Printing LilyPond PaperColumn and NonMusicalPaperColumn

Both PaperColumn and NonMusicalPaperColumn can take a stencil.

   \paper { ragged-right = ##t }
   \layout { \context { \Score
      proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 64) } }

   \new Staff {
      \override Score.NonMusicalPaperColumn #'stencil = #ly:paper-column::print
      \override Beam #'positions = #'(-4 . -4)
      c''8 [ e''8 g''8 b''8 ]
   }

   \new Staff {
      \override Score.PaperColumn #'stencil = #ly:paper-column::print
      \override Beam #'positions = #'(-4 . -4)
      c''8 [ e''8 g''8 b''8 ]
   }

The key here is that both PaperColum and NonMusicalPaperColumn subscribe to the paper-column interface.

LilyPond double stems across staves

LilyPond double stems work fine across staves.

   \new PianoStaff <<
      \new Staff = RH {
         \time 4/8
         c''8 [ c''8
         \change Staff = LH
         <<
            { e'8 }
            \new Voice { \once \override Stem #'direction = #down e'8 }
         >>
         \change Staff = RH
         c''8 ]
      }
      \new Staff = LH { s2 }
   >>

The trick is in instantiating the parallel music << >> construct with no \\ separator between the first expression { e'8 } and the second { \once \override Stem #'direction = #down e'8 }.

LilyPond stem direction

LilyPond Stem #'direction takes #up, #down or a procedure.

   \new Staff {
      c'4
      \once \override Stem #'direction = #ly:stem::calc-direction
      c'4
      c'4
      c'4
   }

   \layout {
      \context { \Staff
          \override Stem #'direction = #down } }

Here Stem #'default-direction is #down and so the procedure #ly:stem::calc-direction is helpful.

LilyPond uniform-stretching

uniform-stretching and strict-note-spacing usually set to ##t together; setting uniform-stretching = ##t in isolation can cause problems. Here's an example with proportionalNotationDuration but without uniform-stretching.



And here's the same example with uniform-stretching turned on.



The effect shows up only before line breaks and is similar to that described here about strict-note-spacing set to ##t in isolation.

Custom LilyPond spanners

Custom spanners to segment material in sketches.

   \new Staff {

      \override TextSpanner #'dash-fraction = ##f
      \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'left 
         #'stencil-align-dir-y = #center
      \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'left
         #'padding = #0.75
      \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'right
         #'attach-dir = #right

      \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'left
         #'text = \markup { \bold 7 }
      \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'right
         #'text = \markup { \draw-line #'(0 . -1) }
      c'4 \startTextSpan
      c'4 \stopTextSpan

      \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'left
         #'text = \markup { \bold 8 }
      c'4 \startTextSpan
      c'4 \stopTextSpan

   }

The settings to stencil-align-dir-y and attach-dir are tricky.

Making LilyPond GrandStaff accept RhythmicStaff

GrandStaff does not by default accept RhythmicStaves. Context modification fixes this.

   \new GrandStaff <<
      \new RhythmicStaff { c'4 }
      \new RhythmicStaff { c'4 }
      \new RhythmicStaff { c'4 }
      \new RhythmicStaff { c'4 }
   >>

   \layout { \context { \GrandStaff \accepts RhythmicStaff } }

Thanks to Rune.

LilyPond bar numbers every measure

   \new Staff {
      \override Score.BarNumber #'break-visibility = ##(#t #t #t)
      c'1 c'1 c'1
      \break
      c'1 c'1 c'1
   }

LilyPond outer tuplet bracket alignment

The inner triplet bracket in the first measure here aligns vertically with the lone quintuplet bracket in the second measure.

   \new RhythmicStaff {
      \override Staff.TupletBracket #'staff-padding = #5
      \override Staff.TupletBracket #'padding = #2.25
      \times 4/5 {
         c'2.
         \times 2/3 {
            c'2
            c'4
         }
      }
      \times 4/5 {
         c'2.
         c'2
      }
   }

Is there a way to align both quintuplet brackets vertically?

LilyPond shifted first note

   \new Score \with {
      \override Clef #'space-alist = #'(
         (ambitus extra-space . 2.0)
         (staff-bar extra-space . 0.7)
         (key-cancellation minimum-space . 3.5)
         (key-signature minimum-space . 3.5)
         (time-signature minimum-space . 4.2)
         (first-note minimum-fixed-space . 15.0)
         (next-note extra-space . 0.5)
         (right-edge extra-space . 0.5))
   } {
      \new Staff \with {
         \remove Time_signature_engraver
      } {
         c'4 c'4 c'4 c'4
         d'4 d'4 d'4 d'4
      }
   }

LilyPond cross-staff stems

Cross-staff stem lengths set manually.

   \layout {
      ragged-right = ##t
      \context {
         \Score
         proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 48)
         \override NonMusicalPaperColumn
         #'line-break-system-details =
         #'((alignment-offsets . (0 -8)))
         autoBeaming = ##f } }

   \new PianoStaff <<
      \new Staff = "RH" {
         #(set-accidental-style 'forget)
         \override Beam #'positions = #'(8 . 8)
         \override Stem #'direction = #up
         <d'>16 [
         <d'>16
         <d'>16
         <d'>16 ]
      }
      \new Staff = "LH" {
         \clef bass
         \override Stem #'flag-style = #'no-flag
         \override Stem #'length = #20
         \override Stem #'cross-staff = ##t
         <c>16
         <c>16
         <c>16
         <c>16
      }
   >>

Stem overrides to 'flag-style, 'length and 'cross-staff all matter.