Pitches (LilyPond Learning Manual)

#### Pitches

Music Glossary: pitch, interval, scale, middle C, octave, accidental.

LilyPond uses lowercase letters for pitches. Note names in all examples in this section use the Dutch naming system (white piano keys are c, d, e, f, g, a, b). However, LilyPond supports many different naming schemes like ‘English’ or ‘Fixed-Do’ (do, re, mi, …). See Note names in other languages. 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 that the following note is always to be placed closest to the previous note, i.e., it is to be placed in the octave that 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 that 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 is assumed to be above the B, and an A, G or F is 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 the 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 ‘`"`’!

#### LilyPond Learning Manual v2.26.0 (stable-branch).

- 1 Installing
  - 1.1 Graphical setup
  - 1.2 Command line setup
- 2 Tutorial
  - 2.1 Compiling a file
  - 2.2 How to write input files
    - 2.2.1 Input characters
    - 2.2.2 Simple notation
      - Pitches
      - Durations (rhythms)
      - Rests
      - Time signature
      - Tempo marks
      - Clef
      - All together
    - 2.2.3 Working on input files
  - 2.3 Dealing with errors
  - 2.4 How to read the manuals
    - 2.4.1 Omitted material
    - 2.4.2 Clickable examples
    - 2.4.3 Overview of manuals
- 3 Common notation
  - 3.1 Single-staff notation
    - 3.1.1 Bar lines and bar checks
      - Bar lines
      - Bar checks
    - 3.1.2 Pitches and key signatures
      - Pitch alterations
      - Key signatures
      - Warning: key signatures and pitches
    - 3.1.3 Ties and slurs
      - Ties
      - Slurs
      - Phrasing slurs
      - Warnings: slurs vs. ties
    - 3.1.4 Articulations and dynamics
      - Articulations
      - Fingerings
      - Dynamics
    - 3.1.5 Adding text
    - 3.1.6 Automatic and manual beams
    - 3.1.7 Advanced rhythmic commands
      - Partial measure
      - Tuplets
      - Grace notes
  - 3.2 Multiple notes at once
    - 3.2.1 Music expressions explained
      - Analogy: mathematical expressions
      - Simultaneous music expressions: multiple staves
      - Simultaneous music expressions: single-staff
    - 3.2.2 Multiple staves
    - 3.2.3 Staff groups
    - 3.2.4 Combining notes into chords
    - 3.2.5 Single-staff polyphony
  - 3.3 Songs
    - 3.3.1 Setting simple songs
    - 3.3.2 Aligning lyrics to a melody
    - 3.3.3 Lyrics to multiple staves
  - 3.4 Final touches
    - 3.4.1 Organizing pieces with variables
    - 3.4.2 Adding titles
    - 3.4.3 Absolute note names
    - 3.4.4 After the tutorial
- 4 Fundamental concepts
  - 4.1 How LilyPond input files work
    - 4.1.1 Introduction to the LilyPond file structure
    - 4.1.2 A score is a (single) compound musical expression
    - 4.1.3 Nesting music expressions
    - 4.1.4 Structure of a note entry
    - 4.1.5 On the un-nestedness of brackets and ties
  - 4.2 Voices contain music
    - 4.2.1 I’m hearing voices
    - 4.2.2 Explicitly instantiating voices
    - 4.2.3 Voices and vocals
  - 4.3 Contexts and engravers
    - 4.3.1 Contexts explained
    - 4.3.2 Creating contexts
    - 4.3.3 Engravers explained
    - 4.3.4 Modifying context properties
    - 4.3.5 Adding and removing engravers
  - 4.4 Extending the templates
    - 4.4.1 Soprano and cello
    - 4.4.2 Four-part SATB vocal score
    - 4.4.3 Building a score from scratch
    - 4.4.4 Saving typing with variables and functions
    - 4.4.5 Scores and parts
- 5 Tweaking output
  - 5.1 Tweaking basics
    - 5.1.1 Objects and interfaces
    - 5.1.2 Naming conventions of objects and properties
    - 5.1.3 Tweaking methods
      - The `\override` command
      - The `\revert` command
      - The `\once` prefix
      - The `\tweak` and `\offset` commands
      - The `\single` prefix
  - 5.2 The Internals Reference manual
    - 5.2.1 Properties of layout objects
    - 5.2.2 Properties found in interfaces
    - 5.2.3 Types of properties
  - 5.3 Appearance of objects
    - 5.3.1 Visibility and color of objects
      - The `stencil` property
      - The `break-visibility` property
      - The `transparent` property
      - The `color` property
    - 5.3.2 Size of objects
    - 5.3.3 Length and thickness of objects
  - 5.4 Offsets and alignments
  - 5.5 Placement of objects
    - 5.5.1 Automatic behavior
    - 5.5.2 Within-staff objects
      - The `direction` property
      - Fingering
    - 5.5.3 Outside-staff objects
      - The `outside-staff-priority` property
      - The `\textLengthOn` command
      - Dynamics placement
      - Grob sizing
  - 5.6 Vertical spacing
  - 5.7 Collisions of objects
    - 5.7.1 Moving objects
    - 5.7.2 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
    - 5.7.3 Real music example
  - 5.8 Further tweaking
    - 5.8.1 Other uses for tweaks
      - Tying notes across voices
      - Simulating a fermata in MIDI
    - 5.8.2 Using variables for layout adjustments
    - 5.8.3 Style sheets
    - 5.8.4 Other sources of information
    - 5.8.5 Advanced tweaks with Scheme
- Appendix 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
- Appendix B GNU Free Documentation License
- Appendix C Index