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<p>
<a name="Time-administration"></a>
Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="Aligning-to-cadenzas.html#Aligning-to-cadenzas">Aligning to cadenzas</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Special-rhythmic-concerns.html#Special-rhythmic-concerns">Special rhythmic concerns</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h5 class="subsubsection">1.2.6.3 Time administration</h5>
<p><a name="index-time-administration-709"></a><a name="index-timing-_0028within-the-score_0029-710"></a><a name="index-music_002c-unmetered-711"></a><a name="index-unmetered-music-712"></a>
<a name="index-currentBarNumber-713"></a><a name="index-currentBarNumber-714"></a>
<a name="index-measurePosition-715"></a><a name="index-measurePosition-716"></a>
<a name="index-measureLength-717"></a><a name="index-measureLength-718"></a>
<p>Time is administered by the <code>Timing_translator</code>, which by
default is to be found in the <code>Score</code> context. An alias,
<code>Timing</code>, is added to the context in which the
<code>Timing_translator</code> is placed.
<p>The following properties of <code>Timing</code> are used
to keep track of timing within the score.
<p><a name="index-bar-number-719"></a><a name="index-measure-number-720"></a>
<dl>
<dt><code>currentBarNumber</code><dd>The current measure number. For an example showing the
use of this property see <a href="Bar-numbers.html#Bar-numbers">Bar numbers</a>.
<br><dt><code>measureLength</code><dd>The length of the measures in the current time signature. For a
4/4 time this is 1, and for 6/8 it is 3/4. Its value
determines when bar lines are inserted and how automatic beams
should be generated.
<br><dt><code>measurePosition</code><dd>The point within the measure where we currently are. This
quantity is reset by subtracting <code>measureLength</code> whenever
<code>measureLength</code> is reached or exceeded. When that happens,
<code>currentBarNumber</code> is incremented.
<br><dt><code>timing</code><dd>If set to true, the above variables are updated for every time
step. When set to false, the engraver stays in the current
measure indefinitely.
</dl>
<p>Timing can be changed by setting any of these variables
explicitly. In the next example, the default 4/4 time
signature is printed, but <code>measureLength</code> is set to 5/4.
At 4/8 through the third measure, the <code>measurePosition</code> is
advanced by 1/8 to 5/8, shortening that bar by 1/8.
The next bar line then falls at 9/8 rather than 5/4.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\set Score.measureLength = #(ly:make-moment 5 4)
c1 c4
c1 c4
c4 c4
\set Score.measurePosition = #(ly:make-moment 5 8)
b4 b4 b8
c4 c1
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../32/lily-9d6ee5e7.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../32/lily-9d6ee5e7.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">As the example illustrates, <code>ly:make-moment n m</code> constructs a
duration of n/m of a whole note. For example,
<code>ly:make-moment 1 8</code> is an eighth note duration and
<code>ly:make-moment 7 16</code> is the duration of seven sixteenths
notes.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>This manual: <a href="Bar-numbers.html#Bar-numbers">Bar numbers</a>, <a href="Unmetered-music.html#Unmetered-music">Unmetered music</a>
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Rhythms.html#Rhythms">Rhythms</a>.
<p>Internals Reference: <a name="index-Timing_005ftranslator-721"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/Timing_005ftranslator.html#Timing_005ftranslator">Timing_translator</a>,
<a name="index-Score-722"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/Score.html#Score">Score</a>
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Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Special-rhythmic-concerns.html#Special-rhythmic-concerns">Special rhythmic concerns</a>
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