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1.3.3 Expressive marks as lines

This section explains how to create various expressive marks that follow a linear path: glissandos, arpeggios, and trills.

Glissando
Arpeggio
Trills

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Glissando

A glissando is created by appending \glissando to a note:

\relative {
  g'2\glissando g'
  c2\glissando c,
  \afterGrace f,1\glissando f'16
}

A glissando can connect notes across staves:

\new PianoStaff <<
  \new Staff = "right" {
    e'''2\glissando
    \change Staff = "left"
    a,,4\glissando
    \change Staff = "right"
    b''8 r |
  }
  \new Staff = "left" {
    \clef bass
    s1
  }
>>

A glissando can connect notes in chords. If anything other than a direct one-to-one pairing of the notes in the two chords is required, the connections between the notes are defined by setting \glissandoMap to a Scheme list. The elements are pairs of integers; each pair (x . y) creates a glissando line from the x-th note of the first chord to the y-th note of the second chord. Notes are numbered from zero in the order in which they appear in the input ‘.ly’ file. Not all notes need be part in a glissando.

\relative {
  <c' e>2\glissando g'
  <c, e>\glissando <g' b>
  \break
  \set glissandoMap = #'((0 . 1) (1 . 0))
  <c, g'>\glissando <d a'>
  \set glissandoMap = #'((0 . 0) (0 . 1) (0 . 2))
  c\glissando <d f a>
  \set glissandoMap = #'((2 . 2) (0 . 0))
  <f d a'>\glissando <c f c'>
}

Different styles of glissandi can be created. For details, see Line styles.

Selected Snippets

Contemporary glissando

A contemporary glissando without a final note can be typeset using a hidden note and cadenza timing.

\relative c'' {
  \time 3/4
  \override Glissando.style = #'zigzag
  c4 c
  \cadenzaOn
  c4\glissando
  \hideNotes
  c,,4
  \unHideNotes
  \cadenzaOff
  \bar "|"
}

Adding timing marks to long glissandi

Skipped beats in very long glissandi are sometimes indicated by timing marks, often consisting of stems without noteheads. Such stems can also be used to carry intermediate expression markings.

If the stems do not align well with the glissando, they may need to be repositioned slightly.

glissandoSkipOn = {
  \override NoteColumn.glissando-skip = ##t
  \hide NoteHead
  \override NoteHead.no-ledgers = ##t
}

glissandoSkipOff = {
  \revert NoteColumn.glissando-skip
  \undo \hide NoteHead
  \revert NoteHead.no-ledgers
}

\relative c'' {
  r8 f8\glissando
  \glissandoSkipOn
  f4 g a a8\noBeam
  \glissandoSkipOff
  a8

  r8 f8\glissando
  \glissandoSkipOn
  g4 a8
  \glissandoSkipOff
  a8 |

  r4 f\glissando \<
  \glissandoSkipOn
  a4\f \>
  \glissandoSkipOff
  b8\! r |
}

Making glissandi breakable

Setting the breakable property to #t in combination with after-line-breaking allows a glissando to break if it occurs at a line break:

glissandoSkipOn = {
  \override NoteColumn.glissando-skip = ##t
  \hide NoteHead
  \override NoteHead.no-ledgers = ##t
}

\relative c'' {
  \override Glissando.breakable = ##t
  \override Glissando.after-line-breaking = ##t
  f1\glissando |
  \break
  a4 r2. |
  f1\glissando
  \once \glissandoSkipOn
  \break
  a2 a4 r4 |
}

Extending glissandi across repeats

A glissando which extends into several \alternative blocks can be simulated by adding a hidden grace note with a glissando at the start of each \alternative block. The grace note should be at the same pitch as the note which starts the initial glissando. This is implemented here with a music function which takes the pitch of the grace note as its argument.

Note that in polyphonic music the grace note must be matched with corresponding grace notes in all other voices.

repeatGliss = #(define-music-function (grace)
  (ly:pitch?)
  #{
    % the next two lines ensure the glissando is long enough
    % to be visible
    \once \override Glissando.springs-and-rods
      = #ly:spanner::set-spacing-rods
    \once \override Glissando.minimum-length = #3.5
    \once \hideNotes
    \grace $grace \glissando
  #})

\score {
  \relative c'' {
    \repeat volta 3 { c4 d e f\glissando }
    \alternative {
      { g2 d }
      { \repeatGliss f g2 e }
      { \repeatGliss f e2 d }
    }
  }
}

music =  \relative c' {
  \voiceOne
  \repeat volta 2 {
    g a b c\glissando
  }
  \alternative {
    { d1 }
    { \repeatGliss c \once \omit StringNumber e1\2 }
  }
}

\score {
  \new StaffGroup <<
    \new Staff <<
      \new Voice { \clef "G_8" \music }
    >>
    \new TabStaff  <<
      \new TabVoice { \clef "moderntab" \music }
    >>
  >>
}

See also

Music Glossary: glissando.

Notation Reference: Line styles.

Snippets: Expressive marks.

Internals Reference: Glissando.

Known issues and warnings

Printing text over the line (such as gliss.) is not supported.

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Arpeggio

An arpeggio on a chord (also known as a broken chord) is denoted by appending \arpeggio to the chord construct:

\relative { <c' e g c>1\arpeggio }

Different types of arpeggios may be written. \arpeggioNormal reverts to a normal arpeggio:

\relative {
  <c' e g c>2\arpeggio

  \arpeggioArrowUp
  <c e g c>2\arpeggio

  \arpeggioArrowDown
  <c e g c>2\arpeggio

  \arpeggioNormal
  <c e g c>2\arpeggio
}

These predefined commands internally modify the arpeggio-direction property; see their full definition in the ‘ly/property-init.ly’ file.

Special bracketed arpeggio symbols can be created:

\relative {
  <c' e g c>2

  \arpeggioBracket
  <c e g c>2\arpeggio

  \arpeggioParenthesis
  <c e g c>2\arpeggio

  \arpeggioParenthesisDashed
  <c e g c>2\arpeggio

  \arpeggioNormal
  <c e g c>2\arpeggio
}

These predefined commands internally override the Arpeggio object’s stencil property, and may also adapt its X-extent (that is, the horizontal dimension it takes not to collide with other objects).

The dash properties of the parenthesis arpeggio are controlled with the dash-definition property (see Slurs).

Arpeggios can be explicitly written out with ties. For more information, see Ties.

Predefined commands

\arpeggio, \arpeggioArrowUp, \arpeggioArrowDown, \arpeggioNormal, \arpeggioBracket, \arpeggioParenthesis, \arpeggioParenthesisDashed.

Selected Snippets

Creating cross-staff arpeggios in a piano staff

In a PianoStaff, it is possible to let an arpeggio cross between the staves by setting the property PianoStaff.connectArpeggios.

\new PianoStaff \relative c'' <<
  \set PianoStaff.connectArpeggios = ##t
  \new Staff {
    <c e g c>4\arpeggio
    <g c e g>4\arpeggio
    <e g c e>4\arpeggio
    <c e g c>4\arpeggio
  }
  \new Staff {
    \clef bass
    \repeat unfold 4 {
      <c,, e g c>4\arpeggio
    }
  }
>>

Creating cross-staff arpeggios in other contexts

Cross-staff arpeggios can be created in contexts other than GrandStaff, PianoStaff and StaffGroup if the Span_arpeggio_engraver is included in the Score context.

\score {
  \new ChoirStaff {
    \set Score.connectArpeggios = ##t
    <<
      \new Voice \relative c' {
        <c e>2\arpeggio
        <d f>2\arpeggio
        <c e>1\arpeggio
      }
      \new Voice \relative c {
        \clef bass
        <c g'>2\arpeggio
        <b g'>2\arpeggio
        <c g'>1\arpeggio
      }
    >>
  }
  \layout {
    \context {
      \Score
      \consists "Span_arpeggio_engraver"
    }
  }
}

Creating arpeggios across notes in different voices

An arpeggio can be drawn across notes in different voices on the same staff if the Span_arpeggio_engraver is added to the Staff context:

\new Staff \with {
  \consists "Span_arpeggio_engraver"
}
\relative c' {
  \set Staff.connectArpeggios = ##t
  <<
    { <e' g>4\arpeggio <d f> <d f>2 }
    \\
    { <d, f>2\arpeggio <g b>2 }
  >>
}

See also

Music Glossary: arpeggio.

Notation Reference: Slurs, Ties.

Installed Files: ‘ly/property-init.ly’.

Snippets: Expressive marks.

Internals Reference: Arpeggio, Slur, PianoStaff.

Known issues and warnings

Predefined commands such as \arpeggioArrowUp only apply to the current context, and thus will not affect arpeggios spanning several voices or staves. In such cases, these commands need to be used in a \context block within \layout, or in a \with block, as explained in Changing context default settings. Alternatively, rather than using predefined shortcuts, it may be advisable to directly override the relevant properties for the Arpeggio object in the appropriate context; for example:

\override Staff.Arpeggio.stencil = #ly:arpeggio::brew-chord-bracket

to print cross-voice arpeggio brackets at the Staff level, or

\override PianoStaff.Arpeggio.arpeggio-direction = #UP

to print cross-staff arrowed arpeggios (pointing upwards) in a PianoStaff context.

It is not possible to mix connected arpeggios and unconnected arpeggios in one PianoStaff at the same point in time.

The simple way of setting parenthesis-style arpeggio brackets does not work for cross-staff arpeggios; see Cross-staff stems.

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Trills

Short trills without an extender line are printed with \trill; see Articulations and ornamentations.

Longer trills with an extender line are made with \startTrillSpan and \stopTrillSpan:

\relative {
  d''1\startTrillSpan
  d1
  c2\stopTrillSpan
  r2
}

A trill spanner crossing a line break will restart exactly above the first note on the new line.

\relative {
  d''1\startTrillSpan
  \break
  d1
  c2\stopTrillSpan
  r2
}

Consecutive trill spans will work without explicit \stopTrillSpan commands, since successive trill spanners will automatically become the right bound of the previous trill.

\relative {
  d''1\startTrillSpan
  d1
  b1\startTrillSpan
  d2\stopTrillSpan
  r2
}

Trills can also be combined with grace notes. The syntax of this construct and the method to precisely position the grace notes are described in Grace notes.

\relative {
  d''1~\afterGrace
  d1\startTrillSpan { c32[ d]\stopTrillSpan }
  c2 r2
}

Trills that require an auxiliary note with an explicit pitch can be typeset with the \pitchedTrill command. The first argument is the main note, and the second is the trilled note, printed as a stemless note head in parentheses.

\relative {
  \pitchedTrill
  d''2\startTrillSpan fis
  d2
  c2\stopTrillSpan
  r2
}

The Accidental of the first pitched trill in a measure is always printed, even for naturals.

{
  \key d \major
  \pitchedTrill
  d'2\startTrillSpan cis d\stopTrillSpan
  \pitchedTrill
  d2\startTrillSpan c d\stopTrillSpan
  \pitchedTrill
  d2\startTrillSpan e d\stopTrillSpan
}

Subsequent accidentals (of the same note in the same measure) will need to be added manually.

\relative {
  \pitchedTrill
  eis''4\startTrillSpan fis
  eis4\stopTrillSpan
  \pitchedTrill
  eis4\startTrillSpan cis
  eis4\stopTrillSpan
  \pitchedTrill
  eis4\startTrillSpan fis
  eis4\stopTrillSpan
  \pitchedTrill
  eis4\startTrillSpan fis!
  eis4\stopTrillSpan
}

Predefined commands

\startTrillSpan, \stopTrillSpan.

See also

Music Glossary: trill.

Notation Reference: Articulations and ornamentations, Grace notes.

Snippets: Expressive marks.

Internals Reference: TrillSpanner, TrillPitchHead, TrillPitchAccidental, TrillPitchParentheses, TrillPitchGroup, Pitched_trill_engraver.

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