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1.1.2 Changing multiple pitches
This section discusses how to modify pitches.
Octave checks | ||
Transpose |
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Octave checks
In relative mode, it is easy to forget an octave changing mark. Octave checks make such errors easier to find by displaying a warning and correcting the octave if a note is found in an unexpected octave.
To check the octave of a note, specify the absolute octave after
the =
symbol. This example will generate a warning
(and change the pitch) because the second note is the absolute
octave d''
instead of d'
as indicated by the octave
correction.
\relative c'' { c2 d='4 d e2 f }
The octave of notes may also be checked with the
\octaveCheck
controlpitch command.
controlpitch is specified in absolute mode. This checks
that the interval between the previous note and the
controlpitch is within a fourth (i.e., the normal
calculation of relative mode). If this check fails, a warning is
printed, but the previous note is not changed. Future notes are
relative to the controlpitch.
\relative c'' { c2 d \octaveCheck c' e2 f }
Compare the two bars below. The first and third \octaveCheck
checks fail, but the second one does not fail.
\relative c'' { c4 f g f c4 \octaveCheck c' f \octaveCheck c' g \octaveCheck c' f }
See also
Snippets: Pitches.
Internals Reference: RelativeOctaveCheck.
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Transpose
A music expression can be transposed with \transpose
. The
syntax is
\transpose frompitch topitch musicexpr
This means that musicexpr is transposed by the interval between the pitches frompitch and topitch: any note with pitch frompitch is changed to topitch and any other note is transposed by the same interval. Both pitches are entered in absolute mode.
Consider a piece written in the key of D-major. It can be transposed up to E-major; note that the key signature is automatically transposed as well.
\transpose d e { \relative c' { \key d \major d4 fis a d } }
If a part written in C (normal concert pitch) is to be played on the A clarinet (for which an A is notated as a C and thus sounds a minor third lower than notated), the appropriate part will be produced with:
\transpose a c' { \relative c' { \key c \major c4 d e g } }
Note that we specify \key c \major
explicitly. If we
do not specify a key signature, the notes will be transposed but
no key signature will be printed.
\transpose
distinguishes between enharmonic pitches: both
\transpose c cis
or \transpose c des
will
transpose up a semitone. The first version will print sharps and
the notes will remain on the same scale step, the second version
will print flats on the scale step above.
music = \relative c' { c d e f } \new Staff { \transpose c cis { \music } \transpose c des { \music } }
\transpose
may also be used in a different way, to input
written notes for a transposing instrument. The previous examples
show how to enter pitches in C (or concert pitch) and
typeset them for a transposing instrument, but the opposite is
also possible if you for example have a set of instrumental parts
and want to print a conductor’s score. For example, when entering
music for a B-flat trumpet that begins on a notated E (concert D),
one would write:
musicInBflat = { e4 … } \transpose c bes, \musicInBflat
To print this music in F (e.g., rearranging to a French horn) you
could wrap the existing music with another \transpose
:
musicInBflat = { e4 … } \transpose f c' { \transpose c bes, \musicInBflat }
For more information about transposing instruments, see Instrument transpositions.
Selected Snippets
Transposing music with minimum accidentals This example uses some Scheme code to enforce enharmonic modifications for notes in order to have the minimum number of accidentals. In this case, the following rules apply:
- Double accidentals should be removed
- B sharp -> C
- E sharp -> F
- C flat -> B
- F flat -> E
In this manner, the most natural enharmonic notes are chosen.
#(define (naturalize-pitch p) (let* ((o (ly:pitch-octave p)) (a (* 4 (ly:pitch-alteration p))) ; alteration, a, in quarter tone steps, ; for historical reasons (n (ly:pitch-notename p))) (cond ((and (> a 1) (or (eq? n 6) (eq? n 2))) (set! a (- a 2)) (set! n (+ n 1))) ((and (< a -1) (or (eq? n 0) (eq? n 3))) (set! a (+ a 2)) (set! n (- n 1)))) (cond ((> a 2) (set! a (- a 4)) (set! n (+ n 1))) ((< a -2) (set! a (+ a 4)) (set! n (- n 1)))) (if (< n 0) (begin (set! o (- o 1)) (set! n (+ n 7)))) (if (> n 6) (begin (set! o (+ o 1)) (set! n (- n 7)))) (ly:make-pitch o n (/ a 4)))) #(define (naturalize music) (let* ((es (ly:music-property music 'elements)) (e (ly:music-property music 'element)) (p (ly:music-property music 'pitch))) (if (pair? es) (ly:music-set-property! music 'elements (map (lambda (x) (naturalize x)) es))) (if (ly:music? e) (ly:music-set-property! music 'element (naturalize e))) (if (ly:pitch? p) (begin (set! p (naturalize-pitch p)) (ly:music-set-property! music 'pitch p))) music)) naturalizeMusic = #(define-music-function (parser location m) (ly:music?) (naturalize m)) music = \relative c' { c4 d e g } \score { \new Staff { \transpose c ais { \music } \naturalizeMusic \transpose c ais { \music } \transpose c deses { \music } \naturalizeMusic \transpose c deses { \music } } \layout { } }
See also
Notation Reference: Instrument transpositions.
Snippets: Pitches.
Internals Reference: TransposedMusic.
Known issues and warnings
The relative conversion will not affect \transpose
,
\chordmode
or \relative
sections in its argument.
To use relative mode within transposed music, an additional
\relative
must be placed inside \transpose
.
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[ < Octave checks ] | [ Up : Changing multiple pitches ] | [ Displaying pitches > ] |