A.2 Piano templates
A.2.1 Solo piano
Here is a simple piano staff with some notes.
upper = \relative c'' { \clef treble \key c \major \time 4/4 a4 b c d } lower = \relative c { \clef bass \key c \major \time 4/4 a2 c } \score { \new PianoStaff << \set PianoStaff.instrumentName = #"Piano " \new Staff = "upper" \upper \new Staff = "lower" \lower >> \layout { } \midi { } }
A.2.2 Piano and melody with lyrics
Here is a typical song format: one staff with the melody and lyrics, with piano accompaniment underneath.
melody = \relative c'' { \clef treble \key c \major \time 4/4 a b c d } text = \lyricmode { Aaa Bee Cee Dee } upper = \relative c'' { \clef treble \key c \major \time 4/4 a4 b c d } lower = \relative c { \clef bass \key c \major \time 4/4 a2 c } \score { << \new Voice = "mel" { \autoBeamOff \melody } \new Lyrics \lyricsto mel \text \new PianoStaff << \new Staff = "upper" \upper \new Staff = "lower" \lower >> >> \layout { \context { \RemoveEmptyStaffContext } } \midi { } }
A.2.3 Piano centered lyrics
Instead of having a full staff for the melody and lyrics, lyrics can be centered between the staves of a piano staff.
upper = \relative c'' { \clef treble \key c \major \time 4/4 a4 b c d } lower = \relative c { \clef bass \key c \major \time 4/4 a2 c } text = \lyricmode { Aaa Bee Cee Dee } \score { \new GrandStaff << \new Staff = upper { \new Voice = "singer" \upper } \new Lyrics \lyricsto "singer" \text \new Staff = lower { \lower } >> \layout { \context { \GrandStaff \accepts "Lyrics" } \context { \Lyrics \consists "Bar_engraver" } } \midi { } }
A.2.4 Piano centered dynamics
Many piano scores have the dynamics centered between the two staves. This requires a bit of tweaking to implement, but since the template is right here, you don’t have to do the tweaking yourself.
global = { \key c \major \time 4/4 } upper = \relative c'' { \clef treble a4 b c d } lower = \relative c { \clef bass a2 c } dynamics = { s2\fff\> s4 s\!\pp } pedal = { s2\sustainOn s\sustainOff } \score { \new PianoStaff = "PianoStaff_pf" << \new Staff = "Staff_pfUpper" \upper \new Dynamics = "Dynamics_pf" \dynamics \new Staff = "Staff_pfLower" << \lower >> \new Dynamics = "pedal" \pedal >> \layout { % define Dynamics context \context { \type "Engraver_group" \name Dynamics \alias Voice \consists "Output_property_engraver" \consists "Piano_pedal_engraver" \consists "Script_engraver" \consists "New_dynamic_engraver" \consists "Dynamic_align_engraver" \consists "Text_engraver" \consists "Skip_event_swallow_translator" \consists "Axis_group_engraver" pedalSustainStrings = #'("Ped." "*Ped." "*") pedalUnaCordaStrings = #'("una corda" "" "tre corde") \override DynamicLineSpanner #'Y-offset = #0 \override TextScript #'font-size = #2 \override TextScript #'font-shape = #'italic \override VerticalAxisGroup #'minimum-Y-extent = #'(-1 . 1) } % modify PianoStaff context to accept Dynamics context \context { \PianoStaff \accepts Dynamics } } } \score { \new PianoStaff = "PianoStaff_pf" << \new Staff = "Staff_pfUpper" << \global \upper \dynamics \pedal >> \new Staff = "Staff_pfLower" << \global \lower \dynamics \pedal >> >> \midi { } }