Knute - I think you're looking at more than third order Bezier. curve I found this in the archive that is probably the way to do it in vanilla Lilypond.
https://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2016-09/msg00439.html There also seemed to be some talk in the chain about making xth order curves available, but the third order is hard coded into the code: https://github.com/lilypond/lilypond/blob/38f1b21a9cadb9640f7d271980e47e32a2cbd1b3/lily/bezier.cc#L111 Even the graphic markup is limited to cubic curves. -kwb > On Mar 12, 2026, at 3:47 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > Send lilypond-user mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-user > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of lilypond-user digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Can't get a tricky slur correct (Knute Snortum) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:46:53 -0700 > From: Knute Snortum <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Subject: Can't get a tricky slur correct > Message-ID: > <calmejxtkwwxnqiejnd03bsrdynny2tro7bwvqjuyoufr2qz...@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Hello everyone, > > I'm having a "how do I do that in LinyPond" moment because of a complex > slur I need to engrave (see first attachment). The closest I've gotten is > this (second attachment). The problem seems to be that there are three > "bends" in the curve but \shape can only make two. How would I do this in > LilyPond? (I've included the code used to make the second curve below in > case it's a helpful starting point.) > > %%% Start > \version "2.24.4" > > slurShapeA = \shape #'((0 . 0) (23 . -1) (-3 . 0) (0 . 0)) \etc > > rightHand = \relative { > \partial 4 <c'' c'>4( | > <bes bes'>2. \once \override Stem.length = #11 <a a'>4) | > s2 s8 r q4 > } > > leftHandUpper = \relative { > \partial 4 s4 | > \voiceThree > \once \override Beam.positions = #'(4 . 6) > c,8-\slurShapeA ([ e c' e c' e, c a' | > \change Staff = "upper" \voiceFour c8 a' c e] c') s4. | > } > > leftHandLower = \relative { > \partial 4 r4 | > \voiceTwo s2.. \once \hideNotes a8~ | > <e a e'>2.-> \oneVoice r4 | > } > > leftHand = { > \clef bass > << > \new Voice \leftHandUpper > \new Voice \leftHandLower >>> > } > > \score { > \new PianoStaff \with { > \override StaffGrouper.staff-staff-spacing.basic-distance = #10 > } << > \new Staff = "upper" \rightHand > \new Staff = "lower" \leftHand >>> > } > %%% End > > -- > Knute Snortum > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/attachments/20260312/0db12564/attachment.htm> > -------------- next part -------------- > A non-text attachment was scrubbed... > Name: brahms-beginning.png > Type: image/png > Size: 131700 bytes > Desc: not available > URL: > <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/attachments/20260312/0db12564/attachment.png> > -------------- next part -------------- > A non-text attachment was scrubbed... > Name: brahms-slur-problem.png > Type: image/png > Size: 122252 bytes > Desc: not available > URL: > <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/attachments/20260312/0db12564/attachment-0001.png> > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > lilypond-user mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-user > > > ------------------------------ > > End of lilypond-user Digest, Vol 280, Issue 31 > **********************************************
