LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.2.3 Displaying rhythms

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1.2.3 Displaying rhythms

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[ < Displaying rhythms ]		[ Up : Displaying rhythms ]	[ Metronome marks > ]

Time signature

The time signature is set as follows:

\time 2/4 c2
\time 3/4 c2.

Time signatures are printed at the beginning of a piece and whenever the time signature changes. If a change takes place at the end of a line a warning time signature sign is printed there. This default behavior may be changed, see Visibility of objects.

\time 2/4
c2 c
\break
c c
\break
\time 4/4
c c c c

The time signature symbol that is used in 2/2 and 4/4 time can be changed to a numeric style:

% Default style
\time 4/4 c1
\time 2/2 c1
% Change to numeric style
\numericTimeSignature
\time 4/4 c1
\time 2/2 c1
% Revert to default style
\defaultTimeSignature
\time 4/4 c1
\time 2/2 c1

Mensural time signatures are covered in Mensural time signatures.

In addition to setting the printed time signature, the \time command also sets time-signature-based default values for the properties baseMoment, beatStructure, and beamExceptions. The predefined default values for these properties can be found in ‘scm/time-signature-settings.scm’. The existing default values can be changed, or new default values can be added:

\score {
  \new Staff {
    \relative c' {
      \overrideTimeSignatureSettings
        #'(4 . 4)  % timeSignatureFraction
        #'(1 . 4)  % baseMomentFraction
        #'(3 1)    % beatStructure
        #'()       % beamExceptions
      \time 4/4
      \repeat unfold 8 { c8 } |
    }
  }
}

\overrideTimeSignatureSettings takes four arguments:

timeSignatureFraction, a Scheme pair describing the time signature.
baseMomentFraction, a Scheme pair containing the numerator and denominator of the basic timing unit for the time signature.
beatStructure, a Scheme list indicating the structure of the beats in the measure, in units of the base moment.
beamExceptions, an alist containing any beaming rules for the time signature that go beyond ending at every beat, as described in Setting automatic beam behavior.

The context containing \overrideTimeSignatureSettings must be instantiated before the \overrideTimeSignatureSettings call is executed. That means it must either be explicitly instantiated or there must be music in the context before the \overrideTimeSignatureSettings call:

\score {
  \relative c' {
    % This call will fail because the context isn't yet instantiated
    \overrideTimeSignatureSettings
      #'(4 . 4)  % timeSignatureFraction
      #'(1 . 4)  % baseMomentFraction
      #'(3 1)    % beatStructure
      #'()       % beamExceptions
    \time 4/4
    c8^\markup {"Beamed (2 2)"}
    \repeat unfold 7 { c8 } |
    % This call will succeed
    \overrideTimeSignatureSettings
      #'(4 . 4)  % timeSignatureFraction
      #'(1 . 4)  % baseMomentFraction
      #'(3 1)    % beatStructure
      #'()       % beamExceptions
    \time 4/4
    c8^\markup {"Beamed (3 1)"}
    \repeat unfold 7 { c8 } |
  }
}

Changed values of default time signature properties can be restored to the original values:

\score{
  \relative c' {
    \repeat unfold 8 { c8 } |
    \overrideTimeSignatureSettings
      #'(4 . 4)  % timeSignatureFraction
      #'(1 . 4)  % baseMomentFraction
      #'(3 1)    % beatStructure
      #'()       % beamExceptions
    \time 4/4
    \repeat unfold 8 { c8 } |
    \revertTimeSignatureSettings #'(4 . 4)
    \time 4/4
    \repeat unfold 8 { c8 } |
  }
}

Different values of default time signature properties can be established for different staves by moving the Timing_translator and the Default_bar_line_engraver from the Score context to the Staff context.

\score {
  \new StaffGroup <<
     \new Staff {
        \overrideTimeSignatureSettings
          #'(4 . 4)  % timeSignatureFraction
          #'(1 . 4)  % baseMomentFraction
          #'(3 1)    % beatStructure
          #'()       % beamExceptions
        \time 4/4
        \repeat unfold 8 {c''8}
     }
     \new Staff {
        \overrideTimeSignatureSettings
          #'(4 . 4)  % timeSignatureFraction
          #'(1 . 4)  % baseMomentFraction
          #'(1 3)    % beatStructure
          #'()       % beamExceptions
        \time 4/4
        \repeat unfold 8 {c''8}
     }
  >>
  \layout {
    \context {
      \Score
      \remove "Timing_translator"
      \remove "Default_bar_line_engraver"
    }
    \context {
      \Staff
      \consists "Timing_translator"
      \consists "Default_bar_line_engraver"
    }
  }
}

Predefined commands

\numericTimeSignature, \defaultTimeSignature.

Selected Snippets

Time signature printing only the numerator as a number (instead of the fraction)

Sometimes, a time signature should not print the whole fraction (e.g. 7/4), but only the numerator (7 in this case). This can be easily done by using \override Staff.TimeSignature #'style = #'single-digit to change the style permanently. By using \revert Staff.TimeSignature #'style, this setting can be reversed. To apply the single-digit style to only one time signature, use the \override command and prefix it with a \once.

\relative c'' {
  \time 3/4
  c4 c c
  % Change the style permanently
  \override Staff.TimeSignature #'style = #'single-digit
  \time 2/4
  c4 c
  \time 3/4
  c4 c c
  % Revert to default style:
  \revert Staff.TimeSignature #'style
  \time 2/4
  c4 c
  % single-digit style only for the next time signature
  \once \override Staff.TimeSignature #'style = #'single-digit
  \time 5/4
  c4 c c c c
  \time 2/4
  c4 c
}

Metronome marks

A basic metronome mark is simple to write:

\tempo 4 = 120
c2 d
e4. d8 c2

Metronome marks may also be printed as a range of two numbers:

\tempo 4 = 40 ~ 46
c4. e8 a4 g
b,2 d4 r

Tempo indications with text can be used instead:

\tempo "Allegretto"
c4 e d c
b4. a16 b c4 r4

Combining a metronome mark and text will automatically place the metronome mark within parentheses:

\tempo "Allegro" 4 = 160
g4 c d e
d4 b g2

In general, the text can be any markup object:

\tempo \markup { \italic Faster } 4 = 132
a8-. r8 b-. r gis-. r a-. r

A parenthesized metronome mark with no textual indication may be written by including an empty string in the input:

\tempo "" 8 = 96
d4 g e c

Selected Snippets

Printing metronome and rehearsal marks below the staff

By default, metronome and rehearsal marks are printed above the staff. To place them below the staff simply set the direction property of MetronomeMark or RehearsalMark appropriately.

\layout { ragged-right = ##f }

{
  % Metronome marks below the staff
  \override Score.MetronomeMark #'direction = #DOWN
  \tempo 8. = 120
  c''1

  % Rehearsal marks below the staff
  \override Score.RehearsalMark #'direction = #DOWN
  \mark \default
  c''1
}

Changing the tempo without a metronome mark

To change the tempo in MIDI output without printing anything, make the metronome mark invisible.

\score {
  \new Staff \relative c' {
    \tempo 4 = 160
    c4 e g b
    c4 b d c
    \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t
    \tempo 4 = 96
    d,4 fis a cis
    d4 cis e d
  }
  \layout { }
  \midi { }
}

Creating metronome marks in markup mode

New metronome marks can be created in markup mode, but they will not change the tempo in MIDI output.

\relative c' {
  \tempo \markup {
    \concat {
      (
      \smaller \general-align #Y #DOWN \note #"16." #1
      " = "
      \smaller \general-align #Y #DOWN \note #"8" #1
      )
    }
  }
  c1
  c4 c' c,2
}

For more details, see Formatting text.

Upbeats

Partial or pick-up measures, such as an anacrusis or an upbeat, are entered using the \partial command,

\partial duration

where duration is the remaining length of the partial measure before the start of the next full measure.

\time 3/4
\partial 8
e8 | a4 c8 b c4 |

The duration can be any value less than a full measure:

\time 3/4
\partial 4.
r4 e8 | a4 c8 b c4 |

The \partial duration can also be written as;

\set Timing.measurePosition -duration

So \partial 8 becomes:

\time 3/4
\set Timing.measurePosition = #(ly:make-moment -1 8)
e8 | a4 c8 b c4 |

The property measurePosition contains a rational number indicating how much of the measure has passed at this point. Note that this is set to a negative number by the \partial command: i.e., \partial 4 is internally translated to -4, meaning “there is a quarter note left in the measure.”

Known issues and warnings

The \partial command should be used only at the beginning of a piece. If you use it after the beginning, warnings or problems may occur, so use \set Timing.measurePosition instead.

\time 6/8
\partial 8
e8 | a4 c8 b[ c b] |
\set Timing.measurePosition = #(ly:make-moment -1 4)
r8 e,8 | a4 c8 b[ c b] |

[ << Musical notation ]	[Top][Contents][Index][ ? ]			[ Specialist notation >> ]
[ < Upbeats ]		[ Up : Displaying rhythms ]	[ Polymetric notation > ]

Unmetered music

Bar lines and bar numbers are calculated automatically. For unmetered music (some cadenzas, for example), this is not desirable. To turn off automatic calculation of bar lines and bar numbers, use the command \cadenzaOn, and use \cadenzaOff to turn them on again.

c4 d e d
\cadenzaOn
c4 c d8[ d d] f4 g4.
\cadenzaOff
\bar "|"
d4 e d c

Bar numbering is resumed at the end of the cadenza as if the cadenza were not there:

% Show all bar numbers
\override Score.BarNumber #'break-visibility = #all-visible
c4 d e d
\cadenzaOn
c4 c d8[ d d] f4 g4.
\cadenzaOff
\bar "|"
d4 e d c

Automatic beaming is disabled by \cadenzaOn and enabled by \cadenzaOff. Therefore, all beaming in cadenzas must be entered manually (Manual beams).

\repeat unfold 8 { c8 }
\cadenzaOn
\repeat unfold 5 { c8 }
\bar"|"
\cadenzaOff
\repeat unfold 8 { c8 }

Note that these predefined commands affect all staves in the score, even when they are placed in just one Voice context. To change this, move the Timing_translator from the Score context to the Staff context, as shown in Polymetric notation.

Predefined commands

\cadenzaOn, \cadenzaOff.

Known issues and warnings

LilyPond will insert line breaks and page breaks only at a bar line. Unless the unmetered music ends before the end of the staff line, you will need to insert invisible bar lines with

\bar ""

to indicate where breaks can occur.

You should explicitly create a Voice context when starting a piece with \cadenzaOn, otherwise strange errors may occur.

\new Voice {
  \relative c' {
    \cadenzaOn
    c16[^"Solo Free Time" d e f] g2.
    \bar "||"
    \cadenzaOff
  }
}

[ << Musical notation ]	[Top][Contents][Index][ ? ]			[ Specialist notation >> ]
[ < Unmetered music ]		[ Up : Displaying rhythms ]	[ Automatic note splitting > ]

Polymetric notation

Polymetric notation is supported explicitly or by manually modifying the visible time signature symbol and/or scaling note durations.

Different time signatures with equal-length measures

Set a common time signature for each staff, and set the timeSignatureFraction to the desired fraction. Then use the \scaleDurations function to scale the durations of the notes in each staff to the common time signature.

In the following example, music with the time signatures of 3/4, 9/8 and 10/8 are used in parallel. In the second staff, shown durations are multiplied by 2/3 (because 2/3 * 9/8 = 3/4) and in the third staff, the shown durations are multiplied by 3/5 (because 3/5 * 10/8 = 3/4). It may be necessary to insert beams manually, as the duration scaling will affect the autobeaming rules.

\relative c' <<
  \new Staff {
    \time 3/4
    c4 c c |
    c4 c c |
  }
  \new Staff {
    \time 3/4
    \set Staff.timeSignatureFraction = #'(9 . 8)
    \scaleDurations #'(2 . 3)
      \repeat unfold 6 { c8[ c c] }
  }
  \new Staff {
    \time 3/4
    \set Staff.timeSignatureFraction = #'(10 . 8)
    \scaleDurations #'(3 . 5) {
      \repeat unfold 2 { c8[ c c] }
      \repeat unfold 2 { c8[ c] } |
      c4. c \times 2/3 { c8[ c c] } c4
    }
  }
>>

Different time signatures with unequal-length measures

Each staff can be given its own independent time signature by moving the Timing_translator and the Default_bar_line_engraver to the Staff context.

\layout {
  \context {
    \Score
    \remove "Timing_translator"
    \remove "Default_bar_line_engraver"
  }
  \context {
    \Staff
    \consists "Timing_translator"
    \consists "Default_bar_line_engraver"
  }
}

% Now each staff has its own time signature.

\relative c' <<
  \new Staff {
    \time 3/4
    c4 c c |
    c4 c c |
  }
  \new Staff {
    \time 2/4
    c4 c |
    c4 c |
    c4 c |
  }
  \new Staff {
    \time 3/8
    c4. |
    c8 c c |
    c4. |
    c8 c c |
  }
>>

Compound time signatures

These are created using the \compoundMeter function. The syntax for this is:

\compoundMeter #'(list of lists)

The simplest construction is a single list, where the last number indicates the bottom number of the time signature and those that come before it, the top numbers.

\relative c' {
  \compoundMeter #'((2 2 2 8))
  \repeat unfold 6 c8 \repeat unfold 12 c16
}

More complex meters can be constructed using additional lists. Also, automatic beaming settings will be adjusted depending on the values.

\relative c' {
  \compoundMeter #'((1 4) (3 8))
  \repeat unfold 5 c8 \repeat unfold 10 c16
}

\relative c' {
  \compoundMeter #'((1 2 3 8) (3 4))
  \repeat unfold 12 c8
}

Known issues and warnings

When using different time signatures in parallel, notes at the same moment will be placed at the same horizontal location. However, the bar lines in the different staves will cause the note spacing to be less regular in each of the individual staves than would be normal without the different time signatures.

[ << Musical notation ]	[Top][Contents][Index][ ? ]			[ Specialist notation >> ]
[ < Polymetric notation ]		[ Up : Displaying rhythms ]	[ Showing melody rhythms > ]

Automatic note splitting

Long notes which overrun bar lines can be converted automatically to tied notes. This is done by replacing the Note_heads_engraver with the Completion_heads_engraver. Similarly, long rests which overrun bar lines are split automatically by replacing the Rest_engraver with the Completion_rest_engraver. In the following example, notes and rests crossing the bar lines are split, notes are also tied.

\new Voice \with {
  \remove "Note_heads_engraver"
  \consists "Completion_heads_engraver"
  \remove "Rest_engraver"
  \consists "Completion_rest_engraver"
}

{ c2. c8 d4 e f g a b c8 c2 b4 a g16 f4 e d c8. c2 r1*2 }

These engravers split all running notes and rests at the bar line, and inserts ties for notes. One of its uses is to debug complex scores: if the measures are not entirely filled, then the ties show exactly how much each measure is off.

Known issues and warnings

Not all durations (especially those containing tuplets) can be represented exactly with normal notes and dots, but the Completion_heads_engraver will not insert tuplets.

The Completion_heads_engraver only affects notes; it does not split rests.

[ << Musical notation ]	[Top][Contents][Index][ ? ]			[ Specialist notation >> ]
[ < Automatic note splitting ]		[ Up : Displaying rhythms ]	[ Beams > ]

Showing melody rhythms

Sometimes you might want to show only the rhythm of a melody. This can be done with the rhythmic staff. All pitches of notes on such a staff are squashed, and the staff itself has a single line

<<
  \new RhythmicStaff {
    \new Voice = "myRhythm" {
      \time 4/4
      c4 e8 f g2
      r4 g g f
      g1
    }
  }
  \new Lyrics {
    \lyricsto "myRhythm" {
      This is my song
      I like to sing
    }
  }
>>

Guitar chord charts often show the strumming rhythms. This can be done with the Pitch_squash_engraver and \improvisationOn.

<<
  \new ChordNames {
    \chordmode {
      c1 f g c
    }
  }
  \new Voice \with {
    \consists Pitch_squash_engraver
  } \relative c'' {
    \improvisationOn
    c4 c8 c c4 c8 c
    f4 f8 f f4 f8 f
    g4 g8 g g4 g8 g
    c4 c8 c c4 c8 c
  }
>>

Predefined commands

\improvisationOn, \improvisationOff.

Selected Snippets

Guitar strum rhythms

For guitar music, it is possible to show strum rhythms, along with melody notes, chord names and fret diagrams.

\include "predefined-guitar-fretboards.ly"
<<
  \new ChordNames {
    \chordmode {
      c1 | f | g | c
    }
  }
  \new FretBoards {
    \chordmode {
      c1 | f | g | c
    }
  }
  \new Voice \with {
    \consists "Pitch_squash_engraver"
  } {
    \relative c'' {
      \improvisationOn
      c4 c8 c c4 c8 c
      f4 f8 f f4 f8 f
      g4 g8 g g4 g8 g
      c4 c8 c c4 c8 c
    }
  }
  \new Voice = "melody" {
    \relative c'' {
      c2 e4 e4
      f2. r4
      g2. a4
      e4 c2.
    }
  }
  \new Lyrics {
    \lyricsto "melody" {
      This is my song.
      I like to sing.
    }
  }
>>

1.2.3 Displaying rhythms

Time signature

Predefined commands

Selected Snippets

See also

Metronome marks

Selected Snippets

See also

Upbeats

See also

Known issues and warnings

Unmetered music

Predefined commands

See also

Known issues and warnings

Polymetric notation

Different time signatures with equal-length measures

Different time signatures with unequal-length measures

Compound time signatures

See also

Known issues and warnings

Automatic note splitting

See also

Known issues and warnings

Showing melody rhythms

Predefined commands

Selected Snippets

See also

LilyPond — Notation Reference