1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
4 Translation of GIT committish: FILL-IN-HEAD-COMMITTISH
6 When revising a translation, copy the HEAD committish of the
7 version that you are working on. See TRANSLATION for details.
15 Negative numbers are allowed:
16 > Are you sure? The following works well
18 > first-page-number = -2
20 > and prints page number -1 on the second page, for example.
23 In 5.2.1 the @refbugs (line 495 in spacing.itely on master) it
26 "@code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between
30 Could we add a sentence:
31 "Use instead the pair fontSize = #@var{N}
32 \override StaffSymbol #'staff-space = #(magstep
34 inside the Staff context to change the size of the font and the
36 staff lines accordingly."
38 Actually I found, that the @internalsref{StaffSymbol} at line 481
39 sends to an uncomplete
40 documentation. The property staff-space is not explained here. I
41 thought Y-extent might be of
42 help, but it is in turn explained by x-space which again is
43 missing from the list. Who has the
44 knowledge to fix this?
48 http://code.google.com/p/lilypond/issues/detail?id=68
54 @chapter Spacing issues
56 The global paper layout is determined by three factors: the page layout, the
57 line breaks, and the spacing. These all influence each other. The
58 choice of spacing determines how densely each system of music is set.
59 This influences where line breaks are chosen, and thus ultimately, how
60 many pages a piece of music takes.
62 Globally speaking, this procedure happens in four steps: first,
63 flexible distances (@q{springs}) are chosen, based on durations. All
64 possible line breaking combinations are tried, and a @q{badness} score
65 is calculated for each. Then the height of each possible system is
66 estimated. Finally, a page breaking and line breaking combination is chosen
67 so that neither the horizontal nor the vertical spacing is too cramped
70 Settings which influence layout may be placed in two blocks.
71 The @code{\paper @{...@}} block is placed outside any
72 @code{\score @{...@}} blocks and contains settings that
73 relate to the entire document. The @code{\layout @{...@}}
74 block is placed within a @code{\score @{...@}} block and
75 contains settings for that particular score. If you have
76 only one @code{\score @{...@}} block the two have the same
77 effect. In general the commands shown in this chapter can
85 * Horizontal spacing::
86 * Fitting music onto fewer pages::
91 @section Paper and pages
93 This section deals with the boundaries that define the area
94 within which music can be printed.
103 @subsection Paper size
108 Two functions are available for changing the paper size:
109 @code{set-default-paper-size} and @code{set-paper-size}.
110 @code{set-default-paper-size} must be placed in the toplevel
111 scope, and @code{set-paper-size} must be placed in a @code{\paper}
115 #(set-default-paper-size "a4")
120 #(set-paper-size "a4")
125 @code{set-default-paper-size} sets the size of all pages, whereas
126 @code{set-paper-size} only sets the size of the pages that the
127 @code{\paper} block applies to. For example, if the @code{\paper}
128 block is at the top of the file, then it will apply the paper size
129 to all pages. If the @code{\paper} block is inside a
130 @code{\book}, then the paper size will only apply to that book.
132 Common paper sizes are available, including @code{a4},
133 @code{letter}, @code{legal}, and @code{11x17} (also known as
134 tabloid). Many more paper sizes are supported by default. For
135 details, see @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}, and search for the
136 definition of @code{paper-alist}.
138 @c TODO add a new appendix for paper sizes (auto-generated) -pm
140 @warning{The default paper size is @code{a4}.}
142 Extra sizes may be added by editing the definition of
143 @code{paper-alist} in the initialization file
144 @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}, however they will be overridden on a
150 If the symbol @code{'landscape} is supplied as an argument to
151 @code{set-default-paper-size}, pages will be rotated by 90
152 degrees, and wider line widths will be set accordingly.
155 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
158 Setting the paper size will adjust a number of @code{\paper}
159 variables, such as margins. To use a particular paper size with
160 altered @code{\paper} variables, set the paper size before setting
166 @file{scm/@/paper@/.scm}.
172 @node Page formatting
173 @subsection Page formatting
175 Margins, headers, and footers and other layout variables are
176 automatically set according to the paper size.
178 This section lists and describes a number of paper variables that
182 * Vertical dimensions::
183 * Horizontal dimensions::
184 * Other layout variables::
188 @node Vertical dimensions
189 @unnumberedsubsubsec Vertical dimensions
191 These variables are used to set different vertical dimensions on a
198 @item after-title-spacing
199 @funindex after-title-spacing
201 Specifies how to calculate the space between a title (or top-level markup)
202 and the system that follows it. This is an associative list with five
205 @item @var{space} -- the amount of stretchable space between the baseline
206 of a title and the center of the staff that follows it;
207 @item @var{padding} -- the minimum amount of whitespace that must be
208 present between a title and the staff that follows it;
209 @item @var{stretchability} -- the ease with which the stretchable
210 space increases when a page is stretched.
211 If this is zero, the distance to the next staff will not stretch at all;
212 @item @var{minimum-distance} -- the minimum distance to place between
213 the baseline of a title and the center of the staff that follows it. This differs
214 from @var{padding} in that the height of a staff has no effect on
215 the application of @var{minimum-distance} (whereas the height of a
216 staff is crucial for @var{padding}).
219 If a page has a ragged bottom, @var{space} is not stretched. In particular, the
220 resulting distance on such a page is the largest of
223 @item @var{minimum-distance}, and
224 @item @var{padding} plus the smallest distance necessary to eliminate overlap.
227 @item before-title-spacing
228 @funindex before-title-spacing
230 Specifies the spacing between a system and the title (or top-level markup) that
232 The distances are measured from the center of the last staff in the system to
233 the baseline of the title that follows it. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
235 @item between-scores-system-spacing
236 @funindex between-scores-system-spacing
238 Specifies the spacing between two systems if they are in different scores, but
239 there is no title between them. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
241 @item between-system-spacing
242 @funindex between-system-spacing
244 Specifies the spacing between the center of the bottom staff of one system
245 and the center of the top staff of the following system. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
247 @item between-title-spacing
248 @funindex between-title-spacing
250 Specifies the spacing between two titles (or top-level markups).
251 The distances are measured from the baseline of the first title to the baseline
252 of the second. See @var{after-title-spacing}.
255 @funindex bottom-margin
257 The margin between footer and bottom of the page. Default:
260 @item bottom-system-spacing
261 @funindex bottom-system-spacing
263 Specifies the spacing from the center of the last staff (or the
264 baseline of the last top-level markup) to the bottom of the
265 printable area (ie. the top of the bottom margin).
266 See @var{after-title-spacing}.
268 @item foot-separation
269 @funindex foot-separation
271 Distance between the bottom-most music system and the page
272 footer. Default: @code{4\mm}.
274 @item top-title-spacing
275 @funindex top-title-spacing
277 Specifies the spacing from the top of the printable area (ie.
278 the bottom of the top margin) to the baseline of the title.
279 See @var{after-title-spacing}.
281 @item top-system-spacing
282 @funindex top-system-spacing
284 Specifies the spacing from the top of the printable area (ie.
285 the bottom of the top margin) to the center of the first staff.
286 This only takes effect if there is no title at the top of the
287 page (in which case @var{top-title-spacing} is used instead).
288 See @var{after-title-spacing}.
291 @funindex paper-height
293 The height of the page. Default: the height of the current paper
294 size. For details, see @ref{Paper size}.
299 The margin between header and top of the page. Default:
307 The header and footer are created by the functions make-footer and
308 make-header, defined in \paper. The default implementations are in
309 ly/paper-defaults.ly and ly/titling-init.ly.
311 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the \paper block,
312 page-music-height and page-make-stencil. The former tells the
313 line-breaking algorithm how much space can be spent on a page, the
314 latter creates the actual page given the system to put on it.
316 You can define paper block values in Scheme. In that case mm, in, pt,
317 and cm are variables defined in paper-defaults.ly with values in
318 millimeters. That is why the value 2 cm must be multiplied in the
323 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
335 ragged-last-bottom = ##t
339 This second example centers page numbers at the bottom of every page.
343 print-page-number = ##t
344 print-first-page-number = ##t
345 oddHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
346 evenHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line @{ " " @}
347 oddFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
348 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
349 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
350 evenFooterMarkup = \markup @{ \fill-line @{
351 \bold \fontsize #3 \on-the-fly #print-page-number-check-first
352 \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string @} @}
356 You can also define these values in Scheme. In that case @code{mm},
357 @code{in}, @code{pt}, and @code{cm} are variables defined in
358 @file{paper@/-defaults@/.ly} with values in millimeters. That is why the
359 value must be multiplied in the example
363 #(define bottom-margin (* 2 cm))
367 The header and footer are created by the functions @code{make-footer}
368 and @code{make-header}, defined in @code{\paper}. The default
369 implementations are in @file{ly/@/paper@/-defaults@/.ly} and
370 @file{ly/@/titling@/-init@/.ly}.
372 The page layout itself is done by two functions in the
373 @code{\paper} block, @code{page-music-height} and
374 @code{page-make-stencil}. The former tells the line-breaking algorithm
375 how much space can be spent on a page, the latter creates the actual
376 page given the system to put on it.
381 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
387 @node Horizontal dimensions
388 @unnumberedsubsubsec Horizontal dimensions
390 @warning{If @code{paper-width} is manually set, @code{line-width},
391 @code{left-margin}, @code{indent}, and @code{short-indent} may
392 have to be adjusted as well.}
394 There are a few variables that determine the horizontal dimensions
399 @item horizontal-shift
400 @funindex horizontal-shift
402 The amount that all systems (including titles and system
403 separators) are shifted to the right. Default: @code{0.0}.
408 The level of indentation for the first system in a score.
409 Default: @code{paper-width} divided by @code{14}, as determined by
410 @code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}.
413 @funindex left-margin
415 The margin between the left edge of the page and the beginning of
416 each system. Default: @code{10\mm}, as determined by
417 @code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}.
422 The width of music systems. Default: @code{paper-width} minus
423 @code{20\mm}, as determined by @code{set-default-paper-size} or
424 @code{set-paper-size}.
427 @funindex paper-width
429 The width of the page. Default: the width of the current paper
430 size. For details, see @ref{Paper size}.
433 @funindex short-indent
435 The level of indentation for all systems in a score besides the
436 first system. Default: @code{0}, as determined by
437 @code{set-default-paper-size} or @code{set-paper-size}.
449 The option @code{right-margin} is defined but doesn't set the
450 right margin yet. The value for the right margin has to be
451 defined by adjusting the values of @code{left-margin} and
455 @node Other layout variables
456 @unnumberedsubsubsec Other layout variables
458 These variables can be used to adjust page layout in general.
462 @item auto-first-page-number
463 @funindex auto-first-page-number
465 The page breaking algorithm is affected by the first page number
466 being odd or even. If set to true, the page breaking algorithm
467 will decide whether to start with an odd or even number. This
468 will result in the first page number remaining as is or being
469 increased by one. Default: @code{##f}.
473 FIXME: this variable is used, but I don't know what it does. -pm
474 @item blank-after-score-page-force
475 @funindex blank-after-score-page-force
481 @item blank-last-page-force
482 @funindex blank-last-page-force
484 The penalty for ending the score on an odd-numbered page.
487 @item blank-page-force
488 @funindex blank-page-force
490 The penalty for having a blank page in the middle of a
491 score. This is not used by @code{ly:optimal-breaking} since it will
492 never consider blank pages in the middle of a score. Default:
495 @item first-page-number
496 @funindex first-page-number
498 The value of the page number on the first page. Default:
501 @item max-systems-per-page
502 The maximum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
503 is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
506 @item min-systems-per-page
507 The minimum number of systems that will be placed on a page. This
508 may cause pages to be overfilled if it is made too large. This is
509 currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
512 @item page-breaking-between-system-padding
513 @funindex page-breaking-between-system-padding
515 Tricks the page breaker into thinking that
516 @code{between-system-padding} is set to something different than
517 it really is. For example, if this variable is set to something
518 substantially larger than @code{between-system-padding}, then the
519 page-breaker will put fewer systems on each page. Default: unset.
524 The number of pages to be used for a score. Default: unset.
526 @item page-limit-inter-system-space
527 @funindex page-limit-inter-system-space
529 If set to true, limits space between systems on a page with a lot
530 of space left. Default: @code{##f}. For details, see
531 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
533 @item page-limit-inter-system-space-factor
534 @funindex page-limit-inter-system-space-factor
536 The factor used by @code{page-limit-inter-system-space}. Default:
537 @code{1.4}. For details, see
538 @ref{Vertical spacing between systems}.
540 @item page-spacing-weight
541 @funindex page-spacing-weight
543 The relative importance of page (vertical) spacing and line
544 (horizontal) spacing. High values will make page spacing more
545 important. Default: @code{#10}.
547 @item print-all-headers
548 @funindex print-all-headers
550 If set to true, this will print all headers for each \score in the
551 output. Normally only the piece and opus header variables are
552 printed. Default: @code{##f}.
554 @item print-first-page-number
555 @funindex print-first-page-number
557 If set to true, a page number is printed on the first page.
560 @item print-page-number
561 @funindex print-page-number
563 If set to false, page numbers are not printed. Default:
567 @funindex ragged-bottom
569 If set to true, systems will not spread vertically across the
570 page. This does not affect the last page. Default: @code{##f}.
572 This should be set to true for pieces that have only two or three
573 systems per page, for example orchestral scores.
576 @funindex ragged-last
578 If set to true, the last system in the score will not fill the
579 line width. Instead the last system ends at its natural
580 horizontal length. Default: @code{##f}.
582 @item ragged-last-bottom
583 @funindex ragged-last-bottom
585 If set to false, systems will spread vertically across the last
586 page. Default: @code{##t}.
588 Pieces that amply fill two pages or more should have this set to
591 It also affects the last page of book parts, ie parts of a book created
592 with @code{\bookpart} blocks.
595 @funindex ragged-right
597 If set to true, systems will not fill the line width. Instead,
598 systems end at their natural horizontal length. Default:
601 If the score has only one system, the default value is @code{##t}.
603 @item system-separator-markup
604 @funindex system-separator-markup
606 A markup object that is inserted between systems. This is often
607 used for orchestral scores. Default: unset.
609 The markup command @code{\slashSeparator} is provided as a sensible
612 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
613 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
616 \relative { c1 \break c1 }
619 system-separator-markup = \slashSeparator
625 @funindex system-count
627 The number of systems to be used for a score.
630 @item systems-per-page
631 @funindex systems-per-page
633 The number of systems that should be placed on each page.
634 This is currently supported only by the @code{ly:optimal-breaking} algorithm.
647 The default page header puts the page number and the @code{instrument}
648 field from the @code{\header} block on a line.
650 The titles (from the @code{\header@{@}} section) are treated as a
651 system, so @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom} will
652 add space between the titles and the first system of the score.
656 @section Music layout
659 * Setting the staff size::
664 @node Setting the staff size
665 @subsection Setting the staff size
667 @cindex font size, setting
668 @cindex staff size, setting
669 @funindex layout file
671 The default @strong{staff size} is set to 20 points.
672 This may be changed in two ways:
674 To set the staff size globally for all scores in a file (or
675 in a @code{book} block, to be precise), use @code{set-global-staff-size}.
678 #(set-global-staff-size 14)
682 This sets the global default size to 14pt staff height and scales all
685 To set the staff size individually for each score, use
690 #(layout-set-staff-size 15)
695 The Feta font provides musical symbols at eight different
696 sizes. Each font is tuned for a different staff size: at a smaller size
697 the font becomes heavier, to match the relatively heavier staff lines.
698 The recommended font sizes are listed in the following table:
701 @multitable @columnfractions .15 .2 .22 .2
704 @tab @b{staff height (pt)}
705 @tab @b{staff height (mm)}
747 @c modern rental material?
752 These fonts are available in any sizes. The context property
753 @code{fontSize} and the layout property @code{staff-space} (in
754 @rinternals{StaffSymbol}) can be used to tune the size for individual
755 staves. The sizes of individual staves are relative to the global size.
760 @ref{Selecting notation font size}.
768 @code{layout-set-staff-size} does not change the distance between the
773 @subsection Score layout
777 While @code{\paper} contains settings that relate to the page formatting
778 of the whole document, @code{\layout} contains settings for score-specific
785 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-6 . 6)
788 \override TextScript #'padding = #1.0
789 \override Glissando #'thickness = #3
797 @ref{Changing context default settings}.
809 * Optimal page breaking::
810 * Optimal page turning::
811 * Minimal page breaking::
813 * Using an extra voice for breaks::
818 @subsection Line breaking
821 @cindex breaking lines
823 Line breaks are normally determined automatically. They are chosen
824 so that lines look neither cramped nor loose, and consecutive
825 lines have similar density. Occasionally you might want to
826 override the automatic breaks; you can do this by specifying
827 @code{\break}. This will force a line break at this point. However,
828 line breaks can only occur at the end of @q{complete} bars, i.e.,
829 where there are no notes or tuplets left @q{hanging} over the bar
830 line. If you want to have a line break where there is no bar line,
831 you can force an invisible bar line by entering @code{\bar ""},
832 although again there must be no notes left hanging over in any of
833 the staves at this point, or it will be ignored.
835 The opposite command, @code{\noBreak}, forbids a line break at the
836 bar line where it is inserted.
838 The most basic settings influencing line spacing are @code{indent}
839 and @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block.
840 They control the indentation of the first line of music, and the
841 lengths of the lines.
843 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block,
844 then systems end at their natural horizontal length, instead of
845 being spread horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful
846 for short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural
849 @c TODO Check and add para on default for ragged-right
851 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right},
852 but affects only the last line of the piece.
864 @cindex regular line breaks
865 @cindex four bar music.
867 For line breaks at regular intervals use @code{\break} separated by
868 skips and repeated with @code{\repeat}. For example, this would
869 cause the following 28 measures (assuming 4/4 time) to be broken
870 every 4 measures, and only there:
873 << \repeat unfold 7 @{
874 s1 \noBreak s1 \noBreak
875 s1 \noBreak s1 \break @}
876 @emph{the real music}
881 A linebreaking configuration can be saved as a @code{.ly} file
882 automatically. This allows vertical alignments to be stretched to
883 fit pages in a second formatting run. This is fairly new and
884 complicated. More details are available in
898 @rinternals{LineBreakEvent}.
906 Line breaks can only occur if there is a @q{proper} bar line. A note
907 which is hanging over a bar line is not proper, such as
909 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
910 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % this does nothing
911 c2 c4 | % a break here would work
912 c4 c2 c4 ~ \break % as does this break
916 This can be avoided by removing the @code{Forbid_line_break_engraver}.
917 Note that manually forced line breaks have to be added in parallel
920 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
922 \remove Forbid_line_break_engraver
924 c4 c2 << c2 {s4 \break } >> % now the break is allowed
929 Similarly, line breaks are normally forbidden when beams cross bar
930 lines. This behavior can be changed by setting
931 @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}.
935 @subsection Page breaking
937 The default page breaking may be overridden by inserting
938 @code{\pageBreak} or @code{\noPageBreak} commands. These commands are
939 analogous to @code{\break} and @code{\noBreak}. They should be
940 inserted at a bar line. These commands force and forbid a page-break
941 from happening. Of course, the @code{\pageBreak} command also forces
944 The @code{\pageBreak} and @code{\noPageBreak} commands may also be
945 inserted at top-level, between scores and top-level markups.
947 There are also analogous settings to @code{ragged-right} and
948 @code{ragged-last} which have the same effect on vertical spacing:
949 @code{ragged-bottom} and @code{ragged-last-bottom}. If set to
950 @code{##t} the systems on all pages or just the last page
951 respectively will not be justified vertically.
953 For more details see @ref{Vertical spacing}.
955 Page breaks are computed by the @code{page-breaking} function. LilyPond
956 provides three algorithms for computing page breaks,
957 @code{ly:optimal-breaking}, @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} and
958 @code{ly:minimal-breaking}. The default is @code{ly:optimal-breaking},
959 but the value can be changed in the @code{\paper} block:
963 #(define page-breaking ly:page-turn-breaking)
969 When a book has many scores and pages, the page breaking problem may be
970 difficult to solve, requiring large processing time and memory. To ease
971 the page breaking process, @code{\bookpart} blocks are used to divide
972 the book into several parts: the page breaking occurs separately on each
973 part. Different page breaking functions may also be used in different
982 %% In a part consisting mostly of text,
983 %% ly:minimal-breaking may be prefered
984 #(define page-breaking ly:minimal-breaking)
986 \markup @{ @dots{} @}
990 %% In this part, consisting of music, the default optimal
991 %% page breaking function is used.
993 subtitle = "First movement"
1002 @funindex \pageBreak
1004 @funindex \noPageBreak
1005 @code{\noPageBreak}.
1014 @node Optimal page breaking
1015 @subsection Optimal page breaking
1017 @funindex ly:optimal-breaking
1019 The @code{ly:optimal-breaking} function is LilyPond's default method of
1020 determining page breaks. It attempts to find a page breaking that minimizes
1021 cramping and stretching, both horizontally and vertically. Unlike
1022 @code{ly:page-turn-breaking}, it has no concept of page turns.
1030 @node Optimal page turning
1031 @subsection Optimal page turning
1033 @funindex ly:page-turn-breaking
1035 Often it is necessary to find a page breaking configuration so that there is
1036 a rest at the end of every second page. This way, the musician can turn the
1037 page without having to miss notes. The @code{ly:page-turn-breaking} function
1038 attempts to find a page breaking minimizing cramping and stretching, but with
1039 the additional restriction that it is only allowed to introduce page turns
1040 in specified places.
1042 There are two steps to using this page breaking function. First, you
1043 must enable it in the @code{\paper} block, as explained in @ref{Page
1044 breaking}. Then you must tell the function where you would like to allow
1047 There are two ways to achieve the second step. First, you can specify each
1048 potential page turn manually, by inserting @code{\allowPageTurn} into your
1049 input file at the appropriate places.
1051 If this is too tedious, you can add a @code{Page_turn_engraver} to a Staff or
1052 Voice context. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} will scan the context for
1053 sections without notes (note that it does not scan for rests; it scans for
1054 the absence of notes. This is so that single-staff polyphony with rests in one
1055 of the parts does not throw off the @code{Page_turn_engraver}). When it finds
1056 a sufficiently long section without notes, the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1057 insert an @code{\allowPageTurn} at the final bar line in that section, unless
1058 there is a @q{special} bar line (such as a double bar), in which case the
1059 @code{\allowPageTurn} will be inserted at the final @q{special} bar line in
1062 @funindex minimumPageTurnLength
1063 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} reads the context property
1064 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} to determine how long a note-free section must
1065 be before a page turn is considered. The default value for
1066 @code{minimumPageTurnLength} is @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 1)}. If you want
1067 to disable page turns, you can set it to something very large.
1070 \new Staff \with @{ \consists "Page_turn_engraver" @}
1073 R1 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1075 \set Staff.minimumPageTurnLength = #(ly:make-moment 5 2)
1076 R1 | % a page turn will not be allowed here
1078 R1*2 | % a page turn will be allowed here
1083 @funindex minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn
1084 The @code{Page_turn_engraver} detects volta repeats. It will only allow a page
1085 turn during the repeat if there is enough time at the beginning and end of the
1086 repeat to turn the page back. The @code{Page_turn_engraver} can also disable
1087 page turns if the repeat is very short. If you set the context property
1088 @code{minimumRepeatLengthForPageTurn} then the @code{Page_turn_engraver} will
1089 only allow turns in repeats whose duration is longer than this value.
1091 The page turning commands, @code{\pageTurn}, @code{\noPageTurn} and
1092 @code{\allowPageTurn}, may also be used at top-level, between scores and
1099 @funindex \noPageTurn
1101 @funindex \allowPageTurn
1102 @code{\allowPageTurn}.
1113 There should only be one @code{Page_turn_engraver} in a score. If there is more
1114 than one, they will interfere with each other.
1117 @node Minimal page breaking
1118 @subsection Minimal page breaking
1120 @funindex ly:minimal-breaking
1122 The @code{ly:minimal-breaking} function performs minimal computations to
1123 calculate the page breaking: it fills a page with as many systems as
1124 possible before moving to the next one. Thus, it may be preferred for
1125 scores with many pages, where the other page breaking functions could be
1126 too slow or memory demanding, or a lot of texts. It is enabled using:
1130 #(define page-breaking ly:minimal-breaking)
1140 @node Explicit breaks
1141 @subsection Explicit breaks
1143 Lily sometimes rejects explicit @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak}
1144 commands. There are two commands to override this behavior:
1147 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1148 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1151 When @code{line-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1152 line breaks at explicit @code{\break} commands and nowhere else. When
1153 @code{page-break-permission} is overridden to false, Lily will insert
1154 page breaks at explicit @code{\pageBreak} commands and nowhere else.
1156 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1165 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-permission = ##f
1166 \override NonMusicalPaperColumn #'page-break-permission = ##f
1169 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1170 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1171 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1172 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \pageBreak
1173 \repeat unfold 8 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1174 \repeat unfold 6 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1175 \repeat unfold 4 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 } \break
1176 \repeat unfold 2 { c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 }
1188 @node Using an extra voice for breaks
1189 @subsection Using an extra voice for breaks
1191 Line- and page-breaking information usually appears within note entry directly.
1196 \repeat unfold 2 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
1198 \repeat unfold 3 @{ c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 @}
1203 This makes @code{\break} and @code{\pageBreak} commands easy to enter but mixes
1204 music entry with information that specifies how music should lay out
1205 on the page. You can keep music entry and line- and page-breaking
1206 information in two separate places by introducing an extra voice to
1207 contain the breaks. This extra voice
1208 contains only skips together with @code{\break}, @code{pageBreak} and other
1209 breaking layout information.
1211 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1221 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1222 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1223 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1224 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1230 This pattern becomes especially helpful when overriding
1231 @code{line-break-system-details} and the other useful but long properties of
1232 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumnGrob}, as explained in @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1234 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
1239 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1240 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1243 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1244 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 35))
1247 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1248 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 70))
1251 \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1252 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 105))
1256 \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1257 \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1258 \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1259 \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
1268 @ref{Vertical spacing}.
1274 @node Vertical spacing
1275 @section Vertical spacing
1277 @cindex vertical spacing
1278 @cindex spacing, vertical
1280 Vertical spacing is controlled by three things: the amount of
1281 space available (i.e., paper size and margins), the amount of
1282 space between systems, and the amount of space between
1283 staves inside a system.
1286 * Vertical spacing inside a system::
1287 * Vertical spacing between systems::
1288 * Explicit staff and system positioning::
1289 * Vertical collision avoidance::
1293 @node Vertical spacing inside a system
1294 @subsection Vertical spacing inside a system
1296 @cindex distance between staves
1297 @cindex staff distance
1298 @cindex space between staves
1299 @cindex space inside systems
1301 The height of each system is determined automatically. To prevent
1302 staves from bumping into each other, some minimum distances are set.
1303 By changing these, you can put staves closer together. This
1304 reduces the amount of space each system requires, and may result
1305 in having more systems per page.
1307 Normally staves are stacked vertically. To make staves maintain a
1308 distance, their vertical size is padded. This is done with the
1309 property @code{minimum-Y-extent}. When applied to a
1310 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup}, it controls the size of a horizontal
1311 line, such as a staff or a line of lyrics. @code{minimum-Y-extent}
1312 takes a pair of numbers, so
1313 if you want to make it smaller than its default @code{#'(-4 . 4)}
1317 \override Staff.VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-3 . 3)
1321 This sets the vertical size of the current staff to 3 staff spaces on
1322 either side of the center staff line. The value @code{(-3 . 3)} is
1323 interpreted as an interval, where the center line is the 0, so the
1324 first number is generally negative. The numbers need not match;
1325 for example, the staff can be made larger at the bottom by setting
1326 it to @code{(-6 . 4)}.
1329 FIXME: update this section
1331 After page breaks are determined, the vertical spacing within each
1332 system is reevaluated in order to fill the page more evenly; if a page
1333 has space left over, systems are stretched in order to fill that space.
1334 The amount of stretching can be configured though the @code{max-stretch}
1335 property of the @rinternals{VerticalAlignment} grob. By default,
1336 @code{max-stretch} is set to zero, disabling stretching. To enable
1337 stretching, a sane value for @code{max-stretch}
1338 is @code{ly:align-interface::calc-max-stretch}.
1340 In some situations, you may want to stretch most of a system while
1341 leaving some parts fixed. For example, if a piano part occurs in the
1342 middle of an orchestral score, you may want to leave the piano staves
1343 close to each other while stretching the rest of the score. The
1344 @code{keep-fixed-while-stretching} property of
1345 @rinternals{VerticalAxisGroup} can be used to achieve this. When set
1346 to @code{##t}, this property keeps its staff (or line of lyrics) from
1347 moving relative to the one directly above it. In the example above,
1348 you would override @code{keep-fixed-while-stretching} to @code{##t} in
1349 the second piano staff:
1352 #(set-default-paper-size "a6")
1353 #(set-global-staff-size 14.0)
1357 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
1362 \override VerticalAlignment #'max-stretch = #ly:align-interface::calc-max-stretch
1369 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1370 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1371 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1376 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1378 \override VerticalAxisGroup #'keep-fixed-while-stretching = ##t
1385 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1386 \new Staff {c' d' e' f'}
1394 Vertical alignment of staves is handled by the
1395 @code{VerticalAlignment} object. The context parameters
1396 specifying the vertical extent are described in connection with
1397 the @code{Axis_group_engraver}.
1404 @c @lsr{spacing,page-spacing.ly},
1405 @c @lsr{spacing,alignment-vertical-spacing.ly}.
1407 Internals Reference:
1408 @rinternals{VerticalAlignment},
1409 @rinternals{Axis_group_engraver}.
1412 @node Vertical spacing between systems
1413 @subsection Vertical spacing between systems
1415 Space between systems are controlled by four @code{\paper} variables,
1419 between-system-space = 1.5\cm
1420 between-system-padding = #1
1422 ragged-last-bottom=##f
1426 When only a couple of flat systems are placed on a page, the resulting
1427 vertical spacing may be non-elegant: one system at the top of the page,
1428 and the other at the bottom, with a huge gap between them. To avoid this
1429 situation, the space added between the systems can be limited. This
1430 feature is activated by setting to @code{#t} the
1431 @code{page-limit-inter-system-space} variable in the @code{\paper}
1432 block. The paper variable @code{page-limit-inter-system-space-factor}
1433 determines how much the space can be increased: for instance, the value
1434 @code{1.3} means that the space can be 30% larger than what it would be
1435 on a ragged-bottom page.
1437 In the following example, if the inter system space were not limited,
1438 the second system of page 1 would be placed at the page bottom. By
1439 activating the space limitation, the second system is placed closer to
1440 the first one. By setting @code{page-limit-inter-system-space-factor} to
1441 @code{1}, the spacing would the same as on a ragged-bottom page, like
1445 #(set-default-paper-size "a6")
1448 page-limit-inter-system-space = ##t
1449 page-limit-inter-system-space-factor = 1.3
1451 oddFooterMarkup = \markup "page bottom"
1452 evenFooterMarkup = \markup "page bottom"
1453 oddHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line {
1454 "page top" \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string }
1455 evenHeaderMarkup = \markup \fill-line {
1456 "page top" \fromproperty #'page:page-number-string }
1458 \new Staff << \repeat unfold 4 { g'4 g' g' g' \break }
1459 { s1*2 \pageBreak } >>
1469 @node Explicit staff and system positioning
1470 @subsection Explicit staff and system positioning
1472 One way to understand the @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper}
1473 settings explained in the previous two sections is as a collection of
1474 different settings that primarily concern the amount of vertical padding
1475 different staves and systems running down the page.
1477 It is possible to approach vertical spacing in a different way using
1478 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}. Where
1479 @code{VerticalAxisGroup} and @code{\paper} settings specify vertical padding,
1480 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} specifies exact
1481 vertical positions on the page.
1483 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details} accepts an associative
1484 list of five different settings:
1487 @item @code{X-offset}
1488 @item @code{Y-offset}
1489 @item @code{alignment-offsets}
1490 @item @code{alignment-extra-space}
1491 @item @code{fixed-alignment-extra-space}
1494 Grob overrides, including the overrides for @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}
1495 below, can occur in any of three different places in an input file:
1498 @item in the middle of note entry directly
1499 @item in a @code{\context} block
1500 @item in the @code{\with} block
1503 When we override @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn}, we use the usual
1504 @code{\override} command in @code{\context} blocks and in the
1505 @code{\with} block. On the other hand, when we override
1506 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} in the middle of note entry,
1507 use the special @code{\overrideProperty} command. Here are some
1508 example @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} overrides with the special
1509 @code{\overrideProperty} command:
1512 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1513 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20))
1515 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1516 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1518 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1519 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40))
1521 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1522 #'line-break-system-details #'((alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1524 \overrideProperty NonMusicalPaperColumn
1525 #'line-break-system-details #'((X-offset . 20) (Y-offset . 40)
1526 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1529 To understand how each of these different settings work, we begin
1530 by looking at an example that includes no overrides at all.
1532 @c \book { } is required in these examples to ensure the spacing
1533 @c overrides can be seen between systems. -np
1536 \header { tagline = ##f }
1537 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1547 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1550 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
1557 This score isolates line- and page-breaking information in a dedicated
1558 voice. This technique of creating a breaks voice will help keep layout
1559 separate from music entry as our example becomes more complicated.
1560 See @ref{Using an extra voice for breaks}.
1562 Explicit @code{\breaks} evenly divide the music into six measures per
1563 line. Vertical spacing results from LilyPond's defaults. To set
1564 the vertical startpoint of each system explicitly, we can set
1565 the @code{Y-offset} pair in the @code{line-break-system-details}
1566 attribute of the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob:
1569 \header { tagline = ##f }
1570 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1576 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1577 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
1579 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1580 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 40))
1582 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1583 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 80))
1586 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1589 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
1596 Note that @code{line-break-system-details} takes an associative list of
1597 potentially many values, but that we set only one value here. Note,
1598 too, that the @code{Y-offset} property here determines the exact vertical
1599 position on the page at which each new system will render.
1601 Now that we have set the vertical startpoint of each system
1602 explicitly, we can also set the vertical startpoint of each staff
1603 within each system manually. We do this using the @code{alignment-offsets}
1604 subproperty of @code{line-break-system-details}.
1607 \header { tagline = ##f }
1608 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1614 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1615 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 20)
1616 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1618 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1619 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1620 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1622 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1623 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1624 (alignment-offsets . (0 -15)))
1627 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1630 \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' }
1637 Note that here we assign two different values to the
1638 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute of the
1639 @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn} grob. Though the
1640 @code{line-break-system-details} attribute alist accepts many
1641 additional spacing parameters (including, for example, a corresponding
1642 @code{X-offset} pair), we need only set the @code{Y-offset} and
1643 @code{alignment-offsets} pairs to control the vertical startpoint of
1644 every system and every staff. Finally, note that @code{alignment-offsets}
1645 specifies the vertical positioning of staves but not of staff groups.
1648 \header { tagline = ##f }
1649 \paper { left-margin = 0\mm }
1655 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1656 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0)
1657 (alignment-offsets . (0 -30 -40)))
1659 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1660 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 60)
1661 (alignment-offsets . (0 -10 -20)))
1663 \overrideProperty #"Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
1664 #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 100)
1665 (alignment-offsets . (0 -10 -40)))
1668 \new Voice { \repeat unfold 15 { c'4 c' c' c' } }
1671 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { d'4 d' d' d' } }
1672 \new Staff { \repeat unfold 15 { e'4 e' e' e' } }
1679 Some points to consider:
1682 @item When using @code{alignment-offsets}, lyrics count as a staff.
1684 @item The units of the numbers passed to @code{X-offset},
1685 @code{Y-offset} and @code{alignment-offsets} are interpreted as multiples
1686 of the distance between adjacent staff lines. Positive values move staves
1687 and lyrics up, negative values move staves and lyrics down.
1689 @item Because the @code{NonMusicalPaperColumn #'line-break-system-details}
1690 settings given here allow the positioning of staves and systems anywhere
1691 on the page, it is possible to violate paper or margin boundaries or even
1692 to print staves or systems on top of one another. Reasonable values
1693 passed to these different settings will avoid this.
1702 @node Vertical collision avoidance
1703 @subsection Vertical collision avoidance
1705 @funindex outside-staff-priority
1706 @funindex outside-staff-padding
1707 @funindex outside-staff-horizontal-padding
1709 Intuitively, there are some objects in musical notation that belong
1710 to the staff and there are other objects that should be placed outside
1711 the staff. Objects belonging outside the staff include things such as
1712 rehearsal marks, text and dynamic markings (from now on, these will
1713 be called outside-staff objects). LilyPond's rule for the
1714 vertical placement of outside-staff objects is to place them as close
1715 to the staff as possible but not so close that they collide with
1718 LilyPond uses the @code{outside-staff-priority} property to determine
1719 whether a grob is an outside-staff object: if @code{outside-staff-priority}
1720 is a number, the grob is an outside-staff object. In addition,
1721 @code{outside-staff-priority} tells LilyPond in which order the objects
1724 First, LilyPond places all the objects that do not belong outside
1725 the staff. Then it sorts the outside-staff objects according to their
1726 @code{outside-staff-priority} (in increasing order). One by one, LilyPond
1727 takes the outside-staff objects and places them so that they do
1728 not collide with any objects that have already been placed. That
1729 is, if two outside-staff grobs are competing for the same space, the one
1730 with the lower @code{outside-staff-priority} will be placed closer to
1733 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1736 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = #1
1737 c4_"Text"\pp % this time the text will be closer to the staff
1739 % by setting outside-staff-priority to a non-number,
1740 % we disable the automatic collision avoidance
1741 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1742 \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
1743 c4_"Text"\pp % now they will collide
1746 The vertical padding between an outside-staff object and the
1747 previously-positioned grobs can be controlled with
1748 @code{outside-staff-padding}.
1750 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1751 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #0
1752 a'^"This text is placed very close to the note"
1753 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-padding = #3
1754 c^"This text is padded away from the previous text"
1755 c^"This text is placed close to the previous text"
1759 By default, outside-staff objects are placed only to avoid
1760 a horizontal collision with previously-positioned grobs. This
1761 can lead to situations in which objects are placed very close to each
1762 other horizontally. The vertical spacing between staffs can
1763 also be set so that outside staff objects are interleaved.
1764 Setting @code{outside-staff-horizontal-padding}
1765 causes an object to be offset vertically so that such a situation
1768 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
1769 % the markup is too close to the following note
1773 % setting outside-staff-horizontal-padding fixes this
1775 \once \override TextScript #'outside-staff-horizontal-padding = #1
1787 @node Horizontal spacing
1788 @section Horizontal spacing
1790 @cindex horizontal spacing
1791 @cindex spacing, horizontal
1794 * Horizontal spacing overview::
1795 * New spacing area::
1796 * Changing horizontal spacing::
1798 * Proportional notation::
1802 @node Horizontal spacing overview
1803 @subsection Horizontal spacing overview
1805 The spacing engine translates differences in durations into stretchable
1806 distances (@q{springs}) of differing lengths. Longer durations get
1807 more space, shorter durations get less. The shortest durations get a
1808 fixed amount of space (which is controlled by
1809 @code{shortest-duration-space} in the @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}
1810 object). The longer the duration, the more space it gets: doubling a
1811 duration adds a fixed amount (this amount is controlled by
1812 @code{spacing-increment}) of space to the note.
1814 For example, the following piece contains lots of half, quarter, and
1815 8th notes; the eighth note is followed by 1 note head width (NHW).
1816 The quarter note is followed by 2 NHW, the half by 3 NHW, etc.
1818 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=1]
1819 c2 c4. c8 c4. c8 c4. c8 c8
1823 Normally, @code{spacing-increment} is set to 1.2 staff space, which is
1824 approximately the width of a note head, and
1825 @code{shortest-duration-space} is set to 2.0, meaning that the
1826 shortest note gets 2.4 staff space (2.0 times the
1827 @code{spacing-increment}) of horizontal space. This space is counted
1828 from the left edge of the symbol, so the shortest notes are generally
1829 followed by one NHW of space.
1831 If one would follow the above procedure exactly, then adding a single
1832 32nd note to a score that uses 8th and 16th notes, would widen up the
1833 entire score a lot. The shortest note is no longer a 16th, but a 32nd,
1834 thus adding 1 NHW to every note. To prevent this, the shortest
1835 duration for spacing is not the shortest note in the score, but rather
1836 the one which occurs most frequently.
1839 The most common shortest duration is determined as follows: in every
1840 measure, the shortest duration is determined. The most common shortest
1841 duration is taken as the basis for the spacing, with the stipulation
1842 that this shortest duration should always be equal to or shorter than
1843 an 8th note. The shortest duration is printed when you run
1844 @code{lilypond} with the @code{--verbose} option.
1846 These durations may also be customized. If you set the
1847 @code{common-shortest-duration} in @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}, then
1848 this sets the base duration for spacing. The maximum duration for this
1849 base (normally an 8th), is set through @code{base-shortest-duration}.
1851 @funindex common-shortest-duration
1852 @funindex base-shortest-duration
1853 @funindex stem-spacing-correction
1856 Notes that are even shorter than the common shortest note are
1857 followed by a space that is proportional to their duration relative to
1858 the common shortest note. So if we were to add only a few 16th notes
1859 to the example above, they would be followed by half a NHW:
1861 @lilypond[quote,fragment,verbatim,relative=2]
1862 c2 c4. c8 c4. c16[ c] c4. c8 c8 c8 c4 c4 c4
1868 @c (see @rlearning{Engraving}),
1869 it was explained that stem
1870 directions influence spacing. This is controlled with the
1871 @code{stem-spacing-correction} property in the
1872 @rinternals{NoteSpacing}, object. These are generated for every
1873 @rinternals{Voice} context. The @code{StaffSpacing} object
1874 (generated in @rinternals{Staff} context) contains the same property
1875 for controlling the stem/bar line spacing. The following example shows
1876 these corrections, once with default settings, and once with
1877 exaggerated corrections:
1879 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right]
1883 \override Staff.NoteSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
1884 \override Staff.StaffSpacing #'stem-spacing-correction = #1.5
1890 Proportional notation is supported; see @ref{Proportional notation}.
1897 Internals Reference:
1898 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner},
1899 @rinternals{NoteSpacing},
1900 @rinternals{StaffSpacing},
1901 @rinternals{NonMusicalPaperColumn}.
1906 There is no convenient mechanism to manually override spacing. The
1907 following work-around may be used to insert extra space into a score,
1908 adjusting the padding value as necessary.
1910 \override Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn #'padding = #10
1913 No work-around exists for decreasing the amount of space.
1916 @node New spacing area
1917 @subsection New spacing area
1919 New sections with different spacing parameters can be started with
1920 @code{newSpacingSection}. This is useful when there are
1921 sections with a different notions of long and short notes.
1923 In the following example, the time signature change introduces a new
1924 section, and hence the 16ths notes are spaced wider.
1926 @lilypond[relative,fragment,verbatim,quote]
1929 c8 c c4 c16[ c c8] c4
1935 The @code{\newSpacingSection} command creates a new
1936 @code{SpacingSpanner} object, and hence new @code{\override}s
1937 may be used in that location.
1944 Internals Reference:
1945 @rinternals{SpacingSpanner}.
1948 @node Changing horizontal spacing
1949 @subsection Changing horizontal spacing
1951 Horizontal spacing may be altered with the
1952 @code{base-shortest-duration} property. Here
1953 we compare the same music; once without altering
1954 the property, and then altered. Larger values
1955 of @code{ly:make-moment} will produce smaller
1956 music. Note that @code{ly:make-moment} constructs
1957 a duration, so @code{1 4} is a longer duration
1960 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
1963 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
1964 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1965 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
1966 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1971 @lilypond[verbatim,line-width=12\cm]
1974 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 |
1975 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1976 d4 d d d | d4 e f2 | e4 e e e | e4 f g2 |
1977 g4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 e g g | c,1 |
1982 \override SpacingSpanner
1983 #'base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
1992 By default, spacing in tuplets depends on various non-duration
1993 factors (such as accidentals, clef changes, etc). To disregard
1994 such symbols and force uniform equal-duration spacing, use
1995 @code{Score.SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching}. This
1996 property can only be changed at the beginning of a score,
1998 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
2000 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2017 When @code{strict-note-spacing} is set, notes are spaced without
2018 regard for clefs, bar lines, and grace notes,
2020 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,relative=2,fragment,verbatim]
2021 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2022 \new Staff { c8[ c \clef alto c \grace { c16[ c] } c8 c c] c32[ c32] }
2032 @subsection Line length
2035 @cindex breaking pages
2038 @funindex line-width
2039 @funindex ragged-right
2040 @funindex ragged-last
2042 @c Although line-width can be set in \layout, it should be set in paper
2043 @c block, to get page layout right.
2044 @c Setting indent in \paper block makes not much sense, but it works.
2046 @c Bit verbose and vague, use examples?
2047 The most basic settings influencing the spacing are @code{indent} and
2048 @code{line-width}. They are set in the @code{\layout} block. They
2049 control the indentation of the first line of music, and the lengths of
2052 If @code{ragged-right} is set to true in the @code{\layout} block, then
2053 systems ends at their natural horizontal length, instead of being spread
2054 horizontally to fill the whole line. This is useful for
2055 short fragments, and for checking how tight the natural spacing is.
2056 The normal default setting is false, but if the score has only one
2057 system the default value is true.
2060 @cindex vertical spacing
2062 The option @code{ragged-last} is similar to @code{ragged-right}, but
2063 only affects the last line of the piece. No restrictions are put on
2064 that line. The result is similar to formatting text paragraphs. In a
2065 paragraph, the last line simply takes its natural horizontal length.
2066 @c Note that for text there are several options for the last line.
2067 @c While Knuth TeX uses natural length, lead typesetters use the same
2068 @c stretch as the previous line. eTeX uses \lastlinefit to
2069 @c interpolate between both these solutions.
2085 @node Proportional notation
2086 @subsection Proportional notation
2088 LilyPond supports proportional notation, a type of horizontal spacing
2089 in which each note consumes an amount of horizontal space exactly
2090 equivalent to its rhythmic duration. This type of proportional spacing
2091 is comparable to horizontal spacing on top of graph paper. Some late
2092 20th- and early 21st-century scores use proportional notation to
2093 clarify complex rhythmic relationships or to facilitate the placement
2094 of timelines or other graphics directly in the score.
2096 LilyPond supports five different settings for proportional notation,
2097 which may be used together or alone:
2100 @item @code{proportionalNotationDuration}
2101 @item @code{uniform-stretching}
2102 @item @code{strict-note-spacing}
2103 @item @code{\remove Separating_line_group_engraver}
2104 @item @code{\override PaperColumn #'used = ##t}
2107 In the examples that follow, we explore these five different
2108 proportional notation settings and examine how these settings interact.
2110 We start with the following one-measure example, which uses classical
2111 spacing with ragged-right turned on.
2113 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2115 \new RhythmicStaff {
2119 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2125 Notice that the half note which begins the measure takes up far less
2126 than half of the horizontal space of the measure. Likewise, the
2127 sixteenth notes and sixteenth-note quintuplets (or twentieth notes)
2128 which end the measure together take up far more than half the
2129 horizontal space of the measure.
2131 In classical engraving, this spacing may be exactly what we want
2132 because we can borrow horizontal space from the half note and conserve
2133 horizontal space across the measure as a whole.
2135 On the other hand, if we want to insert a measured timeline or other
2136 graphic above or below our score, we need proportional notation. We
2137 turn proportional notation on with the proportionalNotationDuration
2140 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2142 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2144 \new RhythmicStaff {
2148 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2154 The half note at the beginning of the measure and the faster notes in
2155 the second half of the measure now occupy equal amounts of horizontal
2156 space. We could place a measured timeline or graphic above or below
2159 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting is a context setting that
2160 lives in @code{Score}. Recall that context settings appear in one of
2161 three locations in our input file -- in a @code{\with} block, in a
2162 @code{\context} block, or directly in music entry
2163 preceded by the @code{\set} command. As with all
2164 context settings, users can pick which of the three different
2165 locations they would like to set @code{proportionalNotationDuration}.
2167 The @code{proportionalNotationDuration} setting takes a single argument,
2168 which is the reference duration against which all music will be
2169 spaced. The LilyPond Scheme function make-moment takes two arguments
2170 -- a numerator and denominator which together express some fraction of
2171 a whole note. The call @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 20)} therefore produces a
2172 reference duration of a twentieth note. The values
2173 @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 16)}, @code{#(ly:make-moment 1 8)}, and
2174 @code{#(ly:make-moment 3 97)} are all possible as well.
2176 How do we select the right reference duration to pass to
2177 @code{proportionalNotationDuration}? Usually by a process of trial and error,
2178 beginning with a duration close to the fastest (or smallest) duration
2179 in the piece. Smaller reference durations space music loosely; larger
2180 reference durations space music tightly.
2182 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2184 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
2186 \new RhythmicStaff {
2190 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2196 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2198 \new RhythmicStaff {
2202 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2208 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 32)
2210 \new RhythmicStaff {
2214 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2220 Note that too large a reference duration -- such as the eighth note,
2221 above -- spaces music too tightly and can cause note head collisions.
2222 Note also that proportional notation in general takes up more
2223 horizontal space that does classical spacing. Proportional spacing
2224 provides rhythmic clarity at the expense of horizontal space.
2226 Next we examine how to optimally space overlapping tuplets.
2228 We start by examining what happens to our original example, with
2229 classical spacing, when we add a second staff with a different type of
2232 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2234 \new RhythmicStaff {
2238 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2241 \new RhythmicStaff {
2243 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2249 The spacing is bad because the evenly notes of the bottom staff do not
2250 stretch uniformly. Classical engraving includes very few complex
2251 triplets and so classical engraving rules can generate this type of
2252 result. Setting @code{proportionalNotationDuration} remedies this
2253 situation considerably.
2255 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2257 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2259 \new RhythmicStaff {
2263 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2266 \new RhythmicStaff {
2268 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2274 But if we look very carefully we can see that notes of the second half
2275 of the 9-tuplet space ever so slightly more widely than do the notes
2276 of the first half of the 9-tuplet. To ensure uniform stretching, we
2277 turn on @code{uniform-stretching}, which is a property of
2278 @code{SpacingSpanner}.
2280 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2282 proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 20)
2283 \override SpacingSpanner #'uniform-stretching = ##t
2285 \new RhythmicStaff {
2289 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16 c'16
2292 \new RhythmicStaff {
2294 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8 c'8
2300 Our two-staff example now spaces exactly, our rhythmic
2301 relationships are visually clear, and we can include a measured
2302 timeline or graphic if we want.
2304 Note that the LilyPond's proportional notation package expects
2305 that all proportional scores set the SpacingSpanner's
2306 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t. Setting
2307 proportionalNotationDuration without also setting the
2308 SpacingSpanner's 'uniform-stretching attribute to ##t will, for
2309 example, cause Skips to consume an incorrect amount of horizontal
2312 The SpacingSpanner is an abstract grob that lives in the Score
2313 context. As with our settings of proportionalNotationDuration,
2314 overrides to the SpacingSpanner can occur in any of three
2315 different places in our input file – in the Score \with block, in
2316 a Score \context block, or in note entry directly.
2318 There is by default only one @code{SpacingSpanner} per @code{Score}. This
2319 means that, by default, @code{uniform-stretching} is either turned on for the
2320 entire score or turned off for the entire score. We can, however,
2321 override this behavior and turn on different spacing features at
2322 different places in the score. We do this with the command
2323 @code{\newSpacingSection}. See @ref{New spacing area}, for more info.
2325 Next we examine the effects of the @code{Separating_line_group_engraver} and
2326 see why proportional scores frequently remove this engraver. The following
2327 example shows that there is a small amount of @qq{preferatory} space
2328 just before the first note in each system.
2330 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2343 The amount of this preferatory space is the same whether after a time
2344 signature, a key signature or a clef. @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
2345 is responsible for this space. Removing @code{Separating_line_group_engraver}
2346 reduces this space to zero.
2348 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2354 \remove Separating_line_group_engraver
2362 Nonmusical elements like time signatures, key signatures, clefs and
2363 accidentals are problematic in proportional notation. None of these
2364 elements has rhythmic duration. But all of these elements consume
2365 horizontal space. Different proportional scores approach these
2366 problems differently.
2368 It may be possible to avoid spacing problems with key signatures
2369 simply by not having any. This is a valid option since most
2370 proportional scores are contemporary music. The same may be true
2371 of time signatures, especially for those scores
2372 that include a measured timeline or other graphic. But these scores
2373 are exceptional and most proportional scores include at least some
2374 time signatures. Clefs and accidentals are even more essential.
2376 So what strategies exist for spacing nonmusical elements in a
2377 proportional context? One good option is the @code{strict-note-spacing}
2378 property of @code{SpacingSpanner}. Compare the two scores below:
2380 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,ragged-right]
2382 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2392 \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
2393 \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'strict-note-spacing = ##t
2403 Both scores are proportional, but the spacing in the first score
2404 is too loose because of the clef change. The spacing of the second
2405 score remains strict, however, because strict-note-spacing is
2406 turned on. Turning on strict-note-spacing causes the width of
2407 time signatures, key signatures, clefs and accidentals to play no
2408 part in the spacing algorithm.
2410 In addition to the settings given here, there are other settings
2411 that frequently appear in proportional scores. These include:
2414 @item @code{\override SpacingSpanner #'strict-grace-spacing = ##t}
2415 @item @code{tupletFullLength = ##t}
2416 @item @code{\override Beam #'breakable = ##t}
2417 @item @code{\override Glissando #'breakable = ##t}
2418 @item @code{\override TextSpanner #'breakable = ##t}
2419 @item @code{\remove Forbid_line_break_engraver in the Voice context}
2422 These settings space grace notes strictly, extend tuplet brackets to
2423 mark both rhythmic start- and stop-points, and allow spanning elements
2424 to break across systems and pages. See the respective parts of the manual
2425 for these related settings.
2430 @ref{New spacing area}.
2436 @node Fitting music onto fewer pages
2437 @section Fitting music onto fewer pages
2439 Sometimes you can end up with one or two staves on a second
2440 (or third, or fourth...) page. This is annoying, especially
2441 if you look at previous pages and it looks like there is plenty
2442 of room left on those.
2444 When investigating layout issues, @code{annotate-spacing} is an
2445 invaluable tool. This command prints the values of various layout
2446 spacing variables; for more details see the following section,
2447 @ref{Displaying spacing}.
2450 * Displaying spacing::
2451 * Changing spacing::
2455 @node Displaying spacing
2456 @subsection Displaying spacing
2458 @funindex annotate-spacing
2459 @cindex spacing, display of layout
2461 To graphically display the dimensions of vertical layout variables
2462 that may be altered for page formatting, set
2463 @code{annotate-spacing} in the @code{\paper} block:
2465 @c need to have \book{} otherwise we get the separate systems. -hwn
2466 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2467 #(set-default-paper-size "a6" 'landscape)
2470 \paper { annotate-spacing = ##t }
2476 All layout dimensions are displayed in staff-spaces, regardless
2477 of the units specified in the @code{\paper} or @code{\layout} block.
2478 In the above example, @code{paper-height} has a value of 59.75
2479 @code{staff-spaces}, and the @code{staff-size} is 20 points (the
2480 default value). Note that:
2482 @multitable {1 staff-space} {staff-size)/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm}
2485 @tab = (25.4/72.27) mm
2488 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 pts
2490 @tab = (@code{staff-size})/4 * (25.4/72.27) mm
2495 In this case, one @code{staff-space} is approximately equal to
2496 1.757mm. Thus the @code{paper-height} measurement of 59.75
2497 @code{staff-spaces} is equivalent to 105 millimeters, the height
2498 of @code{a6} paper in landscape orientation. The pairs
2499 (@var{a},@var{b}) are intervals, where @var{a} is the lower
2500 edge and @var{b} the upper edge of the interval.
2505 @ref{Setting the staff size}.
2511 @node Changing spacing
2512 @subsection Changing spacing
2514 The output of @code{annotate-spacing} reveals vertical dimensions
2515 in great detail. For details about modifying margins and other
2516 layout variables, see @ref{Page formatting}.
2518 Other than margins, there are a few other options to save space:
2522 Force systems to move as close together as possible (to fit as
2523 many systems as possible onto a page) while being spaced so that
2524 there is no blank space at the bottom of the page.
2528 between-system-padding = #0.1
2529 between-system-space = #0.1
2530 ragged-last-bottom = ##f
2536 Force the number of systems. This can help in two ways. Just
2537 setting a value, even the same value as the number of systems
2538 being typeset by default, will sometimes cause more systems to
2539 be fitted onto each page, as an estimation step is then bypassed,
2540 giving a more accurate fit to each page. Also, forcing an actual
2541 reduction in the number of systems may save a further page. For
2542 example, if the default layout has 11 systems, the following
2543 assignment will force a layout with 10 systems.
2552 Avoid (or reduce) objects that increase the vertical size of a
2553 system. For example, volta repeats (or alternate repeats) require
2554 extra space. If these repeats are spread over two systems, they
2555 will take up more space than one system with the volta repeats and
2556 another system without. For example, dynamics that @q{stick out} of
2557 a system can be moved closer to the staff:
2559 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
2561 \override DynamicText #'extra-offset = #'( -2.2 . 2.0)
2566 Alter the horizontal spacing via @code{SpacingSpanner}. For more
2567 details, see @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}. The following
2568 example illustrates the default spacing:
2570 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2583 The next example modifies @code{common-shortest-duration} from a
2584 value of @code{1/4} to @code{1/2}. The quarter note is the most
2585 common and shortest duration in this example, so by making this
2586 duration longer, a @q{squeezing} effect occurs:
2588 @lilypond[verbatim,quote]
2600 \override SpacingSpanner
2601 #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 2)
2608 The @code{common-shortest-duration} property cannot be modified
2609 dynamically, so it must always be placed in a @code{\context}
2610 block so that it applies to the whole score.
2617 @ref{Page formatting},
2618 @ref{Changing horizontal spacing}.