Lydown is a language and compiler for creating music scores, parts and snippets. The lydown code is compiled to lilypond code and then compiled to PDF, PNG or MIDI files.

• About
• Installation
• Hello world in lydown
• More examples and resources
• Compiling lydown code
• Proofing mode
• Interactive mode
• The lydown syntax
  • Notes and durations
  • Accidentals
  • Octaves
  • Grace notes
    • Barlines
    • Repeats with alternatives
    • Rests
    • Beams, slurs and ties
    • Articulation and expression marks
    • Repeated articulation and rhythmic patterns: macros
    • Named macros
    • Clefs, key and time signatures
    • Pickup bars
    • Lilypond Commands and inline settings
    • Inline lyrics
    • Stream switching
    • Figured bass
• Multiple parts
• Multiple movements
• Multiple voices
• Piano scores
• multi-part scores and part extraction
• Colla parte and part sources
• Mode specific code
• Staff and system appearance
• Rendering MIDI && mp3 files
• Including files
  • Including templates
• Adding a front cover

Lydown builds on the ideas put forth by lilypond and makes the following improvements:

• a greatly simplified syntax for entering notes, for more rapid note entry and improved legibility.
• ability to enter lyrics and bass figures interspersed with the music.
• rhythmic macros for rapid entry of repeated rhythmic patterns.
• zero lilypond boilerplate code.
• a sane file/folder structure for creating multi-part, multi-movement works with automatic part extraction.

If you have Ruby on your machine, you can simply install lydown as a gem:

gem install lydown

If not, you can simply grab the release file for your OS, which already includes Ruby.

Once you got lydown installed, you can verify it woks correctly by running:

lydown version

Lydown will display its version and also the version lilypond installed. If lilypond is not installed on your machine, you can install it by either running:

lydown install lilypond

Or by downloading it from the lilypond website.

The following is a basic example of the lydown syntax:

// helloworld.ld
\key:D \time:2/4
4d''\"Hello world!" 6cbag 3fgag6fd 4e

And here's the equivalent lilypond code:

\version "2.18.2"
relative c' {
  \key d major
  \time 2/4
   d'4\"Hello world!" cs16 b a g fs32 g a g fs16 d e4
}

To compile the lydown source file into a PDF and then display it, invoke lydown as follows:

lydown -O helloworld.ld

Examples of lydown code, used to test lydown, could be found in the specs directory of the lydown repository.

A recent reconstruction of Bach's Markuspassion BWV 247 is the first large-scale work to be written in Lydown.

Additional information and resources could be found on the lydown wiki.

The lydown command line tool can compile the code into lilypond code, PDF, PNG, MIDI or MP3. The program creates an output file with the same name as the input file and the corresponding extension. Specifiying the -O switch causes the output to be opened immediately.

To create a lilypond file:

lydown -O --ly helloworld.lydown

To create a PDF file:

lydown -O --pdf helloworld.lydown

To create a PNG file:

lydown -O --png helloworld.lydown

To create a MIDI file:

lydown -O --midi helloworld.lydown

Lydown can be run in a special proofing mode designed to minimize the turnaround time between editing and viewing the result when entering new music or when editing existing music. To run lydown in proofing mode, use the proof subcommand:

lydown proof

Lydown will then start to monitor all subdirectories and files in the current directory, and compile them whenever they're changed. Lydown will detect the lines that have changed and insert skip markers in order to speed up compilation and typeset only the music that has actually changed. In addition, notes in the bars that changed will be colored red.

In proof mode, lydown will generate parts and not a score. To include another part for reference along with the part that changed, you can use the include_parts parameter:

lydown proof --include_parts continuo # or:
lydown proof -i continuo

This is useful when editing baroque music for example, or when any other part can give context and aid in verifying the music.

When invoked without any parameters, an interactive lydown session is started. This mode is useful when working on music involving multiple movements or multiple parts. In this mode, you can move between directories, edit files (using vim), and compile specific movements or specific parts.

Just like in proofing mode, any changes you make to files within the working directory are immediately compiled and shown in the system viewer.

To get a list of available commands, type help.

The lydown syntax is designed for faster note entry, better legibility and minimal boilerplate. The lydown syntax takes the basic ideas put forth by lilypond and simplifies them, with the following main differences:

• musical context (staves, parts, etc) is implicit rather than explicit.
• whitespace between notes is optional.
• durations come before notes.
• duration macros allow rapid entry of repeated rhythmic patterns (such as dotted rhythm).

It must be stressed that lydown is made to process music that is relatively simple, and it was designed to support the processing of baroque music in particular. Therefore, a lot of stuff that is possible with plain lilypond would not be possible with lydown.

For the sake of this tutorial, some familiarity with the concepts and syntax of lilypond is presumed. The lydown code will be shown alongside its lilypond equivalent.

In lydown, durations are entered before the note to which they refer, and they stay valid for subsequent notes, until a new value is entered:

4c8de2f => c4 d8 e f2

In addition to the usual values (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 etc), lydown adds two shortcuts for commonly used values: 6 for 16th notes and 3 for 32th notes:

8c6de3fefefede2f => c8 d16 e f32 e f e f e d e f2

Lydown recognizes the following values:

l   // longa
0   // breve
1   // whole note (semi breve)
2   // half note
4   // 1/4 note
8   // 1/8 note
6   // 1/16 note
16  // 1/16 note
3   // 1/32 note
32  // 1/32 note
64  // 1/64 note
128 // 1/128 note
256 // 1/256 note

Augmentation dots are entered like in lilypond:

8.c6d 8.e6f 2g => c8. d16 e8. f16 g2
8..g 3g 4c => g8.. g32 c4

Notes can be repeated using the @ placeholder:

4c@@@ => c4 c c c

(The repeating note placeholder is useful when entering repeated notes with accidentals).

Chords are written using angled brackets, like in lilypond:

(2<fd>4<ge>) => <f d>2( <g e>4)

Accidentals can be entered using + and -, altering the note relative to the key signature.

8cgb-c2a => c8 g bes c a2
- key: D
4dc-2b- => d4 c bes2

But can also be entered using the characters # for sharp, ß for flat and h for natural:

c#dßeh => cis des e

In lydown notes follow the key signature by default:

- key: g major
ff#fhfßd#bß => fis fisis f f dis bes

The accidental mode can be changed by specifiying the manual accidental mode:

- key: g major
- accidentals: manual
8g6f+edcba2g

In the default, automatic mode, when deviating from the key signature the accidental must be repeated for each note, regardless of barlines.

In the same manner as lilypond, accidentals can be forced by following the note name and accidental with a ! (for a reminder), or ? (for a cautionary accidental in parentheses):

cc+c+!cc? => c cs cs! c c?

A ficta accidental (an non-original accidental that appears above the staff) can be entered using the ^ symbol after the accidental:

cdef+^g

In Lydown, the first note in the document carries an absolute octave marker, using the ' and , signs:

c,,   // contrabass octave
c,    // great octave
c     // small octave
c'    // first octave (middle c)
c''   // second octave
c'''  // third octave
...   // etc.

For the following notes, the octave markers ' and , are used for jumping between octaves, using the same rules as lilypond's relative mode:

Grace notes are signified by appending a grace kind after the the duration value:

// grace
6°d8edcd2c

// appoggiatura
6^d8cbag

// acciaccatura
6`dc8bcde

The grace holds until the next change of duration.

Just like in lilypond, barlines are taken care of automatically according to the time signature. Final bar lines and repeat bar lines can be entered explicitly by using shorthand syntax:

|: cege :|: cfaf :|

When entering unmetered music, an invisible barline can be added in order to provide line breaks:

-time: unmetered
cdef ?| gag

Repeats with alternatives can be written by using the following syntax:

|:*2 // start a repeat
|*   // start a volta
*|   // end the repeat

// example: 2 repeats
|:*2 1c d |* e f |* g a *| b c

Normal rests are written like in lilypond:

4ce2r => c4 e r2

Full bar rests are similar to lilypond, except there's no need to enter the rest value (it is implicit in the time signature):

- time: 3/4
// 4 bar rest in the middle
2c4e R*4 2.g

Silences (Invisible rests) are signified using s for normal silences and S for whole measure silences:

4ddsd
S*2
2.s4d

Lydown uses automatic beaming as the default, except in the case of vocal parts (see document settings). Auto beaming can be

Beaming and sluring is similar to lilypond, except the beam/slur start comes before the note:

8(cdef)g[6fe]4f => c8( d e f) g f16[ e] f4

a regular tie is written just like in lilypond:

4g~6gfed2c => g4 ~ g16 f e d c2

Lydown also supports a shortened tie form, where the tied note is not repeated:

4g6&fed2c => g4 ~ g16 f e d c2

Lilypond shorthand articulation marks can be entered after a backslash

c\^ e\+ g\_ => c-^ e-+ g-_

Common articulation marks can be entered immediately after the note:

// tenuto, staccato, staccatissimo
c_e.g` => c-- e-. g-!

Other arbitrary lilypond articulations can be entered after a backslash:

c\staccato e\mordent g\turn => c\staccato e\mordent g\turn

Note: While whitespace between notes is usually optional, in the case of backslashed articulations you will have to add a whitespace after the articulation, so lydown will be able to parse it.

Dynamic marks are entered before the note to which they apply:

c\f eg

\f cege \p cfaf => c\f e g e c\p f a f

Arbitrary expression markup can be entered as a string following a backslash. Lydown supports basic markdown syntax for formatting the expression:

c\"hello" // displayed above the note
c\_"hello" // displayed below the note
c\<"hello" // right-aligned
c\|"hello" // centered
c\_|"hello" // centered, below the note
c\"_hello_" // italic
c\"__hello__" // bold

An important feature of lydown is the macro, which facilitates rapid entry of repeated rhythmic and articulative patterns.

A common scenario is repeated articulation, for example a sequence of staccato notes:

{.}cdefgabc => c-. d-. e-. f-. g-. a-. b-. c-.

A macro can also contain a fully qualified lilypond articulation specifier:

{\tenuto}cege => c\tenuto e\tenuto g\tenuto e\tenuto

Rhythmic macros can be used for repeated rhythmic patterns. A common scenario is a dotted rhythm:

// The _ symbol denotes a note placeholder
{8._6_}cdefgfed => c8. d16 e8. f16 g8. f16 e8. d16

A repeating diminution may also be expressed succintly:

// The @ symbol denotes a repeated pitch
{16_@@@}cfgf => c16 c c c f f f f g g g g f f f f

A macro can include both durations and articulation marks:

{4_~6@(_._._.)}cdefgfed => c4 ~ c16 d-.( e-. f-.) g4 ~ g16 f-.( e-. d-.)

A macro containing durations will remain valid until another duration or duration macro is encountered. A macro containing articulation only will be valid until another duration, macro or empty macro is encountered:

6{.}gg{}aa => g16-. g-. a a

Macros can be defined with a name and reused:

- macros:
  - dotted: 8._6_
{dotted}gaba2g{dotted}abcb2a => g8. a16 b8. a16 g2 a8. b16 c8. b16 a2

Clefs are determined automatically by lydown based on the specified part. In case no part is specified, the default clef is a treble clef. The clef values are the same as in lilypond. The clef can be changed at any time with a clef setting:

- clef: bass
8cdefgabc
- clef: tenor
defedcbd
- clef: bass
1c

Key and time signatures are entered inline as document settings (see below). The key and time values follow the lilypond syntax:

- key: d major
- time: 3/4

In the case of key signatures, accidentals will follow the lydown syntax:

- key: b- major
- key: f+ minor

Key signatures can also be specified using shorthand notation (upper case for major, lower case for minor):

- key: B- // b flat major
- key: f+ // f sharp minor

The default key signature is C major, and the default time signature is 4/4.

Key or time signatures can be changed on the fly:

- time: 4/4
4c e g b
- time: 3/4
c e g 2.c

Pickup bars (anacrusis, upbeat) are defined with the pickup setting:

- time: 3/4
- pickup: 4
    4g
c8cdcb4aaa
d8dedc4bb

Lilypond commands and settings can be entered inline as part of the note stream:

cd \key:E- e \stemDown f

A useful shorthand is for one-time (\once) overrides, with an exclamation mark between the backslash and the command:

\!override:"NoteHead.color = #red"

Multiple arguments can be given, separated by colons. Arguments need to be quoted only if they contain whitespace, or colons:

\!override:AccidentalSuggestion:"#'avoid-slur = #'outside"

Some lilypond command arguments are expected to be quoted. Quotes can be escaped by prefixing them with a backslash:

\footnote:"#'(-1 . 1)":"\"slurred?\""

Lyrics for vocal parts can be entered on separate lines prefixed by a > symbol:

4c[8de]4fd(4c[8de]2f)
> Ly-down is the bomb__

Or between notes using quotes:

4c[8de]4fd(4c[8de]2f) >"Ly-down is the bomb__"

Text alignment follows the duration, beaming and slurring of the music, just like in lilypond. Sillables are expected to be separated by a dash. Melismas, i.e. a single sillable streched over multiple notes, is signified by one or more underscores.

Multiple stanzas for the same music can be specified by including the stanza number in parens:

4cege1c
> Ly-down is the bomb.
>(2) Li-ly-pond is too.

Lyrics can be entered in a block, before or after musical notation, by switching streams:

8ccg'gaa4g
8ffeedd4c
=lyrics
Twin-kle twin-kle lit-tle star,
How I won-der what you are.
=music
8g'gffeed4
...

Multiple lyrics stanzas can be written by including the stanza number in parens:

=lyrics(1) // the numbering is optional, same as =lyrics
...
=lyrics(2)
...

Figured bass is entered inline, following notes or even between notes, when multiple figures align with a single note.

c<6>de<5>c // figures are automatically rhythmically aligned 
e<7`> // barred figure
f<6+> // sharp 6th
g<6-> // flat 6th
g<6!> // natural sixth
a<h> // natural third
a<#> // sharp third
a<b> // flat third
b<7#>b<6_> // extender (tenue) line on sharp third
1c2<6><7-> // use durations to change figures over a long note
1c2<><7-> // <> is an empty figure
c<->dec<.> // extender (tenue) line without figures over the four notes

Multiple parts can be entered in the same file by prefixing each part's content with a -part setting:

- part: violino1
8c'cg'gaa4g
- part: continuo
4cefe

For multi-movement works, prefix each movement with a -movement setting:

- movement: Adagio
...
- movement: Allegro
...

Multiple voices on the same staff can be easily entered using the following notation:

1: 8egfdeg4f 2: 4cded u: ...

the u:<\code> command is used to return to single voice (unisono) mode.

1: ceg >"yeah yeah yeah" 2: gbd >"no no no" u: ...

- part: piano
r: 8cdeccdec
l: 4cgcg

r: 8<e'c'> \l g,f+g \r <g'' c'> \l e,,d+e \r
l: 1s

// score.lydown
- score:
   - [violino1, violino2]
   - viola
   - violoncello
- time: 4/4
- key: c major

// violino1.lydown
8c''cg'gaa4g 8ffeedd4c

lydown -o -s score.lydown

lydown -o -p violino1 score.lydown

- parts:
  - violino1:
    - source: soprano

- colla_parte:
  - soprano: violino1, flute1, flute2, oboe1
  - alto: violino2, oboe2
  - tenor: viola, gamba1
  - basso: gamba2

- parts:
  - continuo:
    - include_parts: tenore

\mode:score 4cege \mode:part 4cded \mode:none 1c

- empty_staves: hide

- instrument_names: hide

- part: flute
R*4
// when no parameter is given, the part name is used, 
// and engraved capitalized with numbers formatted to roman numerals
\instr 4c8eg2c
...
// when the instrument name is specifed, it is used in place of the 
// part name:
\instr:"Flute II" 4c8eg2c

\<instr // right-aligned
\>instr // left-aligned (default)
\|instr // centered

lydown --midi score.ld

- midi_tempo: 4=96

\tempo:(4=120)
cdef
/tempo:(4=54)
gabc

- include: abc.ly

- score:
  - include: def.ly // included only in score mode
- parts:
  - include: ghi.ly // included only in part mode

- document:
  - include: def.ly // this will be included at the top of the lilypond doc

- require: better-slurs

\markup {
  % will output either 'score' or 'part' according to the rendering mode
  <%= self.render_mode %> 
}