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2 @c This file is part of lilypond-learning.tely
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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
67 @cindex properties, object
68 @cindex object properties
70 @cindex object, layout
73 Tweaking involves modifying the internal operation and structures
74 of the LilyPond program, so we must first introduce some terms
75 which are used to describe those internal operations and
78 The term @q{Object} is a generic term used to refer to the
79 multitude of internal structures built by LilyPond during the
80 processing of an input file. So when a command like @code{\new
81 Staff} is encountered a new object of type @code{Staff} is
82 constructed. That @code{Staff} object then holds all the
83 properties associated with that particular staff, for example, its
84 name and its key signature, together with details of the engravers
85 which have been assigned to operate within that staff's context.
86 Similarly, there are objects to hold the properties of all other
87 contexts, such as @code{Voice} objects, @code{Score} objects,
88 @code{Lyrics} objects, as well as objects to represent all
89 notational elements such as bar lines,
90 note heads, ties, dynamics, etc. Every object has its own set of
93 Some types of object are given special names. Objects which represent
94 items of notation on the printed output such as note heads, stems,
95 slurs, ties, fingering, clefs, etc are called @q{Layout objects},
96 often known as @q{Graphical Objects}, or @q{Grobs} for short. These
97 are still objects in the generic sense above, and so they too all have
98 properties associated with them, such as their position, size, color,
101 Some layout objects are still more specialized. Phrasing slurs,
102 crescendo hairpins, ottava marks, and many other grobs are not
103 localized in a single place -- they have a starting point, an
104 ending point, and maybe other properties concerned with their
105 shape. Objects with an extended shape like these are called
108 It remains to explain what @q{Interfaces} are. Many objects, even
109 though they are quite different, share common features which need to
110 be processed in the same way. For example, all grobs have a color, a
111 size, a position, etc, and all these properties are processed in the
112 same way during LilyPond's interpretation of the input file. To
113 simplify these internal operations these common actions and properties
114 are grouped together in an object called a @code{grob-interface}.
115 There are many other groupings of common properties like this, each
116 one given a name ending in @code{interface}. In total there are over
117 100 such interfaces. We shall see later why this is of interest and
120 These, then, are the main terms relating to objects which we
121 shall use in this chapter.
123 @node Naming conventions of objects and properties
124 @subsection Naming conventions of objects and properties
126 @cindex naming conventions for objects
127 @cindex naming conventions for properties
128 @cindex objects, naming conventions
129 @cindex properties, naming conventions
131 We met some object naming conventions previously, in
132 @ref{Contexts and engravers}. Here for reference is a list
133 of the most common object and property types together with
134 the conventions for naming them and a couple of examples of
135 some real names. We have used @q{A} to stand for any capitalized
136 alphabetic character and @q{aaa} to stand for any number of
137 lower-case alphabetic characters. Other characters are used
140 @multitable @columnfractions .33 .33 .33
141 @headitem Object/property type
142 @tab Naming convention
145 @tab Aaaa or AaaaAaaaAaaa
146 @tab Staff, GrandStaff
148 @tab Aaaa or AaaaAaaaAaaa
151 @tab Aaaa_aaa_engraver
152 @tab Clef_engraver, Note_heads_engraver
154 @tab aaa-aaa-interface
155 @tab grob-interface, break-aligned-interface
156 @item Context Properties
157 @tab aaa or aaaAaaaAaaa
158 @tab alignAboveContext, skipBars
159 @item Layout Object Properties
160 @tab aaa or aaa-aaa-aaa
161 @tab direction, beam-thickness
164 As we shall see shortly, the properties of different types of
165 object are modified by different commands, so it is useful to
166 be able to recognize the type of object from the names of its
170 @node Tweaking methods
171 @subsection Tweaking methods
173 @cindex tweaking methods
175 @strong{\override command}
177 @cindex override command
178 @cindex override syntax
183 We have already met the commands @code{\set} and @code{\with}, used to
184 change the properties of @strong{contexts} and to remove and add
185 @strong{engravers}, in @ref{Modifying context properties}, and
186 @ref{Adding and removing engravers}. We now must meet some more
189 The command to change the properties of @strong{layout objects} is
190 @code{\override}. Because this command has to modify
191 internal properties deep within LilyPond its syntax is not
192 as simple as the commands you have met so far. It needs to
193 know precisely which property of which object in which context
194 has to be modified, and what its new value is to be. Let's see
197 The general syntax of this command is:
200 \override @var{Context}.@var{LayoutObject} #'@var{layout-property} =
205 This will set the property with the name @var{layout-property} of the
206 layout object with the name @var{LayoutObject}, which is a member of
207 the @var{Context} context, to the value @var{value}.
209 The @var{Context} can be omitted (and usually is) when the
210 required context is unambiguously implied and is one of lowest
211 level contexts, i.e., @code{Voice}, @code{ChordNames} or
212 @code{Lyrics}, and we shall omit it in many of the following
213 examples. We shall see later when it must be specified.
215 Later sections deal comprehensively with properties and their
216 values, but to illustrate the format and use of these commands
217 we shall use just a few simple properties and values which are
220 For now, don't worry about the @code{#'}, which must precede the
221 layout property, and the @code{#}, which must precede the value.
222 These must always be present in exactly this form. This is the
223 most common command used in tweaking, and most of the rest of
224 this chapter will be directed to presenting examples of how it is
225 used. Here is a simple example to change the color of the
228 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
230 \override NoteHead #'color = #red
232 \override NoteHead #'color = #green
236 @strong{\revert command}
238 @cindex revert command
243 Once overridden, the property retains its new value until it is
244 overridden again or a @code{\revert} command is encountered.
245 The @code{\revert} command has the following syntax and causes
246 the value of the property to revert to its original default
247 value; note, not its previous value if several @code{\override}
248 commands have been issued.
251 \revert @var{Context}.@var{LayoutObject} #'@var{layout-property}
254 Again, just like @var{Context} in the @code{\override} command,
255 @var{Context} is often not needed. It will be omitted
256 in many of the following examples. Here we revert the color
257 of the note head to the default value for the final two notes:
259 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
261 \override NoteHead #'color = #red
263 \override NoteHead #'color = #green
265 \revert NoteHead #'color
269 @strong{\once prefix}
274 Both the @code{\override} and the @code{\set} commands may be
275 prefixed by @code{\once}. This causes the following
276 @code{\override} or @code{\set} command to be effective only
277 during the current musical moment before the property reverts
278 back to its default value. Using the same example, we can
279 change the color of a single note like this:
281 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
283 \once \override NoteHead #'color = #red
285 \once \override NoteHead #'color = #green
289 @strong{\overrideProperty command}
291 @cindex overrideProperty command
293 @funindex \overrideProperty
294 @funindex overrideProperty
296 There is another form of the override command,
297 @code{\overrideProperty}, which is occasionally required.
298 We mention it here for completeness, but for details see
299 @ruser{Difficult tweaks}.
300 @c Maybe explain in a later iteration -td
302 @strong{\tweak command}
304 @cindex tweak command
309 The final tweaking command which is available is @code{\tweak}.
310 This should be used to change the properties of objects which
311 occur at the same musical moment, such as the notes within a
312 chord. Using @code{\override} would affect all the notes
313 within a chord, whereas @code{\tweak} affects just the following
314 item in the input stream.
316 Here's an example. Suppose we wish to change the size of the
317 middle note head (the E) in a C major chord. Let's first see what
318 @code{\once \override} would do:
320 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
322 \once \override NoteHead #'font-size = #-3
327 We see the override affects @emph{all} the note heads in the chord.
328 This is because all the notes of a chord occur at the same
329 @emph{musical moment}, and the action of @code{\once} is to
330 apply the override to all layout objects of the type specified
331 which occur at the same musical moment as the @code{\override}
334 The @code{\tweak} command operates in a different way. It acts
335 on the immediately following item in the input stream. However,
336 it is effective only on objects which are created directly from
337 the input stream, essentially note heads and articulations;
338 objects such as stems and accidentals are created later and
339 cannot be tweaked in this way. Furthermore, when it is applied
340 to note heads these @emph{must} be within a chord, i.e., within
341 single angle brackets, so to tweak a single note the @code{\tweak}
342 command must be placed inside single angle brackets with the
345 So to return to our example, the size of the middle note of
346 a chord would be changed in this way:
348 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
350 <c \tweak #'font-size #-3 e g>4
353 Note that the syntax of @code{\tweak} is different from that
354 of the @code{\override} command. Neither the context nor the
355 layout object should be specified; in fact, it would generate
356 an error to do so. These are both implied by the following
357 item in the input stream. So the general syntax of the
358 @code{\tweak} command is simply
361 \tweak #'@var{layout-property} = #@var{value}
364 A @code{\tweak} command can also be used to modify just one in
365 a series of articulations, as shown here:
367 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
369 -\tweak #'color #red ^Red
370 -\tweak #'color #green _Green
374 Note that the @code{\tweak} command must be preceded by an
375 articulation mark as if it were an articulation itself.
377 @cindex tuplets, nested
378 @cindex triplets, nested
379 @cindex bracket, tuplet
380 @cindex tuplet bracket
381 @cindex triplet bracket
383 @funindex TupletBracket
385 The @code{\tweak} command must also be used to change the
386 appearance of one of a set of nested tuplets which begin at the
387 same musical moment. In the following example, the long tuplet
388 bracket and the first of the three short brackets begin at the
389 same musical moment, so any @code{\override} command would apply
390 to both of them. In the example, @code{\tweak} is used to
391 distinguish between them. The first @code{\tweak} command
392 specifies that the long tuplet bracket is to be placed above the
393 notes and the second one specifies that the tuplet number is to be
394 printed in red on the first short tuplet bracket.
396 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim,fragment,relative=2]
397 \tweak #'direction #up
400 \times 2/3 { c8[ c8 c8] }
401 \times 2/3 { c8[ c8 c8] }
402 \times 2/3 { c8[ c8 c8] }
406 If nested tuplets do not begin at the same moment, their
407 appearance may be modified in the usual way with
408 @code{\override} commands:
410 @c NOTE Tuplet brackets collide if notes are high on staff
412 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim,fragment,relative=1]
413 \times 2/3 { c8[ c c]}
414 \once \override TupletNumber
415 #'text = #tuplet-number::calc-fraction-text
419 \once \override TupletNumber #'transparent = ##t
420 \times 2/3 { c8[ c c] }
421 \times 2/3 { c8[ c c]}
428 @ruser{The tweak command}.
431 @node The Internals Reference manual
432 @section The Internals Reference manual
434 @cindex Internals Reference
437 * Properties of layout objects::
438 * Properties found in interfaces::
439 * Types of properties::
442 @node Properties of layout objects
443 @subsection Properties of layout objects
445 @cindex properties of layout objects
446 @cindex properties of grobs
447 @cindex grobs, properties of
448 @cindex layout objects, properties of
449 @cindex Internals Reference manual
451 Suppose you have a slur in a score which, to your mind,
452 appears too thin and you'd like to draw it a little heavier.
453 How do you go about doing this? You know from the statements
454 earlier about the flexibility of LilyPond that such a thing
455 should be possible, and you would probably guess that an
456 @code{\override} command would be needed. But is there a
457 heaviness property for a slur, and if there is, how might it
458 be modified? This is where the Internals Reference manual
459 comes in. It contains all the information you might need to
460 construct this and all other @code{\override} commands.
462 Before we look at the Internals Reference a word of warning.
463 This is a @strong{reference} document, which means there is
464 little or no explanation contained within it: its purpose is
465 to present information precisely and concisely. This
466 means it might look daunting at first sight. Don't worry!
467 The guidance and explanation presented here will enable you
468 to extract the information from the Internals Reference for
469 yourself with just a little practice.
471 @cindex override example
472 @cindex Internals Reference, example of using
474 Let's use a concrete example with a simple fragment of real
477 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
482 g[( e]) e d[( f]) a |
486 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
491 Suppose now that we decide we would like the slurs to be a
492 little heavier. Is this possible? The slur is certainly a
493 layout object, so the question is, @q{Is there a property
494 belonging to a slur which controls the heaviness?} To answer
495 this we must look in the Internals Reference, or IR for short.
497 The IR for the version of LilyPond you are using may be found
498 on the LilyPond website at @uref{http://lilypond.org}. Go to the
499 documentation page and click on the Internals Reference link.
500 For learning purposes you should use the standard HTML version,
501 not the @q{one big page} or the PDF. For the next few
502 paragraphs to make sense you will need to actually do this
505 Under the heading @strong{Top} you will see five links. Select
506 the link to the @emph{Backend}, which is where information about
507 layout objects is to be found. There, under the heading
508 @strong{Backend}, select the link to @emph{All layout objects}.
509 The page that appears lists all the layout objects used in your
510 version of LilyPond, in alphabetic order. Select the link to
511 Slur, and the properties of Slurs are listed.
513 An alternative way of finding this page is from the Notation
514 Reference. On one of the pages that deals with slurs you may find a
515 link to the Internals Reference. This link will take you directly to
516 this page, but if you have an idea about the name of the layout object
517 to be tweaked, it is easier to go straight to the IR and search there.
519 This Slur page in the IR tells us first that Slur objects are created
520 by the Slur_engraver. Then it lists the standard settings. Note
521 these are @strong{not} in alphabetic order. Browse down them looking
522 for a property that might control the heaviness of slurs, and you
526 @code{thickness} (number)
528 Line thickness, generally measured in @code{line-thickness}
531 This looks a good bet to change the heaviness. It tells us that
532 the value of @code{thickness} is a simple @emph{number},
533 that the default value is 1.2, and that the units are
534 in another property called @code{line-thickness}.
536 As we said earlier, there are few to no explanations in the IR,
537 but we already have enough information to try changing the
538 slur thickness. We see that the name of the layout object
539 is @code{Slur}, that the name of the property to change is
540 @code{thickness} and that the new value should be a number
541 somewhat larger than 1.2 if we are to make slurs thicker.
543 We can now construct the @code{\override} command by simply
544 substituting the values we have found for the names, omitting
545 the context. Let's use a very large value for the thickness
546 at first, so we can be sure the command is working. We get:
549 \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
552 Don't forget the @code{#'} preceding the
553 property name and and @code{#} preceding the new value!
555 The final question is, @q{Where should this command be
556 placed?} While you are unsure and learning, the best
557 answer is, @q{Within the music, before the first slur and
558 close to it.} Let's do that:
560 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
564 % Increase thickness of all following slurs from 1.2 to 5.0
565 \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
567 g[( e]) e d[( f]) a |
571 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
577 and we see that the slur is indeed heavier.
579 So this is the basic way of constructing @code{\override}
580 commands. There are a few more complications that we
581 shall meet in later sections, but you now know all the
582 essentials required to make up your own -- but you will
583 still need some practice. This is provided in the examples
586 @subheading Finding the context
588 @cindex context, finding
589 @cindex context, identifying correct
591 But first, what if we had needed to specify the Context?
592 What should it be? We could guess that slurs are in
593 the Voice context, as they are clearly closely associated
594 with individual lines of music, but can we be sure? To
595 find out, go back to the top of the IR page describing the
596 Slur, where it says @q{Slur objects are created by: Slur
597 engraver}. So slurs will be created in whichever context
598 the @code{Slur_engraver} is in. Follow the link to the
599 @code{Slur_engraver} page. At the very bottom it tells
600 us that @code{Slur_engraver} is part of five Voice contexts,
601 including the standard voice context, @code{Voice}, so our
602 guess was correct. And because @code{Voice} is one of the
603 lowest level contexts which is implied unambiguously by
604 the fact that we are entering notes, we can omit it in this
607 @subheading Overriding once only
609 @cindex overriding once only
610 @cindex once override
615 As you can see, @emph{all} the slurs are thicker in the final example
616 above. But what if we wanted just the first slur to be thicker? This
617 is achieved with the @code{\once} command. Placed immediately before
618 the @code{\override} command it causes it to change only the slur
619 which begins on the @strong{immediately following} note. If the
620 immediately following note does not begin a slur the command has no
621 effect at all -- it is not remembered until a slur is encountered, it
622 is simply discarded. So the command with @code{\once} must be
623 repositioned as follows:
625 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
630 % Increase thickness of immediately following slur only
631 \once \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
633 g[( e]) e d[( f]) a |
637 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
643 Now only the first slur is made heavier.
645 The @code{\once} command can also be used before the @code{\set}
648 @subheading Reverting
651 @cindex default properties, reverting to
656 Finally, what if we wanted just the first two slurs to be
657 heavier? Well, we could use two commands, each preceded by
658 @code{\once} placed immediately before each of the notes where
661 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
666 % Increase thickness of immediately following slur only
667 \once \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
669 % Increase thickness of immediately following slur only
670 \once \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
671 g[( e]) e d[( f]) a |
675 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
681 or we could omit the @code{\once} command and use the @code{\revert}
682 command to return the @code{thickness} property to its default value
683 after the second slur:
685 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=2]
690 % Increase thickness of all following slurs from 1.2 to 5.0
691 \override Slur #'thickness = #5.0
694 % Revert thickness of all following slurs to default of 1.2
695 \revert Slur #'thickness
700 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
706 The @code{\revert} command can be used to return any property
707 changed with @code{\override} back to its default value.
708 You may use whichever method best suits what you want to do.
710 That concludes our introduction to the IR, and the basic
711 method of tweaking. Several examples follow in the later
712 sections of this Chapter, partly to introduce you to some of the
713 additional features of the IR, and partly to give you more
714 practice in extracting information from it. These examples will
715 contain progressively fewer words of guidance and explanation.
718 @node Properties found in interfaces
719 @subsection Properties found in interfaces
722 @cindex interface properties
723 @cindex properties in interfaces
725 Suppose now that we wish to print the lyrics in italics. What form of
726 @code{\override} command do we need to do this? We first look in the
727 IR page listing @q{All layout objects}, as before, and look for an
728 object that might control lyrics. We find @code{LyricText}, which
729 looks right. Clicking on this shows the settable properties for lyric
730 text. These include the @code{font-series} and @code{font-size}, but
731 nothing that might give an italic shape. This is because the shape
732 property is one that is common to all font objects, so, rather than
733 including it in every layout object, it is grouped together with other
734 similar common properties and placed in an @strong{Interface}, the
735 @code{font-interface}.
737 So now we need to learn how to find the properties of interfaces,
738 and to discover what objects use these interface properties.
740 Look again at the IR page which describes LyricText. At the bottom of
741 the page is a list of clickable interfaces which LyricText supports.
742 The list has several items, including @code{font-interface}. Clicking
743 on this brings up the properties associated with this interface, which
744 are also properties of all the objects which support it, including
747 Now we see all the user-settable properties which control fonts,
748 including @code{font-shape(symbol)}, where @code{symbol} can be
749 set to @code{upright}, @code{italics} or @code{caps}.
751 You will notice that @code{font-series} and @code{font-size} are also
752 listed there. This immediately raises the question: Why are the
753 common font properties @code{font-series} and @code{font-size} listed
754 under @code{LyricText} as well as under the interface
755 @code{font-interface} but @code{font-shape} is not? The answer is
756 that @code{font-series} and @code{font-size} are changed from their
757 global default values when a @code{LyricText} object is created, but
758 @code{font-shape} is not. The entries in @code{LyricText} then tell
759 you the values for those two properties which apply to
760 @code{LyricText}. Other objects which support @code{font-interface}
761 will set these properties differently when they are created.
763 Let's see if we can now construct the @code{\override} command
764 to change the lyrics to italics. The object is @code{LyricText},
765 the property is @code{font-shape} and the value is
766 @code{italic}. As before, we'll omit the context.
768 As an aside, although it is an important one, note that because the
769 values of @code{font-shape} are symbols they must be introduced with a
770 single apostrophe, @code{'}. That is why apostrophes are needed
771 before @code{thickness} in the earlier example and @code{font-shape}.
772 These are both symbols too. Symbols are then read internally by
773 LilyPond. Some of them are the names of properties, like
774 @code{thickness} or @code{font-shape}, others are used as values that
775 can be given to properties, like @code{italic}. Note the distinction
776 from arbitrary text strings, which would appear as @code{"a text
777 string"}; for more details about symbols and strings, see @ref{Scheme
780 Ok, so the @code{\override} command we need to print the lyrics
784 \override LyricText #'font-shape = #'italic
788 and this should be placed just in front of and close to the
789 lyrics which it should affect, like this:
791 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
796 g[( e]) e d[( f]) a |
800 \override LyricText #'font-shape = #'italic
801 The man who feels love's sweet e -- mo -- tion
807 and the lyrics are all printed in italics.
809 @subheading Specifying the context in lyric mode
811 @cindex context, specifying in lyric mode
812 @cindex lyric mode, specifying context
814 In the case of lyrics, if you try specifying the context in the
815 format given earlier the command will fail. A syllable
816 entered in lyricmode is terminated by either a space,
817 a newline or a digit. All other characters are included
818 as part of the syllable. For this reason a space or newline
819 must appear before the terminating @code{@}} to prevent it being
820 included as part of the final syllable. Similarly,
821 spaces must be inserted before and after the
822 period or dot, @q{.}, separating the context name from the
823 object name, as otherwise the two names are run together and
824 the interpreter cannot recognize them. So the command should be:
827 \override Lyrics . LyricText #'font-shape = #'italic
830 @warning{In lyrics always leave whitespace between the final
831 syllable and the terminating brace.}
833 @warning{In overrides in lyrics always place spaces around
834 the dot between the context name and the object name.}
838 Learning Manual: @ref{Scheme tutorial}.
841 @node Types of properties
842 @subsection Types of properties
844 @cindex property types
846 So far we have seen two types of property: @code{number} and
847 @code{symbol}. To be valid, the value given to a property
848 must be of the correct type and obey the rules for that type.
849 The type of property is always shown in brackets after the
850 property name in the IR. Here is a list of the types you may
851 need, together with the rules for that type, and some examples.
852 You must always add a hash symbol, @code{#}, of course,
853 to the front of these values when they are entered in the
854 @code{\override} command.
856 @multitable @columnfractions .2 .45 .35
857 @headitem Property type
861 @tab Either True or False, represented by #t or #f
862 @tab @code{#t}, @code{#f}
863 @item Dimension (in staff space)
864 @tab A positive decimal number (in units of staff space)
865 @tab @code{2.5}, @code{0.34}
867 @tab A valid direction constant or its numerical equivalent (decimal
868 values between -1 and 1 are allowed)
869 @tab @code{LEFT}, @code{CENTER}, @code{UP},
872 @tab A positive whole number
873 @tab @code{3}, @code{1}
875 @tab A set of values separated by spaces, enclosed in parentheses
876 and preceded by an apostrophe
877 @tab @code{'(left-edge staff-bar)}, @code{'(1)},
878 @code{'(1.0 0.25 0.5)}
880 @tab Any valid markup
881 @tab @code{\markup @{ \italic "cresc." @}}
883 @tab A fraction of a whole note constructed with the
885 @tab @code{(ly:make-moment 1 4)},
886 @code{(ly:make-moment 3 8)}
888 @tab Any positive or negative decimal value
889 @tab @code{3.5}, @code{-2.45}
890 @item Pair (of numbers)
891 @tab Two numbers separated by a @q{space . space} and enclosed
892 in brackets preceded by an apostrophe
893 @tab @code{'(2 . 3.5)}, @code{'(0.1 . -3.2)}
895 @tab Any of the set of permitted symbols for that property,
896 preceded by an apostrophe
897 @tab @code{'italic}, @code{'inside}
899 @tab A procedure, or @code{#f} to cause no action
900 @tab @code{bend::print}, @code{ly:text-interface::print},
903 @tab A list of three items enclosed in parentheses and preceded
904 by apostrophe-hash, @code{'#}.
905 @tab @code{'#(#t #t #f)}
910 Learning Manual: @ref{Scheme tutorial}.
913 @node Appearance of objects
914 @section Appearance of objects
916 Let us now put what we have learned into practice with a few
917 examples which show how tweaks may be used to change the
918 appearance of the printed music.
921 * Visibility and color of objects::
923 * Length and thickness of objects::
926 @node Visibility and color of objects
927 @subsection Visibility and color of objects
929 In the educational use of music we might wish to print a score
930 with certain elements omitted as an exercise for the student,
931 who is required to supply them. As a simple example,
932 let us suppose the exercise is to supply the missing bar lines
933 in a piece of music. But the bar lines are normally inserted
934 automatically. How do we prevent them printing?
936 Before we tackle this, let us remember that object properties are
937 grouped in what are called @emph{interfaces} -- see @ref{Properties
938 found in interfaces}. This is simply to group together those
939 properties that may be used together to tweak a graphical object -- if
940 one of them is allowed for an object, so are the others. Some objects
941 then use the properties in some interfaces, others use them from other
942 interfaces. The interfaces which contain the properties used by a
943 particular grob are listed in the IR at the bottom of the page
944 describing that grob, and those properties may be viewed by looking at
947 We explained how to find information about grobs in @ref{Properties of
948 layout objects}. Using the same approach, we go to the IR to find the
949 layout object which prints bar lines. Going via @emph{Backend} and
950 @emph{All layout objects} we find there is a layout object called
951 @code{BarLine}. Its properties include two that control its
952 visibility: @code{break-visibility} and @code{stencil}. Barline also
953 supports a number of interfaces, including the @code{grob-interface},
954 where we find the @code{transparent} and the @code{color} properties.
955 All of these can affect the visibility of bar lines (and, of course,
956 by extension, many other layout objects too.) Let's consider each of
961 @cindex stencil property
963 This property controls the appearance of the bar lines by specifying
964 the symbol (glyph) which should be printed. In common
965 with many other properties, it can be set to print nothing by
966 setting its value to @code{#f}. Let's try it, as before, omitting
967 the implied Context, @code{Voice}:
969 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
972 \override BarLine #'stencil = ##f
979 The bar lines are still printed. What is wrong? Go back to the IR
980 and look again at the page giving the properties of BarLine. At the
981 top of the page it says @qq{Barline objects are created by:
982 Bar_engraver}. Go to the @code{Bar_engraver} page. At the bottom it
983 gives a list of Contexts in which the bar engraver operates. All of
984 them are of the type @code{Staff}, so the reason the @code{\override}
985 command failed to work as expected is because @code{Barline} is not in
986 the default @code{Voice} context. If the context is specified
987 wrongly, the command simply does not work. No error message is
988 produced, and nothing is logged in the log file. Let's try correcting
989 it by adding the correct context:
991 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
994 \override Staff.BarLine #'stencil = ##f
1001 Now the bar lines have vanished.
1003 @subheading break-visibility
1005 @cindex break-visibility property
1007 We see from the @code{BarLine} properties in the IR that the
1008 @code{break-visibility} property requires a vector of three booleans.
1009 These control respectively whether bar lines are printed at the end of
1010 a line, in the middle of lines, and at the beginning of lines. For
1011 our example we want all bar lines to be suppressed, so the value we
1012 need is @code{'#(#f #f #f)}. Let's try that, remembering to include
1013 the @code{Staff} context. Note also that in writing this value we
1014 have @code{#'#} before the opening bracket. The @code{'#} is required
1015 as part of the value to introduce a vector, and the first @code{#} is
1016 required, as always, to precede the value itself in the
1017 @code{\override} command.
1019 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1022 \override Staff.BarLine #'break-visibility = #'#(#f #f #f)
1024 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1029 And we see this too removes all the bar lines.
1031 @subheading transparent
1033 @cindex transparent property
1034 @cindex transparency
1036 We see from the properties specified in the @code{grob-interface} page
1037 in the IR that the @code{transparent} property is a boolean. This
1038 should be set to @code{#t} to make the grob transparent. In this next
1039 example let us make the time signature invisible rather than the bar
1040 lines. To do this we need to find the grob name for the time
1041 signature. Back to the @q{All layout objects} page in the IR to find
1042 the properties of the @code{TimeSignature} layout object. This is
1043 produced by the @code{Time_signature_engraver} which you can check
1044 also lives in the @code{Staff} context and also supports the
1045 @code{grob-interface}. So the command to make the time signature
1048 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1051 \override Staff.TimeSignature #'transparent = ##t
1053 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1059 The time signature is gone, but this command leaves a gap where
1060 the time signature should be. Maybe this is what is wanted for
1061 an exercise for the student to fill it in, but in other
1062 circumstances a gap might be undesirable. To remove it, the
1063 stencil for the time signature should be set to @code{#f}
1066 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1069 \override Staff.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1071 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1077 and the difference is obvious: setting the stencil to @code{#f}
1078 removes the object entirely; making the object @code{transparent}
1079 leaves it where it is, but makes it invisible.
1083 @cindex color property
1085 Finally let us try making the bar lines invisible by coloring
1086 them white. (There is a difficulty with this in that the
1087 white bar line may or may not blank out the staff lines where
1088 they cross. You may see in some of the examples below that this
1089 happens unpredictably. The details of why this is so and how to
1090 control it are covered in @ruser{Painting objects white}. But at
1091 the moment we are learning about color, so please just accept this
1092 limitation for now.)
1094 The @code{grob-interface} specifies that the
1095 color property value is a list, but there is no
1096 explanation of what that list should be. The list it
1097 requires is actually a list of values in internal units,
1098 but, to avoid having to know what these are, several ways
1099 are provided to specify colors. The first way is to use one
1100 of the @q{normal} colors listed in the first table in
1101 @ruser{List of colors}. To set the bar lines to white
1104 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1107 \override Staff.BarLine #'color = #white
1109 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1115 and again, we see the bar lines are not visible. Note that
1116 @emph{white} is not preceded by an apostrophe -- it is not
1117 a symbol, but a @emph{function}. When called, it provides
1118 the list of internal values required to set the color to
1119 white. The other colors in the normal list are functions
1120 too. To convince yourself this is working you might like
1121 to change the color to one of the other functions in the
1129 The second way of changing the color is to use the list of
1130 X11 color names in the second list in @ruser{List of colors}.
1131 However, these must be preceded by another function, which
1132 converts X11 color names into the list of internal values,
1133 @code{x11-color}, like this:
1135 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1138 \override Staff.BarLine #'color = #(x11-color 'white)
1140 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1146 Note that in this case the function @code{x11-color} takes
1147 a symbol as an argument, so the symbol must be preceded by
1148 an apostrophe and the two enclosed in brackets.
1155 There is yet a third function, one which converts RGB values into
1156 internal colors -- the @code{rgb-color} function. This takes
1157 three arguments giving the intensities of the red, green and
1158 blue colors. These take values in the range 0 to 1. So to
1159 set the color to red the value should be @code{(rgb-color 1 0 0)}
1160 and to white it should be @code{(rgb-color 1 1 1)}:
1162 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1165 \override Staff.BarLine #'color = #(rgb-color 1 1 1)
1167 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1172 Finally, there is also a grey scale available as part of the
1173 X11 set of colors. These range from black, @code{'grey0'},
1174 to white, @code{'grey100}, in steps of 1. Let's illustrate
1175 this by setting all the layout objects in our example to
1176 various shades of grey:
1178 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1181 \override Staff.StaffSymbol #'color = #(x11-color 'grey30)
1182 \override Staff.TimeSignature #'color = #(x11-color 'grey60)
1183 \override Staff.Clef #'color = #(x11-color 'grey60)
1184 \override Voice.NoteHead #'color = #(x11-color 'grey85)
1185 \override Voice.Stem #'color = #(x11-color 'grey85)
1186 \override Staff.BarLine #'color = #(x11-color 'grey10)
1188 g, a16 b8 c d4 e16 |
1194 Note the contexts associated with each of the layout objects.
1195 It is important to get these right, or the commands will not
1196 work! Remember, the context is the one in which the appropriate
1197 engraver is placed. The default context for engravers can be
1198 found by starting from the layout object, going from there to
1199 the engraver which produces it, and on the engraver page in the
1200 IR it tells you in which context the engraver will normally be
1204 @node Size of objects
1205 @subsection Size of objects
1207 @cindex changing size of objects
1208 @cindex size of objects
1209 @cindex objects, size of
1210 @cindex objects, changing size of
1212 Let us begin by looking again at the earlier example
1213 see @ref{Nesting music expressions}) which showed
1214 how to introduce a new temporary staff, as in an @rglos{ossia}.
1216 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1217 \new Staff ="main" {
1224 alignAboveContext = "main" }
1232 Ossia are normally written without clef and time signature, and
1233 are usually printed slightly smaller than the main staff. We
1234 already know now how to remove the clef and time signature --
1235 we simply set the stencil of each to @code{#f}, as follows:
1237 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1238 \new Staff ="main" {
1245 alignAboveContext = "main"
1248 \override Staff.Clef #'stencil = ##f
1249 \override Staff.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1259 where the extra pair of braces after the @code{\with} clause are
1260 required to ensure the enclosed overrides and music are applied
1263 But what is the difference between modifying the staff context by
1264 using @code{\with} and modifying the stencils of the clef and the
1265 time signature with \override? The main difference is that
1266 changes made in a @code{\with} clause are made at the time the
1267 context is created, and remain in force as the @strong{default}
1268 values for the duration of that context, whereas
1269 @code{\set} or @code{\override} commands embedded in the
1270 music are dynamic -- they make changes synchronized with
1271 a particular point in the music. If changes are unset or
1272 reverted using @code{\unset} or @code{\revert} they return to
1273 their default values, which will be the ones set in the
1274 @code{\with} clause, or if none have been set there, the normal
1277 Some context properties can be modified only in @code{\with} clauses.
1278 These are those properties which cannot sensibly be changed after the
1279 context has been created. @code{alignAboveContext} and its partner,
1280 @code{alignBelowContext}, are two such properties -- once the staff
1281 has been created its alignment is decided and it would make no sense
1282 to try to change it later.
1284 The default values of layout object properties can also be set
1285 in @code{\with} clauses. Simply use the normal @code{\override}
1286 command leaving out the context name, since this is unambiguously
1287 defined as the context which the @code{\with} clause is modifying.
1288 If fact, an error will be generated if a context is specified
1291 So we could replace the example above with
1293 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1294 \new Staff ="main" {
1301 alignAboveContext = "main"
1302 % Don't print clefs in this staff
1303 \override Clef #'stencil = ##f
1304 % Don't print time signatures in this staff
1305 \override TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1314 Finally we come to changing the size of layout objects.
1316 Some layout objects are created as glyphs selected from a typeface
1317 font. These include note heads, accidentals, markup, clefs, time
1318 signatures, dynamics and lyrics. Their size is changed by modifying
1319 the @code{font-size} property, as we shall shortly see. Other layout
1320 objects such as slurs and ties -- in general, spanner objects -- are
1321 drawn individually, so there is no @code{font-size} associated with
1322 them. These objects generally derive their size from the objects to
1323 which they are attached, so usually there is no need to change their
1324 size manually. Still other properties such as the length of stems and
1325 bar lines, thickness of beams and other lines, and the separation of
1326 staff lines all need to be modified in special ways.
1328 Returning to the ossia example, let us first change the font-size.
1329 We can do this in two ways. We can either change the size of the
1330 fonts of each object type, like @code{NoteHead}s with commands
1334 \override NoteHead #'font-size = #-2
1337 or we can change the size of all fonts by setting a special
1338 property, @code{fontSize}, using @code{\set}, or by including
1339 it in a @code{\with} clause (but without the @code{\set}).
1345 Both of these statements would cause the font size to be reduced
1346 by 2 steps from its previous value, where each
1347 step reduces or increases the size by approximately 12%.
1349 Let's try it in our ossia example:
1351 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1352 \new Staff ="main" {
1359 alignAboveContext = "main"
1360 \override Clef #'stencil = ##f
1361 \override TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1362 % Reduce all font sizes by ~24%
1372 This is still not quite right. The note heads and flags are
1373 smaller, but the stems are too long in proportion and the
1374 staff lines are spaced too widely apart. These need to be
1375 scaled down in proportion to the font reduction. The next
1376 sub-section discusses how this is done.
1378 @node Length and thickness of objects
1379 @subsection Length and thickness of objects
1385 @cindex size, changing
1386 @cindex stem length, changing
1387 @cindex staff line spacing, changing
1389 Distances and lengths in LilyPond are generally measured in
1390 staff-spaces, the distance between adjacent lines in the staff,
1391 (or occasionally half staff spaces) while most @code{thickness}
1392 properties are measured in units of an internal property called
1393 @code{line-thickness.} For example, by default, the lines of
1394 hairpins are given a thickness of 1 unit of @code{line-thickness},
1395 while the @code{thickness} of a note stem is 1.3. Note, though,
1396 that some thickness properties are different; for example, the
1397 thickness of beams is measured in staff-spaces.
1399 So how are lengths to be scaled in proportion to the font size?
1400 This can be done with the help of a special function called
1401 @code{magstep} provided for exactly this purpose. It takes
1402 one argument, the change in font size (#-2 in the example above)
1403 and returns a scaling factor suitable for reducing other
1404 objects in proportion. It is used like this:
1406 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1407 \new Staff ="main" {
1414 alignAboveContext = "main"
1415 \override Clef #'stencil = ##f
1416 \override TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
1418 % Reduce stem length and line spacing to match
1419 \override StaffSymbol #'staff-space = #(magstep -2)
1429 Since the length of stems and many other length-related properties are
1430 always calculated relative to the value of the @code{staff-space}
1431 property these are automatically scaled down in length too. Note that
1432 this affects only the vertical scale of the ossia -- the horizontal
1433 scale is determined by the layout of the main music in order to remain
1434 synchronized with it, so it is not affected by any of these changes in
1435 size. Of course, if the scale of all the main music were changed in
1436 this way then the horizontal spacing would be affected. This is
1437 discussed later in the layout section.
1439 This, then, completes the creation of an ossia. The sizes and
1440 lengths of all other objects may be modified in analogous ways.
1442 For small changes in scale, as in the example above, the
1443 thickness of the various drawn lines such as bar lines,
1444 beams, hairpins, slurs, etc does not usually require global
1445 adjustment. If the thickness of any particular layout object
1446 needs to be adjusted this can be best achieved by overriding its
1447 @code{thickness} property. An example of changing the thickness
1448 of slurs was shown above in @ref{Properties of layout objects}.
1449 The thickness of all drawn objects (i.e., those not produced
1450 from a font) may be changed in the same way.
1453 @node Placement of objects
1454 @section Placement of objects
1457 * Automatic behavior::
1458 * Within-staff objects::
1459 * Outside-staff objects::
1463 @node Automatic behavior
1464 @subsection Automatic behavior
1466 @cindex within-staff objects
1467 @cindex outside-staff objects
1468 @cindex objects, within-staff
1469 @cindex objects, outside-staff
1471 There are some objects in musical notation that belong to
1472 the staff and there are other objects that should be
1473 placed outside the staff. These are called within-staff
1474 objects and outside-staff objects respectively.
1476 Within-staff objects are those that are located on the staff
1477 -- note heads, stems, accidentals, etc. The positions of
1478 these are usually fixed by the music itself -- they are
1479 vertically positioned on specific lines of the staff or are
1480 tied to other objects that are so positioned. Collisions of
1481 note heads, stems and accidentals in closely set chords are
1482 normally avoided automatically. There are commands and
1483 overrides which can modify this automatic behavior, as we
1486 Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
1487 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings. LilyPond's rule for
1488 the vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them
1489 as close to the staff as possible but not so close that they
1490 collide with any other object. LilyPond uses the
1491 @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine the order in
1492 which the objects should be placed, as follows.
1494 First, LilyPond places all the within-staff objects.
1495 Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
1496 @code{outside-staff-priority}. The outside-staff objects are
1497 taken one by one, beginning with the object with the lowest
1498 @code{outside-staff-priority}, and placed so that they do not
1499 collide with any objects that have already been placed. That is,
1500 if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the
1501 one with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed
1502 closer to the staff. If two objects have the same
1503 @code{outside-staff-priority} the one encountered first will be
1504 placed closer to the staff.
1506 In the following example all the markup texts have the same
1507 priority (since it is not explicitly set). Note that @q{Text3}
1508 is automatically positioned close to the staff again, nestling
1511 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1518 Staves are also positioned, by default, as closely together as
1519 possible (subject to a minimum separation). If notes project
1520 a long way towards an adjacent staff they will force the
1521 staves further apart only if an overlap of the notation
1522 would otherwise occur. The following example demonstrates
1523 this @q{nestling} of the notes on adjacent staves:
1525 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
1528 \relative c' { c a, }
1531 \relative c'''' { c a, }
1537 @node Within-staff objects
1538 @subsection Within-staff objects
1540 We have already seen how the commands @code{\voiceXXX} affect
1541 the direction of slurs, ties, fingering and
1542 everything else which depends on the direction of the stems.
1543 These commands are essential when writing polyphonic music to
1544 permit interweaving melodic lines to be distinguished.
1545 But occasionally it may be necessary to override this automatic
1546 behavior. This can be done for whole sections of music or even
1547 for an individual note. The property which controls this
1548 behavior is the @code{direction} property of each layout object.
1549 We first explain what this does, and then introduce a number of
1550 ready-made commands which avoid your having to code explicit
1551 overrides for the more common modifications.
1553 Some layout objects like slurs and ties curve, bend or point
1554 either up or down; others like stems and flags also move to
1555 right or left when they point up or down. This is controlled
1556 automatically when @code{direction} is set.
1563 The following example shows in bar 1 the default behavior of stems,
1564 with those on high notes pointing down and those on low notes pointing
1565 up, followed by four notes with all stems forced down, four notes with
1566 all stems forced up, and finally four notes reverted back to the
1569 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1571 \override Stem #'direction = #DOWN
1573 \override Stem #'direction = #UP
1575 \revert Stem #'direction
1579 Here we use the constants @code{DOWN} and @code{UP}.
1580 These have the values @code{-1} and @code{+1} respectively, and
1581 these numerical values may be used instead. The value @code{0}
1582 may also be used in some cases. It is simply treated as meaning
1583 @code{UP} for stems, but for some objects it means @q{center}.
1584 There is a constant, @code{CENTER} which has the value @code{0}.
1586 However, these explicit overrides are not usually used, as there are
1587 simpler equivalent predefined commands available. Here is a table of
1588 the commonest. The meaning of each is stated where it is not obvious.
1590 @multitable @columnfractions .2 .2 .25 .35
1595 @item @code{\arpeggioArrowDown}
1596 @tab @code{\arpeggioArrowUp}
1597 @tab @code{\arpeggioNormal}
1598 @tab Arrow is at bottom, at top, or no arrow
1599 @item @code{\dotsDown}
1601 @tab @code{\dotsNeutral}
1602 @tab Direction of movement to avoid staff lines
1603 @item @code{\dynamicDown}
1604 @tab @code{\dynamicUp}
1605 @tab @code{\dynamicNeutral}
1607 @item @code{\phrasingSlurDown}
1608 @tab @code{\phrasingSlurUp}
1609 @tab @code{\phrasingSlurNeutral}
1610 @tab Note: distinct from slur commands
1611 @item @code{\slurDown}
1613 @tab @code{\slurNeutral}
1615 @item @code{\stemDown}
1617 @tab @code{\stemNeutral}
1619 @item @code{\textSpannerDown}
1620 @tab @code{\textSpannerUp}
1621 @tab @code{\textSpannerNeutral}
1622 @tab Text entered as spanner is below/above staff
1623 @item @code{\tieDown}
1625 @tab @code{\tieNeutral}
1627 @item @code{\tupletDown}
1628 @tab @code{\tupletUp}
1629 @tab @code{\tupletNeutral}
1630 @tab Tuplets are below/above notes
1633 Note that these predefined commands may @strong{not} be
1634 preceded by @code{\once}. If you wish to limit the
1635 effect to a single note you must either use the equivalent
1636 @code{\once \override} command or use the predefined command
1637 followed after the affected note by the corresponding
1638 @code{\xxxNeutral} command.
1640 @subheading Fingering
1642 @cindex fingering, placement
1643 @cindex fingering, chords
1645 The placement of fingering is also affected by the value
1646 of its @code{direction} property, but there are special
1647 commands which allow the fingering of individual notes
1648 of chords to be controlled, with the fingering being placed
1649 above, below, to the left or to the right of each note.
1651 First, here's the effect of @code{direction} on fingering,
1652 the first bar shows the default, then the effect of specifying
1653 @code{DOWN} and @code{UP}:
1655 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1657 \override Fingering #'direction = #DOWN
1659 \override Fingering #'direction = #UP
1663 This is how to control fingering on single notes, but the
1664 @code{direction} property is ignored for chords. Instead, by default,
1665 the fingering is automatically placed both above and below the notes
1666 of a chord, as shown:
1668 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1674 Greater control over the placement of fingering of the
1675 individual notes in a chord is possible by using
1676 the @code{\set fingeringOrientations} command. The format of
1680 @code{\set fingeringOrientations = #'([up] [left/right] [down])}
1684 @code{\set} is used because @code{fingeringOrientations} is a
1685 property of the @code{Voice} context, created and used by the
1686 @code{New_fingering_engraver}.
1688 The property may be set to a list of one to three values.
1689 It controls whether fingerings may be placed above (if
1690 @code{up} appears in the list), below (if @code{down} appears),
1691 to the left (if @code{left} appears, or to the right
1692 (if @code{right} appears). Conversely, if a location is not
1693 listed, no fingering is placed there. LilyPond takes these
1694 constraints and works out the best placement for the fingering
1695 of the notes of the following chords. Note that @code{left} and
1696 @code{right} are mutually exclusive -- fingering may be placed
1697 only on one side or the other, not both.
1699 To control the placement of the fingering of a single note
1700 using this command it is necessary to write it as a single
1701 note chord by placing angle brackets round it.
1703 Here are a few examples:
1705 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
1706 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
1708 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1709 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
1711 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1712 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up left down)
1714 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1715 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up left)
1717 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1718 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(right)
1720 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1724 If the fingering seems a little crowded the @code{font-size}
1725 could be reduced. The default value can be seen from the
1726 @code{Fingering} object in the IR to be @code{-5}, so let's
1729 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
1730 \override Fingering #'font-size = #-7
1731 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
1733 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1734 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
1736 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1737 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up left down)
1739 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1740 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up left)
1742 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1743 \set fingeringOrientations = #'(right)
1745 < c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5 > 4
1748 @node Outside staff objects
1749 @subsection Outside staff objects
1751 Outside-staff objects are automatically placed to avoid collisions.
1752 Objects with the lower value of the @code{outside-staff-priority}
1753 property are placed nearer to the staff, and other outside-staff
1754 objects are then raised as far as necessary to avoid collisions.
1755 The @code{outside-staff-priority} is defined in the
1756 @code{grob-interface} and so is a property of all layout objects.
1757 By default it is set to @code{#f} for all within-staff objects,
1758 and to a numerical value appropriate to each outside-staff object
1759 when the object is created. The following table shows
1760 the default numerical values for some of the commonest
1761 outside-staff objects which are, by default, placed in the
1762 @code{Staff} or @code{Voice} contexts.
1764 @multitable @columnfractions .3 .3 .3
1765 @headitem Layout Object
1767 @tab Controls position of:
1768 @item @code{MultiMeasureRestText}
1770 @tab Text over full-bar rests
1771 @item @code{TextScript}
1774 @item @code{OttavaBracket}
1776 @tab Ottava brackets
1777 @item @code{TextSpanner}
1780 @item @code{DynamicLineSpanner}
1782 @tab All dynamic markings
1783 @item @code{VoltaBracketSpanner}
1786 @item @code{TrillSpanner}
1788 @tab Spanning trills
1791 Here is an example showing the default placement of some of
1794 @cindex text spanner
1795 @funindex \startTextSpan
1796 @funindex \stopTextSpan
1797 @cindex ottava bracket
1799 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
1800 % Set details for later Text Spanner
1801 \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'left #'text
1802 = \markup { \small \bold Slower }
1803 % Place dynamics above staff
1805 % Start Ottava Bracket
1810 % Add Dynamic Line Spanner
1816 c\ff c \stopTextSpan
1817 % Stop Ottava Bracket
1822 This example also shows how to create Text Spanners --
1823 text with extender lines above a section of music. The
1824 spanner extends from the @code{\startTextSpan} command to
1825 the @code{\stopTextSpan} command, and the format of the
1826 text is defined by the @code{\override TextSpanner} command.
1827 For more details see @ruser{Text spanners}.
1829 It also shows how ottava brackets are created.
1831 Note that bar numbers, metronome marks and rehearsal marks
1832 are not shown. By default these are created in the
1833 @code{Score} context and their @code{outside-staff-priority}
1834 is ignored relative to the layout objects which are created
1835 in the @code{Staff} context.
1836 If you wish to place bar numbers, metronome marks or rehearsal
1837 marks in accordance with the value of their
1838 @code{outside-staff-priority} the @code{Bar_number_engraver},
1839 @code{Metronome_mark_engraver} or @code{Mark_engraver} respectively
1840 should be removed from the @code{Score} context and placed in the
1841 top @code{Staff} context. If this is done, these marks will be
1842 given the following default @code{outside-staff-priority} values:
1844 @multitable @columnfractions .3 .3
1845 @headitem Layout Object @tab Priority
1846 @item @code{RehearsalMark} @tab @code{1500}
1847 @item @code{MetronomeMark} @tab @code{1000}
1848 @item @code{BarNumber} @tab @code{ 100}
1851 If the default values of @code{outside-staff-priority} do not
1852 give you the placing you want, the priority of any of the objects
1853 may be overridden. Suppose we would
1854 like the ottava bracket to be placed below the text spanner in the
1855 example above. All we need to do is to look up the priority of
1856 @code{OttavaBracket} in the IR or in the tables above, and reduce
1857 it to a value lower than that of a @code{TextSpanner}, remembering
1858 that @code{OttavaBracket} is created in the @code{Staff} context:
1860 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
1861 % Set details for later Text Spanner
1862 \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'left #'text
1863 = \markup { \small \bold Slower }
1864 % Place dynamics above staff
1866 %Place following Ottava Bracket below Text Spanners
1867 \once \override Staff.OttavaBracket #'outside-staff-priority = #340
1868 % Start Ottava Bracket
1873 % Add Dynamic Line Spanner
1879 c\ff c \stopTextSpan
1880 % Stop Ottava Bracket
1885 Changing the @code{outside-staff-priority} can also be used to
1886 control the vertical placement of individual objects, although
1887 the results may not always be desirable. Suppose we would
1888 like @qq{Text3} to be placed above @qq{Text4} in the example
1889 under Automatic behavior, above (see @ref{Automatic behavior}).
1890 All we need to do is to look up the priority of @code{TextScript}
1891 in the IR or in the tables above, and increase the priority of
1892 @qq{Text3} to a higher value:
1894 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1897 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #500
1902 This certainly lifts @qq{Text3} above @qq{Text4} but it also
1903 lifts it above @qq{Text2}, and @qq{Text4} now drops down.
1904 Perhaps this is not so good. What we would really like to do
1905 is to position all the annotation at the same distance above
1906 the staff? To do this, we clearly
1907 will need to space the notes out horizontally to make more
1908 room for the text. This is done using the @code{textLengthOn}
1911 @subheading \textLengthOn
1913 @funindex \textLengthOn
1914 @cindex notes, spreading out with text
1916 By default, text produced by markup takes up no horizontal space
1917 as far as laying out the music is concerned. The @code{\textLengthOn}
1918 command reverses this behavior, causing the notes to be spaced
1919 out as far as is necessary to accommodate the text:
1921 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1922 \textLengthOn % Cause notes to space out to accommodate text
1929 The command to revert to the default behavior is
1930 @code{\textLengthOff}. Remember @code{\once} only works with
1931 @code{\override}, @code{\set}, @code{\revert} or @code{unset},
1932 so cannot be used with @code{\textLengthOn}.
1934 Markup text will also avoid notes which project above the staff.
1935 If this is not desired, the automatic displacement upwards may
1936 be turned off by setting the priority to @code{#f}. Here's an
1937 example to show how markup text interacts with such notes.
1939 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1940 % This markup is short enough to fit without collision
1944 % This is too long to fit, so it is displaced upwards
1948 % Turn off collision avoidance
1949 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1953 % Turn off collision avoidance
1954 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1955 \textLengthOn % and turn on textLengthOn
1956 c,,2^"Long Text " % Spaces at end are honored
1961 @subheading Dynamics
1963 Dynamic markings will normally be positioned beneath the
1964 staff, but may be positioned above with the @code{dynamicUp}
1965 command. They will be positioned vertically relative to the
1966 note to which they are attached, and will float below (or above)
1967 all within-staff objects such as phrasing slurs and bar numbers.
1968 This can give quite acceptable results, as this example
1971 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=1]
1976 bes4.~\f\< \( bes4 bes8 des4\ff\> c16 bes\! |
1977 ees,2.~\)\mf ees4 r8 |
1980 However, if the notes and attached dynamics are close
1981 together the automatic placement will avoid collisions
1982 by displacing later dynamic markings further away, but this may
1983 not be the optimum placement, as this rather artificial example
1986 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
1992 Should a similar situation arise in @q{real} music, it may
1993 be preferable to space out the notes
1994 a little further, so the dynamic markings can all fit at the
1995 same vertical distance from the staff. We were able to do this
1996 for markup text by using the @code{\textLengthOn} command, but there
1997 is no equivalent command for dynamic marks. So we shall have to
1998 work out how to do this using @code{\override} commands.
2000 @subheading Grob sizing
2003 @cindex sizing grobs
2004 @cindex @code{X-offset}
2005 @cindex @code{Y-offset}
2006 @cindex @code{X-extent}
2007 @cindex @code{Y-extent}
2009 First we must learn how grobs are sized. All grobs have a
2010 reference point defined within them which is used to position
2011 them relative to their parent object. This point in the grob
2012 is then positioned at a horizontal distance, @code{X-offset},
2013 and at a vertical distance, @code{Y-offset}, from its parent.
2014 The horizontal extent of the object is given by a pair of
2015 numbers, @code{X-extent}, which say where the left and right
2016 edges are relative to the reference point. The vertical extent
2017 is similarly defined by a pair of numbers, @code{Y-extent}.
2018 These are properties of all grobs which support the
2019 @code{grob-interface}.
2021 @cindex @code{extra-spacing-width}
2023 By default, outside-staff objects are given a width of zero so
2024 that they may overlap in the horizontal direction. This is done
2025 by the trick of adding infinity to the leftmost extent and
2026 minus infinity to the rightmost extent by setting the
2027 @code{extra-spacing-width} to @code{'(+inf.0 . -inf.0)}. So
2028 to ensure they do not overlap in the horizontal direction we
2029 must override this value of @code{extra-spacing-width} to
2030 @code{'(0 . 0)} so the true width shines through. This is
2031 the command to do this for dynamic text:
2034 \override DynamicText #'extra-spacing-width = #'(0 . 0)
2038 Let's see if this works in our previous example:
2040 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
2042 \override DynamicText #'extra-spacing-width = #'(0 . 0)
2047 Well, it has certainly stopped the dynamic marks being
2048 displaced, but two problems remain. The marks should be
2049 spaced a little further apart and it would be better
2050 if they were all the same distance from the staff.
2051 We can solve the first problem easily. Instead of making
2052 the @code{extra-spacing-width} zero we could add a little
2053 more to it. The units are the space between two staff
2054 lines, so moving the left edge half a unit to the left and the
2055 right edge half a unit to the right should do it:
2057 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
2059 % Extend width by 1 staff space
2060 \override DynamicText #'extra-spacing-width = #'(-0.5 . 0.5)
2065 This looks better, but maybe we would prefer the dynamic marks
2066 to be aligned along the same baseline rather than going up and
2067 down with the notes. The property to do this is
2068 @code{staff-padding} which is covered in the following section.
2071 @node Collisions of objects
2072 @section Collisions of objects
2076 * Fixing overlapping notation::
2077 * Real music example::
2080 @node Moving objects
2081 @subsection Moving objects
2083 This may come as a surprise, but LilyPond is not perfect. Some
2084 notation elements can overlap. This is unfortunate, but in fact
2085 rather rare. Usually the need to move objects is for clarity or
2086 aesthetic reasons -- they would look better with a little more
2087 or a little less space around them.
2089 There are three main approaches to resolving overlapping
2090 notation. They should be considered in the following order:
2094 The @strong{direction} of one of the overlapping objects may
2095 be changed using the predefined commands listed above for
2096 within-staff objects (see @ref{Within-staff objects}).
2097 Stems, slurs, beams, ties, dynamics, text and tuplets may be
2098 repositioned easily in this way. The limitation is that you
2099 have a choice of only two positions, and neither may be
2103 The @strong{object properties}, which LilyPond uses
2104 when positioning layout objects, may be modified using
2105 @code{\override}. The advantages
2106 of making changes to this type of property are (a) that some
2107 other objects will be moved automatically if necessary to make
2108 room and (b) the single override can apply to all instances of
2109 the same type of object. Such properties include:
2116 This has already been covered in some detail -- see
2117 @ref{Within-staff objects}.
2120 @code{padding}, @code{left-padding},
2121 @code{right-padding}, @code{staff-padding}
2123 @cindex left-padding property
2124 @cindex padding property
2125 @cindex right-padding property
2126 @cindex staff-padding property
2127 As an object is being positioned the value of its @code{padding}
2128 property specifies the gap that must be left between itself and
2129 the nearest edge of the object against which it is being
2130 positioned. Note that it is the @code{padding} value of the object
2131 @strong{being placed} that is used;
2132 the @code{padding} value of the object which is already placed is
2133 ignored. Gaps specified by @code{padding} can be applied
2134 to all objects which support the @code{side-position-interface}.
2136 Instead of @code{padding}, the placement of groups of accidentals
2137 is controlled by @code{left-padding} and @code{right-padding}.
2138 These properties are to be found in the @code{AccidentalPlacement}
2139 object which, note, lives in the @strong{staff} context. In the
2140 type-setting process the note heads are type-set first and then
2141 the accidentals, if any, are added to the left of the note heads
2142 using the @code{right-padding} property to determine the separation
2143 from the note heads. So only the @code{right-padding} property of the
2144 @code{AccidentalPlacement} object has any effect on the placement
2147 The @code{staff-padding} property is closely related to the
2148 @code{padding} property: @code{padding}
2149 controls the minimum amount of space between any object which
2150 supports the @code{side-position-interface} and the nearest
2151 other object (generally the note or the staff lines);
2152 @code{staff-padding} applies only to those objects which are always
2153 set outside the staff -- it controls the minimum amount of space
2154 that should be inserted between that object and the staff. Note
2155 that @code{staff-padding} has no effect on objects which are
2156 positioned relative to the note rather than the staff, even though
2157 it may be overridden without error for such objects -- it is simply
2160 To discover which padding property is required for the object
2161 you wish to reposition, you
2162 need to return to the IR and look up the object's properties.
2163 Be aware that the padding properties might not be located in the
2164 obvious object, so look in objects that appear to be related.
2166 All padding values are measured in staff spaces. For most
2167 objects, this value is set by default to be around 1.0 or less
2168 (it varies with each object). It may be overridden if a larger
2169 (or smaller) gap is required.
2172 @code{self-alignment-X}
2174 @cindex self-alignment-X property
2175 This property can be used to align the object to the left, to
2176 the right, or to center it with respect to the parent object's
2177 reference point. It may be used with all objects which support
2178 the @code{self-alignment-interface}. In general these are objects
2179 that contain text. The values are @code{LEFT}, @code{RIGHT}
2180 or @code{CENTER}. Alternatively, a numerical value between
2181 @code{-1} and @code{+1} may be specified, where @code{-1} is
2182 left-aligned, @code{+1} is right-aligned, and numbers in between
2183 move the text progressively from left-aligned to right-aligned.
2184 Numerical values greater than @code{1} may be specified to move
2185 the text even further to the left, or less than @code{-1} to
2186 move the text even further to the right. A change of @code{1}
2187 in the value corresponds to a movement of half the text's length.
2190 @code{extra-spacing-width}
2192 @cindex extra-spacing-width property
2193 This property is available for all objects which support the
2194 @code{item-interface}. It takes two numbers, the first is added
2195 to the leftmost extent and the second is added to the rightmost
2196 extent. Negative numbers move the edge to the left, positive to
2197 the right, so to widen an object the first number must be negative,
2198 the second positive. Note that not all objects honor both
2199 numbers. For example, the @code{Accidental} object only takes
2200 notice of the first (left edge) number.
2203 @code{staff-position}
2205 @cindex staff-position property
2206 @code{staff-position} is a property of the
2207 @code{staff-symbol-referencer-interface}, which is supported by
2208 objects which are positioned relative to the staff. It specifies
2209 the vertical position of the object relative to the center line
2210 of the staff in half staff-spaces. It is useful in resolving
2211 collisions between layout objects like multi-measure rests, ties
2212 and notes in different voices.
2217 @cindex force-hshift property
2219 Closely spaced notes in a chord, or notes occurring at the same
2220 time in different voices, are arranged in two, occasionally more,
2221 columns to prevent the note heads overlapping. These are called
2222 note columns, and an object called @code{NoteColumn} is created
2223 to lay out the notes in that column.
2225 The @code{force-hshift}
2226 property is a property of a @code{NoteColumn} (actually of the
2227 @code{note-column-interface}). Changing it permits a note column
2228 to be moved in units appropriate to a note column, viz. the note
2229 head width of the first voice note. It should be used in
2230 complex situations where the normal @code{\shiftOn} commands (see
2231 @ref{Explicitly instantiating voices}) do
2232 not resolve the note conflict. It is preferable to the
2233 @code{extra-offset} property for this purpose as there is no need
2234 to work out the distance in staff-spaces, and moving the notes
2235 into or out of a @code{NoteColumn} affects other actions such as
2241 Finally, when all else fails, objects may be manually repositioned
2242 relative to the staff center line vertically, or by
2243 displacing them by any distance to a new position. The
2244 disadvantages are that the correct values for the repositioning
2245 have to be worked out, often by trial and error, for every object
2246 individually, and, because the movement is done after LilyPond has
2247 placed all other objects, the user is responsible for avoiding any
2248 collisions that might ensue. But the main difficulty with this
2249 approach is that the repositioning values may need to be reworked
2250 if the music is later modified. The properties that can be used
2251 for this type of manual repositioning are:
2255 @cindex extra-offset property
2256 This property applies to any layout object
2257 supporting the @code{grob-interface}. It takes a pair of
2258 numbers which specify the extra displacement in the horizontal and
2259 vertical directions. Negative numbers move the object to
2260 the left or down. The units are staff-spaces. The extra
2261 displacement is made after the typesetting of objects is
2262 finished, so an object may be repositioned anywhere without
2263 affecting anything else.
2266 @cindex positions property
2267 This is most useful for manually adjusting the slope and height
2268 of beams, slurs, and tuplets. It takes a pair of numbers
2269 giving the position of the left and right ends of the beam, slur,
2270 etc. relative to the center line of the staff. Units are
2271 staff-spaces. Note, though, that slurs and phrasing slurs cannot
2272 be repositioned by arbitrarily large amounts. LilyPond first
2273 generates a list of possible positions for the slur and by default
2274 finds the slur that @qq{looks best}. If the @code{positions}
2275 property has been overridden the slur that is closest to the
2276 requested positions is selected from the list.
2281 A particular object may not have all of these properties.
2282 It is necessary to go to the IR to look up which properties
2283 are available for the object in question.
2285 Here is a list of the objects which are most likely to be
2286 involved in collisions, together with the name of the object which
2287 should be looked up in the IR in order to discover which properties
2288 should be used to move them.
2290 @multitable @columnfractions .5 .5
2291 @headitem Object type @tab Object name
2292 @item Articulations @tab @code{Script}
2293 @item Beams @tab @code{Beam}
2294 @item Dynamics (vertically) @tab @code{DynamicLineSpanner}
2295 @item Dynamics (horizontally) @tab @code{DynamicText}
2296 @item Fingerings @tab @code{Fingering}
2297 @item Rehearsal / Text marks @tab @code{RehearsalMark}
2298 @item Slurs @tab @code{Slur}
2299 @item Text e.g. @code{^"text"} @tab @code{TextScript}
2300 @item Ties @tab @code{Tie}
2301 @item Tuplets @tab @code{TupletBracket}
2305 @node Fixing overlapping notation
2306 @subsection Fixing overlapping notation
2308 Let's now see how the properties in the previous section can
2309 help to resolve overlapping notation.
2311 @subheading padding property
2312 @cindex padding property
2314 The @code{padding} property can be set to increase
2315 (or decrease) the distance between symbols that are printed
2316 above or below notes.
2318 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=1,verbatim]
2320 \override Script #'padding = #3
2324 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=1,verbatim]
2325 % This will not work, see below:
2326 \override MetronomeMark #'padding = #3
2330 \override Score.MetronomeMark #'padding = #3
2335 Note in the second example how important it is to figure out what
2336 context handles a certain object. Since the @code{MetronomeMark}
2338 is handled in the @code{Score} context, property changes in the
2339 @code{Voice} context will not be noticed. For more details, see
2340 @ruser{Modifying properties}.
2342 If the @code{padding} property of an object is increased when that
2343 object is in a stack of objects being positioned according to
2344 their @code{outside-staff-priority}, then that object and all
2345 objects outside it are moved.
2348 @subheading left-padding and right-padding
2349 @cindex left-padding property
2350 @cindex right-padding property
2352 The @code{right-padding} property affects the spacing between the
2353 accidental and the note to which it applies. It is not often
2354 required, but the following example shows one situation where it
2355 is needed. Suppose we wish to show a chord containing both
2356 a B-natural and a B-flat. To avoid ambiguity we would like to
2357 precede the notes with both a natural and a flat sign. Here
2358 are a few attempts to do this:
2360 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
2366 None work, with the second two showing bad collisions between
2369 One way of achieving this is to override the accidental stencil
2370 with a markup containing the natural and flat symbols in the
2371 order we would like, like this:
2373 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
2374 naturalplusflat = \markup { \natural \flat }
2376 \once \override Accidental
2377 #'stencil = #ly:text-interface::print
2378 \once \override Accidental #'text = #naturalplusflat
2379 \once \override Score.AccidentalPlacement #'right-padding = #1.5
2385 This necessarily uses an override for the accidental stencil which
2386 will not be covered until later. The stencil type must be a
2387 procedure, here changed to print the contents of the @code{text}
2388 property of @code{Accidental}, which itself is set to be a natural
2389 sign followed by a flat sign. These are then moved further away
2390 from the note head by overriding @code{right-padding}.
2394 @subheading staff-padding property
2395 @cindex staff-padding property
2397 @code{staff-padding} can be used to align objects such as dynamics
2398 along a baseline at a fixed height above the staff, rather than
2399 at a height dependent on the position of the note to which they
2400 are attached. It is not a property of
2401 @code{DynamicText} but of @code{DynamicLineSpanner}.
2402 This is because the baseline should apply equally to @strong{all}
2403 dynamics, including those created as extended spanners.
2404 So this is the way to align the dynamic marks in the example
2405 taken from the previous section:
2407 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=2]
2409 % Extend width by 1 unit
2410 \override DynamicText #'extra-spacing-width = #'(-0.5 . 0.5)
2411 % Align dynamics to a base line 2 units above staff
2412 \override DynamicLineSpanner #'staff-padding = #2
2417 @subheading self-alignment-X property
2418 @cindex self-alignment-X property
2420 The following example shows how this can resolve the collision
2421 of a string fingering object with a note's stem by aligning the
2422 right edge with the reference point of the parent note:
2424 @lilypond[quote,fragment,ragged-right,verbatim,relative=3]
2427 \once \override StringNumber #'self-alignment-X = #RIGHT
2431 @subheading staff-position property
2432 @cindex staff-position property
2434 Multimeasure rests in one voice can collide with notes in another.
2435 Since these rests are typeset centered between the bar lines, it
2436 would require significant effort for LilyPond to figure out which
2437 other notes might collide with it, since all the current collision
2438 handling between notes and between notes and rests is done only
2439 for notes and rests that occur at the same time. Here's an
2440 example of a collision of this type:
2442 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right, relative=1]
2443 << {c c c c} \\ {R1} >>
2446 The best solution here is to move the multimeasure rest down,
2447 since the rest is in voice two.
2448 The default in @code{\voiceTwo} (i.e. in the second voice of a
2449 @code{<<@{...@} \\ @{...@}>>} construct)
2450 is that @code{staff-position} is set to -4 for MultiMeasureRest,
2451 so we need to move it, say, four half-staff spaces down to
2454 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right, relative=1]
2458 \override MultiMeasureRest #'staff-position = #-8
2463 This is better than using, for example, @code{extra-offset},
2464 because the ledger line above the rest is inserted automatically.
2466 @subheading extra-offset property
2467 @cindex extra-offset property
2469 The @code{extra-offset} property provides complete control over the
2470 positioning of an object both horizontally and vertically.
2472 In the following example, the second fingering is moved a little to
2473 the left, and 1.8 staff space downwards:
2475 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=1,verbatim]
2478 \once \override Fingering
2479 #'extra-offset = #'(-0.3 . -1.8)
2484 @subheading positions property
2485 @cindex positions property
2487 The @code{positions} property allows the position and slope of
2488 tuplets, slurs, phrasing slurs and beams to be controlled
2489 manually. Here's an example which has an ugly phrasing slur
2490 due to its trying to avoid the slur on the acciaccatura.
2492 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=1]
2493 r4 \acciaccatura e8\( d8 c ~c d c d\)
2497 We could simply move the phrasing slur above the notes, and this
2498 would be the preferred solution:
2500 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=1]
2503 \acciaccatura e8\( d8 c ~c d c d\)
2507 but if there were some reason why this could not be done the
2508 other alternative would be to move the left end of the phrasing
2509 slur down a little using the @code{positions} property. This
2510 also resolves the rather nasty shape.
2512 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=1]
2514 \once \override PhrasingSlur #'positions = #'(-4 . -3)
2516 e8\( d8 c ~c d c d\)
2519 Here's a further example taken from the opening of the left-hand
2520 staff of Chopin's Prelude Op 28 No. 2. We see that the beam
2521 collides with the upper notes:
2523 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right]
2526 << {b,8 ais, b, g,} \\ {e, g e, g} >>
2527 << {b,8 ais, b, g,} \\ {e, g e, g} >>
2532 This can be resolved by manually moving both ends of the beam
2533 up from their position at 2 staff-spaces above the center line to,
2536 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right]
2540 \override Beam #'positions = #'(3 . 3)
2545 << {b,8 ais, b, g,} \\ {e, g e, g} >>
2550 Note that the override continues to apply in the first voice of
2551 the second block of quavers, but not to any of the beams in the
2554 @subheading force-hshift property
2555 @cindex force-hshift property
2556 @c FIXME: formatting stuff (ie not important right now IMO)
2557 @c @a nchor Chopin finally corrected TODOgp
2559 We can now see how to apply the final corrections to the Chopin
2560 example introduced at the end of @ref{I'm hearing Voices}, which
2561 was left looking like this:
2563 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right]
2564 \new Staff \relative c'' {
2567 { c2 aes4. bes8 } \\
2579 The lower two notes of the first chord (i.e,
2580 those in the third voice) should not be shifted away from the
2581 note column of the higher two notes. To correct this we set
2582 @code{force-hshift}, which is a property of
2583 @code{NoteColumn}, of these notes to zero.
2584 The lower note of the second chord is best placed just to the
2585 right of the higher notes. We achieve this by setting
2586 @code{force-hshift} of this note to 0.5, ie half a note head's
2587 width to the right of the note column of the higher notes.
2589 Here's the final result:
2591 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right]
2592 \new Staff \relative c'' {
2595 { c2 aes4. bes8 } \\
2598 \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #0 <ees c>2
2599 \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #0.5 des2
2607 @node Real music example
2608 @subsection Real music example
2610 We end this section on Tweaks by showing the steps to be taken to
2611 deal with a tricky example which needs several tweaks to produce
2612 the desired output. The example has been deliberately chosen to
2613 illustrate the use of the Notation Reference to resolve unusual
2614 problems with notation. It is not representative of more usual
2615 engraving process, so please do not let these difficulties put
2616 you off! Fortunately, difficulties like these are not very common!
2618 The example is from Chopin's Première Ballade, Op. 23, bars 6 to
2619 9, the transition from the opening Lento to Moderato.
2620 Here, first, is what we want the output to look like, but to avoid
2621 over-complicating the example too much we have left out the
2622 dynamics, fingering and pedalling.
2624 @c The following should appear as music without code
2625 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
2626 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2629 \once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5
2633 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOn
2634 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOn
2635 bes2.^\markup {\bold "Moderato"} r8
2637 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
2639 % Reposition the c2 to the right of the merged note
2640 {c,8~ \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #1.0
2641 % Move the c2 out of the main note column so the merge will work
2644 % Stem on the d2 must be down to permit merging
2645 {s8 \stemDown \once \override Stem #'transparent = ##t d2}
2649 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOff
2650 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOff
2654 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2656 <d g, d>1)\arpeggio |
2663 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2667 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2676 We note first that the right hand part in the third bar
2677 requires four voices. These are the five beamed eighth notes,
2678 the tied C, the half-note D which is merged with the eighth note
2679 D, and the dotted quarter note F-sharp, which is also merged with
2680 the eighth note at the same pitch. Everything else is in a single
2681 voice, so the easiest way is to introduce these four voices
2682 temporarily at the time they are needed. If you have forgotten
2683 how to do this, look at @ref{I'm hearing Voices}. Let us begin
2684 by entering the notes as two variables and setting up the staff
2685 structure in a score block, and see what LilyPond produces by
2688 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2689 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2694 % Start polyphonic section of four voices
2696 {c,8 d fis bes a | }
2707 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2716 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2720 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2729 All the notes are right, but the appearance is far from
2730 satisfactory. The tie clashes with the change in time signature,
2731 the beaming in the third bar is wrong, the notes are not
2732 merged together, and several notation elements are missing.
2733 Let's first deal with the easier things.
2734 We can correct the beaming by inserting a beam
2735 manually, and we can easily add the left hand slur and the right
2736 hand phrasing slur, since these were all covered in the Tutorial.
2739 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2740 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2745 % Start polyphonic section of four voices
2747 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
2758 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2767 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2771 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2780 The first bar is now correct. The second bar contains an arpeggio
2781 and is terminated by a double bar line. How do we do these, as they
2782 have not been mentioned in this Learning Manual? This is where
2783 we need to turn to the Notation Reference. Looking up @q{arpeggio}
2784 and @q{bar line} in the
2785 index quickly shows us that an arpeggio is produced by appending
2786 @code{\arpeggio} to a chord, and a double bar line is produced by
2787 the @code{\bar "||"} command. That's easily done. We next need
2788 to correct the collision of the tie with the time signature. This
2789 is best done by moving the tie upwards. Moving objects was covered
2790 earlier in @ref{Moving objects}, which says that objects positioned
2791 relative to the staff can be moved by overriding their
2792 @code{staff-position} property, which is specified in half staff
2793 spaces relative to the center line of the staff. So the following
2794 override placed just before the first tied note would move the tie
2795 up to 3.5 half staff spaces above the center line:
2797 @code{\once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5}
2799 This completes bar two, giving:
2801 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2802 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2804 \once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5
2809 % Start polyphonic section of four voices
2811 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
2822 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2824 <d g, d>1)\arpeggio |
2831 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2835 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2844 On to bar three and the start of the Moderato section. The
2845 tutorial showed how to add embolded text with the @code{\markup}
2846 command, so adding @q{Moderato} in bold is easy.
2847 But how do we merge notes in different voices together? This is
2848 where we need to turn to the Notation Reference for help. A search
2849 for @qq{merge} in the Notation Reference index quickly leads us to
2850 the commands for merging differently headed and differently
2851 dotted notes in @ruser{Collision resolution}. In our
2852 example we need to merge both types of note for the duration
2853 of the polyphonic section in bar 3, so using the information
2854 we find in the Notation Reference we add
2857 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOn
2858 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOn
2862 to the start of that section and
2865 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOff
2866 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOff
2872 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2873 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2875 \once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5
2879 bes2.^\markup {\bold "Moderato"} r8
2880 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOn
2881 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOn
2882 % Start polyphonic section of four voices
2884 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
2892 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOff
2893 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOff
2897 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2899 <d g, d>1)\arpeggio |
2906 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2910 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2919 These overrides have merged the two F-sharp notes, but not the two
2920 on D. Why not? The answer is there in the same section in the
2921 Notation Reference -- notes being merged must have stems in
2922 opposite directions and two notes cannot be merged successfully if
2923 there is a third note in the same note column. Here the two D's
2924 both have upward stems and there is a third note -- the C. We know
2925 how to change the stem direction using @code{\stemDown}, and
2926 the Notation Reference also says how to move the C -- apply a shift
2927 using one of the @code{\shift} commands. But which one?
2928 The C is in voice two which has shift off, and the two D's are in
2929 voices one and three, which have shift off and shift on,
2930 respectively. So we have to shift the C a further level still
2931 using @code{\shiftOnn} to avoid it interfering with the two D's.
2932 Applying these changes gives:
2934 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2935 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2937 \once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5
2941 bes2.^\markup {\bold "Moderato"} r8
2942 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOn
2943 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOn
2944 % Start polyphonic section of four voices
2946 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
2948 % Move the c2 out of the main note column so the merge will work
2949 {c,8~ \shiftOnn c2 | }
2951 % Stem on the d2 must be down to permit merging
2952 {s8 \stemDown d2 | }
2956 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOff
2957 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOff
2961 lhMusic = \relative c' {
2963 <d g, d>1)\arpeggio |
2970 \new Staff = "RH" <<
2974 \new Staff = "LH" <<
2983 Nearly there. Only two problems remain: The downward stem on the
2984 merged D should not be there, and the C would be better positioned
2985 to the right of the D's. We know how to do both of these from the
2986 earlier tweaks: we make the stem transparent, and move the C with
2987 the @code{force-hshift} property. Here's the final result:
2989 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2990 rhMusic = \relative c'' {
2993 \once \override Tie #'staff-position = #3.5
2997 bes2.^\markup {\bold "Moderato"} r8
2998 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOn
2999 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOn
3001 {c,8[ d fis bes a] | }
3003 % Reposition the c2 to the right of the merged note
3004 {c,8~ \once \override NoteColumn #'force-hshift = #1.0
3005 % Move the c2 out of the main note column so the merge will work
3008 % Stem on the d2 must be down to permit merging
3009 {s8 \stemDown \once \override Stem #'transparent = ##t d2}
3013 \mergeDifferentlyHeadedOff
3014 \mergeDifferentlyDottedOff
3018 lhMusic = \relative c' {
3020 <d g, d>1)\arpeggio |
3027 \new Staff = "RH" <<
3031 \new Staff = "LH" <<
3041 @node Further tweaking
3042 @section Further tweaking
3045 * Other uses for tweaks::
3046 * Using variables for tweaks::
3047 * Other sources of information::
3048 * Avoiding tweaks with slower processing::
3049 * Advanced tweaks with Scheme::
3052 @node Other uses for tweaks
3053 @subsection Other uses for tweaks
3055 @cindex transparent property, use of
3056 @cindex objects, making invisible
3057 @cindex removing objects
3058 @cindex objects, removing
3059 @cindex hiding objects
3060 @cindex invisible objects
3061 @cindex tying notes across voices
3063 @subheading Tying notes across voices
3065 The following example demonstrates how to connect notes in
3066 different voices using ties. Normally, only two notes in the
3067 same voice can be connected with ties. By using two voices,
3068 with the tied notes in one of them
3070 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=2]
3071 << { b8~ b8\noBeam }
3077 and blanking the first up-stem in that voice, the tie appears to
3080 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=2,verbatim]
3083 \once \override Stem #'transparent = ##t
3091 To make sure that the just-blanked stem doesn't squeeze the tie
3092 too much, we can lengthen the stem by setting the
3093 @code{length} to @code{8},
3095 @lilypond[quote,fragment,relative=2,verbatim]
3098 \once \override Stem #'transparent = ##t
3099 \once \override Stem #'length = #8
3107 @subheading Simulating a fermata in MIDI
3109 @cindex stencil property, use of
3110 @cindex fermata, implementing in MIDI
3112 For outside-staff objects it is usually better to override the
3113 object's @code{stencil} property rather than its @code{transparent}
3114 property when you wish to remove it from the printed output.
3115 Setting the @code{stencil} property of an object to @code{#f} will
3116 remove that object entirely from the printed output. This means it
3117 has no effect on the placement of other objects placed relative to
3120 For example, if we wished to change the metronome setting in order
3121 to simulate a fermata in the MIDI output we would not want the
3122 metronome markings to appear in the printed output, and we would
3123 not want it to influence the spacing between the two systems or
3124 the positions of adjacent annotations on the staff. So setting
3125 its @code{stencil} property to @code{#f} would be the best way.
3126 We show here the effect of the two methods:
3128 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3131 % Visible tempo marking
3134 \once \override Score.MetronomeMark #'transparent = ##t
3135 % Invisible tempo marking to lengthen fermata in MIDI
3138 % New tempo for next section
3147 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3150 % Visible tempo marking
3153 \once \override Score.MetronomeMark #'stencil = ##f
3154 % Invisible tempo marking to lengthen fermata in MIDI
3157 % New tempo for next section
3167 Both methods remove the metronome mark which lengthens the fermata
3168 from the printed output, and both affect the MIDI timing as
3169 required, but the transparent metronome mark in the first line
3170 forces the following tempo indication too high while the
3171 second (with the stencil removed) does not.
3173 @node Using variables for tweaks
3174 @subsection Using variables for tweaks
3176 Override commands are often long and tedious to type, and they
3177 have to be absolutely correct. If the same overrides are to be
3178 used many times it may be worth defining variables to hold them.
3179 Suppose we wish to emphasize certain words in lyrics by printing
3180 them in bold italics. The @code{\italic} and @code{\bold}
3181 commands only work within lyrics if they are also embedded in
3182 @code{\markup}, which makes them tedious to enter, so as an
3183 alternative can we instead use the @code{\override} and
3184 @code{\revert} commands?
3187 @code{\override Lyrics . LyricText #'font-shape = #'italic}
3188 @code{\override Lyrics . LyricText #'font-series = #'bold}
3190 @code{\revert Lyrics . LyricText #'font-shape}
3191 @code{\revert Lyrics . LyricText #'font-series}
3194 These would also be extremely tedious to enter if there were many
3195 words requiring emphasis. So instead we define these as two
3196 variables, and use them as follows, although normally we would
3197 perhaps choose shorter names for the variables to make them
3200 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
3202 \override Lyrics . LyricText #'font-shape = #'italic
3203 \override Lyrics . LyricText #'font-series = #'bold
3206 \revert Lyrics . LyricText #'font-shape
3207 \revert Lyrics . LyricText #'font-series
3210 global = { \time 4/4 \partial 4 \key c \major}
3211 SopranoMusic = \relative c' { c4 | e4. e8 g4 g | a a g }
3212 AltoMusic = \relative c' { c4 | c4. c8 e4 e | f f e }
3213 TenorMusic = \relative c { e4 | g4. g8 c4. b8 | a8 b c d e4 }
3214 BassMusic = \relative c { c4 | c4. c8 c4 c | f8 g a b c4 }
3215 VerseOne = \lyrics { E -- | ter -- nal \emphasize Fa -- ther, \normal | strong to save, }
3216 VerseTwo = \lyricmode { O | \emphasize Christ, \normal whose voice the | wa -- ters heard, }
3217 VerseThree = \lyricmode { O | \emphasize Ho -- ly Spi -- rit, \normal | who didst brood }
3218 VerseFour = \lyricmode { O | \emphasize Tri -- ni -- ty \normal of | love and pow'r }
3224 \new Voice = "Soprano" { \voiceOne \global \SopranoMusic }
3225 \new Voice = "Alto" { \voiceTwo \AltoMusic }
3226 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Soprano" { \VerseOne }
3227 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Soprano" { \VerseTwo }
3228 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Soprano" { \VerseThree }
3229 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "Soprano" { \VerseFour }
3233 \new Voice = "Tenor" { \voiceOne \TenorMusic }
3234 \new Voice = "Bass" { \voiceTwo \BassMusic }
3242 @node Other sources of information
3243 @subsection Other sources of information
3245 The Internals Reference documentation contains a lot of information
3246 about LilyPond, but even more information can be gathered by
3247 looking at the internal LilyPond files. To explore these, you must
3248 first find the directory appropriate to your system. The location
3249 of this directory depends (a) on whether you obtained LilyPond
3250 by downloading a precompiled binary from lilypond.org
3251 or whether you installed it from a package manager (i.e.
3252 distributed with Linux, or installed under fink or cygwin) or
3253 compiled it from source, and (b) on which operating system it is
3256 @strong{Downloaded from lilypond.org}
3262 @file{@var{INSTALLDIR}/lilypond/usr/share/lilypond/current/}
3267 @file{@var{INSTALLDIR}/LilyPond.app/Contents/Resources/share/lilypond/current/}
3268 by either @code{cd}-ing into this directory from the
3269 Terminal, or control-clicking on the LilyPond application and
3270 selecting @q{Show Package Contents}.
3274 Using Windows Explorer, navigate to
3275 @file{@var{INSTALLDIR}/LilyPond/usr/share/lilypond/current/}
3279 @strong{Installed from a package manager or compiled from source}
3282 @file{@var{PREFIX}/share/lilypond/@var{X.Y.Z}/}, where
3283 @var{PREFIX} is set by your package manager or @code{configure}
3284 script, and @var{X.Y.Z} is the LilyPond version number.
3288 Within this directory the two interesting subdirectories are
3291 @item @file{ly/} - contains files in LilyPond format
3292 @item @file{scm/} - contains files in Scheme format
3295 Let's begin by looking at some files in @file{ly/}.
3296 Open @file{ly/property-init.ly} in a text editor. The one
3297 you normally use for @code{.ly} files will be fine. This file
3298 contains the definitions of all the standard LilyPond built-in
3299 commands, such as @code{\stemUp} and @code{\slurDotted}. You will
3300 see that these are nothing more than definitions of variables
3301 containing one or a group of @code{\override} commands. For
3302 example, @code{/tieDotted} is defined to be:
3306 \override Tie #'dash-period = #0.75
3307 \override Tie #'dash-fraction = #0.1
3311 If you do not like the default values these built-in commands can
3312 be redefined easily, just like any other variable, at the
3313 head of your input file.
3315 The following are the most useful files to be found in
3318 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
3321 @item @file{ly/engraver-init.ly}
3322 @tab Definitions of engraver Contexts
3323 @item @file{ly/paper-defaults.ly}
3324 @tab Specifications of paper-related defaults
3325 @item @file{ly/performer-init.ly}
3326 @tab Definitions of performer Contexts
3327 @item @file{ly/property-init.ly}
3328 @tab Definitions of all common built-in commands
3331 Other settings (such as the definitions of markup commands) are
3332 stored as @code{.scm} (Scheme) files. The Scheme programming
3333 language is used to provide a programmable interface into
3334 LilyPond internal operation. Further explanation of these files
3335 is currently outside the scope of this manual, as a knowledge of
3336 the Scheme language is required. Users should be warned that
3337 a substantial amount of technical knowledge or time is required
3338 to understand Scheme and these files (see @ref{Scheme tutorial}).
3340 If you have this knowledge, the Scheme files which may be of
3343 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
3346 @item @file{scm/auto-beam.scm}
3347 @tab Sub-beaming defaults
3348 @item @file{scm/define-grobs.scm}
3349 @tab Default settings for grob properties
3350 @item @file{scm/define-markup-commands.scm}
3351 @tab Specify all markup commands
3352 @item @file{scm/midi.scm}
3353 @tab Default settings for MIDI output
3354 @item @file{scm/output-lib.scm}
3355 @tab Settings that affect appearance of frets, colors,
3356 accidentals, bar lines, etc
3357 @item @file{scm/parser-clef.scm}
3358 @tab Definitions of supported clefs
3359 @item @file{scm/script.scm}
3360 @tab Default settings for articulations
3365 @node Avoiding tweaks with slower processing
3366 @subsection Avoiding tweaks with slower processing
3368 LilyPond can perform extra checks while it processes input files. These
3369 checks will take extra time to perform, but fewer manual tweaks
3370 may be required to obtain an acceptable result. If a text script
3371 or part of the lyrics extends over the margins these checks will
3372 compress that line of the score just enough to fit within the
3375 To be effective under all circumstances these checks must be enabled
3376 by placing the overrides in a Score @code{\with} block, rather than
3377 in-line in music, as follows:
3381 % Makes sure text scripts and lyrics are within the paper margins
3382 \override PaperColumn #'keep-inside-line = ##t
3383 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'keep-inside-line = ##t
3389 @node Advanced tweaks with Scheme
3390 @subsection Advanced tweaks with Scheme
3392 Although many things are possible with the @code{\override} and
3393 @code{\tweak} commands, an even more powerful way of modifying
3394 the action of LilyPond is available through a programmable
3395 interface to the LilyPond internal operation. Code written in
3396 the Scheme programming language can be incorporated directly in
3397 the internal operation of LilyPond. Of course, at least a basic
3398 knowledge of programming in Scheme is required to do this, and an
3399 introduction is provided in the @ref{Scheme tutorial}.
3401 As an illustration of one of the many possibilities, instead of
3402 setting a property to a constant it can be set to a Scheme
3403 procedure which is then called whenever that property is accessed
3404 by LilyPond. The property can then be set dynamically to a value
3405 determined by the procedure at the time it is called. In this
3406 example we color the note head in accordance with its position on
3409 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
3410 #(define (color-notehead grob)
3411 "Color the notehead according to its position on the staff."
3412 (let ((mod-position (modulo (ly:grob-property grob 'staff-position) 7)))
3414 ;; Return rainbow colors
3415 ((1) (x11-color 'red )) ; for C
3416 ((2) (x11-color 'orange )) ; for D
3417 ((3) (x11-color 'yellow )) ; for E
3418 ((4) (x11-color 'green )) ; for F
3419 ((5) (x11-color 'blue )) ; for G
3420 ((6) (x11-color 'purple )) ; for A
3421 ((0) (x11-color 'violet )) ; for B
3427 % Arrange to obtain color from color-notehead procedure
3428 \override NoteHead #'color = #color-notehead
3435 Some -- where o -- ver the Rain -- bow, way up high,
3439 Further examples showing the use of these programmable interfaces
3440 can be found in @ref{Tweaking with Scheme}.