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<p>
<a name="Printing-chord-names"></a>
Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Customizing-chord-names.html#Customizing-chord-names">Customizing chord names</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Displaying-chords.html#Displaying-chords">Displaying chords</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h5 class="unnumberedsubsubsec">Printing chord names</h5>
<p><a name="index-printing-chord-names-2164"></a><a name="index-chord-names-2165"></a><a name="index-chords-2166"></a>
Chord names are printed in the <code>ChordNames</code> context:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\new ChordNames {
\chordmode {
c2 f4. g8
}
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../61/lily-9a987cc3.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../61/lily-9a987cc3.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Chords can be entered as simultaneous notes or through the use of
chord mode. The displayed chord name will be the same, regardless
of the mode of entry, unless there are inversions or added bass notes:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
<<
\new ChordNames {
<c e g>2 <f bes c>
<f c' e g>1
\chordmode {
c2 f:sus4 c1:/f
}
}
{
<c e g>2 <f bes c>
<f, c' e g>1
\chordmode {
c2 f:sus4 c1:/f
}
}
>>
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../97/lily-4b942163.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../97/lily-4b942163.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-chords-2167"></a><a name="index-chords-2168"></a>
<p><code>\chords { ... }</code> is a shortcut notation for
<code>\new ChordNames { \chordmode { ... } }</code>.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chords {
c2 f4.:m g8:maj7
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../e6/lily-b0b0a342.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../e6/lily-b0b0a342.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\new ChordNames {
\chordmode {
c2 f4.:m g8:maj7
}
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../ab/lily-1e0b6822.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../ab/lily-1e0b6822.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Selected Snippets</h5>
<p><em>Showing chords at changes</em>
<p>Chord names can be displayed only at the start of lines and when the
chord changes.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
harmonies = \chordmode {
c1:m c:m \break c:m c:m d
}
<<
\new ChordNames {
\set chordChanges = ##t
\harmonies
}
\new Staff {
\relative c' { \harmonies }
}
>>
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../81/lily-46cbadfe.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../81/lily-46cbadfe.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<!-- @lilypondfile[verbatim,lilyquote,ragged-right,texidoc,doctitle] -->
<!-- {adding-bar-lines-to-chordnames-context.ly} -->
<p><em>Simple lead sheet</em>
<p>When put together, chord names, a melody, and lyrics form a lead sheet:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
<<
\chords { c2 g:sus4 f e }
\relative c'' {
a4 e c8 e r4
b2 c4( d)
}
\addlyrics { One day this shall be free __ }
>>
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../a6/lily-07feddd7.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../a6/lily-07feddd7.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Music Glossary:
<a name="index-chord-2169"></a><a href="../music-glossary/chord.html#chord">chord</a>.
<p>Notation Reference:
<a href="Writing-music-in-parallel.html#Writing-music-in-parallel">Writing music in parallel</a>.
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Chords.html#Chords">Chords</a>.
<p>Internals Reference:
<a name="index-ChordNames-2170"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/ChordNames.html#ChordNames">ChordNames</a>,
<a name="index-ChordName-2171"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/ChordName.html#ChordName">ChordName</a>,
<a name="index-Chord_005fname_005fengraver-2172"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/Chord_005fname_005fengraver.html#Chord_005fname_005fengraver">Chord_name_engraver</a>,
<a name="index-Volta_005fengraver-2173"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/Volta_005fengraver.html#Volta_005fengraver">Volta_engraver</a>,
<a name="index-Bar_005fengraver-2174"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/Bar_005fengraver.html#Bar_005fengraver">Bar_engraver</a>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Known issues and warnings</h5>
<p>Chords containing inversions or altered bass notes are not named
properly if entered using simultaneous music.
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<p>
Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Customizing-chord-names.html#Customizing-chord-names">Customizing chord names</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Displaying-chords.html#Displaying-chords">Displaying chords</a>
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