Thank you Carl \oneVoice is not usually an option though, since I am writing fairly complex polyphonic music where voices drop in and out all the time. Also, I have templates already set up with multiple voices.
I also like to use a separate voice for spacing, to make the final page layout easier. I'm sure this is where some of the problems come from, but not all. Adding \break commands throughout the actual music can get confusing... but if people think this is a bad idea, please let me know. I was hoping to find a command that I could place at the beginning of all my templates that tells Lilypond to behave as a single voice, in the event that there are no other voices in the staff. If there is no such command, let me know, and I will adjust workflow accordingly. Question: does Lilypond interpret space markers as "notes" ? (like writing "s1" in place of a whole note rest?). If this is the case, than I can understand Lilypond's behavior. Thanks dirck ________________________________ From: Carl Sorensen <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, March 7, 2026 3:17 PM To: Dirck Nagy <[email protected]> Cc: Lillypond Users Mailing List <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Default articulation and slur direction, polyphonic music On Sat, Mar 7, 2026, 2:02 PM Dirck Nagy <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Dear Lilypond I know how \StemNeutral affects stem direction in polyphonic music, which is very useful when voices drop out and a single voice is left. Is there a similar command to change ALL the articulations, including slurs, to conform to the stem direction? \oneVoice In general, it is better to use \voiceOne and \voiceTwo instead of \stem Up and \stem Down. Carl
