GNU LilyPond Learning Manual: 2.3.4 Combining notes into chords

### 2.3.4 Combining notes into chords

Music Glossary: chord.

We saw earlier how notes can be combined into chords by indicating they are simultaneous by enclosing them in double angle brackets. However, the normal way of indicating a chord is to surround the pitches with single angle brackets. Note that all the notes in a chord must have the same duration, and that the duration is placed after the closing bracket.

>     r4 <c e g>4 <c f a>2

Think of chords as almost equivalent to single notes: almost everything you can attach to a single note can be attached to a chord, and everything must go outside the angle brackets. For example, you can combine markings like beams and ties with chords. They must be placed outside the angle brackets.

>     r4 <c e g>8[ <c f a>]~ <c f a>2
>     r4 <c e g>8( <c e g>\> <c e g>4 <c f a>\!)

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