LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.4.2 Short repeats

### 1.4.2 Short repeats

This section discusses how to input short repeats. Short repeats can take two forms: slashes or percent signs to represent repeats of a single note, a single measure or two measures, and tremolos otherwise.

#### Percent repeats

Repeated short patterns are printed once, and the repeated pattern is replaced with a special sign.

The syntax is

>     \repeat percent number musicexpr

where `musicexpr` is a music expression.

Patterns that are shorter than one measure are replaced by slashes.

>     \repeat percent 4 { c128 d e f }
>     \repeat percent 4 { c64 d e f }
>     \repeat percent 5 { c32 d e f }
>     \repeat percent 4 { c16 d e f }
>     \repeat percent 4 { c8 d }
>     \repeat percent 4 { c4 }
>     \repeat percent 2 { c2 }

Patterns of one or two measures are replaced by percent-like symbols.

>     \repeat percent 2 { c4 d e f }
>     \repeat percent 2 { c2 d }
>     \repeat percent 2 { c1 }

>     \repeat percent 3 { c4 d e f | c2 g' }

Patterns that are shorter than one measure but contain mixed durations use a double-percent symbol.

>     \repeat percent 4 { c8. <d f>16 }
>     \repeat percent 2 { \times 2/3 { r8 c d } e4 }

#### Selected Snippets

Percent repeat counter

Measure repeats of more than two repeats can get a counter when the convenient property is switched, as shown in this example:

>     \relative c'' {
>       \set countPercentRepeats = ##t
>       \repeat percent 4 { c1 }
>     }

Percent repeat count visibility

Percent repeat counters can be shown at regular intervals by setting the context property `repeatCountVisibility`.

>     \relative c'' {
>       \set countPercentRepeats = ##t
>       \set repeatCountVisibility = #(every-nth-repeat-count-visible 5)
>       \repeat percent 10 { c1 } \break
>       \set repeatCountVisibility = #(every-nth-repeat-count-visible 2)
>       \repeat percent 6 { c1 d1 }
>     }

Isolated percent repeats

Isolated percents can also be printed.

>     makePercent =
>     #(define-music-function (parser location note) (ly:music?)
>        "Make a percent repeat the same length as NOTE."
>        (make-music 'PercentEvent
>                    'length (ly:music-length note)))

>     \relative c'' {
>       \makePercent s1
>     }

#### See also

Music Glossary: percent repeat, simile.

Snippets: Repeats.

Internals Reference: RepeatSlash, RepeatSlashEvent, DoubleRepeatSlash, PercentRepeat, PercentRepeatCounter, PercentRepeatedMusic, Percent_repeat_engraver, DoublePercentEvent, DoublePercentRepeat, DoublePercentRepeatCounter, Double_percent_repeat_engraver, Slash_repeat_engraver.

#### Tremolo repeats

Tremolos can take two forms: alternation between two chords or two notes, and rapid repetition of a single note or chord. Tremolos consisting of an alternation are indicated by adding beams between the notes or chords being alternated, while tremolos consisting of the rapid repetition of a single note are indicated by adding beams or slashes to a single note.

To place tremolo marks between notes, use `\repeat` with tremolo style:

>     \repeat tremolo 8 { c16 d }
>     \repeat tremolo 6 { c16 d }
>     \repeat tremolo 2 { c16 d }

The `\repeat tremolo` syntax expects exactly two notes within the braces, and the number of repetitions must correspond to a note value that can be expressed with plain or dotted notes. Thus, `\repeat tremolo 7` is valid and produces a double dotted note, but `\repeat tremolo 9` is not.

The duration of the tremolo equals the duration of the braced expression multiplied by the number of repeats: `\repeat tremolo 8 { c16 d16 }` gives a whole note tremolo, notated as two whole notes joined by tremolo beams.

There are two ways to put tremolo marks on a single note. The `\repeat tremolo` syntax is also used here, in which case the note should not be surrounded by braces:

>     \repeat tremolo 4 c'16

The same output can be obtained by adding `:N` after the note, where `N` indicates the duration of the subdivision (it must be at least 8). If `N` is 8, one beam is added to the note’s stem. If `N` is omitted, the last value (stored in `tremoloFlags`) is used:

>     c2:8 c:32
>     c: c:

#### Selected Snippets

Cross-staff tremolos

Since `\repeat tremolo` expects exactly two musical arguments for chord tremolos, the note or chord which changes staff within a cross-staff tremolo should be placed inside curly braces together with its `\change Staff` command.

>     \new PianoStaff <<
>       \new Staff = "up" \relative c'' {
>         \key a \major
>         \time 3/8
>         s4.
>       }
>       \new Staff = "down" \relative c'' {
>         \key a \major
>         \time 3/8
>         \voiceOne
>         \repeat tremolo 6 {
>           <a e'>32
>           {
>             \change Staff = "up"
>             \voiceTwo
>             <cis a' dis>32
>           }
>         }
>       }
>     >>

#### See also

Snippets: Repeats.

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