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<p>
<a name="Simple-notation"></a>
Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Working-on-input-files.html#Working-on-input-files">Working on input files</a>,
Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="Compiling-a-file.html#Compiling-a-file">Compiling a file</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="First-steps.html#First-steps">First steps</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h4 class="subsection">2.1.2 Simple notation</h4>
<p>LilyPond will add some notation elements automatically. In the
next example, we have only specified four pitches, but LilyPond
has added a clef, time signature, and rhythms.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
{
c' e' g' e'
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../87/lily-7f3700af.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../87/lily-7f3700af.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">This behavior may be altered, but in most cases these automatic
values are useful.
<h4 class="subheading">Pitches</h4>
<p>Music Glossary: <a name="index-pitch-43"></a><a href="../music-glossary/pitch.html#pitch">pitch</a>, <a name="index-interval-44"></a><a href="../music-glossary/interval.html#interval">interval</a>,
<a name="index-scale-45"></a><a href="../music-glossary/scale.html#scale">scale</a>, <a name="index-middle-C-46"></a><a href="../music-glossary/middle-C.html#middle-C">middle C</a>, <a name="index-octave-47"></a><a href="../music-glossary/octave.html#octave">octave</a>,
<a name="index-accidental-48"></a><a href="../music-glossary/accidental.html#accidental">accidental</a>.
<p>The easiest way to enter notes is by using <code>\relative</code> mode.
In this mode, the octave is chosen automatically by assuming the
following note is always to be placed closest to the previous
note, i.e., it is to be placed in the octave which is within three
staff spaces of the previous note. We begin by entering the most
elementary piece of music, a <var>scale</var>, in which every note
is within just one staff space of the previous note.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
% set the starting point to middle C
\relative c' {
c d e f
g a b c
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../e2/lily-23a261f4.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../e2/lily-23a261f4.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The initial note is <var>middle C</var>. Each successive note is
placed closest to the previous note – in other words, the first
<code>c</code> is the closest C to middle C. This is followed by the
closest D to the previous note. We can create melodies which have
larger intervals, still using only <code>\relative</code> mode:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c' {
d f a g
c b f d
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../b3/lily-3c1515ef.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../b3/lily-3c1515ef.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">It is not necessary for the first note of the melody to start on
the note which specifies the starting pitch. In the previous
example, the first note – the <code>d</code> – is the closest D to
middle C.
<p>By adding (or removing) quotes <code>'</code> or commas <code>,</code> from
the <code>\relative c' {</code><!-- /@w --> command, we can change the starting
octave:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
% one octave above middle C
\relative c'' {
e c a c
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../87/lily-7bdb7a86.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../87/lily-7bdb7a86.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>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 will be assumed to be
above the B, and an A, G or F will be assumed to be below.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c'' {
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
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../f8/lily-11ad44f2.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../f8/lily-11ad44f2.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Exactly the same happens even when any of these notes are
sharpened or flattened. <var>Accidentals</var> are
<strong>totally ignored</strong> in the calculation of relative position.
Precisely the same staff space counting is done from a note at any
other position on the staff.
<p>To add intervals that are larger than three staff spaces, we can
raise the <var>octave</var> by adding a single quote <code>'</code> (or
apostrophe) to the note name. We can lower the octave by adding a
comma <code>,</code> to the note name.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c'' {
a a, c' f,
g g'' a,, f'
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../3d/lily-275c8251.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../3d/lily-275c8251.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">To change a note by two (or more!) octaves, we use multiple
<code>''</code> or <code>,,</code> – but be careful that you use two single
quotes <code>''</code> and not one double quote <code>"</code> ! The
initial value in <code>\relative c'</code><!-- /@w --> may also be modified like
this.
<!-- " - keeps quotes in order for context-sensitive editor -td -->
<h4 class="subheading">Durations (rhythms)</h4>
<p>Music Glossary: <a name="index-beam-49"></a><a href="../music-glossary/beam.html#beam">beam</a>, <a name="index-duration-50"></a><a href="../music-glossary/duration.html#duration">duration</a>,
<a name="index-whole-note-51"></a><a href="../music-glossary/whole-note.html#whole-note">whole note</a>, <a name="index-half-note-52"></a><a href="../music-glossary/half-note.html#half-note">half note</a>, <a name="index-quarter-note-53"></a><a href="../music-glossary/quarter-note.html#quarter-note">quarter note</a>,
<a name="index-dotted-note-54"></a><a href="../music-glossary/dotted-note.html#dotted-note">dotted note</a>.
<p>The <var>duration</var> of a note is specified by a number after
the note name. <code>1</code> for a <var>whole note</var>, <code>2</code> for
a <var>half note</var>, <code>4</code> for a <var>quarter note</var> and
so on. <var>Beams</var> are added automatically.
<p>If you do not specify a duration, the previous duration is used
for the next note. The duration of the first note defaults to a
quarter.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c'' {
a1
a2 a4 a8 a
a16 a a a a32 a a a a64 a a a a a a a a2
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../ab/lily-bb7a4506.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../ab/lily-bb7a4506.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To create <var>dotted notes</var>, add a dot <code>.</code> to the
duration number. The duration of a dotted note must be stated
explicitly (i.e., with a number).
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c'' {
a a a4. a8
a8. a16 a a8. a8 a4.
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../27/lily-6ad15e49.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../27/lily-6ad15e49.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 class="subheading">Rests</h4>
<p>Music Glossary: <a name="index-rest-55"></a><a href="../music-glossary/rest.html#rest">rest</a>.
<p>A <var>rest</var> is entered just like a note with the name
<code>r</code> :
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c'' {
a r r2
r8 a r4 r4. r8
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../d9/lily-b53032f0.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../d9/lily-b53032f0.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 class="subheading">Time signature</h4>
<p>Music Glossary: <a name="index-time-signature-56"></a><a href="../music-glossary/time-signature.html#time-signature">time signature</a>.
<p>The <var>time signature</var> can be set with the <code>\time</code>
command:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c'' {
\time 3/4
a4 a a
\time 6/8
a4. a
\time 4/4
a4 a a a
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../cd/lily-a0d482b6.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../cd/lily-a0d482b6.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 class="subheading">Clef</h4>
<p>Music Glossary: <a name="index-clef-57"></a><a href="../music-glossary/clef.html#clef">clef</a>.
<p>The <var>clef</var> can be set using the <code>\clef</code> command:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c' {
\clef treble
c1
\clef alto
c1
\clef tenor
c1
\clef bass
c1
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../3d/lily-68171513.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../3d/lily-68171513.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<h4 class="subheading">All together</h4>
<p>Here is a small example showing all these elements together:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c, {
\time 3/4
\clef bass
c2 e8 c' g'2.
f4 e d c4 c, r4
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../ce/lily-8510d339.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../ce/lily-8510d339.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Notation Reference: <a name="index-Writing-pitches-58"></a><a href="../lilypond/Writing-pitches.html#Writing-pitches">Writing pitches</a>,
<a name="index-Writing-rhythms-59"></a><a href="../lilypond/Writing-rhythms.html#Writing-rhythms">Writing rhythms</a>, <a name="index-Writing-rests-60"></a><a href="../lilypond/Writing-rests.html#Writing-rests">Writing rests</a>,
<a name="index-Time-signature-61"></a><a href="../lilypond/Time-signature.html#Time-signature">Time signature</a>, <a name="index-Clef-62"></a><a href="../lilypond/Clef.html#Clef">Clef</a>.
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