LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.1.1 Writing pitches

### 1.1.1 Writing pitches

This section discusses how to input pitches. There are two different ways to place notes in octaves: absolute and relative mode. In most cases, relative mode will be more convenient.

#### Absolute octave entry

A pitch name is specified using lowercase letters `a` through `g`. The note names `c` to `b` are engraved in the octave below middle C.

>     {
>       \clef bass
>       c4 d e f
>       g4 a b c
>       d4 e f g
>     }

Other octaves may be specified with a single quote (`'`) or comma (`,`) character. Each `'` raises the pitch by one octave; each `,` lowers the pitch by an octave.

>     {
>       \clef treble
>       c'4 c'' e' g
>       d''4 d' d c
>       \clef bass
>       c,4 c,, e, g
>       d,,4 d, d c
>     }

#### See also

Music Glossary: Pitch names.

Snippets: Pitches.

#### Relative octave entry

When octaves are specified in absolute mode it is easy to accidentally put a pitch in the wrong octave. Relative octave mode reduces these errors since most of the time it is not necessary to indicate any octaves at all. Furthermore, in absolute mode a single mistake may be difficult to spot, while in relative mode a single error puts the rest of the piece off by one octave.

>     \relative startpitch musicexpr

In relative mode, each note is assumed to be as close to the previous note as possible. This means that the octave of each pitch inside `musicexpr` is calculated as follows:

- If no octave changing mark is used on a pitch, its octave is calculated so that the interval with the previous note is less than a fifth. This interval is determined without considering accidentals.
- An octave changing mark `'` or `,` can be added to respectively raise or lower a pitch by an extra octave, relative to the pitch calculated without an octave mark.
- Multiple octave changing marks can be used. For example, `''` and `,,` will alter the pitch by two octaves.
- The pitch of the first note is relative to `startpitch`. `startpitch` is specified in absolute octave mode, and it is recommended that it be a octave of `c`.

Here is the relative mode shown in action:

>     \relative c {
>       \clef bass
>       c d e f
>       g a b c
>       d e f g
>     }

Octave changing marks are used for intervals greater than a fourth:

>     \relative c'' {
>       c g c f,
>       c' a, e'' c
>     }

A note sequence without a single octave mark can nevertheless span large intervals:

>     \relative c {
>       c f b e
>       a d g c
>     }

When `\relative` blocks are nested, the innermost `\relative` block applies.

>     \relative c' {
>       c d e f
>       \relative c'' {
>         c d e f
>       }
>     }

`\relative` has no effect on `\chordmode` blocks.

>     \new Staff {
>       \relative c''' {
>         \chordmode { c1 }
>       }
>       \chordmode { c1 }
>     }

`\relative` is not allowed inside of `\chordmode` blocks.

Music inside a `\transpose` block is absolute unless a `\relative` is included.

>     \relative c' {
>       d e
>       \transpose f g {
>         d e
>         \relative c' {
>           d e
>         }
>       }
>     }

If the preceding item is a chord, the first note of the chord is used as the reference point for the octave placement of a following note or chord. Inside chords, the next note is always relative to the preceding one. Examine the next example carefully, paying attention to the `c` notes.

>     \relative c' {
>       c
>       <c e g>
>       <c' e g'>
>       <c, e, g''>
>     }

As explained above, the octave of pitches is calculated only with the note names, regardless of any alterations. Therefore, an E-double-sharp following a B will be placed higher, while an F-double-flat will be placed lower. In other words, a double-augmented fourth is considered a smaller interval than a double-diminished fifth, regardless of the number of semitones that each interval contains.

>     \relative c'' {
>       c2 fis
>       c2 ges
>       b2 eisis
>       b2 feses
>     }

#### See also

Music Glossary: fifth, interval, Pitch names.

Notation Reference: Octave checks.

Snippets: Pitches.

Internals Reference: RelativeOctaveMusic.

If no `startpitch` is specified for `\relative`, then `c'` is assumed. However, this is a deprecated option and may disappear in future versions, so its use is discouraged.

#### Accidentals

Note: New users are sometimes confused about accidentals and key signatures. In LilyPond, note names are the raw input; key signatures and clefs determine how this raw input is displayed. An unaltered note like `c` means ‘C natural’, regardless of the key signature or clef. For more information, see Accidentals and key signatures.

A sharp pitch is made by adding `is` to the note name, and a flat pitch by adding `es`. As you might expect, a double sharp or double flat is made by adding `isis` or `eses`. This syntax is derived from Dutch note naming conventions. To use other names for accidentals, see Note names in other languages.

>     ais1 aes aisis aeses

A natural will cancel the effect of an accidental or key signature. However, naturals are not encoded into the note name syntax with a suffix; a natural pitch is shown as a simple note name:

>     a4 aes a2

Quarter tones may be added; the following is a series of Cs with increasing pitches:

>     ceseh1 ces ceh c cih cis cisih

Normally accidentals are printed automatically, but you may also print them manually. A reminder accidental can be forced by adding an exclamation mark `!` after the pitch. A cautionary accidental (i.e., an accidental within parentheses) can be obtained by adding the question mark `?` after the pitch. These extra accidentals can also be used to produce natural signs.

>     cis cis cis! cis? c c c! c?

Accidentals on tied notes are only printed at the beginning of a new system:

>     cis1~ cis~
>     \break
>     cis

#### Selected Snippets

Hiding accidentals on tied notes at the beginning of a new system

This shows how to hide accidentals on tied notes at the beginning of a new system.

>     \relative c'' {
>       \override Accidental #'hide-tied-accidental-after-break = ##t
>       cis1~ cis~
>       \break
>       cis
>     }

Preventing extra naturals from being automatically added

In accordance with standard typesetting rules, a natural sign is printed before a sharp or flat if a previous accidental on the same note needs to be canceled. To change this behavior, set the `extraNatural` property to `f` in the `Staff` context.

>     \relative c'' {
>       aeses4 aes ais a
>       \set Staff.extraNatural = ##f
>       aeses4 aes ais a
>     }

#### See also

Music Glossary: sharp, flat, double sharp, double flat, Pitch names, quarter tone.

Learning Manual: Accidentals and key signatures.

Notation Reference: Automatic accidentals, Annotational accidentals (musica ficta), Note names in other languages.

Snippets: Pitches.

Internals Reference: Accidental_engraver, Accidental, AccidentalCautionary, accidental-interface.

#### Known issues and warnings

There are no generally accepted standards for denoting quarter-tone accidentals, so LilyPond’s symbol does not conform to any standard.

#### Note names in other languages

There are predefined sets of note and accidental names for various other languages. Selecting the note name language is usually done at the beginning of the file; the following example is written using Italian note names:

>     \language "italiano"

>     \relative do' {
>       do re mi sib
>     }

The available languages and the note names they define are:

> Language | Note Names
> --- | ---
> `nederlands` | c d e f g a bes b
> `catalan` | do re mi fa sol la sib si
> `deutsch` | c d e f g a b h
> `english` | c d e f g a bf b
> `espanol` | do re mi fa sol la sib si
> `italiano` | do re mi fa sol la sib si
> `norsk` | c d e f g a b h
> `portugues` | do re mi fa sol la sib si
> `suomi` | c d e f g a b h
> `svenska` | c d e f g a b h
> `vlaams` | do re mi fa sol la sib si

In addition to note names, accidental suffixes may also vary depending on the language:

> Language | sharp | flat | double sharp | double flat
> --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
> `nederlands` | -is | -es | -isis | -eses
> `catalan` | -d/-s | -b | -dd/-ss | -bb
> `deutsch` | -is | -es | -isis | -eses
> `english` | -s/-sharp | -f/-flat | -ss/-x/-sharpsharp | -ff/-flatflat
> `espanol` | -s | -b | -ss/-x | -bb
> `italiano` | -d | -b | -dd | -bb
> `norsk` | -iss/-is | -ess/-es | -ississ/-isis | -essess/-eses
> `portugues` | -s | -b | -ss | -bb
> `suomi` | -is | -es | -isis | -eses
> `svenska` | -iss | -ess | -ississ | -essess
> `vlaams` | -k | -b | -kk | -bb

In Dutch, `aes` is contracted to `as`, but both forms are accepted in LilyPond. Similarly, both `es` and `ees` are accepted. This also applies to `aeses` / `ases` and `eeses` / `eses`. Sometimes only these contracted names are defined in the corresponding language files.

>     a2 as e es a ases e eses

Some music uses microtones whose alterations are fractions of a ‘normal’ sharp or flat. The following table lists note names for quarter-tone accidentals in various languages; here the prefixes semi- and sesqui- respectively mean ‘half’ and ‘one and a half’. Languages that do not appear in this table do not provide special note names yet.

> Language | semi-sharp | semi-flat | sesqui-sharp | sesqui-flat
> --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
> `nederlands` | -ih | -eh | -isih | -eseh
> `deutsch` | -ih | -eh | -isih | -eseh
> `english` | -qs | -qf | -tqs | -tqf
> `espanol` | -cs | -cb | -tcs | -tcb
> `italiano` | -sd | -sb | -dsd | -bsb
> `portugues` | -sqt | -bqt | -stqt | -btqt

Most languages presented here are commonly associated with Western classical music, also referred to as Common Practice Period. However, alternate pitches and tuning systems are also supported: see Common notation for non-Western music.

#### See also

Music Glossary: Pitch names, Common Practice Period.

Notation Reference: Common notation for non-Western music.

Installed Files: ‘`scm/define-note-names.scm`’.

Snippets: Pitches.

其它语言：deutsch, español, français, 日本語。

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