LilyPond - Music Typesetting
Basic usage - LilyPond Version 2.14 and above
Cheatsheet by R. Kainhofer, Edition Kainhofer, http://www.edition-kainhofer.com/
Command-line usage General Syntax
lilypond [-l LOGLEVEL] [-dSCMOPTIONS] [-o OUTPUT] [-V] FILE.ly [FILE2.ly] \xxxx function or variable
{ ... } Code grouping
Common options: var = {...} Variable assignment
--pdf, --png, --ps Output file format -dpreview Cropped “preview” image \version "2.14.0" LilyPond version
-dbackend=eps Use different backend -dlog-file=FILE Create .log file % dots Comment
-l LOGLEVEL ERR/WARN/PROG/DEBUG -dno-point-and-click No Point & Click info %{ ... %} Block comment
-o OUTDIR Name of output dir/file -djob-count=NR Process files in parallel c\... Postfix-notation (notes)
-V Verbose output -dpixmap-format=pngalpha Transparent PNG #'(..), ##t, #'sym Scheme list, true, symb.
-dhelp Help on options -dno-delete-intermediate-files Keep .ps files x-.., x^.., x_.. Directions
Basic Notation Creating Staves, Voices and Groups
c d e f g a b Note names (Dutch) \version "2.15.0"
SMusic = \relative c'' { c1\p }
Alterations: -is/-es for sharp/flat,
SLyrics = \lyricmode { Oh! }
cis bes as cisis beses b b! b? -isis/-eses for double, ! forces, AMusic = \relative c' { e1 }
? shows cautionary accidental
\relative c' {c f d' c,}
Relative mode (change less than a \score {
fifth), raise/lower one octave \new ChoirStaff <<
\new Staff {
g1 g2 g4 g8 g16 g4. g4..
durations (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, ...);
\new Voice = "Sop" {
append “.” for dotted note
\dynamicUp \SMusic
g8 g8 g8[ g g] g8[ g16 g16] Automatic and manual beaming }
}
r2 r4 r4.. r16 s4 r4 rests:
r (like a note name)
\new Lyrics = "SLyrics"
s for invisible rests
\lyricsto "Sop" \SLyrics
\clef "treble" \clef "bass" \new Staff {
Clefs
8 \clef "tenor" \clef "treble_8" \new Voice = "Alto" {
3 83
\time 4/4 \time 2/2 \dynamicUp \AMusic
4 \time 3/4 \time 3/8
Time signature
}
\key c \minor \key b \dorian
Key
}
>>
\key c \major p
}
<c e g>4 <f c'> q2 Chords, repeated chord
Oh!
c4~ c c2~ c4 <c a f>~ c Tie
c( a) c\( b( a) g f\) Slur / Phrasing slur
Useful Contexts
g\p\< a b c\f\cresc d e\! Dynamics, hairpins, text crescendo Score The whole score
p f cresc. << ... >> Staves in parallel
Text
c4-> c-. c^| c^-_+ c\trill StaffGroup Staffgroup with bracket
c\marcato c^"Text"
Articulations and text markup GrandStaff Staffgroup with brace
ChoirStaff Staffgroup with bracket
\partial 8 c8 | c1 | c Partial measure, bar line check, PianoStaff
Staffgroup with brace
\bar"||" c \bar"|." bar lines Staff
3 3 4
One single staff
Full-/Multimeasure rests: R (with Voice
4 R1 | R1*3 | \time 3/4 R2.*4 A voice inside a staff
exact duration) CueVoice Smaller voice for cues
1. 2.
c1 \repeat volta 2 { d } Lyrics Lyrics inside staff/voice
Repeats (with alternative endings;
\alternative {{e} {f}} g can be left out) ChordNames Chords (lead sheet)
Devnull No output
Adagio ( = 60) A X \tempo "Adagio" 4=60 c1 c c Also: Dynamics, FiguredBass, Tab(Staff|Voice),
\mark \default c \mark "X"
Tempo indications, text marks
Drum(Staff|Voice), RhythmicStaff, FretBoards, ...
\grace d8 c4\appoggiatura d8
Grace notes
c4\acciaccatura d8 c4
\times 2/3 {c8 d e}
Triplet, tuplets
3 5 \times 4/5 {c d e d c}
<<{a2 c4 a}\\{f4 g4 f2>> Parallel music
Adding Lyrics Writing text and markup Links
<< LilyPond Homepage:
\markup {
\new Voice = "m" { \justify { http://www.lilypond.org/
c4 c8[( b]) a8[( b]) | c4 c4~ c4 | A \underline justified \bold paragraph, LilyPond Snippet Repository (LSR):
\fontsize #-2 automatically line-broken.
} Some symbols: \dynamic ff \eyeglasses http://lsr.dsi.unimi.it/
\new Lyrics \lyricsto "m" { \rounded-box text, \with-color #red Text User Mailing list:
Sim -- ple e -- xam -- ple __ } lilypond-user@gnu.org
} } A justified paragraph, automatically
>> line-broken. Some symbols: ff
text, Text Cheatsheet by R. Kainhofer, License:
Sim ple e xam ple
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0