in Snippets - LilyPond

Tweaks and overrides 421
Horizontally aligning custom dynamics (e.g. "sempre pp" "piu
f" "subito p")
Some dynamic expressions involve additional text, like “sempre pp”. Since dynamics are usually
centered under the note, the \pp would be displayed way after the note it applies to.
To correctly align the “sempre pp” horizontally, so that it is aligned as if it were only the
\pp, there are several approaches:
* Simply use \once\override DynamicText #'X-offset = #-9.2 before the note with the
dynamics to manually shift it to the correct position. Drawback: This has to be done manually
each time you use that dynamic markup... * Add some padding (#:hspace 7.1) into the
definition of your custom dynamic mark, so that after lilypond center-aligns it, it is already
correctly aligned. Drawback: The padding really takes up that space and does not allow any
other markup or dynamics to be shown in that position.
* Shift the dynamic script \once\override ... #'X-offset = ... Drawback:
\once\override is needed for every invocation!
* Set the dimensions of the additional text to 0 (using #:with-dimensions '(0 . 0) '(0 .
0)). Drawback: To LilyPond “sempre” has no extent, so it might put other stuff there and
create collisions (which are not detected by the collision detection!). Also, there seems to be
some spacing, so it’s not exactly the same alignment as without the additional text
* Add an explicit shifting directly inside the scheme function for the dynamic-script.
* Set an explicit alignment inside the dynamic-script. By default, this won’t have any effect,
only if one sets X-offset! Drawback: One needs to set DynamicText #'X-offset, which will
apply to all dynamic texts! Also, it is aligned at the right edge of the additional text, not at the
center of pp.
\header { title = "Horizontally aligning custom dynamics" }
\paper { ragged-right = ##f }
% Solution 1: Using a simple markup with a particular halign value
% Drawback: It's a markup, not a dynamic command, so \dynamicDown
% etc. will have no effect
semppMarkup = \markup { \halign #1.4 \italic "sempre" \dynamic "pp" }
% Solution 2: Using a dynamic script & shifting with
% \once \override ... #'X-offset = ..
% Drawback: \once \override needed for every invocation
semppK =
#(make-dynamic-script
(markup #:line
(#:normal-text
#:italic "sempre"
#:dynamic "pp")))
% Solution 3: Padding the dynamic script so the center-alignment
% puts it at the correct position
% Drawback: the padding really reserves the space, nothing else can be there
semppT =
#(make-dynamic-script
(markup #:line
(#:normal-text
#:italic "sempre"
#:dynamic "pp"