4.6.2 Changing spacing
The output of annotate-spacing reveals vertical dimensions
in great detail. For details about modifying margins and other
layout variables, see Page layout.
Other than margins, there are a few other options to save space:
-
Force systems to move as close together as possible (to fit as
many systems as possible onto a page) while being spaced so that
there is no blank space at the bottom of the page.
\paper { system-system-spacing = #'((basic-distance . 0.1) (padding . 0)) ragged-last-bottom = ##f ragged-bottom = ##f } -
Force the number of systems. This can help in two ways. Just
setting a value, even the same value as the number of systems
being typeset by default, will sometimes cause more systems to
be fitted onto each page, as an estimation step is then bypassed,
giving a more accurate fit to each page. Also, forcing an actual
reduction in the number of systems may save a further page. For
example, if the default layout has 11 systems, the following
assignment will force a layout with 10 systems.
\paper { system-count = #10 } -
Force the number of pages. For example, the following
assignment will force a layout with 2 pages.
\paper { page-count = #2 } -
Avoid (or reduce) objects that increase the vertical size of a
system. For example, volta brackets for alternative repeat endings
require extra space. If these endings are spread over two systems,
they take up more space than if they were on the same system.
As another example, dynamics that ‘stick out’ of a system
can be moved closer to the staff:
\relative e' { e4 c g\f c e4 c g-\tweak X-offset #-2.7 \f c } -
Alter the horizontal spacing via
SpacingSpanner. For more details, see Changing horizontal spacing. The following example illustrates the default spacing:\score { \relative { g'4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 | g4 e e2 | } }The next example modifies
common-shortest-durationfrom a value of1/4to1/2. The quarter note is the most common and shortest duration in this example, so by making this duration longer, a ‘squeezing’ effect occurs:\score { \relative { g'4 e e2 | f4 d d2 | c4 d e f | g4 g g2 | g4 e e2 | } \layout { \context { \Score \override SpacingSpanner.common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1/2) } } }The
common-shortest-durationproperty cannot be modified dynamically, so it must always be placed in a\contextblock so that it applies to the whole score.
See also
Notation Reference: Page layout, Changing horizontal spacing.
Snippets: Spacing.