3. Fundamental concepts

This page is for LilyPond-2.21.82 (development-branch).

We welcome your aid; please help us by reporting errors to our bug list.

Other languages: Català, Česky, Deutsch, Español, Français, Magyar, Italiano, 日本語, Nederlands.
About automatic language selection.

• 1. Tutorial
  • 1.1 Compiling a file
    • 1.1.1 Entering input
      • Producing output
    • 1.1.2 MacOS X
    • 1.1.3 Windows
    • 1.1.4 Command-line
  • 1.2 How to write input files
    • 1.2.1 Simple notation
      • Pitches
      • Durations (rhythms)
      • Rests
      • Time signature
      • Tempo marks
      • Clef
      • All together
    • 1.2.2 Working on input files
  • 1.3 Dealing with errors
    • 1.3.1 General troubleshooting tips
    • 1.3.2 Some common errors
  • 1.4 How to read the manuals
    • 1.4.1 Omitted material
    • 1.4.2 Clickable examples
    • 1.4.3 Overview of manuals
• 2. Common notation
  • 2.1 Single staff notation
    • 2.1.1 Bar lines and bar checks
      • Bar lines
      • Bar checks
    • 2.1.2 Pitches and key signatures
      • Pitch alterations
      • Key signatures
      • Warning: key signatures and pitches
    • 2.1.3 Ties and slurs
      • Ties
      • Slurs
      • Phrasing slurs
      • Warnings: slurs vs. ties
    • 2.1.4 Articulations and dynamics
      • Articulations
      • Fingerings
      • Dynamics
    • 2.1.5 Adding text
    • 2.1.6 Automatic and manual beams
    • 2.1.7 Advanced rhythmic commands
      • Partial measure
      • Tuplets
      • Grace notes
  • 2.2 Multiple notes at once
    • 2.2.1 Music expressions explained
      • Analogy: mathematical expressions
      • Simultaneous music expressions: multiple staves
      • Simultaneous music expressions: single staff
    • 2.2.2 Multiple staves
    • 2.2.3 Staff groups
    • 2.2.4 Combining notes into chords
    • 2.2.5 Single staff polyphony
  • 2.3 Songs
    • 2.3.1 Setting simple songs
    • 2.3.2 Aligning lyrics to a melody
    • 2.3.3 Lyrics to multiple staves
  • 2.4 Final touches
    • 2.4.1 Organizing pieces with variables
    • 2.4.2 Adding titles
    • 2.4.3 Absolute note names
    • 2.4.4 After the tutorial
• 3. Fundamental concepts
  • 3.1 How LilyPond input files work
    • 3.1.1 Introduction to the LilyPond file structure
    • 3.1.2 Score is a (single) compound musical expression
    • 3.1.3 Nesting music expressions
    • 3.1.4 Structure of a note entry
    • 3.1.5 On the un-nestedness of brackets and ties
  • 3.2 Voices contain music
    • 3.2.1 I’m hearing Voices
    • 3.2.2 Explicitly instantiating voices
    • 3.2.3 Voices and vocals
  • 3.3 Contexts and engravers
    • 3.3.1 Contexts explained
    • 3.3.2 Creating contexts
    • 3.3.3 Engravers explained
    • 3.3.4 Modifying context properties
    • 3.3.5 Adding and removing engravers
  • 3.4 Extending the templates
    • 3.4.1 Soprano and cello
    • 3.4.2 Four-part SATB vocal score
    • 3.4.3 Building a score from scratch
    • 3.4.4 Saving typing with variables and functions
    • 3.4.5 Scores and parts
• 4. Tweaking output
  • 4.1 Tweaking basics
    • 4.1.1 Introduction to tweaks
    • 4.1.2 Objects and interfaces
    • 4.1.3 Naming conventions of objects and properties
    • 4.1.4 Tweaking methods
      • The \override command
      • The \revert command
      • The \once prefix
      • The \overrideProperty command
      • The \tweak command
      • The \single prefix
  • 4.2 The Internals Reference manual
    • 4.2.1 Properties of layout objects
    • 4.2.2 Properties found in interfaces
    • 4.2.3 Types of properties
  • 4.3 Appearance of objects
    • 4.3.1 Visibility and color of objects
      • The stencil property
      • The break-visibility property
      • The transparent property
      • The color property
    • 4.3.2 Size of objects
    • 4.3.3 Length and thickness of objects
  • 4.4 Placement of objects
    • 4.4.1 Automatic behavior
    • 4.4.2 Within-staff objects
      • The direction property
      • Fingering
    • 4.4.3 Outside-staff objects
      • The outside-staff-priority property
      • The \textLengthOn command
      • Dynamics placement
      • Grob sizing
  • 4.5 Vertical spacing
  • 4.6 Collisions of objects
    • 4.6.1 Moving objects
    • 4.6.2 Fixing overlapping notation
      • The padding property
      • The right-padding property
      • The staff-padding property
      • The self-alignment-X property
      • The staff-position property
      • The extra-offset property
      • The positions property
      • The force-hshift property
    • 4.6.3 Real music example
  • 4.7 Further tweaking
    • 4.7.1 Other uses for tweaks
      • Tying notes across voices
      • Simulating a fermata in MIDI
    • 4.7.2 Using variables for layout adjustments
    • 4.7.3 Style sheets
    • 4.7.4 Other sources of information
    • 4.7.5 Advanced tweaks with Scheme
• A. Templates
  • A.1 Built-in templates
    • A.1.1 SATB template
    • A.1.2 SSAATTBB template
  • A.2 Single staff templates
    • A.2.1 Notes only
    • A.2.2 Notes and lyrics
    • A.2.3 Notes and chords
    • A.2.4 Notes, lyrics, and chords
  • A.3 Piano templates
    • A.3.1 Solo piano
    • A.3.2 Piano and melody with lyrics
    • A.3.3 Piano centered lyrics
  • A.4 String quartet templates
    • A.4.1 String quartet
    • A.4.2 String quartet parts
  • A.5 Vocal ensembles templates
    • A.5.1 SATB vocal score
    • A.5.2 SATB vocal score and automatic piano reduction
    • A.5.3 SATB with aligned contexts
    • A.5.4 SATB on four staves
    • A.5.5 Solo verse and two-part refrain
    • A.5.6 Hymn tunes
    • A.5.7 Psalms
  • A.6 Orchestral templates
    • A.6.1 Orchestra, choir and piano
  • A.7 Ancient notation templates
    • A.7.1 Transcription of mensural music
    • A.7.2 Gregorian transcription template
  • A.8 Other templates
    • A.8.1 Jazz combo
• B. GNU Free Documentation License
• C. LilyPond index