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<a name="Scaling-durations"></a>
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<h5 class="subsubsection">1.2.1.3 Scaling durations</h5>
<p><a name="index-scaling-durations-432"></a><a name="index-durations_002c-scaling-433"></a>
You can alter the duration of single notes, rests or chords by a
fraction <code>N/M</code> by appending <code>*N/M</code> (or <code>*N</code> if
<code>M</code> is 1) to the duration.
This will not affect the appearance of the notes or rests
produced, but the altered duration will be used in calculating the
position within the measure and setting the duration in the MIDI
output. Multiplying factors may be combined such as <code>*L*M/N</code>.
<p>In the following example, the first three notes take up exactly
two beats, but no triplet bracket is printed.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\time 2/4
% Alter durations to triplets
a4*2/3 gis4*2/3 a4*2/3
% Normal durations
a4 a4
% Double the duration of chord
<a d>4*2
% Duration of quarter, appears like sixteenth
b16*4 c4
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../02/lily-78f0e531.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../02/lily-78f0e531.png" alt="[image of music]">
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</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The duration of skip or spacing notes may also be modified by
a multiplier. This is useful for skipping many measures, e.g.,
<code>s1*23</code>.
<p><a name="index-compressing-music-434"></a><a name="index-g_t_005cscaleDurations-435"></a><a name="index-g_t_005cscaleDurations-436"></a>
<p>Longer stretches of music may be compressed by a fraction in the
same way, as if every note, chord or rest had the fraction as a
multiplier. This leaves the appearance of the music unchanged but
the internal duration of the notes will be multiplied by the
fraction <em>num</em>/<em>den</em>. The spaces around the dot are
required. Here is an example showing how music can be compressed
and expanded:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\time 2/4
% Normal durations
<c a>4 c8 a
% Scale music by *2/3
\scaleDurations #'(2 . 3) {
<c a f>4. c8 a f
}
% Scale music by *2
\scaleDurations #'(2 . 1) {
<c' a>4 c8 b
}
</pre>
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<a href="../05/lily-806ea81f.ly">
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</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">One application of this command is in polymetric
notation, see <a href="Polymetric-notation.html#Polymetric-notation">Polymetric notation</a>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Notation Reference:
<a href="Tuplets.html#Tuplets">Tuplets</a>,
<a href="Invisible-rests.html#Invisible-rests">Invisible rests</a>,
<a href="Polymetric-notation.html#Polymetric-notation">Polymetric notation</a>.
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Rhythms.html#Rhythms">Rhythms</a>.
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