Absolute Beginners - Anacrusis

[Manuel]

This is to invite criticism for the "anacrusis" part of the chapter, which I added towards the end.

Manuel

( ... )

As a last thing in our little first beginners' chapter, we'll give you the tool for beginning your melodies with an anacrusis or "upbeat". This is the

\partial

command. If you need, say, a quarter-note anacrusis, you type "quarter note" - "asterisk" - "one" after the commad, in this way:

\partial 4*1

For example:

\relative 

{

\clef treble 

\key c \major

\time 4/4

\partial 4*1

b c d e f g a b c }

(insert graphic here)

For an anacrusis of five 16th. notes, or "semiquavers", type:

\relative 

{

\clef treble 

\key c \major

\time 4/4

\partial 16*5 

d16 b c d b c4 d e f g a b c }

These commands will work right for any equivalent rhythmic value, e.g. in this last case:

\relative 

{

\clef treble 

\key c \major

\time 4/4

\partial 16*5 

d16 b4 c d e f g a b c }

(insert graphic here)

You just have to set the rhythmic value of the whole anacrusis in this way:

\partial x * y

where "x" stands for a rhythmic value - like "4" for a quarter note - and "y" stands for the quantity of those, like "1" . Thus 

\partial 4*1

 will give you an anacrusis of a quarter note, or two eighth notes, etc.

( ... )