Frescobaldi

Frescobaldi is an open source application designed as a drop-in replacement for the LilyKDE software, which was actually a plugin for the Kate text editor under deprecated version of the KDE desktop environment.

This application provides users with a standalone software, a GUI front-end for the well known LilyPond command-line sheet music editor tool. It is available for download on Linux, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows operating systems.

Features at a glance

It allows users to enter LilyPond scores, build and preview scores with a single mouse click, manipulate the rhythm, hyphenate lyrics, quickly enter or add articulations and other symbols to existing music, and much more.

The program comes with a familiar and modern user interface from where users can change the keyboard shortcuts, fonts and colors. It integrates a compelling text editor that features automatic completion and syntax highlighting, as well as a dynamic score wizard that allows users to effortlessly set up a music score.

In addition, it can import MusicXML files, plays MIDI files generated by LilyPond, adapts itself to the right version of LilyPond, stores templates, text snippets or scripts, displays a music view with next-get point & click support, and includes smart layout-control functions.

Offers powerful music functions

Among some of its main music functions, we can mention the ability to transpose music, add articulation, dynamics and spanners using the Quick Insert panel, change music from absolute to relative and vice versa, amend the LilyPond syntax using convert-ly, change the default language used on note names, hyphenate lyrics, and change the rhythm.

Another interesting feature is the ability to capture MIDI file to enter music in the application. For more details you can always consult the built-in LilyPond documentation browser and user guide.

Bottom line

The application aims to be lightweight, easy to use and powerful. It is the definitely one of the best graphical user interfaces for the LilyPond software, allowing users to effortlessly use its powerful functionality no matter the operating system they are using.

What is new in this release:

• Frescobaldi 2.18, with Python3 support and many new features, improvements, bugfixes and updated translations.

What is new in version 2.0.15:

• Translations:
• updated: nl, fr
• New features:
• in context menu: Jump to definition (wish #123)
• in View menu: view file or definition at cursor, combines the old. File->Open File at Cursor action with the new Jump to definition action
• new toolbar buttons to browse back after a jump to definition
• Improvements:
• better highlighting of figuremode
• Bugfixes:
• fix ValueError message when typing > or \partcombine
• fix IndexError when typing 'variable ='

What is new in version 2.0.14:

• Improved music rendering.
• The music position is now shown when the cursor is in music.
• Other enhancements.

What is new in version 2.0.13:

• Translations:
• updated: nl, fr
• New features:
• A new option LilyPond->Auto-engrave, that runs the engraver in preview mode
• everytime the document changes
• An option to hide log display for automatically started engraving jobs
• Real-time Midi capturing
• Basic MusicXML export (this was also already added in Frescobaldi 2.0.12)
• The "master" variable is back, allbeit in a slightly different implementation: the redirected filename is not directly given to a LilyPond process running on behalf of the current document, but the other document is loaded (if it wasn't already) and LilyPond is run on that document.
• Bug fixes:
• Fix UnboundLocalError in ly.docinfo e.g. when showing the Tools->Pitch-> Language menu
• Fix issue 332: Cursor didn't move on undo/redo
• Fix issue 315: chords: \include "predefined-guitar-fretboards.ly"

What is new in version 2.0.12:

• Some improvements, bug fixes and a new SVG view.

What is new in version 2.0.11:

• Many new functions, improvements, bug fixes (especially for Mac OS X users).

What is new in version 2.0.10:

• This release adds a new document outline tool (Tools->Outline) showing the structure of LilyPond documents
• Translations have been updated and bugs have been fixed.

What is new in version 2.0.9:

• This version implements many wishes (such as File->Reload, autodetection of files modified by other applications, the use of CSS when exporting syntax-highlighted HTML), new features and bug fixes.

What is new in version 2.0.8:

• This release adds bug fixes, small improvements and one new feature: Open file at cursor (c-a-O), implementing wish #84

What is new in version 2.0.4:

• 2.0.4 fixes some bugs, adds a View->Line Numbers command, automatic completion in the snippet editor and some more features and bugfuxes.

Requirements:

• LilyPond
• KDE Plasma
• Qt