Re: Centering common lyrics vertically

[Francisco Vila]

2007/12/18, Hannes Kuhnert <address@hidden>:
> I have lyrics in two staves and also common lyrics for both staves and I'd
> like to have that common lyrics vertically centered. I don't know yet how to
> do that. It would be easy if the number of staves was odd …
>
> I haven't found anything suitable in the snippet directory, but I have two
> ideas for getting it done:
>
> • One could use a third lyrics context for the common lyrics and get that
> context in the right position.
>
> • One could put the common lyrics in one of the staves and move that parts a
> bit up or down to get it centered.
>
> Can anyone tell my how to do that or something different to get the lyrics
> centered?

This is very possible and there are tricks to do it. This example
comes from Valentin Villenave, I think.

%begin
\version "2.11.34"

%\include "english.ly"
%leftbrace = \markup { \override #'(font-encoding . fetaBraces)
\lookup #"brace240" }
%rightbrace = \markup { \rotate #180 \leftbrace }

dropLyrics =
{
    \override LyricText #'extra-offset = #'(0 . -5)
    \override LyricHyphen #'extra-offset = #'(0 . -5)
    \override LyricExtender #'extra-offset = #'(0 . -5)
}

raiseLyrics =
{
    \revert LyricText #'extra-offset
    \revert LyricHyphen #'extra-offset
    \revert LyricExtender #'extra-offset
}

skipFour = \repeat unfold 4 { \skip 8 }

lyricsA = \lyricmode { The first verse has \dropLyrics the com -- mon
__ words \raiseLyrics used in all four. }
lyricsB = \lyricmode { In stan -- za two, \skipFour al -- so ap -- pear. }
lyricsC = \lyricmode { By the third verse, \skipFour are get -- ting dull. }
lyricsD = \lyricmode { Last stan -- za, and \skipFour get used once more. }

melody = \relative c' { c4 d e f g f e8( e f) d4 c e d c }

\score
{
        <<
                \new Voice = m \melody
                \new Lyrics \lyricsto m \lyricsA
                \new Lyrics \lyricsto m \lyricsB
                \new Lyrics \lyricsto m \lyricsC
                \new Lyrics \lyricsto m \lyricsD
        >>
}
%end

I'm pretty sure that you'll want the common lyrics to be higher (i.e.
not centered but right below the staff) whnenever they are alone in a
system. And you'll want to do it automatically, this is: that LP
detects automatically when a system break has occurred and change the
baseline of the lyrics fot itself. This would be possible but very
deep knowledge of scheme is needed so I am out of this matter (still)


-- 
Francisco Vila. Badajoz (Spain)
http://www.paconet.org