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Spacing

These snippets illustrate the Notation Reference, section Spacing issues.

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]

Alignment vertical spacing

By setting properties in NonMusicalPaperColumn, vertical spacing can be adjusted per system.

By setting alignment-extra-space or fixed-alignment-extra-space an individual system may be stretched vertically.

For technical reasons, \overrideProperty must be used for changing these properties within a staff; \override in a \context block may still be used for global overrides.

#(set-global-staff-size 13)

\relative c''
\new StaffGroup <<
  \new Staff {
    c1 \break
    c1 \break
    c1 \break
  }
  \new Staff {
    c1 | c | c
  }
  \new PianoStaff <<
    \new Voice  {
      \set PianoStaff.instrumentName = #"piano"
      \set PianoStaff.shortInstrumentName = #"pn"
      c1_"normal"
      
      \overrideProperty
        #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
        #'line-break-system-details
        #'((fixed-alignment-extra-space . 15))
      c_"fixed-aligment-extra-space"

      \overrideProperty
        #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
        #'line-break-system-details
        #'((alignment-extra-space . 15))
      c_"aligment-extra-space"
    }
    { c1 | c | c }
  >>
>>

[image of music]

Allowing fingerings to be printed inside the staff

By default, fingering numbers will be printed outside the staff. However, this behavior can be canceled.

\relative c' {
  <c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5>2
  \once \override Fingering #'staff-padding = #'()
  <c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5>2
}

[image of music]

Page label

Page labels may be placed inside music or at top-level, and referred to in markups.

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

#(define-markup-command (toc-line layout props label text) (symbol? markup?)
  (interpret-markup layout props
   (markup #:fill-line (text #:page-ref label "8" "?"))))

\book {
  \markup \huge \fill-line { \null Title Page \null }

  \pageBreak

  \label #'toc
  \markup \column {
    \large \fill-line { \null Table of contents \null }
    \toc-line #'toc "Table of contents"
    \toc-line #'firstScore "First Score"
    \toc-line #'markA "Mark A"
    \toc-line #'markB "Mark B"
    \toc-line #'markC "Mark C"
    \toc-line #'unknown "Unknown label"
  }

  \pageBreak

  \label #'firstScore
  \score {
    {
      c'2 c'
      \mark \markup { A (page \concat { \page-ref #'markA "0" "?" ) } } \label #'markA
      c'2 c'
      \pageBreak
      \mark "B" \label #'markB
      d'2 d'
      d'2 d'
      \once \override Score.RehearsalMark #'break-visibility = #begin-of-line-invisible
      \mark "C" \label #'markC
    }
    \header { piece = "First score" }
  }
}

[image of music]

Proportional strict notespacing

If strict-note-spacing is set spacing of notes is not influenced by bars or clefs within a system. Rather, they are placed just before the note that occurs at the same time. This may cause collisions.

\paper {
  ragged-right = ##t
}

\relative c'' <<
  \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t 
  \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
  \new Staff {
    c8[ c \clef alto c c \grace { d16 } c8 c] c4
    c2 \grace { c16[ c16] } c2
  }
  \new Staff {
    c2 \times 2/3 { c8 \clef bass cis,, c } c4
    c1
  }
>>

[image of music]

Vertically aligned dynamics and textscripts

By setting the Y-extent property to a suitable value, all DynamicLineSpanner objects (hairpins and dynamic texts) can be aligned to a common reference point, regardless of their actual extent. This way, every element will be vertically aligned, thus producing a more pleasing output.

The same idea is used to align the text scripts along their baseline.

music = \relative c'' {
  c2\p^\markup { gorgeous } c\f^\markup { fantastic }
  c4\p c\f\> c c\!\p
}

{
  \music \break
  \override DynamicLineSpanner #'staff-padding = #2.0
  \override DynamicLineSpanner #'Y-extent = #'(-1.5 . 1.5)
  \override TextScript #'Y-extent = #'(-1.5 . 1.5)
  \music
}

[image of music]

Vertically aligning ossias and lyrics

This snippet demonstrates the use of the context properties alignBelowContext and alignAboveContext to control the positioning of lyrics and ossias.

\paper {
  ragged-right = ##t
}

\relative c' <<
  \new Staff = "1" { c4 c s2 }
  \new Staff = "2" { c4 c s2 }
  \new Staff = "3" { c4 c s2 }
  { \skip 2
    <<
      \lyrics {
        \set alignBelowContext = #"1"
        lyrics4 below
      }
      \new Staff \with {
        alignAboveContext = #"3"
        fontSize = #-2
        \override StaffSymbol #'staff-space = #(magstep -2)
        \remove "Time_signature_engraver"
      } {
        \times 4/6 {
          \override TextScript #'padding = #3
          c8^"ossia above" d e d e f
        }
      }
    >>
  }
>>

[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.