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1.2.3.1 Time signature

The time signature is set as follows:

     
     \time 2/4 c2
     \time 3/4 c2.

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Time signatures are printed at the beginning of a piece and whenever the time signature changes. If a change takes place at the end of a line a warning time signature sign is printed there. This default behavior may be changed, see Visibility of objects.

     
     \time 2/4
     c2 c
     \break
     c c
     \break
     \time 4/4
     c c c c

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The time signature symbol that is used in 2/2 and 4/4 time can be changed to a numeric style:

     
     % Default style
     \time 4/4 c1
     \time 2/2 c1
     % Change to numeric style
     \numericTimeSignature
     \time 4/4 c1
     \time 2/2 c1
     % Revert to default style
     \defaultTimeSignature
     \time 4/4 c1
     \time 2/2 c1

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Ancient time signatures are covered in Ancient time signatures.

Predefined commands

\numericTimeSignature, \defaultTimeSignature.

Selected Snippets

\time sets the properties timeSignatureFraction, beatLength, and measureLength in the Timing context, which is normally aliased to Score. Changing the value of timeSignatureFraction causes the new time signature symbol to be printed without changing the other properties. The property measureLength determines where bar lines should be inserted and, with beatLength, how automatic beams should be generated.

TODO Add example of using beatLength.

Options to group beats within a bar are available through the Scheme function set-time-signature, which takes three arguments: the number of beats, the beat length, and the internal grouping of beats in the measure. If the Measure_grouping_engraver is included, the function will also create MeasureGrouping signs. Such signs ease reading rhythmically complex modern music. In the example, the 9/8 measure is subdivided in 2, 2, 2 and 3. This is passed to set-time-signature as the third argument: '(2 2 2 3):

     
     \score {
       \relative c'' {
         #(set-time-signature 9 8 '(2 2 2 3))
         g8[ g] d[ d] g[ g] a8[( bes g]) |
         #(set-time-signature 5 8 '(3 2))
         a4. g4
       }
       \layout {
         \context {
           \Staff
           \consists "Measure_grouping_engraver"
         }
       }
     }

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Compound time signatures

Odd 20th century time signatures (such as "5/8") can often be played as compound time signatures (e.g. "3/8 + 2/8"), which combine two or more inequal metrics. LilyPond can make such music quite easy to read and play, by explicitly printing the compound time signatures and adapting the automatic beaming behavior. (Graphic measure grouping indications can also be added; see the appropriate snippet in this database.)

     
     #(define (compound-time one two num)
       (markup #:override '(baseline-skip . 0) #:number
        (#:line ((#:column (one num)) #:vcenter "+" (#:column (two num))))
       ))
     
     \relative {  
       \override Staff.TimeSignature #'stencil = #ly:text-interface::print
       \override Staff.TimeSignature #'text = #(compound-time "2" "3" "8")
       \time 5/8
       #(override-auto-beam-setting '(end 1 8 5 8) 1 4)
       c8 d e fis gis
       c8 fis, gis e d
       c8 d e4 gis8
     }

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See also

Music Glossary: time signature

Notation Reference: Ancient time signatures, Time administration.

Snippets: Rhythms.

Internals Reference: TimeSignature, Timing_translator.

Known issues and warnings

Automatic beaming does not use the measure grouping specified with set-time-signature.

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.

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