At the Sounding Edge: LilyPond, Part 1

LP's developers state that building the program from source code is a complicated process, and they advise installing a pre-built package, conveniently providing a list of available packages on the LilyPond Web site. Packages currently are available for Red Hat, Debian, Mandrakelinux and Slackware systems. The common source tarball also is available. However you install it, once installation is complete you can start using LP.

The following examples assume LP in version 2.2.0 or higher. LP is a moving target with a brisk development pace; your mileage may vary if you run the examples with another version.

The LilyPond documentation includes a good tutorial guide to the basics of using the language interface. The following code is a fairly simple example of a LilyPond source file:

  % This is a comment.

  \score {			
    \notes { c'4 e' g' b'}
  }

In this example, the \score element prepares a default 5-line staff with treble clef and common (4/4) time signature. Its braces hold the data to be represented in the score. In this example, the score includes a sequence of notes that starts from middle C and arpeggiates a Cmaj7 chord in quarter notes. Pitch elements include pitch name (c), an octave specifier (') and a duration value (4). If no duration value is given for the next element, it takes its duration from the preceding note.

To create a PostScript graphics file from this code, simply process it with the LP compiler, as follows:

  lilypond lj-ex-1.ly

Figure 1 shows the output file, lj-ex-1.ps, as displayed by GhostView.

Figure 1. Basic LilyPond

Now we add a few more language elements to create something a little more complete:

  \header{
          title = "Simple"
          composer = "DLP 2004"
          }
  \score {
    \notes { c'4 e' g'8 a'8 b'4 c''1 \bar "|."}
    \midi {\tempo 4=132}
    \paper { }
  }

The new elements include a header block, further specifications for rhythm and pitch, a specifier for a double-bar and directives for MIDI output (with tempocontrol) and LilyPond's default print-ready formats. Figure 2 displays the compiled output, again in the GhostView PostScript file viewer.

Figure 2. More Symbols and Signs

Notation-savvy musicians may notice that I did not specify a bar line expected between b' and c''. As advertised, LilyPond automates many aspects of the score layout but always allows the possibility of customizing the output to virtually any degree.

As a last code example, here's a complex fragment in two staves with considerably more complicated rhythms:

  \version "2.2.0"
  \header{
        title = "Toccata Vivace"
        subtitle = "For Flute and Bassoon"
        composer = "DLP 2004"
	}

	Flute = \notes \context Voice = Flute {
        \set Staff.instrument = "Flute"
        \set Staff.midiInstrument = "flute"
        \key c \major
        \clef treble
        \time 3/4 \partial4 r4 | r8. g''16 -\staccato ges'' -\staccato f'' -\staccato b'-\mf -\accent fis''-\accent r e'-\sf  r8 |
        r4 \times 2/3 { ees'16 -\staccato d'' -\staccato des'' } f''8\< ~ f''4\! \bar "||"
	} 

	Bassoon = \notes \context Voice = Bassoon { 
        \set Staff.instrument = "Bassoon" 
        \set Staff.midiInstrument = "bassoon"
        \key c \major
        \clef bass
        \time 3/4 \partial4 r16 cis'-\mf  -\staccato c' -\staccato d' -\staccato |
        f-\accent e'-\accent r a,-\sf  r4 r8 \times 2/3 { a,16 -\staccato g -\staccato cis'\< ~ } |
        cis'4\! \>~ \times 2/3 { cis'8\! ( b bes, } d,4-\accent) \bar "||"
	}

	FluteStaff = \context Staff = FluteStaff <<
        	\Flute
		>>


        BassoonStaff = \context Staff = BassoonStaff <<
              	\Bassoon
            	>>

      	\score {
          	<<
                  \FluteStaff
                  \BassoonStaff
                >>
        \paper { }
        \midi {\tempo 4 = 160}
  }

Figure 3 displays the PostScript output. With a little thought you should be able to figure out the logic of the code. One point of assistance: LP uses 'is' to indicate a sharp, 'es' to indicate a flat. The other new elements are fairly self-explanatory, especially with reference to Figure 3, and I refer the interested reader to LilyPond's documentation to clarify any remaining obscurity.

Figure 3. A More Complicated Score Engraved by LP