LilyPond Learning Manual: 2.3.1 Setting simple songs

### 2.3.1 Setting simple songs

Music Glossary: lyrics.

Here is the start of the melody to a nursery rhyme, Girls and boys come out to play:

>     \relative c'' {
>       \key g \major
>       \time 6/8
>       d4 b8 c4 a8 | d4 b8 g4
>     }

The lyrics can be set to these notes, combining both with the `\addlyrics` keyword. Lyrics are entered by separating each syllable with a space.

>     <<
>       \relative c'' {
>         \key g \major
>         \time 6/8
>         d4 b8 c4 a8 | d4 b8 g4
>       }
>       \addlyrics {
>         Girls and boys come | out to play,
>       }
>     >>

Note: It is essential that the final syllable is separated from the terminating curly bracket by a space or a newline, or it will be assumed to be part of the syllable, giving rise to an obscure error, see Apparent error in ../ly/init.ly.

Note the double angle brackets `<< ... >>` around the whole piece to show that the music and lyrics are to occur at the same time.

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