GNU LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.3.2 Curves

### 1.3.2 Curves

This section explains how to create various expressive marks that are curved: normal slurs, phrasing slurs, breath marks, falls, and doits.

#### Slurs

Slurs are entered using parentheses:

>     f4( g a) a8 b(
>     a4 g2 f4)
>     <c e>2( <b d>2)

Slurs may be manually placed above or below the notes, see Direction and placement.

>     c2( d)
>     \slurDown
>     c2( d)
>     \slurNeutral
>     c2( d)

Simultaneous or overlapping slurs are not permitted, but a phrasing slur can overlap a slur. This permits two slurs to be printed at once. For details, see Phrasing slurs.

Slurs can be solid, dotted, or dashed. Solid is the default slur style:

>     c4( e g2)
>     \slurDashed
>     g4( e c2)
>     \slurDotted
>     c4( e g2)
>     \slurSolid
>     g4( e c2)

#### Predefined commands

`\slurUp`, `\slurDown`, `\slurNeutral`, `\slurDashed`, `\slurDotted`, `\slurSolid`.

#### Selected Snippets

Using double slurs for legato chords

Some composers write two slurs when they want legato chords. This can be achieved by setting `doubleSlurs`.

>     \relative c' {
>       \set doubleSlurs = ##t
>       <c e>4( <d f> <c e> <d f>)
>     }

Positioning text markups inside slurs

Text markups need to have the `outside-staff-priority` property set to false in order to be printed inside slurs.

>     \relative c'' {
>       \override TextScript #'avoid-slur = #'inside
>       \override TextScript #'outside-staff-priority = ##f
>       c2(^\markup { \halign #-10 \natural } d4.) c8
>     }

#### See also

Music Glossary: slur.

Learning Manual: On the un-nestedness of brackets and ties.

Notation Reference: Direction and placement, Phrasing slurs.

Snippets: Expressive marks.

Internals Reference: Slur.

#### Phrasing slurs

Phrasing slurs (or phrasing marks) that indicate a musical sentence are written using the commands `\(` and `\)` respectively:

>     c4\( d( e) f(
>     e2) d\)

Typographically, a phrasing slur behaves almost exactly like a normal slur. However, they are treated as different objects; a `\slurUp` will have no effect on a phrasing slur. Phrasing slurs may be manually placed above or below the notes, see Direction and placement.

>     c4\( g' c,( b) | c1\)
>     \phrasingSlurUp
>     c4\( g' c,( b) | c1\)

Simultaneous or overlapping phrasing slurs are not permitted.

Phrasing slurs can be solid, dotted, or dashed. Solid is the default style for phrasing slurs:

>     c4\( e g2\)
>     \phrasingSlurDashed
>     g4\( e c2\)
>     \phrasingSlurDotted
>     c4\( e g2\)
>     \phrasingSlurSolid
>     g4\( e c2\)

#### Predefined commands

`\phrasingSlurUp`, `\phrasingSlurDown`, `\phrasingSlurNeutral`, `\phrasingSlurDashed`, `\phrasingSlurDotted`, `\phrasingSlurSolid`.

#### See also

Learning Manual: On the un-nestedness of brackets and ties.

Notation Reference: Direction and placement.

Snippets: Expressive marks.

Internals Reference: PhrasingSlur.

#### Breath marks

Breath marks are entered using `\breathe`:

>     c2. \breathe d4

Musical indicators for breath marks in ancient notation, divisiones, are supported. For details, see Divisiones.

#### Selected Snippets

Changing the breath mark symbol

The glyph of the breath mark can be tuned by overriding the text property of the `BreathingSign` layout object with any markup text.

>     \relative c'' {
>       c2
>       \override BreathingSign #'text = \markup { \musicglyph #"scripts.rvarcomma" }
>       \breathe
>       d2
>     }

Inserting a caesura

Caesura marks can be created by overriding the `'text` property of the `BreathingSign` object. A curved caesura mark is also available.

>     \relative c'' {
>       \override BreathingSign #'text = \markup {
>         \musicglyph #"scripts.caesura.straight"
>       }
>       c8 e4. \breathe g8. e16 c4

>       \override BreathingSign #'text = \markup {
>         \musicglyph #"scripts.caesura.curved"
>       }
>       g8 e'4. \breathe g8. e16 c4
>     }

#### See also

Music Glossary: caesura.

Notation Reference: Divisiones.

Snippets: Expressive marks.

Internals Reference: BreathingSign.

#### Falls and doits

Falls and doits can be added to notes using the `\bendAfter` command. The direction of the fall or doit is indicated with a plus or minus (up or down). The number indicates the pitch interval that the fall or doit will extend beyond the main note.

>     c2-\bendAfter #+4
>     c2-\bendAfter #-4
>     c2-\bendAfter #+8
>     c2-\bendAfter #-8

The dash `-` immediately preceding the `\bendAfter` command is required when writing falls and doits.

#### Selected Snippets

Adjusting the shape of falls and doits

The `shortest-duration-space` property may have to be tweaked to adjust the shape of falls and doits.

>     \relative c'' {
>       \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'shortest-duration-space = #4.0
>       c2-\bendAfter #+5
>       c2-\bendAfter #-3
>       c2-\bendAfter #+8
>       c2-\bendAfter #-6
>     }

#### See also

Music Glossary: fall, doit.

Snippets: Expressive marks.

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#### Notation Reference