1.2 How to write input files

This section introduces some basic LilyPond syntax to help get you started writing input files.

1.2.1 Simple notation

LilyPond will add some notation elements automatically. In the next example, we have only specified four pitches, but LilyPond has added a clef, time signature, and rhythms.

{ c' e' g' e' }

This behavior may be altered, but in most cases these automatic values are useful.

Pitches

Music Glossary: (music-glossary)pitch section ‘pitch’ in Music Glossary, (music-glossary)interval section ‘interval’ in Music Glossary, (music-glossary)scale section ‘scale’ in Music Glossary, (music-glossary)middle C section ‘middle C’ in Music Glossary, (music-glossary)octave section ‘octave’ in Music Glossary, (music-glossary)accidental section ‘accidental’ in Music Glossary.

LilyPond uses lower-case letters for pitches. Note names in all examples in this section use the Dutch naming system (white piano keys are c-b). However, LilyPond does support many different naming schemes like English or ‘Fixed-Do’ (do-re-mi-...). See (notation)Note names in other languages section ‘Note names in other languages’ in Notation Reference. The letters c through b denote pitches in the ‘small octave’ below middle C. Added ' or , suffixes indicate higher or lower octaves. Here is a scale starting on middle C, and an arpeggio:

{ c' d' e' f' g' a' b' c'' g c' e' g' c'' e'' g'' c''' }

The easiest way to enter notes is by using \relative mode. In this mode, the octave is chosen automatically by assuming the following note is always to be placed closest to the previous note, i.e., it is to be placed in the octave which is within three staff spaces of the previous note. We begin by entering the most elementary piece of music, a scale, in which every note is within just one staff space of the previous note.

\relative { c' d e f g a b c }

The initial note is middle C, denoted by c'. Each successive note is placed closest to the previous note – in other words, the first c is the closest C to middle C. This is followed by the closest D to the previous note. We can create melodies which have larger intervals, still using only \relative mode:

\relative { d' f a g c b f d }

In the previous example, the first note – the d' with one '-mark – is the D in the octave starting from middle C and going up to B.

By adding (or removing) quotes ' or commas , from the first note, we can change the starting octave:

\relative { e'' c a c }

Relative mode can be confusing initially, but is the easiest way to enter most melodies. Let us see how this relative calculation works in practice. Starting from a B, which is on the middle line in a treble clef, you can reach a C, D and E within 3 staff spaces going up, and an A, G and F within 3 staff spaces going down. So if the note following a B is a C, D or E it will be assumed to be above the B, and an A, G or F will be assumed to be below.

\relative { b' c % c is 1 staff space up, so is the c above b d % d is 2 up or 5 down, so is the d above b e % e is 3 up or 4 down, so is the e above b a % a is 6 up or 1 down, so is the a below b g % g is 5 up or 2 down, so is the g below b f % f is 4 up or 3 down, so is the f below }

Exactly the same happens even when any of these notes are sharpened or flattened. Accidentals are totally ignored in the calculation of relative position. Precisely the same staff space counting is done from a note at any other position on the staff.

To add intervals that are larger than three staff spaces, we can raise the octave by adding a single quote ' (or apostrophe) to the note name. We can lower the octave by adding a comma , to the note name.

\relative { a' a, c' f, g g'' a,, f' }

To change a note by two (or more!) octaves, we use multiple '' or ,, – but be careful that you use two single quotes '' and not one double quote " !

Durations (rhythms)

Music Glossary: (music-glossary)beam section ‘beam’ in Music Glossary, (music-glossary)duration section ‘duration’ in Music Glossary, (music-glossary)whole note section ‘whole note’ in Music Glossary, (music-glossary)half note section ‘half note’ in Music Glossary, (music-glossary)quarter note section ‘quarter note’ in Music Glossary, (music-glossary)dotted note section ‘dotted note’ in Music Glossary.

The duration of a note is specified by a number after the note name: 1 for a whole note, 2 for a half note, 4 for a quarter note and so on. Beams are added automatically.

If you do not specify a duration, the previous duration is used for the next note. The duration of the first note defaults to a quarter note.

\relative { a'1 a2 a4 a8 a a16 a a a a32 a a a a64 a a a a a a a a2 }

To create dotted notes, add a dot . to the duration number. The duration of a dotted note must be stated explicitly (i.e., with a number).

\relative { a'4 a a4. a8 a8. a16 a a8. a8 a4. }

Rests

Music Glossary: (music-glossary)rest section ‘rest’ in Music Glossary.

A rest is entered just like a note with the name r :

\relative { a'4 r r2 r8 a r4 r4. r8 }

Time signature

Music Glossary: (music-glossary)time signature section ‘time signature’ in Music Glossary.

The time signature can be set with the \time command:

\relative { \time 3/4 a'4 a a \time 6/8 a4. a \time 4/4 a4 a a a }

Tempo marks

Music Glossary: (music-glossary)tempo indication section ‘tempo indication’ in Music Glossary, (music-glossary)metronome section ‘metronome’ in Music Glossary.

The tempo indication and metronome mark can be set with the \tempo command:

\relative { \time 3/4 \tempo "Andante" a'4 a a \time 6/8 \tempo 4. = 96 a4. a \time 4/4 \tempo "Presto" 4 = 120 a4 a a a }

Clef

Music Glossary: (music-glossary)clef section ‘clef’ in Music Glossary.

The clef can be set using the \clef command:

\relative { \clef "treble" c'1 \clef "alto" c1 \clef "tenor" c1 \clef "bass" c1 }

All together

Here is a small example showing all these elements together:

\relative { \clef "bass" \time 3/4 \tempo "Andante" 4 = 120 c,2 e8 c' g'2. f4 e d c4 c, r }

See also

Notation Reference: (notation)Writing pitches section ‘Writing pitches’ in Notation Reference, (notation)Writing rhythms section ‘Writing rhythms’ in Notation Reference, (notation)Writing rests section ‘Writing rests’ in Notation Reference, (notation)Time signature section ‘Time signature’ in Notation Reference, (notation)Clef section ‘Clef’ in Notation Reference.

1.2.2 Working on input files

LilyPond input files are similar to source files in many common programming languages. They contain a version statement, are case sensitive, and white-space is generally ignored. Expressions are formed with curly braces { }, and comments are denoted with % or %{ … %} .

If the previous sentences sound like nonsense, don’t worry! We’ll explain what all these terms mean:

• Version statement: Every LilyPond file should contain a version statement. A version statement is a line that describes the version of LilyPond for which the file was written, as in the following example:

  \version "2.21.3"

  By convention, the version statement is placed at the top of the LilyPond file.

  The version statement is important for at least two reasons. First, it allows automatic updating of the input file as LilyPond syntax changes. Second, it describes the version of LilyPond needed to compile the file.

  If the version statement is omitted from an input file, LilyPond will print a warning during the compilation of the file.

• Case sensitive: it matters whether you enter a letter in lower case (e.g. a, b, s, t) or upper case (e.g. A, B, S, T). Notes are lower case: ‘{ c d e }’ is valid input; ‘{ C D E }’ will produce an error message.
• Whitespace insensitive: it does not matter how many spaces (or tabs or new lines) you add. ‘{ c4 d e }’ means the same thing as ‘{ c4       d e }’ and:

  { c4 d e }

  Of course, the previous example is hard to read. A good rule of thumb is to indent code blocks with two spaces:

  { c4 d e }

  However, whitespace is required to separate many syntactical elements from others. In other words, whitespace can always be added, but not always eliminated. Since missing whitespace can give rise to strange errors, it is advisable to always insert whitespace before and after every syntactic element, for example, before and after every curly brace.

• Expressions: every piece of LilyPond input needs to have { curly braces } placed around the input. These braces tell LilyPond that the input is a single music expression, just like parentheses () in mathematics. The braces should be surrounded by a space unless they are at the beginning or end of a line to avoid ambiguities.

  A LilyPond command followed by a simple expression in braces (such as ‘\relative { … }’) also counts as a single music expression.

• Comments: a comment is a remark for the human reader of the music input; it is ignored while parsing, so it has no effect on the printed output. There are two types of comments. The percent symbol % introduces a line comment; anything after % on that line is ignored. By convention, a line comment is placed above the code it refers to.

  a4 a a a % this comment refers to the Bs b2 b

  A block comment marks a whole section of music input as a comment. Anything that is enclosed in %{ and %} is ignored. However, block comments do not ‘nest’. This means that you cannot place a block comment inside another block comment. If you try, the first %} will terminate both block comments. The following fragment shows possible uses for comments:

  % notes for twinkle twinkle follow c4 c g' g a a g2 %{ This line, and the notes below are ignored, since they are in a block comment. f4 f e e d d c2 %}

This document was generated by gub on July 13, 2020 using texi2html 1.82.

其他语言：català, česky, deutsch, español, français, magyar, italiano, 日本語, nederlands。
关于 自动语言选择