LilyPond

LilyPond: text-based music engraving system
  Input: .ly text file (like LaTeX for music)
  Output: PDF, PNG, SVG
  Quality: publication-grade scores
  Philosophy: input describes WHAT, LilyPond decides HOW to engrave

Install: pacman -S lilypond
Compile: lilypond file.ly → file.pdf

% Pitch names: c d e f g a b
% Duration: 1=whole 2=half 4=quarter 8=eighth 16=sixteenth
% Sharp: is (cis = C#), Flat: es (ees = Eb)

\relative c' {
  c4 d e f |       % quarter notes: C D E F
  g2 g |           % half notes: G G
  a8 a a a a2 |    % eighth notes then half
  g1 |             % whole note G
}

% Relative mode: ' goes up, , goes down from previous note
\relative c' {
  c d e f g a b    % ascending scale
  c' c, c          % c' = up octave, c, = down octave
}

% Absolute mode: c = C3, c' = C4, c'' = C5
{ c' d' e' f' g' a' b' c'' }

\version "2.24.0"

\header {
  title = "My Piece"
  composer = "Evan Rosado"
}

\score {
  \relative c' {
    \key c \major
    \time 4/4
    \tempo 4 = 120
    c4 e g c | g2 e | c1 \bar "|."
  }
  \layout { }
  \midi { }
}

\key c \major       % C major
\key a \minor       % A minor
\key g \major       % G major (1 sharp)
\key bes \major     % Bb major (2 flats)

\time 4/4           % common time
\time 3/4           % waltz
\time 6/8           % compound duple
\time 7/8           % odd meter

c4\p d\< e f |     % piano, crescendo
g4\f a\> g f |     % forte, decrescendo
e4\mf r r2 |       % mezzo-forte, rests

c4-. d-. e-. f-.   % staccato
c4-- d-- e-- f--   % tenuto
c4-> d-> e-> f->   % accent
c4( d e f)         % slur (legato)
c4~ c              % tie (same pitch)

% Chords: angle brackets
<c e g>4 <d f a> <e g b> <f a c'>

% Multiple voices on one staff
\new Staff {
  << { c'4 d' e' f' } \\ { a2 g } >>
}

% Piano grand staff
\new PianoStaff <<
  \new Staff { \relative c'' { c4 d e f } }
  \new Staff { \clef bass \relative c { c2 g } }
>>

# Basic compilation
lilypond piece.ly                    # → piece.pdf

# PNG output (for embedding)
lilypond --png piece.ly              # → piece.png

# Specific output format
lilypond -dbackend=svg piece.ly      # → piece.svg

# Preview mode (faster, draft quality)
lilypond -dpreview piece.ly

# Set paper size
lilypond -dpaper-size='"letter"' piece.ly