Printing lyrics - GNU LilyPond
Description: GNU LilyPond

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### 2.13 Printing lyrics

Lyrics are entered by separating each syllable with a space

    I want to break free

Consider the melody

>          \relative {
>            r4 c \times 2/3 { f g g }
>            \times 2/3 { g4( a2) }
>          }

The lyrics can be set to these notes, combining both with the `\addlyrics` keyword

>          <<
>            \relative {
>              r4 c \times 2/3 { f g g }
>              \times 2/3 { g4( a2) }
>            }
>            \addlyrics { I want to break free }
>          >>

This melody ends on a melisma, a single syllable (`free') sung to more than one note. This is indicated with an extender line. It is entered as two underscores, i.e.,

    { I want to break free __ }

Similarly, hyphens between words can be entered as two dashes, resulting in a centered hyphen between two syllables

    Twin -- kle twin -- kle

More options, like putting multiple lines of lyrics below a melody are discussed in Vocal music.

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

Other languages: English.
Using automatic language selection.