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Node:Repeat syntax, Next:Manual repeat commands, Up:Repeats

Repeat syntax

The syntax for repeats is

  \repeat variant repeatcount repeatbody

If you have alternative endings, you may add

 \alternative { alternative1
            alternative2
            alternative3 ... }

Normal notation repeats are used like this:

  c'1
  \repeat volta 2 { c'4 d' e' f' }
  \repeat volta 2 { f' e' d' c' }

With alternative endings:

  c'1
  \repeat volta 2 {c'4 d' e' f'}
  \alternative { {d'2 d'} {f' f} }

Folded repeats look like this:

  c'1
  \repeat fold 2 {c'4 d' e' f'}
  \alternative { {d'2 d'} {f' f} }

If you don't give enough alternatives for all of the repeats, then the first alternative is assumed to be repeated often enough to equal the specified number of repeats.

\context Staff {
  \relative c' {
    \partial 4
    \repeat volta 4 { e | c2 d2 | e2 f2 | }
    \alternative { { g4 g g } { a | a a a a | b2. } }
  }
}

BUGS

Notice that timing information is not remembered at the start of an alternative, so you have to reset timing information after a repeat, e.g. using a bar-check (See Bar check), setting Score.measurePosition or entering \partial. Slurs or ties are also not repeated.

It is possible to nest \repeats, although this probably is only meaningful for unfolded repeats.

Folded repeats offer little more over simultaneous music. However, it is to be expected that more functionality - especially for the MIDI backend - will be implemented at some point in the future.

Volta repeats are printed over all staffs in a score. You must turn them off explicitly, for example by doing

  \property Staff.VoltaBracket = \turnOff

Please send GNU LilyPond questions and comments to lilypond-user@gnu.org.

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Copyright (c) 1997--2001 Han-Wen Nienhuys and Jan Nieuwenhuizen.

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