Lilypond = LISP + music

Example Lilypond output

Lilypond is a great way to notate music in an aesthetically pleasing manner. For all programmers out there, its scheme heritage makes it downright LISPy.

I wrote down one of my songs and it feels just so right to edit notation like this in Emacs:

upper = \relative c'' { 
  \clef treble \key c \major \time 4/4 
  \repeat volta 2 {
    r2 r4 gis8 a8 
    c4. a8 e4 a4
    g4. f8 d2
    . . . 

In fact, this is the start for the little ditty Back Where I Belong above.