Upbeats

Partial or pickup measures, such as an anacrusis or an upbeat, are entered using the \partial command:

\partial duration

When \partial is used at the beginning of a score, duration is the length of the music preceding the first bar.

\relative {
  \time 3/4
  \partial 4.
  r4 e'8 | a4 c8 b c4 |
}

When \partial is used after the beginning of a score, duration is the remaining length of the current measure. It does not create a new numbered bar.

\relative {
  \set Score.barNumberVisibility = #all-bar-numbers-visible
  \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility =
	    #end-of-line-invisible
  \time 9/8
  d''4.~ 4 d8 d( c) b | c4.~ 4. \bar "||"
  \time 12/8
  \partial 4.
  c8( d) e | f2.~ 4 f8 a,( c) f |
}

The \partial command is required when the time signature changes in mid measure, but it may also be used alone.

\relative {
  \set Score.barNumberVisibility = #all-bar-numbers-visible
  \override Score.BarNumber.break-visibility =
	    #end-of-line-invisible
  \time 6/8
  \partial 8
  e'8 | a4 c8 b[ c b] |
  \partial 4
  r8 e,8 | a4 \bar "||"
  \partial 4
  r8 e8 | a4
  c8 b[ c b] |
}

The \partial command sets the Timing.measurePosition property, which is a rational number that indicates how much of the measure has passed.

For technical reasons, the argument to \partial cannot be a zero-length duration (like \partial 4*0).

See also

Music Glossary: anacrusis.

Notation Reference: Grace notes.

Snippets: Rhythms.

Internal Reference: Timing_translator.

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LilyPond Notation Reference v2.25.15 (development-branch).