Pipe-band snare drums
Writing parts for pipe-band snare drums (e.g. in Scottish traditional music) can be very specific.
To make it simpler, here are a few tailor-made definitions that you can save as a separate file (named "scottish-drums.ily" for example) and then include in each of your drum scores.
\version "2.24.0"
%{
LilyPond file definitions for Highland snare drum scores.
Version 2.0
Originally contributed by Simon Froger, with help from
Pierre Perol-Schneider and Gilles Thibault.
Please save the following definitions as scottish-drums.ily
and add this line to your score:
\include "[path]/scottish-drums.ily"
Music should then be written inside
\new DrumStaff {
\drummode {
[music]
}
}
or by using the \drums { [music] } shortcut.
QUICK GUIDE:
d: (`droit’) right hand stroke
g: (`gauche’) left hand stroke
21
->: accent
\v: strong accent
FLA and DRAG are to be inserted *before* the note.
RA takes the following note as an argument,
optionally preceded by a number to be
printed as the tremolo count.
%}
% note names definition:
% d for the right hand, g for the left one.
drumPitchNames =
#(append
'((d . main-droite)
(g . main-gauche))
drumPitchNames)
% right hand should be printed above the staff line,
% left hand below.
#(define mysnaredrums
'((main-droite default #f 1)
(main-gauche default #f -1)))
% marges internes :
\paper {
markup-system-spacing.basic-distance = #15
system-system-spacing.basic-distance = #15
}
\layout {
indent = 0
% Stems need to make some room for RA count numbers.
% If actual ordinary markups are required, these will
% need to be preceded with \textLengthOff
\textLengthOn
\dynamicUp
\set DrumStaff.drumStyleTable = #(alist->hash-table mysnaredrums)
\context {
\DrumStaff
% one-line staff
\override StaffSymbol.line-positions = #'(0)
% bar lines
\override BarLine.bar-extent = #'(-2 . 2)
% stems
\override Stem.direction = #-1
\override Stem.length = #11
\override Stem.stemlet-length = #1.5
% horizontal beams
\override Beam.positions = #'(-5.5 . -5.5)
% RA count numbers below the curves
\override TextScript.outside-staff-priority = ##f
\override TextScript.side-axis = #0
\override TextScript.staff-padding = #3
\override TextScript.X-offset = #2
\override TextScript.extra-offset = #'(-0.3 . 0)
% tremolos (RA)
\override StemTremolo.slope = #0.5
\override StemTremolo.beam-width = #1.5
\override StemTremolo.beam-thickness = #0.3
\override StemTremolo.extra-offset = #'(0 . 0.6)
%\override StemTremolo.Y-offset = #-3.3
% Repeat brackets:
\consists "Horizontal_bracket_engraver"
\override HorizontalBracket.staff-padding = #8
\override HorizontalBracket.direction = #DOWN
\override HorizontalBracket.bracket-flare = #'(0 . 0)
}
\context {
\Score
\override RehearsalMark.break-align-symbols = #'(clef)
\override RehearsalMark.padding = #3
\override VoltaBracket.edge-height = #'(1.5 . 1.5)
}
}
% grace notes :
startGraceMusic = {
\stemUp
\tiny
\override Flag.stroke-style = #"grace" % slashed stems
\once \override Beam.positions = #'(3 . 3) % beam position for drag notes
\once \override DrumStaff.Stem.length = #7 % end beam position
}
stopGraceMusic = {
%\override Beam.positions = #'(-6 . -6)
\revert Flag.stroke-style
%\revert DrumStaff.Stem.length
\normalsize
\stemNeutral
}
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%% SPECIAL FUNCTIONS: %%%%%%%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% TRIPLETS & QUINTUPLETS:
triplet =
#(define-music-function (myMusic) (ly:music?)
#{ \drummode { \tuplet 3/2 { #myMusic } } #})
quintuplet =
#(define-music-function (myMusic) (ly:music?)
#{ \drummode { \tuplet 5/4 { #myMusic } } #})
% DYNAMICS:
v =
#(define-event-function () ()
#{ \upbow #})
% DYNAMICS WITH EXTENDERS:
dynLine =
#(define-music-function (text) (markup?)
#{
\once \override TextSpanner.style = #'line
\once \override TextSpanner.bound-details.left.text = \markup {
\combine
\draw-line #'(0 . -1)
\draw-line #'(1 . 0)
\dynamic #text
}
\once \override TextSpanner.bound-details.right.text = \markup {
\draw-line #'(0 . -1)
}
#})
% REPEAT BRACKETS:
% Beginning:
dr =
#(define-event-function () ()
#{ \startGroup #})
% Ending :
fr =
#(define-event-function () ()
#{ \stopGroup #})
% On one single note :
rn = \markup \lower #4 \halign #1 {
\path #0.1 #'((moveto 0 0)
(lineto 0 -1)
(lineto 2 -1)
(lineto 2 0))
}
% FLAS and DRAGS:
fla =
#(define-music-function (myNote) (ly:music?)
(define test
(filter
(lambda (m)
(= (ly:music-property m 'span-direction 0) -1))
(extract-named-music myNote '(NoteGroupingEvent))))
(if (not (null? test))
(music-filter
(lambda (event)
(not (member
(ly:music-property event 'name)
'(NoteGroupingEvent))))
myNote))
(if (eq? (ly:music-property myNote 'drum-type) 'main-droite)
(if (null? test)
#{ \drummode { \grace g8 #myNote } #}
#{ \drummode { \grace g8\startGroup #myNote } #}
)
(if (null? test)
#{ \drummode { \grace d8 #myNote } #}
#{ \drummode { \grace d8\startGroup #myNote } #}
)))
drag =
#(define-music-function (myNote) (ly:music?)
(define test
(filter
(lambda (m)
(= (ly:music-property m 'span-direction 0) -1))
(extract-named-music myNote '(NoteGroupingEvent))))
(if (not (null? test))
(music-filter
(lambda (event)
(not (member
(ly:music-property event 'name)
'(NoteGroupingEvent))))
myNote))
(if (eq? (ly:music-property myNote 'drum-type) 'main-droite)
(if (null? test)
#{ \drummode { \grace { g16[ g] } #myNote } #}
#{ \drummode { \grace { g16[\startGroup g] } #myNote } #}
)
(if (null? test)
#{ \drummode { \grace { d16[ d] } #myNote } #}
#{ \drummode { \grace { d16[\startGroup d] } #myNote } #}
)))
% RA:
ra =
#(define-music-function (myRa myNote) ((integer?) ly:music?)
(define myCoef (ly:duration-log (ly:music-property myNote 'duration)))
(set! (ly:music-property myNote 'articulations)
(cons
(make-music 'TremoloEvent 'tremolo-type
(* (if (> 8 myRa) 4 8) (expt 2 (if (= 1 myCoef) 2 myCoef)))
)
(ly:music-property myNote 'articulations)))
(if (and (not (null? myRa))
(< 0 myRa))
(set! (ly:music-property myNote 'articulations)
(cons
(make-music 'TextScriptEvent 'direction -1 'text
(number->string myRa))
(ly:music-property myNote 'articulations))))
myNote)
% BEAM SUBDIVISIONS:
divLig =
{
\set subdivideBeams = ##t
\set baseMoment = #(ly:make-moment 1 8)
\set beatStructure = 2,2,2,2,2
}
% FLA & DRAG COMBINATIONS:
flad = \drummode { \grace { g8 } } % right Fla
fladdr = \drummode { \grace { g8\startGroup } } % with start repeat
flag = \drummode { \grace { d8 } } % left Fla
flagdr = \drummode { \grace { d8\startGroup } } % with start repeat
dragd = \drummode { \grace{ g16[ g] }} % right Drag
dragddr = \drummode { \grace{ g16[\startGroup g] }} % with start repeat
dragg = \drummode { \grace{ d16[ d] }} % left Drag
draggdr = \drummode { \grace{ d16[\startGroup d] }} % with start repeat
% ====== END OF INCLUDED FILE =======================
% Now a tiny example :
\score {
\new DrumStaff {
\drummode {
\time 6/8
\partial 8 \ra 7 d8( |
\repeat volta 2 {
g8.[) g16 \dragd d8] d8.[ d16 \dragg g8] |
g8.[ \dragd d16 d8] d8.[ d16 \dragg g8] |
\fladdr d8. d16 g8 \ra 13 d4.( |
d8.) g16 d8 \flag g4 \ra 7 d8( \fr |
\break
g8.[) g16 \dragd d8] d8.[ d16 \dragg g8] |
g8.[ \dragd d16 d8] d8.[ d16 \dragg g8] |
\fladdr d8. \ra 5 d16( d8) \flad d8. d16 \flag g8 |
\ra 5 d8.( d16) \flag g8 \flad d4. \fr |
}
}
}
}
