Lemzwerg: Lemzwerg moved page Figured bass centered on whole notes to Figured bass centered horizontally on note heads without leaving a redirect

2026-07-13T15:49:35Z

Lemzwerg moved page Figured bass centered on whole notes to Figured bass centered horizontally on note heads without leaving a redirect

← Older revision	Revision as of 15:49, 13 July 2026
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Lemzwerg at 15:48, 13 July 2026

2026-07-13T15:48:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:48, 13 July 2026
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	Due to [https://gitlab.com/lilypond/lilypond/-/work_items/3172 LilyPond issue #3172], bass figures ~~are currently not centered automatically on~~ whole notes. Below you can find a solution (contributed by [https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2026-06/msg00250.html Tina Petzel]) that works around this ~~issue by~~		Due to [https://gitlab.com/lilypond/lilypond/-/work_items/3172 LilyPond issue #3172], the horizontal alignment of bass figures attached to whole notes is flawed. Below you can find a solution (contributed by [https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2026-06/msg00250.html Tina Petzel]) that works around this problem,

	* providing a replacement function <code>c-format-bass-figure</code> for the <code>figuredBassFormatter</code> property to center the base digit,		* providing a replacement function <code>c-format-bass-figure</code> for the <code>figuredBassFormatter</code> property to center the base digit,

Lemzwerg: Created page with "Due to [https://gitlab.com/lilypond/lilypond/-/work_items/3172 LilyPond issue #3172], bass figures are currently not centered automatically on whole notes. Below you can find a solution (contributed by [https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2026-06/msg00250.html Tina Petzel]) that works around this issue by * providing a replacement function `c-format-bass-figure` for the `figuredBassFormatter` property to center the base digit, * creati..."

2026-07-12T19:14:20Z

Created page with "Due to [https://gitlab.com/lilypond/lilypond/-/work_items/3172 LilyPond issue #3172], bass figures are currently not centered automatically on whole notes. Below you can find a solution (contributed by [https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2026-06/msg00250.html Tina Petzel]) that works around this issue by * providing a replacement function <code>c-format-bass-figure</code> for the <code>figuredBassFormatter</code> property to center the base digit, * creati..."

New page

Due to [https://gitlab.com/lilypond/lilypond/-/work_items/3172 LilyPond issue #3172], bass figures are currently not centered automatically on whole notes. Below you can find a solution (contributed by [https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2026-06/msg00250.html Tina Petzel]) that works around this issue by

* providing a replacement function <code>c-format-bass-figure</code> for the <code>figuredBassFormatter</code> property to center the base digit,
* creating a small engraver called <code>figures-to-note-column-engraver</code> that changes the X parent of bass figures to <code>NoteColumn</code> grobs, and
* setting some bass figure properties to center-align them with main note heads.

A convenience macro <code>\CenteredFiguredBass</code> is defined to do these tasks.

There are limitations, though. It is necessary that <code>figures-to-note-column-engraver</code> lives in a context that is an ancestor of both <code>Rhythmic_column_engraver</code> (typically part of <code>Voice</code>) and <code>Figured_bass_engraver</code>. Examples:

\new Staff \with { \CenteredFiguredBass }
<<
{ bass music }
\figuremode { figured bass }
>>

\new StaffGroup \with { \CenteredFiguredBass }
<<
\new Staff { ... }
\new FiguredBass { ... }
>>

In the rare case that you have multiple voices in the bass staff you might want to move the <code>Figured_bass_engraver</code> to <code>Voice</code>.

<lilypond version="2.26">
#(set-global-staff-size 26)

#(define-public (c-format-bass-figure figure event context)
(let* (;; User properties controlling the figured bass layout.
(figbass-alist
(ly:context-property context 'figuredBassPlusStrokedAlist))
(alt-dir
(ly:context-property context 'figuredBassAlterationDirection))
(plus-dir
(ly:context-property context 'figuredBassPlusDirection))
(augmented (ly:event-property event 'augmented))
(number-one (make-number-markup "1"))

;; The digit(s), horizontally positioned, or #f.
(fig-markup
(if (number? figure)
(make-center-align-markup
(cond
((eq? #t (ly:event-property event 'diminished))
(make-slashed-digit-markup figure))
((eq? #t (ly:event-property event 'augmented-slash))
;; Use specially stroked digit if available and wanted.
(or (and-let* (((<= 6 figure 9))
(glyph (assv-ref figbass-alist figure)))
(make-musicglyph-markup glyph))
(make-backslashed-digit-markup figure)))
((eq? #t augmented)
;; Use special digit with plus if available and wanted.
(or (and-let* (((>= 5 figure 2))
((eqv? plus-dir RIGHT))
(glyph (assv-ref figbass-alist figure)))
(set! augmented #f)
(make-musicglyph-markup glyph))
(make-number-markup (number->string figure 10))))
(else (make-number-markup (number->string figure 10)))))
#f))

(alt (ly:event-property event 'alteration))
(alt-bracket (ly:event-property event 'alteration-bracket #f))
;; The alteration, probably bracketed but not positioned yet,
;; or #f.
(alt-markup
(if (number? alt)
(let* ((acc (assoc-get alt (@@ (lily) figbass-accidental-alist)))
(acc-markup
(if acc
(make-number-markup (ly:wide-char->utf-8 acc))
(begin
(ly:warning
(G_ "no accidental glyph found for alteration ~a")
alt)
;; fallback
"?"))))
(if alt-bracket
(make-bracket-markup acc-markup)
acc-markup))
#f))

(plus-markup (if (eq? #t augmented)
(make-number-markup "+")
#f)))

(if (and (not alt-markup) alt-bracket)
(ly:programming-error
"Cannot put brackets around non-existent bass figure alteration."))

;; We treat a solitary alteration similarly to digits.
(if (and (not fig-markup) alt-markup)
(begin
(set! fig-markup
(make-center-align-markup alt-markup))
(set! alt-markup #f)))

;; We treat a solitary plus similarly to digits (but enlarged).
(if (and (not fig-markup) plus-markup)
(begin
(set! fig-markup
(make-align-on-other-markup
Y
CENTER number-one
CENTER
(make-center-align-markup
(make-fontsize-markup 3 plus-markup))))
(set! plus-markup #f)))

;; The alteration gets attached either to the left or the right of
;; the digit(s).
(if alt-markup
(set! fig-markup
(make-put-adjacent-markup
X (if (number? alt-dir)
alt-dir
LEFT)
fig-markup
(make-pad-x-markup 0.1 alt-markup))))

;; Ditto for the plus mark.
(if plus-markup
(set! fig-markup
(if fig-markup
(make-put-adjacent-markup
X (if (number? plus-dir)
plus-dir
LEFT)
fig-markup plus-markup)
plus-markup)))

(if (markup? fig-markup)
(make-fontsize-markup -5 fig-markup)
(make-null-markup))))

#(define (figures-to-note-column-engraver context)
(let ((figs '()) (nc #f))
(make-engraver
(acknowledgers
((bass-figure-interface engraver grob source)
(set! figs (cons grob figs)))
((note-column-interface engraver grob source)
(set! nc grob)))
((process-acknowledged engraver)
(if nc
(for-each
(lambda (g)
(ly:grob-set-parent! g X nc))
figs))
(set! nc #f)
(set! figs '())))))

CenteredFiguredBass = \with {
\consists #figures-to-note-column-engraver
\override BassFigure.X-align-on-main-noteheads = ##t
\override BassFigure.parent-alignment-X = #CENTER
\override BassFigure.X-offset =
#ly:self-alignment-interface::aligned-on-x-parent
figuredBassFormatter = #c-format-bass-figure
}

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\new Staff \with { \CenteredFiguredBass }
<<
{ c'1 4 8 8 }
\figuremode {
\override Staff.BassFigureAlignment.stacking-dir = #DOWN
<15- 7+ 6/ 4\+ 3- _+ _\+>1 4 8 8
}
>>

\new StaffGroup \with { \CenteredFiguredBass }
<<
% To make the figured bass stuff appear in the source file
% before the music we have to initialize the `Staff` context
% first (and fill it later).
\new Staff = "mystaff"
\figuremode {
\override Staff.BassFigureAlignment.stacking-dir = #UP
% Work around issue #6552, fixing bracket positions.
\override Staff.BassFigureAlignmentPositioning
.outside-staff-priority = ##f
<3 [5 7]>8
<3\+ [5/] 7/ [9 11]>
<3+ 5- 7!>
<3 _! 5 _- 7>
<3 _\+ 5 _ 7>
<3 6/ >
<3 6\\ >
<6> |
<3 [5 7]>1
}
\context Staff = "mystaff" {
\clef bass
c4 c c'8 c c16 c c c | c1
}
>>

\new StaffGroup \with { \CenteredFiguredBass }
<<
\new Staff = "mystaff" {
\clef bass
c4 c f,8 c c16 c c c | c1
}
\figuremode {
\override Staff.BassFigureAlignment.stacking-dir = #UP
\override Staff.BassFigureAlignmentPositioning.direction = #DOWN
% Work around issue #6552, fixing bracket positions.
\override Staff.BassFigureAlignmentPositioning
.outside-staff-priority = ##f
<3 [5 7]>8
<3\+ [5/] 7/ [9 11]>
<3+ 5- 7!>
<3 _! 5 _- 7>
<3 _\+ 5 _ 7>
<3 6/ >
<3 6\\ >
<6> |
<3 [5 7]>1
}
>>
</lilypond>

[[Category:Ancient notation]]
[[Category:Chords]]
[[Category:Workaround]]
[[Category:Snippet]]

Figured bass centered horizontally on note heads - Revision history

Lemzwerg: Lemzwerg moved page Figured bass centered on whole notes to Figured bass centered horizontally on note heads without leaving a redirect

Lemzwerg at 15:48, 13 July 2026