7.3.1 Setting simple songs

The easiest way to add lyrics to a melody is to append

\addlyrics { the lyrics }

to a melody. Here is an example,

     \time 3/4
     \relative { c2 e4 g2. }
     \addlyrics { play the game }

More stanzas can be added by adding more \addlyrics sections

     \time 3/4
     \relative { c2 e4 g2. }
     \addlyrics { play the game }
     \addlyrics { speel het spel }
     \addlyrics { joue le jeu }

The \addlyrics command is actually just a convienient way to write a more complicated LilyPond structure that sets up the lyrics. You should use \addlyrics unless you need to do fancy things, in which case you should investigate \lyricsto or \lyricmode.

{ MUSIC }
\addlyrics { LYRICS }

is the same as

\context Voice = blah { music }
\lyricsto "blah" \new lyrics { LYRICS }

Bugs

\addlyrics cannot handle polyphony.

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