Ancient notation templates - GNU LilyPond
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### D.5 Ancient notation templates

#### D.5.1 Transcription of mensural music

When transcribing mensural music, an incipit at the beginning of the piece is useful to indicate the original key and tempo. While today musicians are used to bar lines in order to faster recognize rhythmic patterns, bar lines were not yet invented during the period of mensural music; in fact, the meter often changed after every few notes. As a compromise, bar lines are often printed between the staves rather than on the staves.

    \version "2.7.39"

    global = {
      \set Score.skipBars = ##t

      % incipit
      \once \override Score.SystemStartBracket #'transparent = ##t
      \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'spacing-increment = #1.0 % tight spacing
      \key f \major
      \time 2/2
      \once \override Staff.TimeSignature #'style = #'neomensural
      \override Voice.NoteHead #'style = #'neomensural
      \override Voice.Rest #'style = #'neomensural
      \set Staff.printKeyCancellation = ##f
      \cadenzaOn % turn off bar lines
      \skip 1*10
      \once \override Staff.BarLine #'transparent = ##f
      \bar "||"
      \skip 1*1 % need this extra \skip such that clef change comes
                % after bar line
      \bar ""

      % main
      \revert Score.SpacingSpanner #'spacing-increment % CHECK: no effect?
      \cadenzaOff % turn bar lines on again
      \once \override Staff.Clef #'full-size-change = ##t
      \set Staff.forceClef = ##t
      \key g \major
      \time 4/4
      \override Voice.NoteHead #'style = #'default
      \override Voice.Rest #'style = #'default

      % FIXME: setting printKeyCancellation back to #t must not
      % occur in the first bar after the incipit.  Dto. for forceClef.
      % Therefore, we need an extra \skip.
      \skip 1*1
      \set Staff.printKeyCancellation = ##t
      \set Staff.forceClef = ##f

      \skip 1*7 % the actual music

      % let finis bar go through all staves
      \override Staff.BarLine #'transparent = ##f

      % finis bar
      \bar "|."
    }

    discantusNotes = {
      \transpose c' c'' {
        \set Staff.instrument = "Discantus  "

        % incipit
        \clef "neomensural-c1"
        c'1. s2   % two bars
        \skip 1*8 % eight bars
        \skip 1*1 % one bar

        % main
        \clef "treble"
        d'2. d'4 |
        b e' d'2 |
        c'4 e'4.( d'8 c' b |
        a4) b a2 |
        b4.( c'8 d'4) c'4 |
        \once \override NoteHead #'transparent = ##t c'1 |
        b\breve |
      }
    }

    discantusLyrics = \lyricmode {
      % incipit
      IV-

      % main
      Ju -- bi -- |
      la -- te De -- |
      o, om --
      nis ter -- |
      ra, __ om- |
      "..." |
      -us. |
    }

    altusNotes = {
      \transpose c' c'' {
        \set Staff.instrument = "Altus  "

        % incipit
        \clef "neomensural-c3"
        r1        % one bar
        f1. s2    % two bars
        \skip 1*7 % seven bars
        \skip 1*1 % one bar

        % main
        \clef "treble"
        r2 g2. e4 fis g | % two bars
        a2 g4 e |
        fis g4.( fis16 e fis4) |
        g1 |
        \once \override NoteHead #'transparent = ##t g1 |
        g\breve |
      }
    }

    altusLyrics = \lyricmode {
      % incipit
      IV-

      % main
      Ju -- bi -- la -- te | % two bars
      De -- o, om -- |
      nis ter -- ra, |
      "..." |
      -us. |
    }

    tenorNotes = {
      \transpose c' c' {
        \set Staff.instrument = "Tenor  "

        % incipit
        \clef "neomensural-c4"
        r\longa   % four bars
        r\breve   % two bars
        r1        % one bar
        c'1. s2   % two bars
        \skip 1*1 % one bar
        \skip 1*1 % one bar

        % main
        \clef "treble_8"
        R1 |
        R1 |
        R1 |
        r2 d'2. d'4 b e' | % two bars
        \once \override NoteHead #'transparent = ##t e'1 |
        d'\breve |
      }
    }

    tenorLyrics = \lyricmode {
      % incipit
      IV-

      % main
      Ju -- bi -- la -- te | % two bars
      "..." |
      -us. |
    }

    bassusNotes = {
      \transpose c' c' {
        \set Staff.instrument = "Bassus  "

        % incipit
        \clef "bass"
        r\maxima  % eight bars
        f1. s2    % two bars
        \skip 1*1 % one bar

        % main
        \clef "bass"
        R1 |
        R1 |
        R1 |
        R1 |
        g2. e4 |
        \once \override NoteHead #'transparent = ##t e1 |
        g\breve |
      }
    }

    bassusLyrics = \lyricmode {
      % incipit
      IV-

      % main
      Ju -- bi- |
      "..." |
      -us. |
    }

    \score {
      \new StaffGroup = choirStaff <<
        \new Voice =
          "discantusNotes" << \global \discantusNotes >>
        \new Lyrics =
          "discantusLyrics" \lyricsto discantusNotes { \discantusLyrics }
        \new Voice =
          "altusNotes" << \global \altusNotes >>
        \new Lyrics =
          "altusLyrics" \lyricsto altusNotes { \altusLyrics }
        \new Voice =
          "tenorNotes" << \global \tenorNotes >>
        \new Lyrics =
          "tenorLyrics" \lyricsto tenorNotes { \tenorLyrics }
        \new Voice =
          "bassusNotes" << \global \bassusNotes >>
        \new Lyrics =
          "bassusLyrics" \lyricsto bassusNotes { \bassusLyrics }
      >>
      \layout {
        \context {
          \Score
          \override BarLine #'transparent = ##t
          \remove "System_start_delimiter_engraver"
        }
        \context {
          \Voice
          \override Slur #'transparent = ##t
        }
      }
    }

#### D.5.2 Gregorian transcription template

This example demonstrates how to do modern transcription of Gregorian music. Gregorian music has no measure, no stems; it uses only half and quarter noteheads, and special marks, indicating rests of different length.

>          \include "gregorian-init.ly"
>          \version "2.8.0"

>          chant = \relative c' {
>            \set Score.timing = ##f
>            f4 a2 \divisioMinima
>            g4 b a2 f2 \divisioMaior
>            g4( f) f( g) a2 \finalis
>          }

>          verba = \lyricmode {
>            Lo -- rem ip -- sum do -- lor sit a -- met
>          }

>          \score {
>            \new Staff <<
>              \new Voice = "melody" {
>                \chant
>              }
>              \new Lyrics = "one" \lyricsto melody \verba
>            >>

>            \layout {
>              \context {
>                \Staff
>                \remove "Time_signature_engraver"
>                \remove "Bar_engraver"
>                \override Stem #'transparent = ##t
>              }
>              \context {
>                \Voice
>                \override Stem #'length = #0
>              }
>              \context {
>                \Score
>                barAlways = ##t
>              }
>            }
>          }

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