3.2.1 Creating titles headers and footers


Title blocks explained

There are two types of title blocks: the main title block that appears above of the first \score of a book, and individual title blocks that appear within each \score block. Text fields for both types are entered using a \header block.

If the book only has a single score, the \header block may be placed inside or outside of the \score block.

Note: Remember when adding a \header block inside a \score block, that the music expression must come before the \header block.

\header {
  title = "SUITE I."
  composer = "J. S. Bach."
}

\score {
  \new Staff \relative g, {
    \clef bass
    \key g \major
    \repeat unfold 2 { g16( d' b') a b d, b' d, } |
    \repeat unfold 2 { g,16( e' c') b c e, c' e, } |
  }
  \header {
    piece = "Prélude."
  }
}

\score {
  \new Staff \relative b {
    \clef bass
    \key g \major
    \partial 16 b16 |
    <g, d' b'~>4 b'16 a( g fis) g( d e fis) g( a b c) |
    d16( b g fis) g( e d c) b(c d e) fis( g a b) |
  }
  \header {
    piece = "Allemande."
  }
}

[image of music]

Text fields from the main title block of a book can be displayed in all \score blocks, or manually suppressed:

\book {
  \paper {
    print-all-headers = ##t
  }
  \header {
    title = "DAS WOHLTEMPERIRTE CLAVIER"
    subtitle = "TEIL I"
    % Do not display the tagline for this book
    tagline = ##f
  }
  \markup { \vspace #1 }
  \score {
    \new PianoStaff <<
      \new Staff { s1 }
      \new Staff { \clef "bass" s1 }
    >>
    \header {
      title = "PRAELUDIUM I"
      opus = "BWV 846"
      % Do not display the subtitle for this score
      subtitle = ##f
    }
  }
  \score {
    \new PianoStaff <<
      \new Staff { s1 }
      \new Staff { \clef "bass" s1 }
    >>
    \header {
      title = "FUGA I"
      subsubtitle = "A 4 VOCI"
      opus = "BWV 846"
      % Do not display the subtitle for this score
      subtitle = ##f
    }
  }
}

[image of music]

See also

Notation Reference: File structure, Custom layout for title blocks.


Default layout of book and score title blocks

This example demonstrates all \header variables:

\book {
  \header {
      % The following fields are centered
    dedication = "Dedication"
    title = "Title"
    subtitle = "Subtitle"
    subsubtitle = "Subsubtitle"
      % The following fields are evenly spread on one line
      % the field "instrument" also appears on following pages
    instrument = \markup \with-color #green "Instrument"
    poet = "Poet"
    composer = "Composer"
      % The following fields are placed at opposite ends of the same line
    meter = "Meter"
    arranger = "Arranger"
      % The following fields are centered at the bottom
    tagline = "tagline goes at the bottom of the last page"
    copyright = "copyright goes at the bottom of the first page"
  }
  \score {
    { s1 }
    \header {
        % The following fields are placed at opposite ends of the same line
      piece = "Piece 1"
      opus = "Opus 1"
    }
  }
  \score {
    { s1 }
    \header {
        % The following fields are placed at opposite ends of the same line
      piece = "Piece 2 on the same page"
      opus = "Opus 2"
    }
  }
  \pageBreak
  \score {
    { s1 }
    \header {
        % The following fields are placed at opposite ends of the same line
      piece = "Piece 3 on a new page"
      opus = "Opus 3"
    }
  }
}

[image of music]

Note that

To change the default layout see Custom layout for title blocks.

Use the breakbefore variable inside a \header block that is itself in a \score block, to make the top-level \header block titles appear on the first page on their own, with the music (defined in the \score block) starting on the next.

\book {
  \header {
    title = "This is my Title"
    subtitle = "This is my Subtitle"
    copyright = "This is the bottom of the first page"
  }
  \score {
    \repeat unfold 4 { e'' e'' e'' e'' }
    \header {
      piece = "This is the Music"
      breakbefore = ##t
    }
  }
}

[image of music]

See also

Learning Manual: How LilyPond input files work,

Notation Reference: Custom layout for title blocks, File structure.

Installed Files: ‘ly/titling-init.ly’.


Default layout of headers and footers

Headers and footers are lines of text appearing at the top and bottom of pages, separate from the main text of a book. They are controlled by the following \paper variables:

These markup variables can only access text fields from top-level \header blocks (which apply to all scores in the book) and are defined in ‘ly/titling-init.ly’. By default:

[image of music]

The default tagline can be changed by adding a tagline in the top-level \header block.

\book {
  \header {
    tagline = "... music notation for Everyone"
  }
  \score {
    \relative c' {
      c4 d e f
    }
  }
}

[image of music]

To remove the tagline set the value to ##f.


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