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<tr><td valign="middle" align="left" colspan="1">[<a href="Changing-defaults.fr.html#Changing-defaults" title="Beginning of this chapter or previous chapter"> << Changing defaults </a>]</td><td valign="middle" align="center" colspan="3">[<a href="index.fr.html#index" title="Cover (top) of document" rel="start">Top</a>][<a href="index_toc.fr.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="LilyPond-command-index.fr.html#LilyPond-command-index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>][<a href="index_abt.fr.html#SEC_About" title="About (help)" rel="help"> ? </a>]</td><td valign="middle" align="right" colspan="1">[<a href="Interfaces-for-programmers.fr.html#Interfaces-for-programmers" title="Next chapter"> Interfaces for programmers >> </a>]</td></tr><tr><td valign="middle" align="left" colspan="2">[<a href="Input-modes.fr.html#Input-modes" title="Previous section in reading order" accesskey="p" rel="previous"> < Input modes </a>]</td><td valign="middle" align="center" colspan="1">[<a href="Useful-concepts-and-properties.fr.html#Useful-concepts-and-properties" title="Up section" accesskey="u" rel="up"> Up : Useful concepts and properties </a>]</td><td valign="middle" align="right" colspan="2">[<a href="Distances-and-measurements.fr.html#Distances-and-measurements" title="Next section in reading order" accesskey="n" rel="next"> Distances and measurements > </a>]</td></tr></table>
<a name="Direction-and-placement"></a>
<h3 class="subsection">5.4.2 Direction and placement</h3>
<p>In typesetting music the direction and placement of many items is
a matter of choice. For example, the stems of notes can
be directed up or down; lyrics, dynamics, and other expressive
marks may be placed above or below the staff; text may be aligned
left, right or center; etc. Most of these choices may be left to
be determined automatically by LilyPond, but in some cases it may
be desirable to force a particular direction or placement.
</p>
<p><strong>Default actions</strong>
</p>
<p>By default some directions are always up or always down (e.g.
dynamics or fermata), while other things can alternate between
up or down based on the stem direction (like slurs or accents).
</p>
<p><strong>Context layout order</strong>
</p>
<p>Contexts are normally positioned in a system from top to bottom
in the order in which they are encountered. Note, however, that
a context will be created implicitly if a command is encountered
when there is no suitable context available to contain it. When
contexts are nested, the outer context will exclude inner contexts
which are not included in its “accepts” list; excluded contexts
will be repositioned below the outer context.
</p>
<p>The default order in which contexts are laid out and the
“accepts” list can be changed, see <a href="Aligning-contexts.fr.html#Aligning-contexts">Aligning contexts</a>.
</p>
<p><strong>Articulation direction indicators</strong>
</p>
<p>When adding articulations to notes the direction indicator,
<code>^</code> (meaning “up”), <code>_</code> (meaning “down”) or
<code>-</code> (meaning “use default direction”), can usually be
omitted, in which case <code>-</code> is assumed. But a direction
indicator is <strong>always</strong> required before
</p>
<ul>
<li> <code>\tweak</code> commands
</li><li> <code>\markup</code> commands
</li><li> <code>\tag</code> commands
</li><li> string markups, e.g. -"string"
</li><li> fingering instructions, e.g. <code>-1</code>
</li><li> articulation shortcuts, e.g. <code>-.</code>, <code>-></code>, <code>--</code>
</li></ul>
<p><strong>The direction property</strong>
</p>
<p>The position or direction of many layout objects is controlled
by the <code>direction</code> property.
</p>
<p>The value of the <code>direction</code> property may be
set to <code>1</code>, meaning “up” or “above”, or to <code>-1</code>,
meaning “down” or “below”. The symbols <code>UP</code> and
<code>DOWN</code> may be used instead of <code>1</code> and <code>-1</code>
respectively. The default direction may be specified by setting
<code>direction</code> to <code>0</code> or <code>CENTER</code>. Alternatively,
in many cases predefined commands
exist to specify the direction. These are all of the form
</p>
<p><code>\xxxUp</code>, <code>xxxDown</code>, <code>xxxNeutral</code>
</p>
<p>where <code>xxxNeutral</code> means “use the default direction”.
See <a name="index-Within_002dstaff-objects"></a>
<a href="../lilypond-learning/Within_002dstaff-objects.fr.html#Within_002dstaff-objects">Within-staff objects</a>.
</p>
<p>In a few cases, arpeggio being the only common example, the value
of the <code>direction</code> property specifies whether the object
is to be placed to the right or left of the parent object. In
this case <code>-1</code> or <code>LEFT</code> means “to the left” and
<code>1</code> or <code>RIGHT</code> means “to the right”. <code>0</code>
or <code>CENTER</code> means “use the default” direction, as before.
</p>
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<h4 class="toc_header"> <a href="index.fr.html#index" title="Start of the manual">Notation Reference</a></h4>
<div class="contents">
<ul class="toc">
<li><a name="toc-Musical-notation-1" href="Musical-notation.fr.html#Musical-notation">1. Musical notation</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li><a name="toc-Pitches-1" href="Pitches.fr.html#Pitches">1.1 Pitches</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Rhythms-1" href="Rhythms.fr.html#Rhythms">1.2 Rhythms</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Expressive-marks-1" href="Expressive-marks.fr.html#Expressive-marks">1.3 Expressive marks</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Repeats-1" href="Repeats.fr.html#Repeats">1.4 Repeats</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Simultaneous-notes-1" href="Simultaneous-notes.fr.html#Simultaneous-notes">1.5 Simultaneous notes</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Staff-notation-1" href="Staff-notation.fr.html#Staff-notation">1.6 Staff notation</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Editorial-annotations-1" href="Editorial-annotations.fr.html#Editorial-annotations">1.7 Editorial annotations</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Text-1" href="Text.fr.html#Text">1.8 Text</a> </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a name="toc-Specialist-notation-1" href="Specialist-notation.fr.html#Specialist-notation">2. Specialist notation</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li><a name="toc-Vocal-music-1" href="Vocal-music.fr.html#Vocal-music">2.1 Vocal music</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Keyboard-and-other-multi_002dstaff-instruments-1" href="Keyboard-and-other-multi_002dstaff-instruments.fr.html#Keyboard-and-other-multi_002dstaff-instruments">2.2 Keyboard and other multi-staff instruments</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Unfretted-string-instruments-1" href="Unfretted-string-instruments.fr.html#Unfretted-string-instruments">2.3 Unfretted string instruments</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Fretted-string-instruments-1" href="Fretted-string-instruments.fr.html#Fretted-string-instruments">2.4 Fretted string instruments</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Percussion-1" href="Percussion.fr.html#Percussion">2.5 Percussion</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Wind-instruments-1" href="Wind-instruments.fr.html#Wind-instruments">2.6 Wind instruments</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Chord-notation-1" href="Chord-notation.fr.html#Chord-notation">2.7 Chord notation</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Ancient-notation-1" href="Ancient-notation.fr.html#Ancient-notation">2.8 Ancient notation</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-World-music-1" href="World-music.fr.html#World-music">2.9 World music</a> </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a name="toc-General-input-and-output-1" href="General-input-and-output.fr.html#General-input-and-output">3. General input and output</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li><a name="toc-Input-structure-1" href="Input-structure.fr.html#Input-structure">3.1 Input structure</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Titles-and-headers-1" href="Titles-and-headers.fr.html#Titles-and-headers">3.2 Titles and headers</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Working-with-input-files-1" href="Working-with-input-files.fr.html#Working-with-input-files">3.3 Working with input files</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Controlling-output-1" href="Controlling-output.fr.html#Controlling-output">3.4 Controlling output</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-MIDI-output-1" href="MIDI-output.fr.html#MIDI-output">3.5 MIDI output</a> </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a name="toc-Spacing-issues-1" href="Spacing-issues.fr.html#Spacing-issues">4. Spacing issues</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li><a name="toc-Paper-and-pages-1" href="Paper-and-pages.fr.html#Paper-and-pages">4.1 Paper and pages</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Music-layout-1" href="Music-layout.fr.html#Music-layout">4.2 Music layout</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Breaks-1" href="Breaks.fr.html#Breaks">4.3 Breaks</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Vertical-spacing-1" href="Vertical-spacing.fr.html#Vertical-spacing">4.4 Vertical spacing</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Horizontal-spacing-1" href="Horizontal-spacing.fr.html#Horizontal-spacing">4.5 Horizontal spacing</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Fitting-music-onto-fewer-pages-1" href="Fitting-music-onto-fewer-pages.fr.html#Fitting-music-onto-fewer-pages">4.6 Fitting music onto fewer pages</a> </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toc_current"><a name="toc-Changing-defaults-1" href="Changing-defaults.fr.html#Changing-defaults">5. Changing defaults</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li><a name="toc-Interpretation-contexts-1" href="Interpretation-contexts.fr.html#Interpretation-contexts">5.1 Interpretation contexts</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Explaining-the-Internals-Reference-1" href="Explaining-the-Internals-Reference.fr.html#Explaining-the-Internals-Reference">5.2 Explaining the Internals Reference</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Modifying-properties-1" href="Modifying-properties.fr.html#Modifying-properties">5.3 Modifying properties</a> </li>
<li class="toc_current"><a name="toc-Useful-concepts-and-properties-1" href="Useful-concepts-and-properties.fr.html#Useful-concepts-and-properties">5.4 Useful concepts and properties</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li><a name="toc-Input-modes-1" href="Input-modes.fr.html#Input-modes">5.4.1 Input modes</a> </li>
<li class="toc_current"><a name="toc-Direction-and-placement-1" href="Direction-and-placement.fr.html#Direction-and-placement">5.4.2 Direction and placement</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Distances-and-measurements-1" href="Distances-and-measurements.fr.html#Distances-and-measurements">5.4.3 Distances and measurements</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Staff-symbol-properties-1" href="Staff-symbol-properties.fr.html#Staff-symbol-properties">5.4.4 Staff symbol properties</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Spanners-1" href="Spanners.fr.html#Spanners">5.4.5 Spanners</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Visibility-of-objects-1" href="Visibility-of-objects.fr.html#Visibility-of-objects">5.4.6 Visibility of objects</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Line-styles-1" href="Line-styles.fr.html#Line-styles">5.4.7 Line styles</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Rotating-objects-1" href="Rotating-objects.fr.html#Rotating-objects">5.4.8 Rotating objects</a> </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a name="toc-Advanced-tweaks-1" href="Advanced-tweaks.fr.html#Advanced-tweaks">5.5 Advanced tweaks</a> </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a name="toc-Interfaces-for-programmers-1" href="Interfaces-for-programmers.fr.html#Interfaces-for-programmers">6. Interfaces for programmers</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li><a name="toc-Music-functions-1" href="Music-functions.fr.html#Music-functions">6.1 Music functions</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Programmer-interfaces-1" href="Programmer-interfaces.fr.html#Programmer-interfaces">6.2 Programmer interfaces</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Building-complicated-functions-1" href="Building-complicated-functions.fr.html#Building-complicated-functions">6.3 Building complicated functions</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Markup-programmer-interface-1" href="Markup-programmer-interface.fr.html#Markup-programmer-interface">6.4 Markup programmer interface</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Contexts-for-programmers-1" href="Contexts-for-programmers.fr.html#Contexts-for-programmers">6.5 Contexts for programmers</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Scheme-procedures-as-properties-1" href="Scheme-procedures-as-properties.fr.html#Scheme-procedures-as-properties">6.6 Scheme procedures as properties</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Using-Scheme-code-instead-of-_005ctweak-1" href="Using-Scheme-code-instead-of-_005ctweak.fr.html#Using-Scheme-code-instead-of-_005ctweak">6.7 Using Scheme code instead of <code>\tweak</code></a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Difficult-tweaks-1" href="Difficult-tweaks.fr.html#Difficult-tweaks">6.8 Difficult tweaks</a> </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a name="toc-Literature-list-1" href="Literature-list.fr.html#Literature-list">A. Literature list</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Notation-manual-tables-1" href="Notation-manual-tables.fr.html#Notation-manual-tables">B. Notation manual tables</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li><a name="toc-Chord-name-chart-1" href="Chord-name-chart.fr.html#Chord-name-chart">B.1 Chord name chart</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Common-chord-modifiers-1" href="Common-chord-modifiers.fr.html#Common-chord-modifiers">B.2 Common chord modifiers</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Predefined-fretboard-diagrams-1" href="Predefined-fretboard-diagrams.fr.html#Predefined-fretboard-diagrams">B.3 Predefined fretboard diagrams</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-MIDI-instruments-1" href="MIDI-instruments.fr.html#MIDI-instruments">B.4 MIDI instruments</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-List-of-colors-1" href="List-of-colors.fr.html#List-of-colors">B.5 List of colors</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-The-Feta-font-1" href="The-Feta-font.fr.html#The-Feta-font">B.6 The Feta font</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Note-head-styles-1" href="Note-head-styles.fr.html#Note-head-styles">B.7 Note head styles</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Text-markup-commands-1" href="Text-markup-commands.fr.html#Text-markup-commands">B.8 Text markup commands</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Text-markup-list-commands-1" href="Text-markup-list-commands.fr.html#Text-markup-list-commands">B.9 Text markup list commands</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-List-of-articulations-1" href="List-of-articulations.fr.html#List-of-articulations">B.10 List of articulations</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Percussion-notes-1" href="Percussion-notes.fr.html#Percussion-notes">B.11 Percussion notes</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-All-context-properties-1" href="All-context-properties.fr.html#All-context-properties">B.12 All context properties</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Layout-properties-1" href="Layout-properties.fr.html#Layout-properties">B.13 Layout properties</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Identifiers-1" href="Identifiers.fr.html#Identifiers">B.14 Identifiers</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-Scheme-functions-1" href="Scheme-functions.fr.html#Scheme-functions">B.15 Scheme functions</a> </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a name="toc-Cheat-sheet-1" href="Cheat-sheet.fr.html#Cheat-sheet">C. Cheat sheet</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-LilyPond-grammar-1" href="LilyPond-grammar.fr.html#LilyPond-grammar">D. LilyPond grammar</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-GNU-Free-Documentation-License-1" href="GNU-Free-Documentation-License.fr.html#GNU-Free-Documentation-License">E. GNU Free Documentation License</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-LilyPond-command-index-1" href="LilyPond-command-index.fr.html#LilyPond-command-index">F. LilyPond command index</a> </li>
<li><a name="toc-LilyPond-index-1" href="LilyPond-index.fr.html#LilyPond-index">G. LilyPond index</a> </li>
</ul>
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