[ << Tweaks and overrides ]	[Top][Contents]	[ Paper and layout >> ]
[ < Setting system separators ]	[ Up : Tweaks and overrides ]	[ String number extender lines > ]

---

Showing the same articulation above and below a note or chord

By default, LilyPond does not allow the same articulation (e.g., an accent, a fermata, a flageolet, etc.) to be displayed above and below a note. For example, c4_\fermata^\fermata only shows a fermata below. The fermata above gets simply ignored.

However, one can stick scripts (just like fingerings) inside a chord, which means it is possible to have as many articulations as desired. This approach has the advantage that it ignores the stem and positions the articulation relative to the note head. This can be seen in the case of the flageolets in the snippet. To mimic the behaviour of scripts outside a chord, 'add-stem-support would be required.

The solution is thus to write the note as a chord and add the articulations inside of <...>, using the direction modifiers ^ and _ as appropriate.

\relative c' {
  <>^"Wrong"
  c2_\fermata^\fermata % The second fermata is ignored!
  <e d'>2^\flageolet_\flageolet

  \stopStaff s1 \startStaff

  <>^"Works if written inside a chord"
  <e_\flageolet d'^\flageolet>2
  <e_\flageolet d'^\flageolet>2
  <e_\flageolet^\flageolet>2
  <e_\fermata^\fermata>2
}