New Song

[github-learning-lab]

Welcome to Notating with LilyPond!

LilyPond is an open source music notation technology. With LilyPond, music can be notated in non-binary files with numbers and symbols, just like code.

In this course, we're going to practice some of the fundamental ways to notate music with LilyPond, like:

• Pitches
• Rhythms
• Time signature
• Key signature
• Accidentals
• Dynamic markings

Before you start this course, you may want to be familiar with a few concepts, like melody and rhythm notation in traditional western music. This course is not about how music is notated - it's about how to notate music with LilyPond.

Notating pitch with LilyPond

LilyPond uses the alphabetical note names to determine pitch. In this pull request, we see:

  c8\mf c g' b
  a a <g d>4
  f4 f e e
  d d c2

Some of these letters, numbers, and symbols represent things related to the notes, and some represent pitches. The letters that represent pitches are:

  c c g b
  a a <g d>
  f f e e
  d d c

We'll talk about some of the other symbols later on.

Our project right now

We have created a version of the song in its current form, and you can listen to it here.

Right now, the compiled piece would look like this:

You can also see and play the file on LilyBin.

Step 1: Fix a note

This pull request introduces a file called twinkle-twinkle.ly. This file is the notation of the melody from "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". But, a few things are wrong. You'll notice that a note is wrong, and a rhythm is wrong - we'll fix the rhythm later. First, correct the note so it matches the traditional melody.

⌨️ Activity: Fix a note

1. Edit the twinkle-twinkle.ly file on this branch
2. Identify and correct the note in the pattern
3. Save and commit your changes to this branch

I'll respond when I detect a new commit on this branch.

[github-learning-lab]

I wasn't able to find that you added the proper note!

I'm specifically looking for the following line:

  c8\mf c g' g

I'll respond when I detect a new commit on this branch.

[github-learning-lab]

Rhythm with LilyPond

Our project right now

We have created a version of the song in its current form, and you can listen to it here.

Right now, the compiled piece would look like this:

You can also see and play the file on LilyBin.

Rhythm

In LilyPond, rhythm is dictated through symbols. As stated in LilyPond's documentation,

Durations are designated by numbers and dots, and entered as their reciprocal values. For example, a quarter note is entered using a 4 (since it is a 1/4 note), and a half note is entered using a 2 (since it is a 1/2 note). For notes longer than a whole you must use the \longa (a double breve) and \breve commands. Durations as short as 128th notes may be specified. Shorter values are possible, but only as beamed notes.

Rhythm in Twinkle Twinkle

The duration of each note is defined with a number in the same block with the pitches. For twinkle twinkle little star, the long version would look like:

{
  c8\mf c8 g'8 b8
  a8 a8 <g d>4
  f4 f4 e4 e4
  d4 d4 c2
}

If a pitch doesn't have a specific number (duration), it assumes the duration of the pitch before it. You may notice that there isn't a number after every letter (pitch)! In our example, we see:

{
  c8\mf c g' b
  a a <g d>4
  f4 f e e
  d d c2
}

Step 2: Correct the rhythm

If you sing, play, or read this music as it currently is, you will notice that the harmonic rhythm changes in the second bar (the song slows down to half speed). Edit the rhythm to continue the notation pattern from the first measure.

⌨️ Activity: Fix a rhythm

1. Edit the twinkle-twinkle.ly file on this branch
2. Identify and correct the rhythm in the pattern
3. Save and commit your changes to this branch

I'll respond when I detect a new commit on this branch.