GNU LilyPond Notation Reference: 2.1.4 Specific uses of lyrics

### 2.1.4 Specific uses of lyrics

Often, different stanzas of one song are put to one melody in slightly differing ways. Such variations can still be captured with `\lyricsto`.

#### Divisi lyrics

You can display alternate (or divisi) lyrics by naming voice contexts and attaching lyrics to those specific contexts.

>     \score{ <<
>       \new Voice = "melody" {
>         \relative c' {
>           c4
>           <<
>             { \voiceOne c8 e }
>             \new Voice = "splitpart" { \voiceTwo c4 }
>           >>
>           \oneVoice c4 c | c
>         }
>       }
>       \new Lyrics \lyricsto "melody" { we shall not o- ver- come }
>       \new Lyrics \lyricsto "splitpart" { will }
>     >> }

You can use this trick to display different lyrics for a repeated section.

>     \score{ <<
>       \new Voice = "melody" \relative c' {
>         c2 e | g e | c1 |
>         \new Voice = "verse" \repeat volta 2 {c4 d e f | g1 | }
>         a2 b | c1}
>       \new Lyrics = "mainlyrics" \lyricsto melody \lyricmode {
>         do mi sol mi do
>         la si do }
>       \context Lyrics = "mainlyrics" \lyricsto verse \lyricmode {
>        do re mi fa sol }
>       \new Lyrics = "repeatlyrics" \lyricsto verse \lyricmode {
>        dodo rere mimi fafa solsol }
>     >>
>     }

#### Lyrics independent of notes

In some complex vocal music, it may be desirable to place lyrics completely independently of notes. Music defined inside `lyricrhythm` disappears into the `Devnull` context, but the rhythms can still be used to place the lyrics.

>     voice = {
>       c''2
>       \tag #'music { c''2 }
>       \tag #'lyricrhythm { c''4. c''8 }
>       d''1
>     }

>     lyr = \lyricmode { I like my cat! }

>     <<
>       \new Staff \keepWithTag #'music \voice
>       \new Devnull="nowhere" \keepWithTag #'lyricrhythm \voice
>       \new Lyrics \lyricsto "nowhere" \lyr
>       \new Staff { c'8 c' c' c' c' c' c' c'
>       c' c' c' c' c' c' c' c' }
>     >>

This method is recommended only if the music in the `Devnull` context does not contain melismata. Melismata are defined by the `Voice` context. Connecting lyrics to a `Devnull` context makes the voice/lyrics links to get lost, and so does the info on melismata. Therefore, if you link lyrics to a `Devnull` context, the implicit melismata get ignored.

#### Spacing out syllables

To increase the spacing between lyrics, set the minimum-distance property of LyricSpace.

>     {
>       c c c c
>       \override Lyrics.LyricSpace #'minimum-distance = #1.0
>       c c c c
>     }
>     \addlyrics {
>       longtext longtext longtext longtext
>       longtext longtext longtext longtext
>     }

To make this change for all lyrics in the score, set the property in the layout.

>     \score {
>       \relative c' {
>       c c c c
>       c c c c
>       }
>       \addlyrics {
>       longtext longtext longtext longtext
>       longtext longtext longtext longtext
>       }
>       \layout {
>         \context {
>           \Lyrics
>           \override LyricSpace #'minimum-distance = #1.0
>         }
>       }
>     }

#### Selected Snippets

Checking to make sure that text scripts and lyrics are within the margins is a relatively large computational task. To speed up processing, LilyPond does not perform such calculations by default; to enable it, use

>     \override Score.PaperColumn #'keep-inside-line = ##t

To make lyrics avoid bar lines as well, use

>     \layout {
>       \context {
>         \Lyrics
>           \consists "Bar_engraver"
>           \consists "Separating_line_group_engraver"
>           \override BarLine #'transparent = ##t
>       }
>     }

#### Centering lyrics between staves

TBC

Other languages: español, deutsch.

#### Notation Reference