Coloring notes depending on their pitch
It is possible to color note heads depending on their pitch and/or their names: the function used in this example even makes it possible to distinguish enharmonics.
%Association list of pitches to colors. #(define color-mapping (list (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 0 NATURAL) (x11-color 'red)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 0 SHARP) (x11-color 'green)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 1 FLAT) (x11-color 'green)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 2 NATURAL) (x11-color 'red)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 2 SHARP) (x11-color 'green)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 3 FLAT) (x11-color 'red)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 3 NATURAL) (x11-color 'green)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 4 SHARP) (x11-color 'red)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 5 NATURAL) (x11-color 'green)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 5 FLAT) (x11-color 'red)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 6 SHARP) (x11-color 'red)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 1 NATURAL) (x11-color 'blue)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 3 SHARP) (x11-color 'blue)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 4 FLAT) (x11-color 'blue)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 5 SHARP) (x11-color 'blue)) (cons (ly:make-pitch 0 6 FLAT) (x11-color 'blue)))) %Compare pitch and alteration (not octave). #(define (pitch-equals? p1 p2) (and (= (ly:pitch-alteration p1) (ly:pitch-alteration p2)) (= (ly:pitch-notename p1) (ly:pitch-notename p2)))) #(define (pitch-to-color pitch) (let ((color (assoc pitch color-mapping pitch-equals?))) (if color (cdr color)))) #(define (color-notehead grob) (pitch-to-color (ly:event-property (event-cause grob) 'pitch))) \score { \new Staff \relative c' { \override NoteHead.color = #color-notehead c8 b d dis ees f g aes } }