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<p>
<a name="Writing-music-in-parallel"></a>
Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="Automatic-part-combining.html#Automatic-part-combining">Automatic part combining</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Multiple-voices.html#Multiple-voices">Multiple voices</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h5 class="unnumberedsubsubsec">Writing music in parallel</h5>
<p><a name="index-Writing-music-in-parallel-1311"></a><a name="index-Interleaved-music-1312"></a><a name="index-parallelMusic-1313"></a><a name="index-parallelMusic-1314"></a>
<p>Music for multiple parts can be interleaved in input code. The
function <code>\parallelMusic</code> accepts a list with the names of a
number of variables to be created, and a musical expression. The
content of alternate measures from the expression become the value
of the respective variables, so you can use them afterwards to
print the music.
<p><table class="cartouche" summary="cartouche" border="1"><tr><td>
<b>Note:</b> Bar checks <code>|</code> must be used, and the measures must
be of the same length.
</td></tr></table>
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\parallelMusic #'(voiceA voiceB voiceC) {
% Bar 1
r8 g'16 c'' e'' g' c'' e'' r8 g'16 c'' e'' g' c'' e'' |
r16 e'8.~ e'4 r16 e'8.~ e'4 |
c'2 c'2 |
% Bar 2
r8 a'16 d'' f'' a' d'' f'' r8 a'16 d'' f'' a' d'' f'' |
r16 d'8.~ d'4 r16 d'8.~ d'4 |
c'2 c'2 |
}
\new StaffGroup <<
\new Staff << \voiceA \\ \voiceB >>
\new Staff { \clef bass \voiceC }
>>
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../7d/lily-0368baef.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../7d/lily-0368baef.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Relative mode may be used. Note that the <code>\relative</code> command
is not used inside <code>\parallelMusic</code> itself. The notes are
relative to the preceding note in the voice, not to the previous
note in the input – in other words, relative notes for
<code>voiceA</code> ignore the notes in <code>voiceB</code>.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\parallelMusic #'(voiceA voiceB voiceC) {
% Bar 1
r8 g16 c e g, c e r8 g,16 c e g, c e |
r16 e8.~ e4 r16 e8.~ e4 |
c2 c |
% Bar 2
r8 a,16 d f a, d f r8 a,16 d f a, d f |
r16 d8.~ d4 r16 d8.~ d4 |
c2 c |
}
\new StaffGroup <<
\new Staff << \relative c'' \voiceA \\ \relative c' \voiceB >>
\new Staff \relative c' { \clef bass \voiceC }
>>
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../24/lily-53c7d8ce.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../24/lily-53c7d8ce.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This works quite well for piano music. This example maps four
consecutive measures to four variables:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
global = {
\key g \major
\time 2/4
}
\parallelMusic #'(voiceA voiceB voiceC voiceD) {
% Bar 1
a8 b c d |
d4 e |
c16 d e fis d e fis g |
a4 a |
% Bar 2
e8 fis g a |
fis4 g |
e16 fis g a fis g a b |
a4 a |
% Bar 3 ...
}
\score {
\new PianoStaff <<
\new Staff {
\global
<<
\relative c'' \voiceA
\\
\relative c' \voiceB
>>
}
\new Staff {
\global \clef bass
<<
\relative c \voiceC
\\
\relative c \voiceD
>>
}
>>
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../3f/lily-806ee168.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../3f/lily-806ee168.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Learning Manual:
<a name="index-Organizing-pieces-with-variables-1315"></a><a href="../lilypond-learning/Organizing-pieces-with-variables.html#Organizing-pieces-with-variables">Organizing pieces with variables</a>.
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Simultaneous-notes.html#Simultaneous-notes">Simultaneous notes</a>.
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