1 New features in 2.20 since 2.18
2 *******************************
4 • A new ‘output-attributes’ grob property is now used for svg output
5 instead of the ‘id’ grob property. It allows multiple attributes
6 to be defined as an association list. For example, ‘#'((id . 123)
7 (class . foo) (data-whatever . “bar”))’ will produce the following
8 group tag in an SVG file: ‘<g id=“123” class=“foo”
9 data-whatever=“bar”> ... </g>’.
11 • Slurs and phrasing slurs may now be started from individual notes
12 in a chord. Several simultanous slurs per ‘Voice’ need to be
13 distinguished by ‘spanner-id’ setting.
15 • The music and grob property ‘spanner-id’ for distinguishing
16 simultaneous slurs and phrasing slurs has been changed from a
17 string to a ‘key’, a non-negative integer or symbol.
19 • There is a new command ‘\=’ for specifying the ‘spanner-id’ for
20 simultaneous slurs and phrasing slurs.
22 <c~ f\=1( g\=2( >2 <c e\=1) a\=2) >
26 • Blocks introduced with ‘\header’ can be stored in variables and
27 used as arguments to music and scheme functions and as the body of
28 ‘#{...#}’ constructs. They are represented as a Guile module.
30 While ‘\book’, ‘\bookpart’, ‘\score’, ‘\with’, ‘\layout’, ‘\midi’,
31 ‘\paper’ blocks can be passed around in similar manner, they are
32 represented by different data types.
34 • Dot-separated symbol lists like ‘FretBoard.stencil’ were already
35 supported as of version 2.18. They may now also contain unsigned
36 integers, and may alternatively be separated by commata. This
38 { \time 2,2,1 5/8 g'8 8 8 8 8 }
42 \tagGroup violin,oboe,bassoon
44 • Such lists may also be used in expressions for assignments, sets,
45 and overrides. This allows usage such as
46 { \unset Timing.beamExceptions
47 \set Timing.beatStructure = 1,2,1
51 • Association list elements could previously be assigned values
52 individually (for example, paper variables like
53 ‘system-system-spacing.basic-distance’). They may now be also
54 referenced in this manner, as with
56 \void \displayScheme \system-system-spacing.basic-distance
59 In combination with the previously mentioned changes, this allows
60 setting and referencing pseudovariables like ‘violin.1’.
62 • LilyPond source files may now be embedded inside the generated PDF
63 files. This experimental feature is disabled by default and may be
64 regarded as unsafe, as PDF documents with hidden content tend to
65 present a security risk. Please note that not all PDF viewers have
66 the ability to handle embedded documents (if not, the PDF output
67 will appear normally and source files will remain invisible). This
68 feature only works with the PDF backend.
70 • French note names are now defined specifically instead of being
71 aliased to Italian note names: in addition to the generic
72 Italian-derived syntax, the D pitch may be entered as ‘ré’. Double
73 sharps may also be entered using the ‘-x’ suffix.
75 • Additional bass strings (for lute tablature) are supported.
76 m = { f'4 d' a f d a, g, fis, e, d, c, \bar "|." }
83 tablatureFormat = #fret-letter-tablature-format
87 stringTunings = \stringTuning <a, d f a d' f'>
88 additionalBassStrings = \stringTuning <c, d, e, fis, g,>
89 fretLabels = #'("a" "b" "r" "d" "e" "f" "g" "h" "i" "k")
95 • The markup-list-command ‘\table’ is now available. Each column may
96 be aligned differently.
98 \override #'(padding . 2)
102 \underline { center-aligned right-aligned center-aligned left-aligned }
103 one "1" thousandth "0.001"
104 eleven "11" hundredth "0.01"
105 twenty "20" tenth "0.1"
106 thousand "1000" one "1.0"
111 • A new markup-command, ‘\with-dimensions-from’, makes
112 ‘\with-dimensions’ easier to use by taking the new dimensions from
113 a markup object, given as first argument.
115 \pattern #5 #Y #0 "x"
116 \pattern #5 #Y #0 \with-dimensions-from "x" "f"
117 \pattern #5 #Y #0 \with-dimensions-from "x" "g"
118 \override #'(baseline-skip . 2)
120 \pattern #5 #X #0 "n"
121 \pattern #5 #X #0 \with-dimensions-from "n" "m"
122 \pattern #5 #X #0 \with-dimensions-from "n" "!"
127 • There are two new page breaking functions. ‘ly:one-page-breaking’
128 automatically adjusts the height of the page to fit the music, so
129 that everything fits on one page.
130 ‘ly:one-line-auto-height-breaking’ is like ‘ly:one-line-breaking’,
131 placing the music on a single line and adjusting the page width
132 accordingly, however it also automatically adjusts the page height
135 • Markup-command ‘\draw-squiggle-line’ is now available. Customizing
136 is possible with overrides of ‘thickness’, ‘angularity’, ‘height’
140 \draw-squiggle-line #0.5 #'(3 . 3) ##t
143 \override #'(thickness . 4)
144 \draw-squiggle-line #0.5 #'(3 . -3) ##t
147 \override #'(angularity . -5)
148 \draw-squiggle-line #0.5 #'(-3 . -3) ##t
150 \translate #'(3 . -3)
151 \override #'(angularity . 2)
152 \override #'(height . 0.3)
153 \override #'(orientation . -1)
154 \draw-squiggle-line #0.2 #'(-3 . 3) ##t
158 • A new command, ‘\RemoveAllEmptyStaves’, has been made available,
159 which acts exactly like ‘\RemoveEmptyStaves’, except for also
160 removing empty staves on the first system in a score.
162 • Markup-commands ‘\undertie’ and ‘\overtie’ are now available, as
163 well as the generic markup-command ‘\tie’.
165 \undertie "undertied"
170 c''1 \prall -\tweak text \markup \tie "131" -1
173 { \voiceOne \m \voiceTwo \m }
176 • ‘TabStaff’ is now able to print micro-tones for bendings etc.
180 supportNonIntegerFret = ##t
184 mus = \relative { c'4 cih d dih }
187 \new Staff << \clef "G_8" \mus >>
192 • Two new styles of whiteout are now available. The ‘outline’ style
193 approximates the contours of a glyph’s outline, and its shape is
194 produced from multiple displaced copies of the glyph. The
195 ‘rounded-box’ style produces a rounded rectangle shape. For all
196 three styles, including the default ‘box’ style, the whiteout
197 shape’s ‘thickness’, as a multiple of staff-line thickness, can be
202 \filled-box #'(-1 . 15) #'(-3 . 4) #1
203 \override #'(thickness . 3)
204 \whiteout whiteout-box
208 \filled-box #'(-1 . 24) #'(-3 . 4) #1
209 \override #'(style . rounded-box)
210 \override #'(thickness . 3)
211 \whiteout whiteout-rounded-box
215 \filled-box #'(-1 . 18) #'(-3 . 4) #1
216 \override #'(style . outline)
217 \override #'(thickness . 3)
218 \whiteout whiteout-outline
221 \override Staff.Clef.whiteout-style = #'outline
222 \override Staff.Clef.whiteout = 3
227 • All of ‘\override’, ‘\revert’, ‘\set’, and ‘\unset’ now work with
228 the ‘\once’ prefix for making one-time settings.
231 \override NoteHead.color = #red
233 \once \override NoteHead.color = #green
235 \once \revert NoteHead.color
237 \revert NoteHead.color
242 • When outputting MIDI, LilyPond will now store the ‘title’ defined
243 in a score’s ‘\header’ block (or, if there is no such definition on
244 the ‘\score’ level, the first such definition found in a ‘\header’
245 block of the score’s enclosing ‘\bookpart’, ‘\book’, or top-level
246 scope) as the name of the MIDI sequence in the MIDI file.
247 Optionally, the name of the MIDI sequence can be overridden using
248 the new ‘midititle’ ‘\header’ field independently of ‘title’ (for
249 example, in case ‘title’ contains markup code which does not render
250 as plain text in a satisfactory way automatically).
252 • Music (and scheme and void) functions and markup commands that just
253 supply the final parameters to a chain of overrides, music function
254 and markup command calls can now be defined in the form of just
255 writing the expression cut short with ‘\etc’.
257 bold-red-markup = \markup \bold \with-color #red \etc
258 highlight = \tweak font-size 3 \tweak color #red \etc
260 \markup \bold-red "text"
261 \markuplist \column-lines \bold-red { One Two }
263 { c' \highlight d' e'2-\highlight -! }
266 • LilyPond functions defined with ‘define-music-function’,
267 ‘define-event-function’, ‘define-scheme-function’ and
268 ‘define-void-function’ can now be directly called from Scheme as if
269 they were genuine Scheme procedures. Argument checking and
270 matching will still be performed in the same manner as when calling
271 the function through LilyPond input. This includes the insertion
272 of defaults for optional arguments not matching their predicates.
273 Instead of using ‘\default’ in the actual argument list for
274 explicitly skipping a sequence of optional arguments,
275 ‘*unspecified*’ can be employed.
277 • Current input location and parser are now stored in GUILE fluids
278 and can be referenced via the function calls ‘(*location*)’ and
279 ‘(*parser*)’. Consequently, a lot of functions previously taking
280 an explicit ‘parser’ argument no longer do so.
282 Functions defined with ‘define-music-function’,
283 ‘define-event-function’, ‘define-scheme-function’ and
284 ‘define-void-function’ no longer use ‘parser’ and ‘location’
287 With those particular definitions, LilyPond will try to recognize
288 legacy use of ‘parser’ and ‘location’ arguments, providing
289 backwards-compatible semantics for some time.
291 • In the "english" notename language, the long notenames for pitches
292 with accidentals now contain a hyphen for better readability. You
295 instead of the previous
298 Double accidentals do not get another hyphen, so the Dutch ‘cisis’
299 has the long English notename ‘c-sharpsharp’.
301 • The visual style of tremolo slashes (shape, style and slope) is now
302 more finely controlled.
305 • Multi-measure rests have length according to their total duration,
306 under the control of ‘MultiMeasureRest.space-increment’.
309 • Page numbers may now be printed in roman numerals, by setting the
310 ‘page-number-type’ paper variable.
312 • It is now possible to use ‘\time’ and ‘\partial’ together to change
313 the time signature in mid measure.
315 \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility = #end-of-line-invisible
316 \partial 4 \time 3/4 f4 | 2 4 | 2 \bar "||"
317 \time 9/8 \partial 4. f8 8 8 | 2. 8 8 8 |
320 • It is now possible to override the ‘text’ property of chord names.
323 \new ChordNames \chordmode {
325 \once \override ChordName.text = #"foo"
331 • Improved horizontal alignment when using ‘TextScript’, with
332 ‘DynamicText’ or ‘LyricText’.
334 • A new command ‘\magnifyStaff’ has been added which scales staff
335 sizes, staff lines, bar lines, beamlets and horizontal spacing
336 generally at the ‘Staff’ context level. Staff lines are prevented
337 from being scaled smaller than the default since the thickness of
338 stems, slurs, and the like are all based on the staff line
341 • ‘InstrumentName’ now supports ‘text-interface’.
343 • There is now support for controlling the ‘expression level’ of MIDI
344 channels using the ‘Staff.midiExpression’ context property. This
345 can be used to alter the perceived volume of even sustained notes
346 (albeit in a very ‘low-level’ way) and accepts a number value
347 between ‘0.0’ and ‘1.0’.
351 midiExpression = #0.6
352 midiInstrument = #"clarinet"
357 \set Staff.midiExpression = #0.7 s4\f\<
358 \set Staff.midiExpression = #0.8 s4
359 \set Staff.midiExpression = #0.9 s4
360 \set Staff.midiExpression = #1.0 s4
362 \set Staff.midiExpression = #0.9 s4\>
363 \set Staff.midiExpression = #0.8 s4
364 \set Staff.midiExpression = #0.7 s4
365 \set Staff.midiExpression = #0.6 s4\!
371 • Support for making it easier to use alternative ‘music’ fonts other
372 than the default Emmentaler in LilyPond has been added. See
373 <http://fonts.openlilylib.org/> for more information.
375 • Grobs and their parents can now be aligned separately allowing more
376 flexibility for grob positions. For example the ‘left’ edge of a
377 grob can now be aligned on the ‘center’ of its parent.
379 • Improvements to the ‘\partial’ command have been made to avoid
380 problems when using multiple, parallel contexts.
382 • ‘\chordmode’ can now use ‘< >’ and ‘<< >>’ constructs.
384 • A new command ‘\tagGroup’ has now been added. This complements the
385 existing ‘\keepWithTag’ and ‘\removeWithTag’ commands. For
388 \tagGroup #'(violinI violinII viola cello)
390 declares a list of ‘tags’ that belong to a single ‘tag group’.
392 \keepWithTag #'violinI
394 Is now only concerned with ‘tags’ from ‘violinI’’s tag group.
396 Any element of the included music tagged with one or more tags from
397 the group, but _not_ with VIOLINI, will be removed.
399 • The ‘\addlyrics’ function now works with arbitrary contexts
402 • String numbers can now also be used to print roman numerals (e.g.
403 for unfretted string instruments).
411 • The ‘thin-kern’ property of the ‘BarLine’ grob has been renamed to
414 • ‘KeyCancellation’ grobs now ignore cue clefs (like ‘KeySignature’
417 • Add support for ‘\once \unset’
419 • It is now possible to individually color both the dots and
420 parentheses in fret diagrams when using the ‘\fret-diagram-verbose’
425 \override #'(fret-diagram-details . (
426 (finger-code . in-dot))) {
427 \fret-diagram-verbose #'((mute 6)
428 (place-fret 5 3 1 red)
429 (place-fret 4 5 2 inverted)
430 (place-fret 3 5 3 green)
431 (place-fret 2 5 4 blue inverted)
432 (place-fret 1 3 1 violet)
437 \override #'(fret-diagram-details . (
438 (finger-code . below-string))) {
439 \fret-diagram-verbose #'((mute 6)
440 (place-fret 5 3 1 red parenthesized)
441 (place-fret 4 5 2 yellow
444 (place-fret 3 5 3 green)
445 (place-fret 2 5 4 blue )
453 • Two new properties have been added for use in
454 ‘fret-diagram-details’ when using the ‘\fret-diagram-verbose’
455 markup command; ‘fret-label-horizontal-offset’ which affects the
456 ‘fret-label-indication’ and ‘paren-padding’ which controls the
457 space between the dot and the parentheses surrounding it.
461 \fret-diagram-verbose #'((mute 6)
465 (place-fret 1 6 4 parenthesized)
470 \override #'(fret-diagram-details . (
471 (fret-label-horizontal-offset . 2)
472 (paren-padding . 0.25))) {
473 \fret-diagram-verbose #'((mute 6)
477 (place-fret 1 6 4 parenthesized)
485 • A new markup command ‘\justify-line’ has been added. Similar to
486 the ‘\fill-line’ markup command except that instead of setting
487 _words_ in columns, the ‘\justify-line’ command balances the
488 whitespace between them ensuring that when there are three or more
489 words in a markup, the whitespace is always consistent.
491 \markup \fill-line {oooooo oooooo oooooo oooooo}
492 \markup \fill-line {ooooooooo oooooooo oo ooo}
495 \markup \justify-line {oooooo oooooo oooooo oooooo}
496 \markup \justify-line {ooooooooo oooooooo oo ooo}
499 • A new command ‘\magnifyMusic’ has been added, which allows the
500 notation size to be changed without changing the staff size, while
501 automatically scaling stems, beams, and horizontal spacing.
504 \new Voice \relative {
506 <e' e'>4 <f f'>8. <g g'>16 <f f'>8 <e e'>4 r8
508 \new Voice \relative {
511 \override Score.SpacingSpanner.spacing-increment = #(* 1.2 0.63)
512 r32 c'' a c a c a c r c a c a c a c
513 r c a c a c a c a c a c a c a c
519 • A new flexible template suitable for a range of choral music, is
520 now provided. This may be used to create simple choral music, with
521 or without piano accompaniment, in two or four staves. Unlike
522 other templates, this template is ‘built-in’, which means it does
523 not need to be copied and edited: instead it is simply ‘\include’’d
524 in the input file. For details, see *note
525 (lilypond-learning)Built-in templates::.
527 • The positioning of tuplet numbers for kneed beams has been
528 significantly improved. Previously, tuplet numbers were placed
529 according to the position of the tuplet bracket, even if it was not
530 printed. This could lead to stranded tuplet numbers. Now they are
531 now positioned closer to the kneed-beam when an appropriate beam
532 segment exists for its placement and when the bracket is not drawn.
534 Collision detection is also added, offsetting horizontally if too
535 close to an adjoining note column but preserving the number’s
536 vertical distance from the kneed beam. If the number itself is too
537 large to fit in the available space the original, bracket-based,
538 positioning system is used instead; and in the event of a collision
539 (e.g. with an accidental) the tuplet number is moved vertically
543 \override Beam.auto-knee-gap = 3
551 The original kneed-beam tuplet behavior is still available through
552 an ‘\override’ via a new, ‘knee-to-beam’ property.
555 \override Beam.auto-knee-gap = 3
556 \override TupletNumber.knee-to-beam = ##f
564 • ‘\lyricsto’ and ‘\addLyrics’ have been ‘harmonized’. Both now
565 accept the same kind of delimited argument list that ‘\lyrics’ and
566 ‘\chords’ accept. Backward compatibility has been added so music
567 identifiers (i.e. ‘\mus’) are permitted as arguments. A
568 ‘convert-ly’ rule has been added that removes redundant uses of
569 ‘\lyricmode’ and rearranges combinations with context starters such
570 that ‘\lyricsto’ in general is applied last (i.e. like
571 ‘\lyricmode’ would be).
573 • Scheme functions and identifiers can now be used as output
576 • Scheme expressions can now be used as chord constituents.
578 • Improved visual spacing of small and regular ‘MI’ Funk and Walker
579 noteheads so they are now the same width as other shaped notes in
580 their respective sets. ‘SOL’ noteheads are also now visually
581 improved when used with both the normal Aiken and Sacred Harp
582 heads, as well as with the thin variants.
584 • ‘LeftEdge’ now has a definable ‘Y-extent’ (i.e.vertical). See
585 *note (lilypond-internals)LeftEdge::.
587 • Added a new ‘make-path-stencil’ function that supports all ‘path’
588 commands both relative and absolute:
590 ‘lineto’, ‘rlineto’, ‘curveto’, ‘rcurveto’, ‘moveto’, ‘rmoveto’,
591 ‘closepath’. The function also supports ‘single-letter’ syntax
592 used in standard SVG path commands:
594 ‘L’, ‘l’, ‘C’, ‘c’, ‘M’, ‘m’, ‘Z’ and ‘z’. The new command is also
595 backward-compatible with the original ‘make-connected-path-stencil’
596 function. Also see ‘scm/stencil.scm’.
598 • Context properties named in the ‘alternativeRestores’ property are
599 restored to their value at the start of the _first_ alternative in
600 all subsequent alternatives.
602 Currently the default set restores ‘current meter’;
605 \repeat volta 2 { c2 e4 | }
616 \repeat volta 2 { c2 e4 | }
619 \set Timing.measurePosition = #(ly:make-moment -1/2)
630 \set chordChanges = ##t
631 \chordmode { c1:m d:m c:m d:m }
634 \repeat volta 2 { \chordmode { c1:m } }
636 { \chordmode { d:m } }
637 { \chordmode { c:m } }
644 • Improved MIDI output for breathe marks. After tied notes, breaths
645 take time _only_ from the last note of the tie; e.g. ‘{ c4~ c8
646 \breathe }’ performs as ‘{ c4~ c16 r }’ instead of ‘{ c4 r8 }’.
647 This is more consistent with articulations and how humans interpret
648 breaths after ties. It now also makes it easier to align
649 simultaneous breathe marks over multiple parts, all with different
652 • A new note head style for Tabulature has been added;
653 ‘TabNoteHead.style = #'slash’.
655 • Four new Clef glyphs have been added _Double G_, _Tenor G_,
656 _Varpercussion_ and _varC_ and their related tessitura.
657 \override Staff.Clef.full-size-change = ##t
660 \clef "tenorG" c c c c
662 \clef "altovarC" c c c c
663 \clef "tenorvarC" c c c c
664 \clef "baritonevarC" c c c c
665 \clef "varpercussion" c c c c
668 \override Staff.Clef.full-size-change = ##f
671 \clef "tenorG" c c c c
673 \clef "altovarC" c c c c
674 \clef "tenorvarC" c c c c
675 \clef "baritonevarC" c c c c
676 \clef "varpercussion" c c c c
679 • Isolated durations in music sequences now stand for unpitched
680 notes. This may be useful for specifying rhythms to music or
681 scheme functions. When encountered in the final score, the pitches
682 are provided by the preceding note or chord. Here are two examples
683 where this makes for readable input:
685 \new DrumStaff \with { \override StaffSymbol.line-count = 1 }
688 tambourine 8 \tuplet 3/2 { 16 16 16 }
689 8 \tuplet 3/2 { 16 16 16 } 8 8 |
693 \new Staff { r16 c'16 ~ 8 ~ 4 ~ 2 | }
696 • ‘\displayLilyMusic’ and its underlying Scheme functions no longer
697 omit redundant note durations. This makes it easier to reliably
698 recognize and format standalone durations in expressions like
701 • Beaming exceptions can now be constructed using the
702 ‘\beamExceptions’ scheme function. One can now write
705 \set Timing.beamExceptions =
706 \beamExceptions { 32[ 32] 32[ 32] 32[ 32] }
708 \repeat unfold 6 { c32 } |
711 with multiple exceptions separated with ‘|’ bar checks (writing the
712 exception pattern without pitches is convenient but not mandatory).
713 Previously, setting the beam exceptions would have required writing
715 \set Timing.beamExceptions =
717 (end . ;entry for end of beams
718 ( ;start of alist of end points
719 ((1 . 32) . (2 2 2)) ;rule for 1/32 beams -- end each 1/16
722 • The most common articulations are now reflected in MIDI output.
723 Accent and marcato make notes louder; staccato, staccatissimo and
724 portato make them shorter. Breath marks shorten the previous note.
726 This behavior is customizable through the ‘midiLength’ and
727 ‘midiExtraVelocity’ properties on ‘ArticulationEvent’. See
728 ‘script-init.ly’ for examples.
730 • The PostScript functionality of stroke adjustment is no longer
731 applied automatically but left to the discretion of the PostScript
732 device (by default, Ghostscript uses it for resolutions up to
733 150dpi when generating raster images). When it is enabled, a more
734 complex drawing algorithm designed to benefit from stroke
735 adjustment is employed mostly for stems and bar lines.
737 Stroke adjustment can be forced by specifying the command line
738 option ‘-dstrokeadjust’ to LilyPond. When generating ‘PDF’ files,
739 this will usually result in markedly better looking ‘PDF’ previews
740 but significantly larger file size. Print quality at high
741 resolutions will be unaffected.