Key signatures for small staves: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 18:11, 18 March 2026

Traditionally, the spacing of key signatures in smaller staves is larger in comparison to full-size staves.

Here is a function that extends \magnifyStaff to automatically calculate the right key signature spacing according to the staff size.

\version "2.24"

scaleStaff =
#(define-music-function (scaleFac) (number?)
  #{
    \magnifyStaff #scaleFac
    \override KeySignature.padding = #(* 2/3 (- 1 scaleFac))
  #})

keyTest = { \key cis\major s4*4 \bar "" }

\markup\italic "Default output:"
<<
  \new Staff \with { \magnifyStaff #5/7 } \keyTest
  \new Staff \keyTest
>>

\markup\italic "Traditional output:"
<<
  \new Staff \with { \scaleStaff #5/7 } \keyTest
  \new Staff \keyTest
>>

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Traditionally, smaller staves key signature spacing is slightly different than full size staves ones.
+Traditionally, the spacing of key signatures in smaller staves is larger in comparison to full-size staves.
-Here's a function that automatically calculates the right key signature spacing according to the staff size.
+Here is a function that extends <code>\magnifyStaff</code> to automatically calculate the right key signature spacing according to the staff size.
-<lilypond version="2.24" full>
+<lilypond version="2.24">
-%% => http://lsr.di.unimi.it/LSR/Item?id=1094
+scaleStaff =
+#(define-music-function (scaleFac) (number?)
-%% This extends \staffSize as defined in
-%% "Changing the size of a staff with a music function"
-%% http://lsr.di.unimi.it/LSR/Item?id=862
-staffSize = #(define-music-function (new-size) (number?)
    #{
-     \set fontSize = #new-size
+     \magnifyStaff #scaleFac
-    \override StaffSymbol.staff-space = #(magstep new-size)
+     \override KeySignature.padding = #(* 2/3 (- 1 scaleFac))
-    \override StaffSymbol.thickness = #(magstep new-size)
-     \override KeySignature.padding = #(* 2/3 (- 1 (magstep new-size)))
    #})
@@ Line 21: / Line 15: @@
 \markup\italic "Default output:"
 <<
-   \new Staff \with {
+   \new Staff \with { \magnifyStaff #5/7 } \keyTest
-    fontSize = #-3
+   \new Staff \keyTest
-    \override StaffSymbol.staff-space = #(magstep -3)
-    \override StaffSymbol.thickness = #(magstep -3)
-  } \keyTest
-   \new Staff \keyTest
 >>
 \markup\italic "Traditional output:"
 <<
-   \new Staff \with { \staffSize #-3 } \keyTest
+   \new Staff \with { \scaleStaff #5/7 } \keyTest
-  \new Staff \keyTest
->>
-%{
-% For v.2.19 and higher:
-scaleStaff = #(define-music-function (scaleFac) (number?)
-                 #{
-                   \magnifyStaff #scaleFac
-                   \override KeySignature.padding = #(* 2/3 (- 1 scaleFac))
-                 #})
-sizeTest = #5/7
-keyTest = { \key cis\major s4*4 \bar "" }
-<<
-  \new Staff \with { \scaleStaff #sizeTest } \keyTest
    \new Staff \keyTest
 >>
- %}
-\paper { tagline = ##f }
 </lilypond>
@@ Line 61: / Line 29: @@
 [[Category:Vocal music]]
 [[Category:Spacing]]
-[[Category:Contexts and engravers]]
 [[Category:Tweaks and overrides]]
 [[Category:Specific notation]]
 [[Category:Workaround]]
+[[Category:Snippet]]