Woodwind diagrams

Woodwind diagrams can be used to indicate the fingering to be used for specific notes and are available for the following instruments:

Woodwind diagrams are created as markups:

c''1^\markup {
  \woodwind-diagram #'piccolo #'((lh . (gis))
                                 (cc . (one three))
                                 (rh . (ees)))
}

[image of music]

Keys can be open, partially-covered, ring-depressed, or fully covered. The angle of partially-covered keys can be specified:

\markup \override #'(baseline-skip . 22) \column {
  \override #'(baseline-skip . 2.5) \fill-line {
    ""
    \raise #1.2 \center-column { "one" "quarter" }
    \raise #1.2 \center-column { "one" "half" }
    \raise #1.2 \center-column { "three" "quarter" }
    "ring"
    "full"
    \raise #1.2 \center-column { "one half," "vertical" }
    ""
  }
  \fill-line {
    ""
    \woodwind-diagram #'flute #'((cc . (one1q))
                                 (lh . ())
                                 (rh . ()))
    \woodwind-diagram #'flute #'((cc . (one1h))
                                 (lh . ())
                                 (rh . ()))
    \woodwind-diagram #'flute #'((cc . (one3q))
                                 (lh . ())
                                 (rh . ()))
    \woodwind-diagram #'flute #'((cc . (oneR))
                                 (lh . ())
                                 (rh . ()))
    \woodwind-diagram #'flute #'((cc . (oneF two))
                                 (lh . ())
                                 (rh . ()))
    \override #'(woodwind-diagram-details . ((fill-angle . 90)))
    \woodwind-diagram #'flute #'((cc . (one1h))
                                 (lh . ())
                                 (rh . ()))
    ""
  }
}

[image of music]

Trills are indicated as shaded keys, or in non-graphical mode, as either circled (the default) or shaded text:

\markup {
  \override #'(baseline-skip . 20)
  \override #'(line-width . 50)
  \column {
    \fill-line {
      ""
      "standard"
      "circled"
      "shaded"
      ""
    }
    \fill-line {
      ""
      \woodwind-diagram #'bass-clarinet
                        #'((cc . (threeT four))
                           (lh . ())
                           (rh . (b fis)))
      \override #'(graphical . #f)
      \woodwind-diagram #'bass-clarinet
                        #'((cc . (threeT four))
                           (lh . ())
                           (rh . (b fisT)))
      \override #'(graphical . #f)
      \override #'(woodwind-diagram-details
                   . ((text-trill-circled . #f)))
      \woodwind-diagram #'bass-clarinet
                        #'((cc . (threeT four))
                           (lh . ())
                           (rh . (b fisT)))
      ""
    }
  }
}

[image of music]

A variety of trills can be displayed:

\markup {
  \override #'(baseline-skip . 22)
  \column {
    \override #'(baseline-skip . 2.5) \fill-line {
      ""
      \center-column { "one quarter" "to ring" }
      \center-column { "ring" "to shut" }
      \center-column { "ring" "to open" }
      \center-column { "open" "to shut" }
      \center-column { "one quarter to" "three quarters" }
      ""
    }
    \fill-line {
      ""
      \woodwind-diagram #'flute #'((cc . (one1qTR))
                                   (lh . ())
                                   (rh . ()))
      \woodwind-diagram #'flute #'((cc . (oneTR))
                                   (lh . ())
                                   (rh . ()))
      \woodwind-diagram #'flute #'((cc . (oneRT))
                                   (lh . ())
                                   (rh . ()))
      \woodwind-diagram #'flute #'((cc . (oneT))
                                   (lh . ())
                                   (rh . ()))
      \woodwind-diagram #'flute #'((cc . (one1qT3q))
                                   (lh . ())
                                   (rh . ()))
      ""
    }
  }
}

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The list of all possible keys and settings for a given instrument can be displayed on the console using #(print-keys-verbose 'flute) or in the log file using #(print-keys-verbose 'flute (current-error-port)), although they will not show up in the music output.

Creating new diagrams is possible, although this will require Scheme ability and may not be accessible to all users. The patterns for the diagrams are in files scm/define-woodwind-diagrams.scm and scm/display-woodwind-diagrams.scm.

Selected Snippets

Woodwind diagrams listing

The following music shows all of the woodwind diagrams currently defined in LilyPond.

\layout {
  indent = 0
}

\relative c' {
  \textLengthOn
  c1^
  \markup {
    \center-column {
      'tin-whistle
      " "
       \woodwind-diagram
                  #'tin-whistle
                  #'()
    }
  }

  c1^
  \markup {
    \center-column {
      'piccolo
      " "
       \woodwind-diagram
                  #'piccolo
                  #'()
    }
  }

  c1^
  \markup {
    \center-column {
       'flute
       " "
       \woodwind-diagram
          #'flute
          #'()
    }
  }
  c1^\markup {
    \center-column {
      'oboe
      " "
      \woodwind-diagram
        #'oboe
        #'()
    }
  }

  c1^\markup {
    \center-column {
      'clarinet
      " "
      \woodwind-diagram
        #'clarinet
        #'()
    }
  }

  c1^\markup {
    \center-column {
      'bass-clarinet
      " "
      \woodwind-diagram
        #'bass-clarinet
        #'()
    }
  }

  c1^\markup {
    \center-column {
      'saxophone
      " "
      \woodwind-diagram
        #'saxophone
        #'()
    }
  }

  c1^\markup {
    \center-column {
      'bassoon
      " "
      \woodwind-diagram
        #'bassoon
        #'()
    }
  }

  c1^\markup {
    \center-column {
      'contrabassoon
      " "
      \woodwind-diagram
        #'contrabassoon
        #'()
    }
  }
}

[image of music]

Graphical and text woodwind diagrams

In many cases, the keys other than the central column can be displayed by key name as well as by graphical means.

\relative c'' {
  \textLengthOn
  c1^\markup
    \woodwind-diagram
      #'piccolo
      #'((cc . (one three))
         (lh . (gis))
         (rh . (ees)))

  c^\markup
    \override #'(graphical . #f) {
      \woodwind-diagram
        #'piccolo
        #'((cc . (one three))
           (lh . (gis))
           (rh . (ees)))
    }
}

[image of music]

Changing the size of woodwind diagrams

The size and thickness of woodwind diagrams can be changed.

\relative c'' {
  \textLengthOn
  c1^\markup
    \woodwind-diagram
      #'piccolo
      #'()

  c^\markup
    \override #'(size . 1.5) {
      \woodwind-diagram
        #'piccolo
        #'()
    }
  c^\markup
    \override #'(thickness . 0.15) {
      \woodwind-diagram
        #'piccolo
        #'()
    }
}

[image of music]

Woodwind diagrams key lists

The snippet below produces a list of all possible keys and key settings for woodwind diagrams as defined in scm/define-woodwind-diagrams.scm. The list will be displayed in the log file, but not in the music. If output to the console is wanted, omit the (current-error-port) from the commands.

#(print-keys-verbose 'piccolo (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'flute (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'flute-b-extension (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'tin-whistle (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'oboe (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'clarinet (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'bass-clarinet (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'low-bass-clarinet (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'saxophone (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'soprano-saxophone (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'alto-saxophone (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'tenor-saxophone (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'baritone-saxophone (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'bassoon (current-error-port))
#(print-keys-verbose 'contrabassoon (current-error-port))

\score {c''1}

[image of music]

See also

Installed Files: scm/define-woodwind-diagrams.scm,
scm/display-woodwind-diagrams.scm.

Snippets: Winds.

Internals Reference: TextScript, instrument-specific-markup-interface.


LilyPond Notation Reference v2.25.20 (development-branch).