was covered
2758 earlier in @ref{Moving objects}, which says that objects positioned
2759 relative to the staff can be moved by overriding their
2760 @code{staff-position} property, which is specified in half staff
2761 spaces relative to the center line of the staff. So the following
2762 override placed just before the first tied note would move the tie
2763 up to 3.5 half staff spaces above the center line:
2765 @code{\once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5}
2767 This completes bar two, giving:
2769 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2770 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2772 \once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5
2777 % Start polyphonic section of four voices
2779 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
2790 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2792 <d g, d>1)\arpeggio |
2799 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2803 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2812 On to bar three and the start of the Moderato section. The
2813 tutorial showed how to add embolded text with the @code{\markup}
2814 command, so adding @q{Moderato} in bold is easy.
2815 But how do we merge notes in different voices together? This is
2816 where we need to turn to the Notation Reference for help. A search
2817 for @qq{merge} in the Notation Reference index quickly leads us to
2818 the commands for merging differently headed and differently
2819 dotted notes in @ruser{Collision resolution}. In our
2820 example we need to merge both types of note for the duration
2821 of the polyphonic section in bar 3, so using the information
2822 we find in the Notation Reference we add
2825 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOn
2826 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOn
2830 to the start of that section and
2833 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOff
2834 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOff
2840 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2841 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2843 \once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5
2847 bes2.^\markup {\bold "Moderato"} r8
2848 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOn
2849 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOn
2850 % Start polyphonic section of four voices
2852 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
2860 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOff
2861 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOff
2865 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2867 <d g, d>1)\arpeggio |
2874 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2878 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2887 These overrides have merged the two F-sharp notes, but not the two
2888 on D. Why not? The answer is there in the same section in the
2889 Notation Reference -- notes being merged must have stems in
2890 opposite directions and two notes cannot be merged successfully if
2891 there is a third note in the same note column. Here the two D's
2892 both have upward stems and there is a third note -- the C. We know
2893 how to change the stem direction using @code{\stemDown}, and
2894 the Notation Reference also says how to move the C -- apply a shift
2895 using one of the @code{\shift} commands. But which one?
2896 The C is in voice two which has shift off, and the two D's are in
2897 voices one and three, which have shift off and shift on,
2898 respectively. So we have to shift the C a further level still
2899 using @code{\shiftOnn} to avoid it interfering with the two D's.
2900 Applying these changes gives:
2902 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2903 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2905 \once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5
2909 bes2.^\markup {\bold "Moderato"} r8
2910 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOn
2911 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOn
2912 % Start polyphonic section of four voices
2914 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
2916 % Move the c2 out of the main note column so the merge will work
2917 {c,8~ \shiftOnn c2 | }
2919 % Stem on the d2 must be down to permit merging
2920 {s8 \stemDown d2 | }
2924 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOff
2925 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOff
2929 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2931 <d g, d>1)\arpeggio |
2938 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2942 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2951 Nearly there. Only two problems remain: The downward stem on the
2952 merged D should not be there, and the C would be better positioned
2953 to the right of the D's. We know how to do both of these from the
2954 earlier tweaks: we make the stem transparent, and move the C with
2955 the @code{force-hshift} property. Here's the final result:
2957 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2958 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2961 \once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5
2965 bes2.^\markup {\bold "Moderato"} r8
2966 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOn
2967 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOn
2969 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
2971 % Reposition the c2 to the right of the merged note
2972 {c,8~ \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #1.0
2973 % Move the c2 out of the main note column so the merge will work
2976 % Stem on the d2 must be down to permit merging
2977 {s8 \stemDown \once \override Stem #'transparent = ##t d2}
2981 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOff
2982 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOff
2986 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2988 <d g, d>1)\arpeggio |
2995 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2999 \new Staff = "LH" <<
3009 @node Further tweaking
3010 @section Further tweaking
3013 * Other uses for tweaks::
3014 * Using variables for tweaks::
3015 * Other sources of information::
3016 * Avoiding tweaks with slower processing::
3017 * Advanced tweaks with Scheme::
3020 @node Other uses for tweaks
3021 @subsection Other uses for tweaks
3023 @cindex transparent property, use of
3024 @cindex objects, making invisible
3025 @cindex removing objects
3026 @cindex objects, removing
3027 @cindex hiding objects
3028 @cindex invisible objects
3029 @cindex tying notes across voices
3031 @subheading Tying notes across voices
3033 The following example demonstrates how to connect notes in
3034 different voices using ties. Normally, only two notes in the
3035 same voice can be connected with ties. By using two voices,
3036 with the tied notes in one of them
3038 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=2]
3039 << { b8~ b8\noBeam }
3045 and blanking the first up-stem in that voice, the tie appears to
3048 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=2,verbatim]
3051 \once \override Stem #'transparent = ##t
3059 To make sure that the just-blanked stem doesn't squeeze the tie
3060 too much, we can lengthen the stem by setting the
3061 @code{length} to @code{8},
3063 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=2,verbatim]
3066 \once \override Stem #'transparent = ##t
3067 \once \override Stem #'length = #8
3075 @subheading Simulating a fermata in MIDI
3077 @cindex stencil property, use of
3078 @cindex fermata, implementing in MIDI
3080 For outside-staff objects it is usually better to override the
3081 object's @code{stencil} property rather than its @code{transparent}
3082 property when you wish to remove it from the printed output.
3083 Setting the @code{stencil} property of an object to @code{#f} will
3084 remove that object entirely from the printed output. This means it
3085 has no effect on the placement of other objects placed relative to
3088 For example, if we wished to change the metronome setting in order
3089 to simulate a fermata in the MIDI output we would not want the
3090 metronome markings to appear in the printed output, and we would
3091 not want it to influence the spacing between the two systems or
3092 the positions of adjacent annotations on the staff. So setting
3093 its @code{stencil} property to @code{#f} would be the best way.
3094 We show here the effect of the two methods:
3096 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3099 % Visible tempo marking
3102 \once \override Score.MetronomeMark #'transparent = ##t
3103 % Invisible tempo marking to lengthen fermata in MIDI
3106 % New tempo for next section
3115 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3118 % Visible tempo marking
3121 \once \override Score.MetronomeMark #'stencil = ##f
3122 % Invisible tempo marking to lengthen fermata in MIDI
3125 % New tempo for next section
3135 Both methods remove the metronome mark which lengthens the fermata
3136 from the printed output, and both affect the MIDI timing as
3137 required, but the transparent metronome mark in the first line
3138 forces the following tempo indication too high while the
3139 second (with the stencil removed) does not.
3141 @node Using variables for tweaks
3142 @subsection Using variables for tweaks
3144 Override commands are often long and tedious to type, and they
3145 have to be absolutely correct. If the same overrides are to be
3146 used many times it may be worth defining variables to hold them.
3147 Suppose we wish to emphasize certain words in lyrics by printing
3148 them in bold italics. The @code{\italic} and @code{\bold}
3149 commands only work within lyrics if they are also embedded in
3150 @code{\markup}, which makes them tedious to enter, so as an
3151 alternative can we instead use the @code{\override} and
3152 @code{\revert} commands?
3155 @code{\override Lyrics . LyricText #'font-shape = #'italic}
3156 @code{\override Lyrics . LyricText #'font-series = #'bold}
3158 @code{\revert Lyrics . LyricText #'font-shape}
3159 @code{\revert Lyrics . LyricText #'font-series}
3162 These would also be extremely tedious to enter if there were many
3163 words requiring emphasis. So instead we define these as two
3164 variables, and use them as follows, although normally we would
3165 perhaps choose shorter names for the variables to make them
3168 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
3170 \override Lyrics . LyricText #'font-shape = #'italic
3171 \override Lyrics . LyricText #'font-series = #'bold
3174 \revert Lyrics . LyricText #'font-shape
3175 \revert Lyrics . LyricText #'font-series
3178 global = { \time 4/4 \partial 4 \key c \major}
3179 SopranoMusic = \relative c' { c4 | e4. e8 g4 g | a a g }
3180 AltoMusic = \relative c' { c4 | c4. c8 e4 e | f f e }
3181 TenorMusic = \relative c { e4 | g4. g8 c4. b8 | a8 b c d e4 }
3182 BassMusic = \relative c { c4 | c4. c8 c4 c | f8 g a b c4 }
3183 VerseOne = \lyrics { E -- | ter -- nal \emphasize Fa -- ther, \normal | strong to save, }
3184 VerseTwo = \lyricmode { O | \emphasize Christ, \normal whose voice the | wa -- ters heard, }
3185 VerseThree = \lyricmode { O | \emphasize Ho -- ly Spi -- rit, \normal | who didst brood }
3186 VerseFour = \lyricmode { O | \emphasize Tri -- ni -- ty \normal of | love and pow'r }
3192 \new Voice = "Soprano" { \voiceOne \global \SopranoMusic }
3193 \new Voice = "Alto" { \voiceTwo \AltoMusic }
3194 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Soprano" { \VerseOne }
3195 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Soprano" { \VerseTwo }
3196 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Soprano" { \VerseThree }
3197 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Soprano" { \VerseFour }
3201 \new Voice = "Tenor" { \voiceOne \TenorMusic }
3202 \new Voice = "Bass" { \voiceTwo \BassMusic }
3210 @node Other sources of information
3211 @subsection Other sources of information
3213 The Internals Reference documentation contains a lot of information
3214 about LilyPond, but even more information can be gathered by
3215 looking at the internal LilyPond files. To explore these, you must
3216 first find the directory appropriate to your system. The location
3217 of this directory depends (a) on whether you obtained LilyPond
3218 by downloading a precompiled binary from lilypond.org
3219 or whether you installed it from a package manager (i.e.
3220 distributed with Linux, or installed under fink or cygwin) or
3221 compiled it from source, and (b) on which operating system it is
3224 @strong{Downloaded from lilypond.org}
3230 @file{@var{INSTALLDIR}/lilypond/usr/share/lilypond/current/}
3235 @file{@var{INSTALLDIR}/LilyPond.app/Contents/Resources/share/lilypond/current/}
3236 by either @code{cd}-ing into this directory from the
3237 Terminal, or control-clicking on the LilyPond application and
3238 selecting @q{Show Package Contents}.
3242 Using Windows Explorer, navigate to
3243 @file{@var{INSTALLDIR}/LilyPond/usr/share/lilypond/current/}
3247 @strong{Installed from a package manager or compiled from source}
3250 @file{@var{PREFIX}/share/lilypond/@var{X.Y.Z}/}, where
3251 @var{PREFIX} is set by your package manager or @code{configure}
3252 script, and @var{X.Y.Z} is the LilyPond version number.
3256 Within this directory the two interesting subdirectories are
3259 @item @file{ly/} - contains files in LilyPond format
3260 @item @file{scm/} - contains files in Scheme format
3263 Let's begin by looking at some files in @file{ly/}.
3264 Open @file{ly/property-init.ly} in a text editor. The one
3265 you normally use for @code{.ly} files will be fine. This file
3266 contains the definitions of all the standard LilyPond built-in
3267 commands, such as @code{\stemUp} and @code{\slurDotted}. You will
3268 see that these are nothing more than definitions of variables
3269 containing one or a group of @code{\override} commands. For
3270 example, @code{/tieDotted} is defined to be:
3274 \override Tie #'dash-period = #0.75
3275 \override Tie #'dash-fraction = #0.1
3279 If you do not like the default values these built-in commands can
3280 be redefined easily, just like any other variable, at the
3281 head of your input file.
3283 The following are the most useful files to be found in
3286 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
3289 @item @file{ly/engraver-init.ly}
3290 @tab Definitions of engraver Contexts
3291 @item @file{ly/paper-defaults.ly}
3292 @tab Specifications of paper-related defaults
3293 @item @file{ly/performer-init.ly}
3294 @tab Definitions of performer Contexts
3295 @item @file{ly/property-init.ly}
3296 @tab Definitions of all common built-in commands
3299 Other settings (such as the definitions of markup commands) are
3300 stored as @code{.scm} (Scheme) files. The Scheme programming
3301 language is used to provide a programmable interface into
3302 LilyPond internal operation. Further explanation of these files
3303 is currently outside the scope of this manual, as a knowledge of
3304 the Scheme language is required. Users should be warned that
3305 a substantial amount of technical knowledge or time is required
3306 to understand Scheme and these files (see @ref{Scheme tutorial}).
3308 If you have this knowledge, the Scheme files which may be of
3311 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
3314 @item @file{scm/auto-beam.scm}
3315 @tab Sub-beaming defaults
3316 @item @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}
3317 @tab Default settings for grob properties
3318 @item @file{scm/define-markup-commands.scm}
3319 @tab Specify all markup commands
3320 @item @file{scm/midi.scm}
3321 @tab Default settings for MIDI output
3322 @item @file{scm/output-lib.scm}
3323 @tab Settings that affect appearance of frets, colors,
3324 accidentals, bar lines, etc
3325 @item @file{scm/parser-clef.scm}
3326 @tab Definitions of supported clefs
3327 @item @file{scm/script.scm}
3328 @tab Default settings for articulations
3333 @node Avoiding tweaks with slower processing
3334 @subsection Avoiding tweaks with slower processing
3336 LilyPond can perform extra checks while it processes input files. These
3337 checks will take extra time to perform, but fewer manual tweaks
3338 may be required to obtain an acceptable result. If a text script
3339 or part of the lyrics extends over the margins these checks will
3340 compress that line of the score just enough to fit within the
3343 To be effective under all circumstances these checks must be enabled
3344 by placing the overrides in a Score @code{\with} block, rather than
3345 in-line in music, as follows:
3349 % Makes sure text scripts and lyrics are within the paper margins
3350 \override PaperColumn #'keep-inside-line = ##t
3351 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'keep-inside-line = ##t
3357 @node Advanced tweaks with Scheme
3358 @subsection Advanced tweaks with Scheme
3360 Although many things are possible with the @code{\override} and
3361 @code{\tweak} commands, an even more powerful way of modifying
3362 the action of LilyPond is available through a programmable
3363 interface to the LilyPond internal operation. Code written in
3364 the Scheme programming language can be incorporated directly in
3365 the internal operation of LilyPond. Of course, at least a basic
3366 knowledge of programming in Scheme is required to do this, and an
3367 introduction is provided in the @ref{Scheme tutorial}.
3369 As an illustration of one of the many possibilities, instead of
3370 setting a property to a constant it can be set to a Scheme
3371 procedure which is then called whenever that property is accessed
3372 by LilyPond. The property can then be set dynamically to a value
3373 determined by the procedure at the time it is called. In this
3374 example we color the note head in accordance with its position on
3377 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3378 #(define (color-notehead grob)
3379 "Color the notehead according to its position on the staff."
3380 (let ((mod-position (modulo (ly:grob-property grob 'staff-position) 7)))
3382 ;; Return rainbow colors
3383 ((1) (x11-color 'red )) ; for C
3384 ((2) (x11-color 'orange )) ; for D
3385 ((3) (x11-color 'yellow )) ; for E
3386 ((4) (x11-color 'green )) ; for F
3387 ((5) (x11-color 'blue )) ; for G
3388 ((6) (x11-color 'purple )) ; for A
3389 ((0) (x11-color 'violet )) ; for B
3395 % Arrange to obtain color from color-notehead procedure
3396 \override NoteHead #'color = #color-notehead
3403 Some -- where o -- ver the Rain -- bow, way up high,
3407 Further examples showing the use of these programmable interfaces
3408 can be found in @ref{Tweaking with Scheme}.