Re: adding lyrics is baffling to me...

[Edward Sanford Sutton, III]

On Tuesday March 2 2004 13:41, address@hidden wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I need help with lyrics.  I am using version 2.1.0-2 in Debian Sarge
> (testing) and my lyrics are not lining up under notes.  I need to know
> how to install spaces in lyrics where there are rests.

I think it is something like increasing the length of a given lyric or that 
something like \skip might be accepted.

> I have:
>
> \paper { indent = 1.0 }
> \score  { <<
>
> \context ChordNames \chords { r2. a2. e2. e2. a2. d2. a2. e2. a2. }
> \new Staff \notes { \clef bass \key a \major \time 6/8
> \partial 8*1 e8 | a a a a gis fis gis4. r4 e8
> b b b b a b a4. r4 a8
> d' d' d' fis4 d'8 cis'4 b8 b8 a4 a8
> b4 a8 gis4 gis8 a4.~a4 r8}
>
> \context Lyrics       \lyrics {
> On8 Mon8--day8 I8 went8 to8 my8       home, And8
> there8 I8 was8 paint8-ed8 in8 blue. I8
> sang8 a8 nice8 song4, the8 whole4 day8 long4, And8
If those are lyrical commas, I think they would go before the numbers
> it4 was8 called4 '____'.}
To have that line end in a closing bracket, the bracket must have a space 
preceding it. The one there is treated as a lyric.
>
> >> }
>
> It is the rests that seem to get words even though I don't want that.
>
> Also, there is a pickup note at the beginning of the piece, how do I set
> the final bar as having 5 of the 6 eight notes?
>
> Thanks for any help.  Maybe direction to documentation for my version of
> lilypond would be best.  I have some on my machine but the web site has
> differing docs.

The docs try to match the most recent of the x.x version. LilyPond-2.1.28.hwn1 
should be the current version at the time of my writing I believe.

  Below is a sample of how I would have written the file; the melody has 
newlines for appearance to me, and the pipeline '|' character makes checking 
measure lengths nice. I didn't tab the file, which I 'usually' do on my own 
stuff, which is another visual thing for the .ly reader. Note that if you 
finish a piece with a \bar when it is an incomplete measure, it'll give a 
barcheck failed statement if there is a '|' at the end. Other solutions than 
the one I present for the last measure could be to change the time signature 
(which could be hidden) or maybe using \partial works elsewhere in the music 
such at the end (which I haven't tested).
  I wasn't able to figure out what the last half of the melodic phrase+lyrics 
should be, but I'm glad to help further with that or any other questions you 
have for me.
  Was there a reason why you were choosing to try to put the lyrics to their 
own rhythmic values?


\paper { indent = 1.0 }
\score { <<

\context ChordNames \chords { r2. a2. e2. e2. a2. d2. a2. e2. a2. }

\context Voice = "melody" \notes { \clef bass \key a \major \time 6/8
% changing this line helps 'attach' the lyrics to the notes
\partial 8*1 e8 |
a a a a gis fis |
gis4. r4 e8 |
b b b b a b |
a4. r4 a8 |
d' d' d' fis4 d'8 |
cis'4 b8 b8 a4 |
a8 b4 a8 gis4 gis8 a4.~a8 \bar "|"  r8 r4 r8}
% Sample of 5 eigth note counts in the last melodic measure, I changed 
% a4.~a4 to a4.~a8 . notice that after moving on, it was
% really just a bar placed mid measure and doesnt really
% count, but will end your staffline just fine if you
% finish your piece with it.

\lyricsto "melody" \new Lyrics \lyrics {
%this line also changed to help 'attach' lyrics to notes
On Mon -- day I went to my home, And
there I was paint -- ed in blue. I
sang a nice song, the whole day long, And
% the numbers
it was called __ the }
% Setting the lyrics up this way allows them to follow the notes.

>> }