Gabriel Ellsworth: Created page with "This snippet shows how, in music with lyrics, you can align lyrics based on where vowels fall within `LyricText` items. In each measure of this snippet, '''the first note demonstrates the use of these functions''', and the second note shows LilyPond’s default alignment. '''Source:''' Solution by Kieren MacMillan posted to the mailing list [https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2026-01/msg00334.html in this thread]. The code for this solution was..."

2026-04-30T16:27:34Z

Created page with "This snippet shows how, in music with lyrics, you can align lyrics based on where vowels fall within <code>LyricText</code> items. In each measure of this snippet, '''the first note demonstrates the use of these functions''', and the second note shows LilyPond’s default alignment. '''Source:''' Solution by Kieren MacMillan posted to the mailing list [https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2026-01/msg00334.html in this thread]. The code for this solution was..."

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This snippet shows how, in music with lyrics, you can align lyrics based on where vowels fall within <code>LyricText</code> items.

In each measure of this snippet, '''the first note demonstrates the use of these functions''', and the second note shows LilyPond’s default alignment.

'''Source:''' Solution by Kieren MacMillan posted to the mailing list [https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2026-01/msg00334.html in this thread]. The code for this solution was inspired by [[Center lyric syllables (ignoring punctuation)]].

<lilypond version="2.26">
% View this snippet online:
% https://wiki.lilypond.community/wiki/Aligning_lyrics_based_on_vowels

% Define the set of characters that will be
% classified as vowels for these commands:
#(define vowel-set
(list->char-set
(string->list "AÁÀÃÂÆǼEÉÈÊIÍÌÎOÓÒÕÔŒU
ÚÙÛYaáàãâæǽeéèêiíìîoóòõôœuúùûy")))
% Tweak this set based on your needs.
% For example, if your lyrics are in a language
% in which ⟨y⟩ is *always* pronounced as a vowel,
% you will want to make sure that Y and y are in your list.

% This function returns the width of the
% grob (stencil) for a given piece of text.
#(define (width grob text)
(let* ((X-extent
(ly:stencil-extent (grob-interpret-markup grob text) X)))
(if (interval-empty? X-extent)
0
(cdr X-extent))))

% This callback sets the alignment point of a LyricText grob
% to the centre of the first vowel that it contains.
#(define (center-on-first-vowel grob)
(let* ((text (ly:grob-property-data grob 'text))
(syllable (markup->string text))
(vowel-position
(if (string-index syllable vowel-set)
(string-index syllable vowel-set)
0))
(vowel-end
(if (string-index syllable vowel-set)
(+ (string-index syllable vowel-set) 1)
(string-length syllable)))
(preword (substring syllable 0 vowel-position))
(word (substring syllable vowel-position vowel-end))
(preword-width (width grob preword))
(word-width (width grob
(if (string-null? syllable) text word)))
(note-column (ly:grob-parent grob X))
(note-column-extent (ly:grob-extent
note-column note-column X))
(note-column-width (interval-length note-column-extent))
(self-X (ly:grob-property-data grob 'self-alignment-X)))
(-
(*
(/ (- note-column-width word-width) 2)
(1+ (if (procedure? self-X) (self-X grob) self-X)))
preword-width)))

% This callback sets the alignment point of a LyricText grob
% to the point midway between its first and last vowels.
#(define (center-between-vowels grob)
(let* ((text (ly:grob-property-data grob 'text))
(syllable (markup->string text))
(word-position
(if (string-index syllable vowel-set)
(string-index syllable vowel-set)
0))
(word-end
(if (string-index-right syllable vowel-set)
(+ (string-index-right syllable vowel-set) 1)
(string-length syllable)))
(preword (substring syllable 0 word-position))
(word (substring syllable word-position word-end))
(preword-width (width grob preword))
(word-width (width grob
(if (string-null? syllable) text word)))
(note-column (ly:grob-parent grob X))
(note-column-extent (ly:grob-extent
note-column note-column X))
(note-column-width (interval-length note-column-extent))
(self-X (ly:grob-property-data grob 'self-alignment-X)))

(-
(*
(/ (- note-column-width word-width) 2)
(1+ (if (procedure? self-X) (self-X grob) self-X)))
preword-width)))

% Helper functions that use the above code:
cvs = \once \override LyricText.X-offset = #center-between-vowels
cfv = \once \override LyricText.X-offset = #center-on-first-vowel

\fixed c' {
\*8 { f2 f }
% The command \* requires
% version 2.25 or later.
% For version 2.24, use
% \repeat unfold 8
}

\addlyrics {
\cfv piste piste
\cfv “O—!!!” “O—!!!”
\cvs “O—!!!” “O—!!!”
\cfv blessed blessed
\cfv heaven heaven
\cvs heav’n heav’n
\cvs youths youths
\cvs each each
}
</lilypond>

If you want to apply one of these functions globally, you can place either of the following in your <code>\layout</code> block:
<br>
<code>\override Score.LyricText.X-offset = #center-between-vowels
</code>
<br>
<code>\override Score.LyricText.X-offset = #center-on-first-vowel</code>

If you then need to switch off the function locally, use <code>\once \revert LyricText.X-offset</code>.
[[Category:Vocal music]]
[[Category:Text]]
[[Category:Tweaks and overrides]]
[[Category:Scheme]]
[[Category:Spacing]]
[[Category:Snippet]]

Aligning lyrics based on vowels - Revision history