LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.7.2 Outside the staff

[ << Musical notation ]	[Top][Contents][Index]	[ Specialist notation >> ]
[ < Stems ]	[ Up : Editorial annotations ]	[ Note names > ]

1.7.2 Outside the staff

This section discusses how to add emphasis to elements in the staff from outside of the staff.

[ << Musical notation ]	[Top][Contents][Index]	[ Specialist notation >> ]
[ < Outside the staff ]	[ Up : Outside the staff ]	[ Balloon help > ]

Note names

Note names can be printed as text, by using the NoteNames context. When used simultaneously with a regular staff, that makes it possible to synchronize each note with its name, printed above or below the Staff.

\language "italiano"
melody = \relative do'' {
  fad2 si,8 dod re mi fad4. re8 fad2
}

<<
  \new NoteNames { \melody }
  \new Staff { \key si \minor \melody }
  \new NoteNames {
    \set printNotesLanguage = "deutsch"
    \set printAccidentalNames = ##f
    \melody
  }
>>

By default, note names are printed in the same language used for music entry; however, the printNotesLanguage property allows to select any other language available (see Note names in other languages). Whether accidentals should be printed or not is determined through the printAccidentalNames property.

By setting both that property to a symbol and printOctaveNames to #t, note names can be obtained that closely resemble LilyPond entry syntax. If a more generalistic result is desired, ‘scientific’ octave names may also be obtained.

melody = \relative c'' {
  fis2 b,8 cis d e fis4. d8 fis2
}

<<
  \new NoteNames {
    \set printOctaveNames = ##t
    \set printAccidentalNames = #'lily
    \melody
  }
  \new Staff { \key b \minor \melody }
  \new NoteNames {
    \set printOctaveNames = #'scientific
    \melody
  }
>>

The noteNameSeparator property defines how chords will be printed. Other formatting functions may be defined as noteNameFunction; such a function must expect a pitch and a context argument, even if one of these can then be ignored.

somechords = \relative c' {
  <b d fis>2 <b cis e g> <b d fis> q
}

<<
  \new NoteNames {
    \set noteNameSeparator = "+"
    \somechords
  }
  \new Staff { \key b \minor \somechords }
  \new NoteNames {
    \set noteNameFunction =
      #(lambda (pitch ctx)
         (alteration->text-accidental-markup
          (ly:pitch-alteration pitch)))
    \somechords
  }
>>

Balloon help

Elements of notation can be marked and named with the help of a square balloon. The primary purpose of this feature is to explain notation.

\new Voice \with { \consists Balloon_engraver }
\relative c'' {
  \balloonGrobText #'Stem #'(3 . 4) \markup { "I'm a Stem" }
  a8
  \balloonGrobText #'Rest #'(-4 . -4) \markup { "I'm a rest" }
  r
  <c, g'-\balloonText #'(-2 . -2) \markup { "I'm a note head" } c>2.
}

There are two music functions, balloonGrobText and balloonText; the former is used like \once \override to attach text to any grob, and the latter is used like \tweak, typically within chords, to attach text to an individual note.

Balloon text does not influence note spacing, but this can be altered:

\new Voice \with { \consists Balloon_engraver }
\relative c'' {
  \balloonGrobText #'Stem #'(3 . 4) \markup { "I'm a Stem" }
  a8
  \balloonGrobText #'Rest #'(-4 . -4) \markup { "I'm a rest" }
  r
  \balloonLengthOn
  <c, g'-\balloonText #'(-2 . -2) \markup { "I'm a note head" } c>2.
}

The default behavior for the attachment point of the line on the frame and the alignment of the balloon text is demonstrated below.

The default calculation of the attachment point can be overruled using the X-attachment and Y-attachment properties, which take values between -1 and 1, with the limits corresponding to the left (resp. bottom) and right (resp. top) of the frame. Alignment of the text is controlled by text-alignment-X and text-alignment-Y, which have a similar form.

\new Voice \with {
  \consists Balloon_engraver
}
{
  \once \override BalloonText.Y-attachment = -0.5
  \once \override BalloonText.text-alignment-X = 0.0
  \balloonGrobText Rest #'(1 . 3.5) "rest"
  r4
}

Predefined commands

\balloonLengthOn, \balloonLengthOff.

Grid lines

Vertical lines can be drawn between staves synchronized with the notes.

The Grid_point_engraver must be used to create the end points of the lines, while the Grid_line_span_engraver must be used to actually draw the lines. By default this centers grid lines horizontally below and to the left side of each note head. Grid lines extend from the middle lines of each staff. The gridInterval must specify the duration between the grid lines.

\layout {
  \context {
    \Staff
    \consists Grid_point_engraver
    gridInterval = #(ly:make-moment 1/4)
  }
  \context {
    \Score
    \consists Grid_line_span_engraver
  }
}

\score {
  \new ChoirStaff <<
    \new Staff \relative {
      \stemUp
      c''4. d8 e8 f g4
    }
    \new Staff \relative {
      \clef bass
      \stemDown
      c4 g' f e
    }
  >>
}

Selected Snippets

Grid lines: changing their appearance

The appearance of grid lines can be changed by overriding some of their properties.

\score {
  \new ChoirStaff <<
    \new Staff {
      \relative c'' {
        \stemUp
        c'4. d8 e8 f g4
      }
    }
    \new Staff {
      \relative c {
        % this moves them up one staff space from the default position
        \override Score.GridLine.extra-offset = #'(0.0 . 1.0)
        \stemDown
        \clef bass
        \once \override Score.GridLine.thickness = #5.0
        c4
        \once \override Score.GridLine.thickness = #1.0
        g'4
        \once \override Score.GridLine.thickness = #3.0
        f4
        \once \override Score.GridLine.thickness = #5.0
        e4
      }
    }
  >>
  \layout {
    \context {
      \Staff
      % set up grids
      \consists "Grid_point_engraver"
      % set the grid interval to one quarter note
      gridInterval = #(ly:make-moment 1/4)
    }
    \context {
      \Score
      \consists "Grid_line_span_engraver"
      % this moves them to the right half a staff space
      \override NoteColumn.X-offset = #-0.5
    }
  }
}

Analysis brackets

Brackets are used in musical analysis to indicate structure in musical pieces. Simple horizontal brackets are supported.

\layout {
  \context {
    \Voice
    \consists Horizontal_bracket_engraver
  }
}
\relative {
  c''2\startGroup
  d\stopGroup
}

Analysis brackets may be nested.

\layout {
  \context {
    \Voice
    \consists Horizontal_bracket_engraver
  }
}
\relative {
  c''4\startGroup\startGroup
  d4\stopGroup
  e4\startGroup
  d4\stopGroup\stopGroup
}

Selected Snippets

Analysis brackets above the staff

Simple horizontal analysis brackets are added below the staff by default. The following example shows a way to place them above the staff instead.

\layout {
  \context {
    \Voice
    \consists "Horizontal_bracket_engraver"
  }
}

\relative c'' {
  \once \override HorizontalBracket.direction = #UP
  c2\startGroup
  d2\stopGroup
}

Analysis brackets with labels

Text markup may be added to analysis brackets through the text property of the HorizontalBracketText grob. Adding different texts to brackets beginning at the same time requires the \tweak command.

Bracket text will be parenthesized after a line break.

\paper { tagline = ##f }

\layout {
  \context {
    \Voice
    \consists "Horizontal_bracket_engraver"
    \override HorizontalBracket.direction = #UP
  }
}

{
  \once\override HorizontalBracketText.text = "a"
    c''\startGroup d''\stopGroup
    \once\override HorizontalBracketText.text = "a'"
    e''\startGroup d''\stopGroup |
  c''-\tweak HorizontalBracketText.text
        \markup \bold \huge "b" \startGroup
     -\tweak HorizontalBracketText.text "a" \startGroup
    d''\stopGroup
    e''-\tweak HorizontalBracketText.text "a'" \startGroup
    d''\stopGroup\stopGroup |
  c''-\tweak HorizontalBracketText.text foo \startGroup
    d'' e'' f'' | \break
  g'' a'' b'' c'''\stopGroup
}

Measure spanner

Measure spanners are an alternate way to print annotated brackets. As opposed to horizontal brackets, they extend between two bar lines rather than two notes. The text is displayed in the center of the bracket.

\paper { tagline = ##f }

\layout {
  \context {
    \Staff
    \consists Measure_spanner_engraver
  }
}

<<
  \new Staff \relative c'' {
    \key d \minor
    R1*2
    \tweak text "Answer"
    \startMeasureSpanner
    \tuplet 3/2 8 {
      a16[ b c] d[ c b]  c[ d e] f[ e d]
    }
    e8 a gis g
    fis f e d~ d c b e
    \stopMeasureSpanner
  }
  \new Staff \relative c' {
    \key d \minor
    \tweak text "Subject"
    \tweak direction #DOWN
    \startMeasureSpanner
    \tuplet 3/2 8 {
      d16[ e f] g[ f e] f[ g a] bes[ a g]
    }
    a8 d cis c
    b bes a g~ g f e a
    \stopMeasureSpanner
    \tweak text "Counter-subject"
    \tweak direction #DOWN
    \startMeasureSpanner
    f8 e a r r16 b, c d e fis g e
    a gis a b c fis, b a gis e a4 g8
    \stopMeasureSpanner
  }
>>

1.7.2 Outside the staff

Note names

See also

Balloon help

Predefined commands

See also

Grid lines

Selected Snippets

Grid lines: changing their appearance

See also

Analysis brackets

Selected Snippets

Analysis brackets above the staff

Analysis brackets with labels

Measure spanner

See also

LilyPond — Notation Reference v2.24.4 (stable-branch).