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<p>
<a name="Automatic-beams"></a>
Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Setting-automatic-beam-behavior.html#Setting-automatic-beam-behavior">Setting automatic beam behavior</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Beams.html#Beams">Beams</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h5 class="subsubsection">1.2.4.1 Automatic beams</h5>
<p>By default, beams are inserted automatically:
<p><a name="index-beams_002c-manual-594"></a><a name="index-manual-beams-595"></a>
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\time 2/4 c8 c c c
\time 6/8 c c c c8. c16 c8
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../22/lily-4aa69030.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../22/lily-4aa69030.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If these automatic decisions are not satisfactory, beaming can be
entered explicitly; see <a href="Manual-beams.html#Manual-beams">Manual beams</a>. It is also possible
to define beaming patterns that differ from the defaults; see
<a href="Setting-automatic-beam-behavior.html#Setting-automatic-beam-behavior">Setting automatic beam behavior</a>. The default beaming rules
are defined in <samp><span class="file">scm/auto-beam.scm</span></samp>.
<p><a name="index-autoBeamOn-596"></a><a name="index-autoBeamOff-597"></a>
Automatic beaming may be turned off and on with
<code>\autoBeamOff</code> and <code>\autoBeamOn</code> commands:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
c4 c8 c8. c16 c8. c16 c8
\autoBeamOff
c4 c8 c8. c16 c8.
\autoBeamOn
c16 c8
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../e6/lily-89dc4cbd.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../e6/lily-89dc4cbd.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Predefined commands</h5>
<p><code>\autoBeamOff</code>,
<code>\autoBeamOn</code>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Selected Snippets</h5>
<!-- TODO - convert to snippet -->
<p>Beaming patterns may be altered with the <code>beatGrouping</code> property,
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\time 5/16
\set beatGrouping = #'(2 3)
c8[^"(2+3)" c16 c8]
\set beatGrouping = #'(3 2)
c8[^"(3+2)" c16 c8]
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../4b/lily-1239e3fb.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../4b/lily-1239e3fb.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<!-- TODO convert to snippet -->
<p>The beams of consecutive 16th (or shorter) notes are, by default,
not sub-divided. That is, the three (or more) beams stretch
unbroken over entire groups of notes. This behavior can
be modified to sub-divide the beams into sub-groups by setting
the property <code>subdivideBeams</code>. When set, multiple beams
will be sub-divided at intervals defined by the current value of
<code>beatLength</code> by reducing the multiple beams to just one beam
between the sub-groups. Note that <code>beatLength</code> lives in the
<code>Score</code> context and defaults to a quarter note. It must be
set to a fraction giving the duration of the beam sub-group
using the <code>make-moment</code> function, as shown here:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
c32[ c c c c c c c]
\set subdivideBeams = ##t
c32[ c c c c c c c]
% Set beam sub-group length to an eighth note
\set Score.beatLength = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
c32[ c c c c c c c]
% Set beam sub-group length to a sixteenth note
\set Score.beatLength = #(ly:make-moment 1 16)
c32[ c c c c c c c]
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../73/lily-99d9d349.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../73/lily-99d9d349.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-subdivideBeams-598"></a><a name="index-subdivideBeams-599"></a>
<p class="noindent">For more information about <code>make-moment</code>, see
<a href="Time-administration.html#Time-administration">Time administration</a>.
<p><a name="index-breakable-600"></a><a name="index-breakable-601"></a>
<a name="index-break_002c-line-602"></a><a name="index-line-breaks-603"></a>
<!-- TODO convert to snippet -->
Line breaks are normally forbidden when beams cross bar lines.
This behavior can be changed by setting the <code>breakable</code>
property: <code>\override Beam #'breakable = ##t</code>.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\override Beam #'breakable = ##t
c8 \repeat unfold 15 { c[ c] } c
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../bb/lily-9408ae97.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../bb/lily-9408ae97.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-beams-and-line-breaks-604"></a><a name="index-beams_002c-kneed-605"></a><a name="index-kneed-beams-606"></a><a name="index-auto_002dknee_002dgap-607"></a>
<!-- TODO convert to snippet -->
Kneed beams are inserted automatically when a large gap is
detected between the note heads. This behavior can be tuned
through the <code>auto-knee-gap</code> property. A kneed beam is
drawn if the gap is larger than the value of
<code>auto-knee-gap</code> plus the width of the beam object (which
depends on the duration of the notes and the slope of the beam).
By default <code>auto-knee-gap</code> is set to 5.5 staff spaces.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
f8 f''8 f8 f''8
\override Beam #'auto-knee-gap = #6
f8 f''8 f8 f''8
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../6b/lily-3a27966b.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../6b/lily-3a27966b.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Notation Reference:
<a href="Manual-beams.html#Manual-beams">Manual beams</a>,
<a href="Setting-automatic-beam-behavior.html#Setting-automatic-beam-behavior">Setting automatic beam behavior</a>.
<p>Installed Files:
<samp><span class="file">scm/auto-beam.scm</span></samp>.
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Rhythms.html#Rhythms">Rhythms</a>.
<p>Internals Reference: <a name="index-Beam-608"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/Beam.html#Beam">Beam</a>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Known issues and warnings</h5>
<p>Automatically kneed cross-staff beams cannot be used together with
hidden staves. See <a href="Hiding-staves.html#Hiding-staves">Hiding staves</a>.
<p>Beams can collide with note heads and accidentals in other voices
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Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Beams.html#Beams">Beams</a>
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