11.3.6 Using an extra voice for breaks

Line- and page-breaking information usually appears within note entry directly.

\new Score {
  \new Staff {
    \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
    \break
    \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
  }
}

This makes \break and \pageBreak commands easy to enter but mixes music entry with information that specifies how music should lay out on the page. You can keep music entry and line- and page-breaking information in two separate places by introducing an extra voice to contain the breaks. This extra voice contains only skips together with \break, pageBreak and other breaking layout information.

     
     \new Score {
       \new Staff <<
          \new Voice {
             s1 * 2 \break
             s1 * 3 \break
             s1 * 6 \break
             s1 * 5 \break
          }
          \new Voice {
             \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
             \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
             \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
             \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
          }
       >>
     }

This pattern becomes especially helpful when overriding line-break-system-details and the other useful but long properties of NonMusicalPaperColumnGrob, as explained in Vertical spacing.

     
     \new Score {
       \new Staff <<
          \new Voice {
     
             \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
             #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 0))
             s1 * 2 \break
     
             \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
             #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 35))
             s1 * 3 \break
     
             \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
             #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 70))
             s1 * 6 \break
     
             \overrideProperty "Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn"
             #'line-break-system-details #'((Y-offset . 105))
             s1 * 5 \break
          }
          \new Voice {
             \repeat unfold 2 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
             \repeat unfold 3 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
             \repeat unfold 6 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
             \repeat unfold 5 { c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4 }
          }
       >>
     }