LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.7.1 Inside the staff

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1.7.1 Inside the staff

This section discusses how to add emphasis to elements that are inside the staff.

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Selecting notation font size

The font size of notation elements may be altered. It does not change the size of variable symbols, such as beams or slurs.

Note: For font sizes of text, see Selecting font and font size.

\huge
c4.-> d8---3
\large
c4.-> d8---3
\normalsize
c4.-> d8---3
\small
c4.-> d8---3
\tiny
c4.-> d8---3
\teeny
c4.-> d8---3

Internally, this sets the fontSize property. This in turn causes the font-size property to be set in all layout objects. The value of font-size is a number indicating the size relative to the standard size for the current staff height. Each step up is an increase of approximately 12% of the font size. Six steps is exactly a factor of two. The Scheme function magstep converts a font-size number to a scaling factor. The font-size property can also be set directly, so that only certain layout objects are affected.

\set fontSize = #3
c4.-> d8---3
\override NoteHead.font-size = #-4
c4.-> d8---3
\override Script.font-size = #2
c4.-> d8---3
\override Stem.font-size = #-5
c4.-> d8---3

Font size changes are achieved by scaling the design size that is closest to the desired size. The standard font size (for font-size = #0) depends on the standard staff height. For a 20pt staff, a 10pt font is selected.

The font-size property can only be set on layout objects that use fonts. These are the ones supporting the font-interface layout interface.

Predefined commands

\teeny, \tiny, \small, \normalsize, \large, \huge.

Fingering instructions

Fingering instructions can be entered using ‘note-digit’:

c4-1 d-2 f-4 e-3

Markup texts or strings may be used for finger changes.

c4-1 d-2 f\finger \markup \tied-lyric #"4~3" c\finger "2 - 3"

A thumb-script can be added (e.g. cello music) to indicate that a note should be played with the thumb.

<a_\thumb a'-3>2 <b_\thumb b'-3>

Fingerings for chords can also be added to individual notes by adding them after the pitches.

<c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5>2 <d-1 f-2 a-3 c-5>

Fingering instructions may be manually placed above or below the staff, see Direction and placement.

Selected Snippets

Controlling the placement of chord fingerings

The placement of fingering numbers can be controlled precisely. For fingering orientation to apply, you must use a chord construct <> even if it is a single note.

\relative c' {
  \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
  <c-1 e-3 a-5>4
  \set fingeringOrientations = #'(down)
  <c-1 e-3 a-5>4
  \set fingeringOrientations = #'(down right up)
  <c-1 e-3 a-5>4
  \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up)
  <c-1 e-3 a-5>4
  \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
  <c-1>2
  \set fingeringOrientations = #'(down)
  <e-3>2
}

Allowing fingerings to be printed inside the staff

By default, vertically oriented fingerings are positioned outside the staff. However, this behavior can be canceled. Note: you must use a chord construct <>, even if it is only a single note.

\relative c' {
  <c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5>2
  \override Fingering.staff-padding = #'()
  <c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5>4 <g'-0>
}

Avoiding collisions with chord fingerings

Fingerings and string numbers applied to individual notes will automatically avoid beams and stems, but this is not true by default for fingerings and string numbers applied to the individual notes of chords. The following example shows how this default behavior can be overridden.

\relative c' {
  \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up)
  \set stringNumberOrientations = #'(up)
  \set strokeFingerOrientations = #'(up)

  % Default behavior
  r8
  <f c'-5>8
  <f c'\5>8
  <f c'-\rightHandFinger #2 >8

  % Corrected to avoid collisions
  r8
  \override Fingering.add-stem-support = ##t
  <f c'-5>8
  \override StringNumber.add-stem-support = ##t
  <f c'\5>8
  \override StrokeFinger.add-stem-support = ##t
  <f c'-\rightHandFinger #2 >8
}

Hidden notes

Hidden (or invisible or transparent) notes can be useful in preparing theory or composition exercises.

c4 d
\hideNotes
e4 f
\unHideNotes
g a
\hideNotes
b
\unHideNotes
c

Note heads, stems, and flags, and rests are invisible. Beams are invisible if they start on a hidden note. Objects that are attached to invisible notes are still visible.

e8(\p f g a)--
\hideNotes
e8(\p f g a)--

Predefined commands

\hideNotes, \unHideNotes.

Coloring objects

Individual objects may be assigned colors. Valid color names are listed in the List of colors.

\override NoteHead.color = #red
c4 c
\override NoteHead.color = #(x11-color 'LimeGreen)
d
\override Stem.color = #blue
e

The full range of colors defined for X11 can be accessed by using the Scheme function x11-color. The function takes one argument; this can be a symbol in the form 'FooBar or a string in the form "FooBar". The first form is quicker to write and is more efficient. However, using the second form it is possible to access X11 colors by the multi-word form of its name.

If x11-color cannot make sense of the parameter then the color returned defaults to black.

\override Staff.StaffSymbol.color = #(x11-color 'SlateBlue2)
\set Staff.instrumentName = \markup {
  \with-color #(x11-color 'navy) "Clarinet"
}

gis8 a
\override Beam.color = #(x11-color "medium turquoise")
gis a
\override Accidental.color = #(x11-color 'DarkRed)
gis a
\override NoteHead.color = #(x11-color "LimeGreen")
gis a
% this is deliberate nonsense; note that the stems remain black
\override Stem.color = #(x11-color 'Boggle)
b2 cis

Exact RGB colors can be specified using the Scheme function rgb-color.

\override Staff.StaffSymbol.color = #(x11-color 'SlateBlue2)
\set Staff.instrumentName = \markup {
  \with-color #(x11-color 'navy) "Clarinet"
}

\override Stem.color = #(rgb-color 0 0 0)
gis8 a
\override Stem.color = #(rgb-color 1 1 1)
gis8 a
\override Stem.color = #(rgb-color 0 0 0.5)
gis4 a

Known issues and warnings

An X11 color is not necessarily exactly the same shade as a similarly named normal color.

Not all X11 colors are distinguishable in a web browser, i.e., a web browser might not display a difference between LimeGreen and ForestGreen. For web use normal colors are recommended (i.e., blue, green, red).

Notes in a chord cannot be colored with \override; use \tweak instead, see The \tweak command.

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[ < Coloring objects ]		[ Up : Inside the staff ]	[ Stems > ]

Parentheses

Objects may be parenthesized by prefixing \parenthesize to the music event. When prefixed to a chord, it parenthesizes every note. Individual notes inside a chord may also be parenthesized.

c2 \parenthesize d
c2 \parenthesize <c e g>
c2 <c \parenthesize e g>

Non-note objects may be parenthesized as well. For articulations, a hyphen is needed before the \parenthesize command.

c2-\parenthesize -. d
c2 \parenthesize r

Known issues and warnings

Parenthesizing a chord prints parentheses around each individual note, instead of a single large parenthesis around the entire chord.

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[ < Parentheses ]		[ Up : Inside the staff ]	[ Outside the staff > ]

Stems

Whenever a note is found, a Stem object is created automatically. For whole notes and rests, they are also created but made invisible.

Stems may be manually placed to point up or down; see Direction and placement.

Predefined commands

\stemUp, \stemDown, \stemNeutral.

Selected Snippets

Default direction of stems on the center line of the staff

The default direction of stems on the center line of the staff is set by the Stem property neutral-direction.

\relative c'' {
  a4 b c b
  \override Stem.neutral-direction = #up
  a4 b c b
  \override Stem.neutral-direction = #down
  a4 b c b
}

Automatically changing the stem direction of the middle note based on the melody

LilyPond can alter the stem direction of the middle note on a staff so that it follows the melody, by adding the Melody_engraver to the Voice context and overriding the neutral-direction of Stem.

\relative c'' {
  \time 3/4
  \autoBeamOff
  a8 b g f b g |
  c b d c b c
}

\layout {
  \context {
    \Voice
    \consists "Melody_engraver"
    \override Stem.neutral-direction = #'()
  }
}

1.7.1 Inside the staff

Selecting notation font size

Predefined commands

See also

Fingering instructions

Selected Snippets

See also

Hidden notes

Predefined commands

See also

Coloring objects

See also

Known issues and warnings

Parentheses

See also

Known issues and warnings

Stems

Predefined commands

Selected Snippets

See also

LilyPond — Notation Reference v2.18.2 (stable-branch).