View source for LilyPond

{{short description|Free software scorewriter}}
{{Other uses|Lily Pond (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox software
| name = LilyPond
| logo = LilyPond-logo-with-music.png
| screenshot = Fibonacci composition.svg
| caption = <!--Current developers get listed here-->
| developer = [[David Kastrup]], [[Werner Lemberg]], [[Han-Wen Nienhuys]], [[Jan Nieuwenhuizen]], [[Carl Sorensen]], [[Janek Warchoł]], {{no wrap|et al.}}<ref name="devteam">{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/authors.html |title=Authors |publisher=LilyPond Development team |access-date=March 21, 2015}}</ref>
| released = {{start date and age|{{wikidata|property|P571}}}}
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q195946|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q195946|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q195946|P348|P548=Q3295609}}
| latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q195946|P348|P548=Q3295609|P577}}
| programming language = [[C++]], [[Scheme (programming language)|Scheme]], [[Metafont]], [[PostScript]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Source tarball|url=http://lilypond.org/source.html|website=lilypond.org|access-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref>
| operating system = {{Plainlist|
*[[Windows 2000]] and later
*[[Mac OS X 10.4]] and later
*[[Linux]]
*[[FreeBSD]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Downloads for LilyPond 2.18.2|url=http://lilypond.org/download.html|website=lilypond.org|access-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref>}}
| standard = [[Encapsulated PostScript|EPS]], [[Musical Instrument Digital Interface|MIDI]], [[MusicXML]], [[Portable Document Format|PDF]], [[PostScript|PS]], [[Scalable Vector Graphics|SVG]]
| language = Catalan, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Spanish
| genre = [[Music software]], [[scorewriter]]
| license = [[GPL-3.0-or-later]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/lilypond.git/tree/LICENSE|title=LICENSE - lilypond.git - GNU LilyPond|website=git.savannah.gnu.org}}</ref>
| website = 
}}

'''LilyPond''' is a [[computer program]] and [[file format]] for [[music engraving]]. One of LilyPond's major goals is to produce scores that are engraved with traditional layout rules, reflecting the era when scores were engraved by hand.

LilyPond is [[cross-platform]], and is available for several common [[operating system]]s; released under the terms of the [[GNU General Public License]], LilyPond is [[free software]] and part of the [[GNU Project]].

==History==
The LilyPond project was started in 1996 by Han-Wen Nienhuys and Jan Nieuwenhuizen, after they decided to abandon work on MPP ([[MusiXTeX]] PreProcessor), a project they began collaborating on in 1995.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.12/Documentation/user/lilypond-learning/Preface |title=GNU LilyPond Learning Manual: Preface |access-date=December 23, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/janneke/mpp |title=MusiXTeX PreProcessor README |website=[[GitHub]] |access-date=March 31, 2010 }}</ref> Its name was inspired both by the [[Rosegarden]] project and an acquaintance of Nienhuys and Nieuwenhuizen named Suzanne, a name that means lily in Hebrew ({{lang|he|[[wikt:שושנה|שׁוֹשַׁנָּה]]}}).<ref>{{cite web|last=Kroger|first=Pedro|title=Re: The origin of the name lilypond|url=http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2004-09/msg00095.html|work=lilypond-user mailing list|publisher=lists.gnu.org|access-date=March 19, 2014|year=2004}}</ref>

=== Version 1.0 ===
LilyPond 1.0 was released on July 31, 1998, highlighting the development of a custom music font, Feta, and the complete separation of LilyPond from MusiXTeX.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/gnu-music-discuss@gnu.org/msg00313.html |title=GNU LilyPond 1.0 released |date=July 31, 1998 |access-date=February 16, 2010 |mailing-list=gnu-music-discuss |last=Nienhuys |first=Han-Wen }}</ref>

=== Version 2.0 ===
LilyPond 2.0 was released on September 24, 2003, announcing a simplified syntax model and a much more complete set of facilities for notating various styles of music.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-lilypond/2003-09/msg00008.html |title=LilyPond 2.0 – make beautiful music prints |date=September 24, 2003 |access-date=February 16, 2010 |mailing-list=info-lilypond |last=Nienhuys |first=Han-Wen }}</ref>

==Design==

[[File:PL-lilypond-2.10.33-screenshot.png|right|thumb|Screenshot of LilyPond running on Linux]]
LilyPond is mostly written in [[C++]] and uses [[Scheme (programming language)|Scheme]] (interpreted by [[GNU Guile]]) as its extension language, allowing for user customization.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/contributor/lilypond-programming-languages |title=LilyPond programming languages |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref> It has a relatively large [[codebase]]; as of March 10, 2017, the source includes over 600,000 lines of C++, 140,000 lines of Scheme, and 120,000 lines of [[Python (programming language)|Python code]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.openhub.net/p/lilypond/analyses/latest/languages_summary|title=GNU LilyPond Music Typesetter – Code Analysis |access-date=July 25, 2017 }}</ref>

It uses a simple text notation for music input, which LilyPond interprets and processes in a series of stages.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/contributor/overview-of-lilypond-architecture |title=Overview of LilyPond architecture |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref> In the final stage, [[Musical notation|music notation]] is output to [[PDF]] (via [[PostScript]]) or other graphical formats, such as [[Scalable Vector Graphics|SVG]] or [[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]]. LilyPond can also generate [[Musical Instrument Digital Interface|MIDI]] files that correspond to the music notation output.

LilyPond is a [[Console application|text-based application]], so it does not contain its own [[graphical user interface]] to assist with score creation. (However, a text-editor based "LilyPad" GUI for Windows and MacOS is included by default on these systems.) It does, however, have a flexible input language that strives to be simple, easing the [[learning curve]] for new users. LilyPond adheres to the [[WYSIWYM]] [[paradigm]]; the workflow for typesetting music notation with LilyPond is similar to that of preparing documents with [[LaTeX]].

LilyPond supports experimental [[musical notation]]. Its guitar facilities support [[guitar tunings#Alternative|alternative tunings]], such as [[major-thirds tuning]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Griewank |first=Andreas |title=Tuning guitars and reading music in major thirds |date=January 4, 2010 |url=http://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-matheon/frontdoor/index/index/docId/675 |journal=Matheon Preprints |volume=695 |publisher=DFG research center "MATHEON, Mathematics for key technologies" |location=Berlin, Germany |access-date=January 14, 2020}}</ref>

==Software features==
[[File:BeethovenSymponyNo5.JPG|thumb|[[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s [[Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)|Symphony No. 5]] music sheet printed from a digitally engraved PDF file produced by LilyPond; released by the [[Mutopia Project]]]]
LilyPond's primary goal is to produce output comparable to professionally engraved scores instead of output that looks mechanical and computer-generated. An essay from the LilyPond website, written by LilyPond developers, explains some typographical issues addressed by LilyPond:<ref>{{cite web|title=LilyPond - Essay on automated music engraving|url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/essay/|access-date=December 23, 2017}}</ref>

* '''Optical font scaling''': depending on the staff size, the design of the music font is slightly altered; this is a feature that [[Donald Knuth]]'s [[Computer Modern]] font is known for. As a result, note heads become more rounded, and staff lines become thicker.
* '''Optical spacing''': stem directions are taken into account when spacing subsequent notes.
* '''Special ledger line handling''': [[ledger line]]s are shortened when accidentals are nearby, thus enhancing readability.
* '''Proportional spacing''': notes can be positioned in such a way that ''exactly'' reflects their duration. For example, with this setting, the space between consecutive [[quarter note]]s is four times greater than between consecutive [[sixteenth note]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/proportional-notation |title=Proportional notation |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>

==Overview of input syntax==
The native input language for LilyPond is comprehensive, and consists of many [[Command (computing)|commands]] needed for expressing any sort of articulation, dynamic, meter, etc. It is similar to that of [[TeX]]. The ability to embed Scheme code within a LilyPond [[Source code|source file]] permits arbitrary extensions to the input language and assists with [[algorithmic composition]]. Some general syntactic features are listed below.

* Single-line [[comment (computer programming)|comments]] begin with a percent sign <code>%</code>.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/learning/working-on-input-files |title=LilyPond Learning Manual: 1.2.2 Working on input files |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>
* [[Musical note|Note]]s are represented in ''pitch-duration'' format: ''pitch'' is specified with [[Helmholtz pitch notation]], and ''duration'' is specified with a [[Numeral system|numeral]] based system. The semantics of the ''pitch-duration'' format change depending on the active input mode; this is explained in depth in the LilyPond manual. For example, in absolute mode, <code>a'4</code> is an A, one octave up from the base A (A3 in [[scientific pitch notation]]), of quarter note length.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/writing-pitches |title=LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.1.1 Writing pitches |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>
* Commands usually begin with a backslash (such as <code>\time</code>, or <code>\slurUp</code>). The function of the command in question determines where the command is placed; for example, if the command is used to indicate a fixed [[Dynamics (music)|dynamic]] on a specific note, it is placed ''after'' the note.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/expressive-marks-attached-to-notes#dynamics |title=LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.3.1 Expressive marks attached to notes |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>
* Some common commands are represented symbolically to ease typing. One example is with [[Slur (music)|slurs]], where <code>(</code> and <code>)</code> indicate the beginning and ending of a slur, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/expressive-marks-as-curves#slurs |title=LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.3.2 Expressive marks as curves |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref> Another example is with manual [[Beam (music)|beaming]], where <code>[</code> and <code>]</code> indicate the extent of the beam.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/beams#manual-beams |title=LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.2.4 Beams |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>

LilyPond's interface with [[Pango]] requires the input [[character encoding]] to be [[UTF-8]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/special-characters#text-encoding |title=LilyPond Notation Reference: 3.3.3 Text encoding |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref> One benefit of this is that more than one language can be included in the same source file.

==Example of LilyPond input file==
<syntaxhighlight lang="LilyPond">
\version "2.22.2"

\include "english.ly"

\header {
  title = \markup { "Excerpt from" \italic "fibonacci" }
  composer = "Patrick McCarty"
  %  copyright = \markup \fontsize #-5 
  %  {
  %    Copyright © 2009.
  %    Typeset with GNU LilyPond.
  %    Released into public domain by the composer.
  %  }
}

\paper {
  paper-height = 4.6\in
  paper-width = 8.5\in
  indent = #0
  system-count = #2
}

\score {
  \new PianoStaff = "pianostaff" <<
    \new Staff = "RH" \relative c' {
      \accidentalStyle Score.piano
      \clef "treble"
      \time 2/4
      \set Score.currentBarNumber = #51
      \tempo "Slow and steady" 4 = 60
      <e gs,>4 \acciaccatura { cs16[ ds] } <e gs,>4 | % m. 51
      <ds gs,>4 \acciaccatura { e16[ ds] } <cs gs>4 | % m. 52
      <cs gs>4 \acciaccatura { ds16[ cs] } <c g>4 | % m. 53
      <cs gs>4 \acciaccatura { ds16[ e] } <es bs gs>4 | % m. 54

      <e gs,>4 \acciaccatura { cs16[ ds] } e16 f gs a | % m. 55
      <gs c,>8 \acciaccatura { as16[ gs] }
      <es b>8 ~ <es b>16 ds b as | % m. 56

      b16 d8 bf32 f' g16 af bf c | % m. 57
      <df df,>16 ( c af ) <e' e,> ( ds b ) <g' g,> ( ds | % m. 58

      \time 3/4
      <gs gs,>16 ) \noBeam d,16 f gs
      a16 e f b
      c16 d, ( f gs | % m. 59

      a16 b ) e, ( f
      gs16 b c ) f, (
      gs16 as b c ) | % m. 60
    }

    \new Dynamics = "Dynamics_pf" {
      s4 \p \< s4 | % m. 51
      s4 s4 | % m. 52
      s4 \mp \> s4 | % m. 53
      s4 s4 \! | % m. 54
      s4 \p s4 | % m. 55
      s1 * 2/4 | % m. 56
      s4 \< s4 | % m. 57
      s4 s4 | % m. 58
      \override DynamicText.extra-spacing-width = #'(-0.75 . 0.75)
      s16 \mf s16 \p s8 s4 s4 | % m. 59
      s2. | % m. 60
    }

    \new Staff = "LH" \relative c, {
      \clef "bass"
      \time 2/4
      cs4. cs8 | % m. 51
      cs4. d8 | % m. 52
      f4. a8 | % m. 53
      f4. d8 | % m. 54

      cs4. cs8 | % m. 55
      d4 ds | % m. 56
      gs4. bf,8 | % m. 57
      f'4 b, | % m. 58

      \time 3/4
      d4. d8 ~ d4 | % m. 59
      ef2 f4 | % m. 60
    }
  >>
}
</syntaxhighlight>

===Corresponding output===
[[Image:Fibonacci composition.svg|Rendered output]]

===More complex output===
Lilypond can also create extensively customised output. An example is the short extract of a [[Karlheinz Stockhausen]] piano piece below.

[[Image:Excerpt from Stockhausen, Klavierstück II.svg|700px|Excerpt from "Klavierstück II" by Stockhausen as a rendering example]]

==Collaboration with other projects==
[[File:AdesteFidelesLilyPhil.png|thumb|300px|First [[bar (music)|measure]]s of ''[[Adeste Fideles]]'', generated by LilyPond.]]
Several graphical [[scorewriter]]s—such as [[Rosegarden]], [[NoteEdit]], Canorus, [[Denemo]], and [[TuxGuitar]]—can export files directly to LilyPond format. Other graphical applications serve as front ends to LilyPond, including [[Frescobaldi (software)|Frescobaldi]] and the LilyPondTool plugin for [[jEdit]]. [[Denemo]] integrates the [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] output of LilyPond in its display, allowing some editing operations on the final typeset score.

The [[Mutopia Project]], which distributes [[free content]] sheet music, uses LilyPond to typeset its music, as does Musipedia, a collaborative music encyclopedia.

[[Emacs]]' [[org-mode]] contains support for embedding LilyPond scores into documents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/mjago/ob-lilypond|title=org-babel lilypond language module.|date=December 17, 2018|via=GitHub|access-date=November 30, 2019}}</ref>

OOoLilyPond, a [[LibreOffice]] extension, provides support for calling LilyPond to embed scores into documents.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypondblog.org/2017/04/ooolilypond-creating-musical-snippets-in-libreoffice-documents/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708211321/http://lilypondblog.org/2017/04/ooolilypond-creating-musical-snippets-in-libreoffice-documents/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 8, 2017 |title=OOoLilyPond: Creating musical snippets in LibreOffice documents |author=Klaus Blum |date=April 18, 2017 |access-date=October 12, 2017 }}</ref>

=== Integration into MediaWiki ===
Lilypond is available in [[MediaWiki]] via the {{self-reference link|:mw:Extension:Score|Score extension}} code.
This, for example, transforms the notation

<syntaxhighlight lang="xml"><score sound="1">\relative c' { 
\key d \major
fis4 fis g a a g fis e d d e fis fis4. e8 e2 }</score></syntaxhighlight>

into

<score sound="1">\relative c' {
\key d \major
fis4 fis g a a g fis e d d e fis fis4. e8 e2 }</score>

The above is an excerpt from Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th Symphony, commonly known as "Ode to Joy". More complex scores, including lyrics, are also possible within MediaWiki wikis. {{self-reference inline|See [[Pastime with Good Company]] for an example of this.}}

===Integration into text using <var>lilypond-book</var>===
Integration of LilyPond musical elements into various document formats (both [[TeX]]-based systems such as [[LaTeX]] and [[Texinfo]], and also [[DocBook]] and [[HTML]] pages) is natively supported through the companion program <var>lilypond-book</var>, developed and maintained by the LilyPond community.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://lilypond.org/doc/latest/Documentation/usage/lilypond_002dbook | title = LilyPond Usage manual | author = LilyPond community | year = 1996–2020 }}</ref> This allows users to embed musical elements within texts, such as musicology, song booklets, work sheets for teaching, and school examinations.

===Integration into LaTeX===
For integration into the [[LaTeX]] document preparation system, lyLuaTeX has been developed as a LuaLaTeX package to embed musical elements within texts. It includes features for matching layout and appearance of the musical elements with the surrounding text document.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://muug.ca/mirror/ctan/support/lyluatex/lyluatex.pdf |title=LyLuaTeX 1.0f |last1=Peron |first1=Fr. Jacques |last2=Liska |first2=Urs |last3=Springuel |first3=Br. Samuel |date=May 27, 2019 |website=Comprehensive TeX Archive Network (CTAN) |access-date=April 16, 2020 }}</ref> Music elements may consist of music symbols, song lyrics, guitar chords diagrams, lead sheets, music excerpts, guitar tablatures, or multi-page scores.

==Comparison to other scorewriters==
[[Finale (software)|Finale]] and [[Sibelius (software)|Sibelius]] are two [[proprietary software|proprietary]] scorewriters often compared to LilyPond. Andrew Hawryluk, a LilyPond user, wrote a series of articles comparing output quality between Finale and LilyPond.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hawryluk |first=Andrew |url=http://www.musicbyandrew.ca/finale-lilypond-1.html |title=Finale and LilyPond |access-date=February 15, 2010 }}</ref>

Another scorewriter with comparable features to LilyPond is [[SCORE (software)|SCORE]], but SCORE relies on manual positioning more than Lilypond does.

See also [[Comparison of scorewriters]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}{{Div col}}
* [[ABC notation]]
* [[Common Music Notation]]
* [[Denemo]]
* [[Frescobaldi (software)|Frescobaldi]]
* [[GUIDO music notation]]
* [[Impro-Visor]]
* [[MuseScore]]
* [[MusicXML]]
* [[MusiXTeX]]
* [[NoteEdit]]
* [[Philip's Music Scribe]]
* [[Rosegarden]]
* [[SCORE (software)]]
* [[List of music software]]
* [[List of scorewriters]]
{{Div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}
* {{cite web |url=https://ctan.org/pkg/lyluatex |title=lyluatex – Commands to include lilypond scores within a (Lua)LATEX document |author=<!--Not stated--> |access-date=April 16, 2020 }}

{{GNU}}
{{Scorewriters}}
{{Document markup languages}}

<!--Categories-->
[[Category:LilyPond| ]]
[[Category:1996 software]]
[[Category:Cross-platform software]]
[[Category:Free music software]]
[[Category:Free software programmed in C++]]
[[Category:Free typesetting software]]
[[Category:GNU Project software]]
[[Category:Music notation file formats]]
[[Category:Scorewriters]]
[[Category:Scorewriters for Linux]]