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Fingering instructions

Fingering instructions can be entered using note-digit:

     
     c4-1 d-2 f-4 e-3

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Markup texts may be used for finger changes.

     
     c4-1 d-2 f-4 c^\markup { \finger "2 - 3" }

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A thumb-script can be added (e.g., in cello music) to indicate that a note should be played with the thumb.

     
     <a_\thumb a'-3>2 <b_\thumb b'-3>

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Fingerings for chords can also be added to individual notes of the chord by adding them after the pitches.

     
     <c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5>2 <d-1 f-2 a-3 c-5>

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Fingering instructions may be manually placed above or below the staff, see Direction and placement.

Selected Snippets

Controlling the placement of chord fingerings

The placement of fingering numbers can be controlled precisely.

     
     \relative c' {
       \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
       <c-1 e-3 a-5>4
       \set fingeringOrientations = #'(down)
       <c-1 e-3 a-5>4
       \set fingeringOrientations = #'(down right up)
       <c-1 e-3 a-5>4
       \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up)
       <c-1 e-3 a-5>4
       \set fingeringOrientations = #'(left)
       <c-1>2
       \set fingeringOrientations = #'(down)
       <e-3>2
     }
     

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Allowing fingerings to be printed inside the staff

By default, vertically oriented fingerings are positioned outside the staff. However, this behavior can be canceled.

     
     \relative c' {
       <c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5>2
       \once \override Fingering #'staff-padding = #'()
       <c-1 e-2 g-3 b-5>2
     }

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Avoiding collisions of chord fingering with beams

Fingerings and string numbers applied to individual notes will automatically avoid beams, but this is not true by default for fingerings and string numbers applied to the individual notes of chords. The following example shows how this default behavior can be overridden:

     
     \relative c' {
       \set fingeringOrientations = #'(up)
       \set stringNumberOrientations = #'(up)
       \set strokeFingerOrientations = #'(up)
       
       % Default behavior
       r8
       <f c'-5>8
       <f c'\5>8
       <f c'-\rightHandFinger #2 >8
       
       % Corrected to avoid collisions
       r8
       \override Fingering #'add-stem-support = ##t
       <f c'-5>8
       \override StringNumber #'add-stem-support = ##t
       <f c'\5>8
       \override StrokeFinger #'add-stem-support = ##t
       <f c'-\rightHandFinger #2 >8
     }

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See also

Notation Reference: Direction and placement

Snippets: Editorial annotations.

Internals Reference: FingeringEvent, fingering-event, Fingering_engraver, New_fingering_engraver, Fingering.

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