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<p>
<a name="Staff-symbol"></a>
Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Ossia-staves.html#Ossia-staves">Ossia staves</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Modifying-single-staves.html#Modifying-single-staves">Modifying single staves</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h5 class="unnumberedsubsubsec">Staff symbol</h5>
<p><a name="index-adjusting-staff-symbol-1383"></a><a name="index-drawing-staff-symbol-1384"></a><a name="index-staff-symbol_002c-setting-of-1385"></a><a name="index-stop-staff-lines-1386"></a><a name="index-start-staff-lines-1387"></a><a name="index-staff-lines_002c-amount-of-1388"></a><a name="index-staff-lines_002c-number-of-1389"></a><a name="index-staff-line_002c-thickness-of-1390"></a><a name="index-amount-of-staff-lines-1391"></a><a name="index-thickness-of-staff-lines-1392"></a><a name="index-ledger-lines_002c-setting-1393"></a><a name="index-setting-of-ledger-lines-1394"></a><a name="index-spacing-of-ledger-lines-1395"></a><a name="index-number-of-staff-lines-1396"></a>
The lines of a staff belong to the <code>StaffSymbol</code> grob.
<code>StaffSymbol</code> properties can be modified to change the
appearance of a staff, but they must be modified before the staff
is created.
<p>The number of staff lines may be changed. The clef position and
the position of middle C may need to be modified to fit the new
staff. For an explanation, refer to the snippet section in
<a href="Clef.html#Clef">Clef</a>.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\new Staff {
\override Staff.StaffSymbol #'line-count = #3
d4 d d d
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../30/lily-10eac4f9.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../30/lily-10eac4f9.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The vertical position of staff lines and the number of staff lines
can be defined at the same time. As the following example shows,
note positions are not influenced by the position of the staff
lines.
<p><table class="cartouche" summary="cartouche" border="1"><tr><td>
<b>Note:</b> The <code>'line-positions</code> property overrides the
<code>'line-count</code> property. The number of staff lines is
implicitly defined by the number of elements in the list of values
for <code>'line-positions</code>
</td></tr></table>
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\new Staff \with {
\override StaffSymbol #'line-positions = #'(7 3 0 -4 -6 -7)
}
{ a4 e' f b | d1 }
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../94/lily-423c5482.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../94/lily-423c5482.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Staff line thickness can be modified. The thickness of ledger
lines and stems are also affected, since they depend on staff line
thickness.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\new Staff \with {
\override StaffSymbol #'thickness = #3
}
{ e4 d c b }
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../7f/lily-20183367.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../7f/lily-20183367.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The thickness of ledger lines can be set independently of staff
line thickness.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\new Staff \with {
\override StaffSymbol #'ledger-line-thickness = #'(1 . 0.2)
}
{ e4 d c b }
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../97/lily-5c9d048e.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../97/lily-5c9d048e.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The distance between staff lines can be changed. The setting has
influence on ledger lines as well.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\new Staff \with {
\override StaffSymbol #'staff-space = #1.5
}
{ a4 b c d }
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../0d/lily-a1a956c9.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../0d/lily-a1a956c9.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The width of a staff can be adjusted. The unit is one staff
space. The spacing of objects inside the staff is not influenced
by this setting.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\new Staff \with {
\override StaffSymbol #'width = #23
}
{ a4 e' f b | d1 }
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../1a/lily-28d6887a.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../1a/lily-28d6887a.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Further details about the properties of <code>StaffSymbol</code> listed
above can be found here: <a name="index-staff_002dsymbol_002dinterface-1397"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/staff_002dsymbol_002dinterface.html#staff_002dsymbol_002dinterface">staff-symbol-interface</a>.
<p>Modifications to staff properties in the middle of a score can be
placed between <code>\stopStaff</code> and <code>\startStaff</code>:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
c2 c
\stopStaff
\override Staff.StaffSymbol #'line-count = #2
\startStaff
b2 b
\stopStaff
\revert Staff.StaffSymbol #'line-count
\startStaff
a2 a
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../70/lily-ab072f9c.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../70/lily-ab072f9c.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Predefined commands</h5>
<p><a name="index-g_t_005cstartStaff-1398"></a><a name="index-g_t_005cstartStaff-1399"></a>
<code>\startStaff</code>,
<a name="index-g_t_005cstopStaff-1400"></a><a name="index-g_t_005cstopStaff-1401"></a>
<code>\stopStaff</code>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Selected Snippets</h5>
<p><em>Making some staff lines thicker than the others</em>
<p>For pedagogical purposes, a staff line can be thickened (e.g., the
middle line, or to emphasize the line of the G clef). This can be
achieved by adding extra lines very close to the line that should be
emphasized, using the <code>line-positions</code> property of the
<code>StaffSymbol</code> object.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
{
\override Staff.StaffSymbol #'line-positions = #'(-4 -2 -0.2 0 0.2 2 4)
d'4 e' f' g'
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../7e/lily-bcf56005.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../7e/lily-bcf56005.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-line-1402"></a><a href="../music-glossary/line.html#line">line</a>,
<a name="index-ledger-line-1403"></a><a href="../music-glossary/ledger-line.html#ledger-line">ledger line</a>,
<a name="index-staff-1404"></a><a href="../music-glossary/staff.html#staff">staff</a>.
<p>Notation Reference:
<a href="Displaying-pitches.html#Displaying-pitches">Displaying pitches</a>.
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Staff-notation.html#Staff-notation">Staff notation</a>.
<p>Internals Reference:
<a name="index-StaffSymbol-1405"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/StaffSymbol.html#StaffSymbol">StaffSymbol</a>,
<a name="index-staff_002dsymbol_002dinterface-1406"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/staff_002dsymbol_002dinterface.html#staff_002dsymbol_002dinterface">staff-symbol-interface</a>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Known issues and warnings</h5>
<p>When setting staff lines manually, bar lines are always drawn
centered on the position 0, so the maximum distance of the bar
lines in either direction must be equal.
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Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Ossia-staves.html#Ossia-staves">Ossia staves</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Modifying-single-staves.html#Modifying-single-staves">Modifying single staves</a>
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