LilyPond The music typesetter Learning Manual The LilyPond development team ☛ ✟ This file provides an introduction to LilyPond version 2.22.1. ✡ ✠ ☛ ✟ For more information about how this manual fits with the other documentation, or to read this manual in other formats, see Section “Manuals” in General Information. If you are missing any manuals, the complete documentation can be found at http://lilypond.org/. ✡ ✠ Copyright ⃝c 1998–2020 by the authors. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled “GNU Free Documentation License”. For LilyPond version 2.22.1 i Table of Contents 1 Tutorial ................................................... ...... 1 1.1 Compiling a file ................................................... ................. 1 1.1.1 Entering input ................................................... ............. 1 Producing output ................................................... .............. 1 1.1.2 MacOS X ................................................... .................. 2 1.1.3 Windows................................................... ................... 6 1.1.4 Command-line ................................................... ............ 11 1.2 How to write input files ................................................... ........ 12 1.2.1 Simple notation ................................................... ........... 12 Pitches ................................................... ....................... 12 Durations (rhythms) ................................................... .......... 14 Rests ................................................... ......................... 15 Time signature ................................................... ............... 15 Tempo marks ................................................... ................. 15 Clef ................................................... .......................... 16 All together ................................................... .................. 16 1.2.2 Working on input files ................................................... .... 16 1.3 Dealing with errors ................................................... ............ 18 1.3.1 General troubleshooting tips ................................................. 18 1.3.2 Some common errors ................................................... ...... 18 1.4 How to read the manuals ................................................... ...... 18 1.4.1 Omitted material ................................................... ......... 18 1.4.2 Clickable examples ................................................... ........ 18 1.4.3 Overview of manuals ................................................... ...... 19 2 Common notation............................................. 20 2.1 Single staff notation ................................................... ........... 20 2.1.1 Bar lines and bar checks ................................................... .. 20 Bar lines ................................................... ..................... 20 Bar checks................................................... .................... 20 2.1.2 Pitches and key signatures ................................................... 20 Pitch alterations ................................................... .............. 21 Key signatures................................................... ................ 21 Warning: key signatures and pitches ............................................. 21 2.1.3 Ties and slurs................................................... ............. 22 Ties ................................................... .......................... 22 Slurs ................................................... ......................... 23 Phrasing slurs ................................................... ................ 23 Warnings: slurs vs. ties ................................................... ....... 23 2.1.4 Articulations and dynamics .................................................. 23 Articulations ................................................... ................. 24 Fingerings ................................................... .................... 24 Dynamics................................................... ..................... 24 2.1.5 Adding text................................................... ............... 25 2.1.6 Automatic and manual beams ................................................ 25 2.1.7 Advanced rhythmic commands ............................................... 26 Partial measure ................................................... ............... 26 Tuplets ................................................... ....................... 26 ii Grace notes................................................... ................... 27 2.2 Multiple notes at once ................................................... ......... 27 2.2.1 Music expressions explained .................................................. 27 Analogy: mathematical expressions .............................................. 28 Simultaneous music expressions: multiple staves .................................. 28 Simultaneous music expressions: single staff ...................................... 28 2.2.2 Multiple staves................................................... ............ 29 2.2.3 Staff groups................................................... ............... 30 2.2.4 Combining notes into chords ................................................. 30 2.2.5 Single staff polyphony................................................... ..... 31 2.3 Songs................................................... .......................... 31 2.3.1 Setting simple songs ................................................... ...... 31 2.3.2 Aligning lyrics to a melody................................................... 32 2.3.3 Lyrics to multiple staves ................................................... .. 35 2.4 Final touches ................................................... .................. 36 2.4.1 Organizing pieces with variables.............................................. 36 2.4.2 Adding titles................................................... .............. 37 2.4.3 Absolute note names ................................................... ...... 38 2.4.4 After the tutorial ................................................... ......... 39 3 Fundamental concepts ........................................ 41 3.1 How LilyPond input files work ................................................... 41 3.1.1 Introduction to the LilyPond file structure.................................... 41 3.1.2 Score is a (single) compound musical expression .............................. 43 3.1.3 Nesting music expressions ................................................... 45 3.1.4 Structure of a note entry ................................................... .. 46 3.1.5 On the un-nestedness of brackets and ties .................................... 47 3.2 Voices contain music ................................................... ........... 48 3.2.1 I’m hearing Voices ................................................... ........ 48 3.2.2 Explicitly instantiating voices ................................................ 53 3.2.3 Voices and vocals ................................................... ......... 57 3.3 Contexts and engravers ................................................... ........ 60 3.3.1 Contexts explained................................................... ........ 60 3.3.2 Creating contexts ................................................... ......... 61 3.3.3 Engravers explained................................................... ....... 63 3.3.4 Modifying context properties ................................................. 64 3.3.5 Adding and removing engravers .............................................. 68 3.4 Extending the templates ................................................... ....... 71 3.4.1 Soprano and cello ................................................... ......... 71 3.4.2 Four-part SATB vocal score .................................................. 74 3.4.3 Building a score from scratch................................................. 80 3.4.4 Saving typing with variables and functions ................................... 85 3.4.5 Scores and parts ................................................... .......... 88 4 Tweaking output .............................................. 90 4.1 Tweaking basics ................................................... ............... 90 4.1.1 Introduction to tweaks ................................................... .... 90 4.1.2 Objects and interfaces ................................................... .... 90 4.1.3 Naming conventions of objects and properties ................................ 91 4.1.4 Tweaking methods ................................................... ........ 91 The \override command................................................... ..... 91 The \revert command ................................................... ....... 92 The \once prefix ................................................... ............. 93 iii The \overrideProperty command .............................................. 93 The \tweak command ................................................... ........ 93 The \single prefix ................................................... ..........