A.1.2 SSAATTBB template

All the variables defined for the SATB template, with the exception of the VerseXxx variables, are also available for the SSAATTBB template, see SATB template. In addition, music and lyrics for first and second voices in any or all of the four parts may be specified by providing values for SopranoOneMusic, SopranoTwoMusic, etc, with lyrics in SopranoOneLyrics and SopranoTwoLyrics, etc. Up to four additional stanzas may be defined for all the voice parts by using the variables SopranoOneLyricsOne, with the others defined in an analogous way.

Setting TwoVoicesPerStaff to ##t will cause all voice parts to be placed on single staves as divisi voices. If TwoVoicesPerStaff is left to default or set to ##f then individual voice parts may be set on one or two staves according to the setting of SopranoTwoVoicesPerStaff, MenTwoVoicesPerStaff, etc.

As an example, suppose we have a piece for soprano and alto which begins with all voices in unison, progresses to a section with two parts, soprano and alto, and ends with a four-part section. This would be coded like this:

Time = { s1 \break s1 \break }
WomenMusic = \relative { a'4 a a a }
WomenLyrics = \lyricmode { Wo -- men ly -- rics }
SopranoMusic = \relative { s1 | c''4 c c c8 c }
SopranoLyrics = \lyricmode{ So -- pra -- no ly -- rics }
AltoMusic = \relative { s1 | g'4 g g g }
AltoLyrics = \lyricmode { Al -- to ly -- rics }
SopranoOneMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 |e''4 e e e }
SopranoOneLyrics = \lyricmode { Sop One ly -- rics }
SopranoTwoMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 | c''4 c c c }
SopranoTwoLyrics = \lyricmode { Sop Two ly -- rics }
AltoOneMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 | g'4 g g g8 g }
AltoOneLyrics = \lyricmode { Al -- to One ly -- rics }
AltoTwoMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 | e'4 e e e8 e }
AltoTwoLyrics = \lyricmode { Al -- to Two ly -- rics }
\layout { ragged-right = ##t }
\include "ssaattbb.ly"

[image of music]

Male voices may be added in an analogous way.

To change the layout so that the divisi soprano voices use a shared staff, we simply set SopranoTwoVoicesPerStaff to ##t, leaving all other variables unchanged, like this:

SopranoTwoVoicesPerStaff = ##t
Time = { s1 \break s1 \break }
WomenMusic = \relative { a'4 a a a }
WomenLyrics = \lyricmode { Wo -- men ly -- rics }
SopranoMusic = \relative { s1 | c''4 c c c8 c }
SopranoLyrics = \lyricmode{ So -- pra -- no ly -- rics }
AltoMusic = \relative { s1 | g'4 g g g }
AltoLyrics = \lyricmode { Al -- to ly -- rics }
SopranoOneMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 |e''4 e e e }
SopranoOneLyrics = \lyricmode { Sop One ly -- rics }
SopranoTwoMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 | c''4 c c c }
SopranoTwoLyrics = \lyricmode { Sop Two ly -- rics }
AltoOneMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 | g'4 g g g8 g }
AltoOneLyrics = \lyricmode { Al -- to One ly -- rics }
AltoTwoMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 | e'4 e e e8 e }
AltoTwoLyrics = \lyricmode { Al -- to Two ly -- rics }
\layout { ragged-right = ##t }
\include "ssaattbb.ly"

[image of music]

or, to make all paired voices share a single staff, set TwoVoicesPerStaff to ##t:

TwoVoicesPerStaff = ##t
Time = { s1 \break s1 \break }
WomenMusic = \relative { a'4 a a a }
WomenLyrics = \lyricmode { Wo -- men ly -- rics }
SopranoMusic = \relative { s1 | c''4 c c c8 c }
SopranoLyrics = \lyricmode{ So -- pra -- no ly -- rics }
AltoMusic = \relative { s1 | g'4 g g g }
AltoLyrics = \lyricmode { Al -- to ly -- rics }
SopranoOneMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 |e''4 e e e }
SopranoOneLyrics = \lyricmode { Sop One ly -- rics }
SopranoTwoMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 | c''4 c c c }
SopranoTwoLyrics = \lyricmode { Sop Two ly -- rics }
AltoOneMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 | g'4 g g g8 g }
AltoOneLyrics = \lyricmode { Al -- to One ly -- rics }
AltoTwoMusic = \relative { s1 | s1 | e'4 e e e8 e }
AltoTwoLyrics = \lyricmode { Al -- to Two ly -- rics }
\layout { ragged-right = ##t }
\include "ssaattbb.ly"

[image of music]

The complete set of variables which may be changed can be seen by examining the file ‘ly/ssaattbb.ly’, see Other sources of information.

See also

Learning Manual: Organizing pieces with variables, Vocal ensembles templates, Extending the templates, Other sources of information.

Known issues and warnings

The setting of the various ...TwoVoicesPerStaff variables apply for the entire duration of the score: they cannot be given different values at different times.

More complex arrangements of 8-part choral music are not possible with this simple built-in template.


LilyPond — Learning Manual v2.24.4 (stable-branch).