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<p>
<a name="Relative-octave-entry"></a>
Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Accidentals.html#Accidentals">Accidentals</a>,
Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="Absolute-octave-entry.html#Absolute-octave-entry">Absolute octave entry</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Writing-pitches.html#Writing-pitches">Writing pitches</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h5 class="unnumberedsubsubsec">Relative octave entry</h5>
<p><a name="index-relative-15"></a><a name="index-relative-octave-entry-16"></a><a name="index-relative-octave-specification-17"></a><a name="index-g_t_005crelative-18"></a><a name="index-g_t_005crelative-19"></a>
<p>When octaves are specified in absolute mode it is easy to
accidentally put a pitch in the wrong octave. Relative octave
mode reduces these errors since most of the time it is not
necessary to indicate any octaves at all. Furthermore, in
absolute mode a single mistake may be difficult to spot, while in
relative mode a single error puts the rest of the piece off by one
octave.
<pre class="example">\relative <var>startpitch</var> <var>musicexpr</var>
</pre>
<p>In relative mode, each note is assumed to be as close to the
previous note as possible. This means that the octave of each
pitch inside <var>musicexpr</var> is calculated as follows:
<ul>
<li>If no octave changing mark is used on a pitch, its octave is
calculated so that the interval with the previous note is less
than a fifth. This interval is determined without considering
accidentals.
<li>An octave changing mark <code>'</code> or <code>,</code> can be
added to respectively raise or lower a pitch by an extra octave,
relative to the pitch calculated without an octave mark.
<li>Multiple octave changing marks can be used. For example,
<code>''</code> and <code>,,</code> will alter the pitch by two
octaves.
<li>The pitch of the first note is relative to
<var>startpitch</var>. <var>startpitch</var> is specified in
absolute octave mode, and it is recommended that it be a octave of
<code>c</code>.
</ul>
<p>Here is the relative mode shown in action:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c {
\clef bass
c d e f
g a b c
d e f g
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../18/lily-5fad9d46.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../18/lily-5fad9d46.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Octave changing marks are used for intervals greater than a
fourth:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c'' {
c g c f,
c' a, e'' c
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../9b/lily-750069e0.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../9b/lily-750069e0.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A note sequence without a single octave mark can nevertheless span
large intervals:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c {
c f b e
a d g c
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../c9/lily-aad01afa.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../c9/lily-aad01afa.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If the preceding item is a chord, the first note of the chord is
used as the reference point for the octave placement of a
following note or chord. Inside chords, the next note is always
relative to the preceding one. Examine the next example
carefully, paying attention to the <code>c</code> notes.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c' {
c
<c e g>
<c' e g'>
<c, e, g''>
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../4d/lily-97c6e8b0.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../4d/lily-97c6e8b0.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As explained above, the octave of pitches is calculated only with
the note names, regardless of any alterations. Therefore, an
E-double-sharp following a B will be placed higher, while an
F-double-flat will be placed lower. In other words, a
double-augmented fourth is considered a smaller interval than a
double-diminished fifth, regardless of the number of semitones
that each interval contains.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c'' {
c2 fis
c2 ges
b2 eisis
b2 feses
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../2c/lily-3a4bdb65.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../2c/lily-3a4bdb65.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-fifth-20"></a><a href="../music-glossary/fifth.html#fifth">fifth</a>,
<a name="index-interval-21"></a><a href="../music-glossary/interval.html#interval">interval</a>,
<a name="index-Pitch-names-22"></a><a href="../music-glossary/Pitch-names.html#Pitch-names">Pitch names</a>.
<p>Notation Reference:
<a href="Octave-checks.html#Octave-checks">Octave checks</a>.
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Pitches.html#Pitches">Pitches</a>.
<p>Internals Reference:
<a name="index-RelativeOctaveMusic-23"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/RelativeOctaveMusic.html#RelativeOctaveMusic">RelativeOctaveMusic</a>.
<p><a name="index-relative-octave-entry-and-transposition-24"></a><a name="index-transposition-and-relative-octave-entry-25"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctranspose-26"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctranspose-27"></a>
<a name="index-g_t_005cchordmode-28"></a><a name="index-g_t_005cchordmode-29"></a>
<a name="index-g_t_005crelative-30"></a><a name="index-g_t_005crelative-31"></a>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Known issues and warnings</h5>
<p>The relative conversion will not affect <code>\transpose</code>,
<code>\chordmode</code> or <code>\relative</code> sections in its argument.
To use relative mode within transposed music, an additional
<code>\relative</code> must be placed inside <code>\transpose</code>.
<!-- DEPRECATED -->
<p>If no <var>startpitch</var> is specified for <code>\relative</code>,
then <code>c'</code> is assumed. However, this is a deprecated
option and may disappear in future versions, so its use is
discouraged.
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