GNU LilyPond

-- --

Time signature

The time signature is set or changed by the \time command.

      \time 2/4 c'2 \time 3/4 c'2.
     

The actual symbol that's printed can be customized with the style property. Setting it to #'() uses fraction style for 4/4 and 2/2 time.

The object for this symbol is TimeSignature . There are many more options for its layout. They are selected through the style object property. See input/test/time.ly for more examples.

This command sets the property timeSignatureFraction, beatLength and measureLength in the Timing context, which is normally aliased to Score . The property timeSignatureFraction determine where bar lines should be inserted, and how automatic beams should be generated. Changing the value of timeSignatureFraction also causes a time signature symbol to be printed.

More options are available through the Scheme function set-time-signature. In combination with the Measure_grouping_engraver , it will create MeasureGrouping signs. Such signs ease reading rhythmically complex modern music. In the following example, the 9/8 measure is subdivided in 2, 2, 2 and 3. This is passed to set-time-signature as the third argument (2 2 2 3).

     \score { \notes \relative c'' {
        #(set-time-signature 9 8 '(2 2 2 3))
        g8 g d d g g a8-[-( bes g-]-) |
        #(set-time-signature 5 8 '(3 2))
        a4. g4
        }
        \paper {
            linewidth = -1.0
            \translator { \StaffContext
              \consists "Measure_grouping_engraver"
        }}}
     

Partial

Partial measures, for example in upbeats, are entered using the \partial command:

     \partial 4* 5/16  c'16 c4 f16 a'2. ~ a'8. a'16 | g'1
     

The syntax for this command is

       \partial duration
     

       \property Timing.measurePosition = -length of duration
     

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Copyright (c) 1997--2002 Han-Wen Nienhuys and Jan Nieuwenhuizen.

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