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Using the break-alignable-interface

Rehearsal marks, text marks, bar numbers, and more generally all objects with break-alignable-interface, collectively referred to as “break-alignable objects”, may be aligned with notation objects such as bar lines, key signatures, time signatures, and generally any object with break-aligned-interface. To be more precise, break-aligned items have a break-align-symbol property, providing symbols that can be used as ‘anchor points’ for other objects via the break-align-symbols property. See break-alignment-interface, for a complete list of available symbols.

Each type of object has its own default reference point, to which break-alignable items are aligned:

\override Score.TextMark.self-alignment-X = #CENTER
% The text mark will be aligned
% to the right edge of the clef
\override Score.TextMark.break-align-symbols =
            #'(clef)
\key a \major
\clef treble
\textMark "↓"
e'1
% The text mark will be aligned
% to the left edge of the time signature
\override Score.TextMark.break-align-symbols =
            #'(time-signature)
\key a \major
\clef treble
\time 3/4
\textMark "↓"
e'2.
% The text mark will be centered
% above the breathing mark
\override Score.TextMark.break-align-symbols =
            #'(breathing-sign)
\key a \major
\clef treble
\time 4/4
e'1
\breathe
\textEndMark "↓"

A list of possible target alignment objects may be specified. If some of the objects are invisible at that point due to the setting of break-visibility or the explicit visibility settings for keys and clefs, the rehearsal mark or bar number is aligned to the first object in the list which is visible. If no objects in the list are visible the object is aligned to the bar line. If the bar line is invisible the object is aligned to the place where the bar line would be.

\override Score.TextMark.self-alignment-X = #CENTER
% The text mark will be aligned
% to the right edge of the key signature
\override Score.TextMark.break-align-symbols =
            #'(key-signature clef)
\key a \major
\clef treble
\textMark "↓"
e'1
% The text mark will be aligned
% to the right edge of the clef
\set Staff.explicitKeySignatureVisibility = #all-invisible
\override Score.TextMark.break-align-symbols =
            #'(key-signature clef)
\key a \major
\clef bass
\textMark "↓"
gis,1
% The text mark will be centered
% above the bar line
\set Staff.explicitKeySignatureVisibility = #all-invisible
\set Staff.explicitClefVisibility = #all-invisible
\override Score.TextMark.break-align-symbols =
            #'(key-signature clef)
\key a \major
\clef treble
\textMark "↓"
e'1

The alignment of the break-alignable item relative to the notation object can be changed, as shown in the following example. In a score with multiple staves, this setting should be done for all the staves.

\override Score.TextMark.self-alignment-X = #CENTER
% The text mark will be aligned
% with the right edge of the key signature
\override Score.TextMark.break-align-symbols =
            #'(key-signature)
\key a \major
\clef treble
\time 4/4
\textMark "↓"
e'1
% The text mark will be centered
% above the key signature
\once \override Score.KeySignature.break-align-anchor-alignment =
                  #CENTER
\textMark "↓"
\key a \major
e'1
% The text mark will be aligned
% with the left edge of the key signature
\once \override Score.KeySignature.break-align-anchor-alignment =
                  #LEFT
\key a \major
\textMark "↓"
e'1

The break-alignable item can also be offset to the right or left of the left edge by an arbitrary amount. The units are staff spaces:

\override Score.TextMark.self-alignment-X = #CENTER
% The text mark will be aligned
% with the left edge of the key signature
% and then shifted right by 3.5 staff spaces
\override Score.TextMark.break-align-symbols =
            #'(key-signature)
\once \override Score.KeySignature.break-align-anchor = 3.5
\key a \major
\textMark "↓"
e'1
% The text mark will be aligned
% with the left edge of the key signature
% and then shifted left by 2 staff spaces
\once \override Score.KeySignature.break-align-anchor = -2
\key a \major
\textMark "↓"
e'1