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Text

These snippets illustrate the Notation Reference, section Text.

Adjusting lyrics vertical spacing

This snippet shows how to bring the lyrics line closer to the staff.

% Default layout:
<<
  \new Staff \new Voice = melody \relative c' {
    c4 d e f
    g4 f e d
    c1
  }
  \new Lyrics \lyricsto melody { aa aa aa aa aa aa aa aa aa }

% Reducing the minimum space below the staff and above the lyrics:
  \new Staff \with {
    \override VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-1 . 4)
  }
  \new Voice = melody \relative c' {
    c4 d e f
    g4 f e d
    c1
  }
  \new Lyrics \with {
    \override VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-1.2 . 1)
  }
  \lyricsto melody { aa aa aa aa aa aa aa aa aa }
>>

[image of music]

Aligning and centering instrument names

Instrument names are generally printed to the left of the staves. To align the names of several different intruments, put them in a \markup block and use one of the following possibilites:

* Right-aligned instrument names: this is the default behavior

* Center-aligned instrument names: using the \hcenter-in #n command places the instrument names inside a padded box, with n being the width of the box

* Left-aligned instrument names: the names are printed on top of an empty box, using the \combine command with an \hspace #n object.

\paper {
  indent = #0
  left-margin = #30
  line-width = #160
}

\new StaffGroup \relative c' <<
  \new Staff {
    \set Staff.instrumentName = #"Piccolo"
    c1^"default" | c \break
    \set Staff.instrumentName = \markup { \hcenter-in #10 Piccolo }
    c1^"centered" | c \break
    \set Staff.instrumentName = \markup { \combine \hspace #8 Piccolo }
    c1^"left-aligned" | c
  } 
  \new Staff {
    \set Staff.instrumentName = #"Flute"
    c1 | c \break
    \set Staff.instrumentName = \markup { \hcenter-in #10 Flute }
    c1 | c \break
    \set Staff.instrumentName = \markup { \combine \hspace #8 Flute }
    c1 | c
  }
>>

[image of music]

Aligning lyrics

Horizontal alignment for lyrics cam be set by overriding the self-alignment-X property of the LyricText object. #-1 is left, #0 is center and #1 is right; however, you can use #LEFT, #CENTER and #RIGHT as well.

\layout { ragged-right = ##f }
\relative c'' {
  c1
  c1
  c1
}
\addlyrics {
  \once \override LyricText #'self-alignment-X = #LEFT
  "This is left-aligned"
  \once \override LyricText #'self-alignment-X = #CENTER
  "This is centered" 
  \once \override LyricText #'self-alignment-X = #1
  "This is right-aligned"
}

[image of music]

Aligning marks with various notation objects

If specified, text marks may be aligned with notation objects other than bar lines. These objects include ambitus, breathing-sign, clef, custos, staff-bar, left-edge, key-cancellation, key-signature, and time-signature.

In such cases, text marks will be horizontally centered above the object. However this can be changed, as demonstrated on the second line of this example (in a score with multiple staves, this setting should be done for all the staves).

\relative c' {
  e1
  
  % the RehearsalMark will be centered above the Clef
  \override Score.RehearsalMark #'break-align-symbols = #'(clef)
  \key a \major
  \clef treble
  \mark "↓"
  e
  
  % the RehearsalMark will be centered above the TimeSignature
  \override Score.RehearsalMark #'break-align-symbols = #'(time-signature)
  \key a \major
  \clef treble
  \time 3/4
  \mark "↓"
  e2.
  
  % the RehearsalMark will be centered above the KeySignature
  \override Score.RehearsalMark #'break-align-symbols = #'(key-signature)
  \key a \major
  \clef treble
  \time 4/4
  \mark "↓"
  e1

  \break
  e
  
  % the RehearsalMark will be aligned with the left edge of the KeySignature
  \once \override Score.KeySignature #'break-align-anchor-alignment = #LEFT
  \mark "↓"
  \key a \major
  e
  
  % the RehearsalMark will be aligned with the right edge of the KeySignature
  \once \override Score.KeySignature #'break-align-anchor-alignment = #RIGHT
  \key a \major
  \mark "↓"
  e
  
  % the RehearsalMark will be aligned with the left edge of the KeySignature
  % and then shifted right by 1 unit.
  \once \override Score.KeySignature #'break-align-anchor = #1
  \key a \major
  \mark "↓"
  e1
}

[image of music]

Blanking staff lines using the \whiteout command

The \whiteout command underlays a markup with a white box. Since staff lines are in a lower layer than most other grobs, this white box will not overlap any other grob.

\layout { ragged-right = ##f }
\relative c' {
  \override TextScript #'extra-offset = #'(2 . 4)
  c2-\markup { \whiteout \pad-markup #0.5 "middle C" } c
} 

[image of music]

Center text below hairpin dynamics

This example provides a function to typeset a hairpin (de)crescendo with some additional text below it, such as "molto" or "poco". The example also illustrates how to modify the way an object is normally printed, using some Scheme code.

hairpinWithCenteredText = #(define-music-function (parser location text) (markup?)
#{
  \override Voice.Hairpin #'stencil = #(lambda (grob)
  (ly:stencil-aligned-to
   (ly:stencil-combine-at-edge
    (ly:stencil-aligned-to (ly:hairpin::print grob) X CENTER)
    Y DOWN
    (ly:stencil-aligned-to (ly:text-interface::print grob) X CENTER))
   X LEFT))
  \override Voice.Hairpin #'text = $text
#})

hairpinMolto = \hairpinWithCenteredText \markup { \italic molto }
hairpinMore = \hairpinWithCenteredText \markup { \bigger moltissimo }

\layout { ragged-right = ##f }

{
  \hairpinMolto c'2\< c'\f
  \hairpinMore  c'2\< c'\f
}

[image of music]

Changing the default text font family

The default font families for text can be overridden with make-pango-font-tree.

\paper {
  % change for other default global staff size. 
  myStaffSize = #20
  %{
     run
         lilypond -dshow-available-fonts blabla
     to show all fonts available in the process log.  
  %}

  #(define fonts
    (make-pango-font-tree "Times New Roman"
                          "Nimbus Sans"
                          "Luxi Mono"
;;                        "Helvetica"
;;                        "Courier"
     (/ myStaffSize 20)))
}

\relative {
  c'^\markup {
    roman: foo \bold bla \italic bar \italic \bold baz 
  }
  c'_\markup {
    \override #'(font-family . sans)
    {
      sans: foo \bold bla \italic bar \italic \bold baz
    }
  }
  c'2^\markup {
    \override #'(font-family . typewriter)
    {
      mono: foo \bold bla \italic bar \italic \bold baz
    }
  }
}  

[image of music]

Combining dynamics with markup texts

Some dynamics may involve text indications (such as "più forte" or "piano subito"). They can be produced using a \markup block.

piuF = \markup { \italic più \dynamic f }
\layout { ragged-right = ##f }
\relative c'' {
  c2\f c-\piuF
}

[image of music]

Combining two parts on the same staff

The part combiner tool ( \partcombine command ) allows the combination of several different parts on the same staff. Text directions such as "solo" or "a2" are added by default; to remove them, simply set the property printPartCombineTexts to "false". For vocal scores (hymns), there is no need to add "solo"/"a2" texts, so they should be switched off. However, it might be better not to use it if there are any solos, as they won't be indicated. In such cases, standard polyphonic notation may be preferable.

This snippet presents the three ways two parts can be printed on a same staff: standard polyphony, \partcombine without texts, and \partcombine with texts.

musicUp = \relative c'' {
  \time 4/4
  a4 c4.( g8) a4 |
  g4 e' g,( a8 b) |
  c b a2.
}

musicDown = \relative c'' {
  g4 e4.( d8) c4 |
  r2 g'4( f8 e) |
  d2 \stemDown a
}

\score {
  <<
    <<
    \new Staff {
      \set Staff.instrumentName = "Standard polyphony  "
      << \musicUp \\ \musicDown >>
    }
    \new Staff \with { printPartCombineTexts = ##f } {
      \set Staff.instrumentName = "PartCombine without texts  "
      \partcombine \musicUp \musicDown
    }
    \new Staff {
      \set Staff.instrumentName = "PartCombine with texts  "
      \partcombine \musicUp \musicDown
    }
    >>
  >>
  \layout {
    indent = 6.0\cm
    \context {
      \Score
      \override SystemStartBar #'collapse-height = #30
    }
  }
}

[image of music]

Creating "real" parenthesized dynamics

Although the easiest way to add parentheses to a dynamic mark is to use a \markup block, this method has a downside: the created objects will behave like text markups, and not like dynamics.

However, it is possible to create a similar object using the equivalent Scheme code (as described in "Markup programmer interface"), combined with the make-dynamic-script function. This way, the markup will be regarded as a dynamic, and therefore will remain compatible with commands such as \dynamicUp or \dynamicDown.

\paper { ragged-right = ##t }

parenF = #(make-dynamic-script (markup #:line (#:normal-text #:italic
           #:fontsize 2 "(" #:hspace -0.8 #:dynamic "f" #:normal-text
           #:italic #:fontsize 2 ")"
          )))
\relative c'' {
  c4\parenF c c \dynamicUp c\parenF
}

[image of music]

Creating simultaneous rehearsal marks

Unlike text scripts, rehearsal marks cannot be stacked at a particular point in a score: only one RehearsalMark object is created. Using an invisible measure and bar line, an extra rehearsal mark can be added, giving the appearance of two marks in the same column.

This method may also prove useful for placing rehearsal marks at both the end of one system and the start of the following system.

{
  \key a \major
  \set Score.markFormatter = #format-mark-box-letters
  \once \override Score.RehearsalMark #'outside-staff-priority = #5000
  \once \override Score.RehearsalMark #'self-alignment-X = #LEFT
  \once \override Score.RehearsalMark #'break-align-symbols = #'(key-signature)
  \mark \markup { \bold { Senza denti } }
  
  % the hidden measure and bar line
  \once \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
  \time 1/16
  s16 \bar ""
  
  \time 4/4
  \once \override Score.RehearsalMark #'self-alignment-X = #LEFT
  \once \override Score.RehearsalMark #'break-align-symbols = #'(bar-line)
  \mark \markup { \box \bold Intro }
  d'1
  \mark \default
  d'1
}

[image of music]

Creating text spanners

The \startTextSpan and \stopTextSpan commands allow the creation of text spanners as easily as pedal indications or octavations. Override some properties of the TextSpanner object to modify its output.

\relative c'' {
  \override TextSpanner  #'edge-text = #'("bla" . "blu")
  a \startTextSpan
  b c
  a \stopTextSpan
  
  \override TextSpanner  #'dash-period = #2
  \override TextSpanner  #'dash-fraction = #0.0
  a \startTextSpan
  b c
  a \stopTextSpan
  
  \revert TextSpanner #'style
  \override TextSpanner  #'style = #'dashed-line \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'left #'text = \markup { \draw-line #'(0 . 1) }
 \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'right #'text = \markup { \draw-line #'(0 . -2) }

  a \startTextSpan
  b c
  a \stopTextSpan
  
  \set Staff.middleCPosition = #-13
  \override TextSpanner  #'dash-period = #10
  \override TextSpanner  #'dash-fraction = #0.5
  \override TextSpanner  #'thickness = #10
  a \startTextSpan
  b c
  a \stopTextSpan
  \set Staff.middleCPosition = #-6
}

[image of music]

Demonstrating all headers

All header fields with special meanings.

\header {
  copyright = "copyright"
  title = "title"
  subtitle = "subtitle"
  composer = "composer"
  arranger = "arranger"
  instrument = "instrument"
  metre = "metre"
  opus = "opus"
  piece = "piece"
  poet = "poet"
  texidoc = "All header fields with special meanings."
  copyright = "public domain"
  enteredby = "jcn"
  source = "urtext"
}

\layout {
  ragged-right = ##f
}

\score {
  \relative c'' { c1 | c | c | c }
}

\score {
   \relative c'' { c1 | c | c | c }
   \header {
     title = "localtitle"
     subtitle = "localsubtitle"
     composer = "localcomposer"
     arranger = "localarranger"
     instrument = "localinstrument"
     metre = "localmetre"
     opus = "localopus"
     piece = "localpiece"
     poet = "localpoet"
     copyright = "localcopyright"
   }
}

[image of music]

Embedding native PostScript in a \markup block

PostScript code can be directly inserted inside a \markup block.

% PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Inc.

\relative c'' {
  a4-\markup { \postscript #"3 4 moveto 5 3 rlineto stroke" }
  -\markup { \postscript #"[ 0 1 ] 0 setdash 3 5 moveto 5 -3 rlineto stroke " }
  
  b4-\markup { \postscript #"3 4 moveto 0 0 1 2 8 4 20 3.5 rcurveto stroke" }
  s2
  a'1
}

[image of music]

Formatting lyrics syllables

To format individual syllables in lyrics, use \markup { .... } on these lyrics.

% Tip taken from http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2007-12/msg00215.html
\header {
  title = "Markup can be used inside lyrics!"
}

mel = \relative c'' { c4 c c c }
lyr = \lyricmode {
  Lyrics \markup { \italic "can" } \markup {\with-color #red "contain" }
  \markup {\fontsize #8 \bold "Markup!" }
}

<<
  \context Voice = melody \mel
  \context Lyrics \lyricsto melody \lyr
>>

[image of music]

How to put ties between syllables in lyrics

This can be achieved by separating those syllables by tildes.

\lyrics {
  wa~o~a 
}

[image of music]

Markup lines

Text that can spread over pages is entered with the \markuplines command.

#(set-default-paper-size "a6")

#(define-markup-list-command (paragraph layout props args) (markup-list?)
  (interpret-markup-list layout props
   (make-justified-lines-markup-list (cons (make-hspace-markup 2) args))))

% Candide, Voltaire
\markuplines \override-lines #'(baseline-skip . 2.5) {
  \paragraph {
    Il y avait en Westphalie, dans le château de M. le baron de
    Thunder-ten-tronckh, un jeune garçon à qui la nature avait donné
    les mœurs les plus douces.  Sa physionomie annonçait son âme.
    Il avait le jugement assez droit, avec l'esprit le plus simple ;
    c'est, je crois, pour cette raison qu'on le nommait Candide.  Les
    anciens domestiques de la maison soupçonnaient qu'il était fils
    de la sœur de monsieur le baron et d'un bon et honnête
    gentilhomme du voisinage, que cette demoiselle ne voulut jamais
    épouser parce qu'il n'avait pu prouver que soixante et onze
    quartiers, et que le reste de son arbre généalogique avait été
    perdu par l'injure du temps.
  }
  \paragraph {
    Monsieur le baron était un des plus puissants seigneurs de la
    Westphalie, car son château avait une porte et des fenêtres.  Sa
    grande salle même était ornée d'une tapisserie.  Tous les chiens
    de ses basses-cours composaient une meute dans le besoin ; ses
    palefreniers étaient ses piqueurs; le vicaire du village était
    son grand-aumônier.  Ils l'appelaient tous monseigneur, et ils
    riaient quand il faisait des contes.
  }
}

[image of music]

Ottava text

Internally, the set-octavation function sets the properties ottavation (for example, to "8va" or "8vb") and middleCPosition. To override the text of the bracket, set ottavation after invoking set-octavation.

{
  \ottava #1
  \set Staff.ottavation = #"8"
  c''1
  \ottava #0
  c'1
  \ottava #1
  \set Staff.ottavation = #"Text"
  c''1
}

[image of music]

Outputting the version number

By putting the output of lilypond-version into a lyric or a text markup, it is possible to print the version number of LilyPond in a score, or in a document generated with lilypond-book.

\score {
  \new Lyrics {
    \override Score.RehearsalMark #'self-alignment-X = #LEFT
    \mark #(ly:export (string-append "Processed with LilyPond version "
                       (lilypond-version)))
    s2
  }
}

[image of music]

Piano template with centered lyrics

Instead of having a full staff for the melody and lyrics, lyrics can be centered between the staves of a piano staff.

upper = \relative c'' {
  \clef treble
  \key c \major
  \time 4/4
  
  a4 b c d  
}

lower = \relative c {
  \clef bass
  \key c \major
  \time 4/4
  
  a2 c  
}

text = \lyricmode {
  Aaa Bee Cee Dee
}

\score {
  \new GrandStaff <<
    \new Staff = upper { \new Voice = "singer" \upper }
    \new Lyrics \lyricsto "singer" \text
    \new Staff = lower { \lower }
  >>
  \layout {
    \context {
      \GrandStaff
      \accepts "Lyrics"
    }
    \context {
      \Lyrics
      \consists "Bar_engraver"
    }
  }
  \midi { }
}

[image of music]

Printing marks at the end of a line or a score

Marks can be printed at the end of the current line, instead of the beginning of the following line. This is particularly useful when a mark has to be added at the end of a score – when there is no next line.

In such cases, the right end of the mark has to be aligned with the final bar line, as demonstrated on the second line of this example.

\relative c'' {  
  \override Score.RehearsalMark  #'break-visibility = #begin-of-line-invisible
  g2 c
  d,2 a'
  \mark \default
  \break
  
  \override Score.RehearsalMark #'self-alignment-X = #RIGHT
  g2 b,
  c1 \bar "||"
  \mark "D.C. al Fine"
}

[image of music]

Printing marks on every staff

Although text marks are normally only printed above the topmost staff, they may also be printed on every staff.

{
  \new Score \with {
    \remove "Mark_engraver"
  }
  <<
    \new Staff \with {
      \consists "Mark_engraver"
    }
    { c''1 \mark "molto" c'' }
    \new Staff \with {
      \consists "Mark_engraver"
    }
    { c'1 \mark "molto" c' }
  >>
}

[image of music]

Three-sided box

This example shows how to add a markup command to get a three sided box around some text (or other markup).

% New command to add a three sided box, with sides north, west and south
% Based on the box-stencil command defined in scm/stencil.scm
% Note that you use ";" to comment a line in Scheme
#(define-public (NWS-box-stencil stencil thickness padding)
  "Add a box around STENCIL, producing a new stencil."
  (let* ((x-ext (interval-widen (ly:stencil-extent stencil 0) padding))
	 (y-ext (interval-widen (ly:stencil-extent stencil 1) padding))
	 (y-rule (make-filled-box-stencil (cons 0 thickness) y-ext))
	 (x-rule (make-filled-box-stencil
		  (interval-widen x-ext thickness) (cons 0 thickness))))
;    (set! stencil (ly:stencil-combine-at-edge stencil X 1 y-rule padding))
    (set! stencil (ly:stencil-combine-at-edge stencil X -1 y-rule padding))
    (set! stencil (ly:stencil-combine-at-edge stencil Y 1 x-rule 0.0))  
    (set! stencil (ly:stencil-combine-at-edge stencil Y -1 x-rule 0.0))
    stencil))

% The corresponding markup command, based on the \box command defined 
% in scm/define-markup-commands.scm
#(define-markup-command (NWS-box layout props arg) (markup?)
  "Draw a box round @var{arg}.  Looks at @code{thickness},
@code{box-padding} and @code{font-size} properties to determine line
thickness and padding around the markup."
  
  (let* ((th (chain-assoc-get 'thickness props  0.1))
	 (size (chain-assoc-get 'font-size props 0))
	 (pad (* (magstep size)
		 (chain-assoc-get 'box-padding props 0.2)))
	 (m (interpret-markup layout props arg)))
    (NWS-box-stencil m th pad)))


% Test it:

\layout { ragged-right = ##f }

\relative c' { 
  c2^\markup { \NWS-box ABCD }
  c^\markup { \NWS-box \note #"4" #1.0 } 
}

[image of music]

UTF-8

Various scripts may be used for texts (like titles and lyrics) by entering them in UTF-8 encoding, and using a Pango based backend. Depending on the fonts installed, this fragment will render Bulgarian (Cyrillic), Hebrew, Japanese and Portuguese.

% end verbatim - this comment is a hack to prevent texinfo.tex
% from choking on non-European UTF-8 subsets
% Cyrillic font
bulgarian = \lyricmode {
  Жълтата дюля беше щастлива, че пухът, който цъфна, замръзна като гьон.
}

hebrew = \lyricmode {
  זה כיף סתם לשמוע איך תנצח קרפד עץ טוב בגן.
}

japanese = \lyricmode {
  いろはにほへど ちりぬるを
  わがよたれぞ  つねならむ
  うゐのおくや  まけふこえて
  あさきゆめみじ ゑひもせず
}

% "a legal song to you"
portuguese = \lyricmode {
  à vo -- cê uma can -- ção legal
}

\relative  {
  c2 d
  e2 f
  g2 f
  e1
}
\addlyrics { \bulgarian }
\addlyrics { \hebrew }
\addlyrics { \japanese }
\addlyrics { \portuguese }

[image of music]

Vocal ensemble template with lyrics aligned below and above the staves

This template is basically the same as the simple "Vocal ensemble" template, with the exception that here all the lyrics lines are placed using alignAboveContext and alignBelowContext.

global = {
  \key c \major
  \time 4/4
}

sopMusic = \relative c'' {
  c4 c c8[( b)] c4
}
sopWords = \lyricmode {
  hi hi hi hi
}

altoMusic = \relative c' {
  e4 f d e
}
altoWords = \lyricmode {
  ha ha ha ha
}

tenorMusic = \relative c' {
  g4 a f g
}
tenorWords = \lyricmode {
  hu hu hu hu
}

bassMusic = \relative c {
  c4 c g c
}
bassWords = \lyricmode {
  ho ho ho ho
}

\score {
  \new ChoirStaff <<
    \new Staff = women <<
      \new Voice = "sopranos" { \voiceOne << \global \sopMusic >> }
      \new Voice = "altos" { \voiceTwo << \global \altoMusic >> }
    >>
    \new Lyrics \with { alignAboveContext = women } \lyricsto sopranos \sopWords
    \new Lyrics \with { alignBelowContext = women } \lyricsto altos \altoWords
    % we could remove the line about this with the line below, since we want
    % the alto lyrics to be below the alto Voice anyway.
    % \new Lyrics \lyricsto altos \altoWords
    
    \new Staff = men <<
      \clef bass
      \new Voice = "tenors" { \voiceOne << \global \tenorMusic >> }
      \new Voice = "basses" { \voiceTwo << \global \bassMusic >> }
    >>
    \new Lyrics \with { alignAboveContext = men } \lyricsto tenors \tenorWords
    \new Lyrics \with { alignBelowContext = men } \lyricsto basses \bassWords
    % again, we could replace the line above this with the line below.
    % \new Lyrics \lyricsto basses \bassWords
  >>
  \layout {
    \context {
      % a little smaller so lyrics
      % can be closer to the staff
      \Staff
      \override VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-3 . 3)
    }
  }
}

[image of music]

This page is for LilyPond-2.11.58 (development-branch).

Report errors to http://post.gmane.org/post.php?group=gmane.comp.gnu.lilypond.bugs.

Your suggestions for the documentation are welcome.