Staff symbol - GNU LilyPond
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#### 6.3.8 Staff symbol

Notes, dynamic signs, etc., are grouped with a set of horizontal lines, called a staff (plural `staves'). In LilyPond, these lines are drawn using a separate layout object called staff symbol.

The staff symbol may be tuned in the number, thickness and distance of lines, using properties. This is demonstrated in the example files `input/test/staff-lines.ly`, `input/test/staff-size.ly`.

In addition, staves may be started and stopped at will. This is done with `\startStaff` and `\stopStaff`.

    b4 b
    \override Staff.StaffSymbol #'line-count = 2
    \stopStaff \startStaff
    b b
    \revert Staff.StaffSymbol #'line-count
    \stopStaff \startStaff
    b b

In combination with Frenched staves, this may be used to typeset ossia sections. An example is in `input/test/ossia.ly`, shown here

##### See also

Program reference: StaffSymbol.

Examples: `input/test/staff-lines.ly`, `input/test/ossia.ly`, `input/test/staff-size.ly`, `input/regression/staff-line-positions.ly`.

This page is for LilyPond-2.8.8 (stable-branch).

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