Re: Help Request: Overlaying Custom Text (e.g., Roman Numerals) Near Chord Names

[Kieren MacMillan]

Hi Peter,

> Thank you so much for your response and the example code—it works beautifully 
> and already gets very close to what I envisioned. I really appreciate the 
> clarity and elegance of your approach using a custom Lyrics-based context. 
> That was a creative idea I hadn’t thought of!

I pride myself on thinking outside the box…  :)

> I’ve been trying to reproduce this effect using your method, tweaking 
> position and transparency, but I haven’t quite managed to achieve a true 
> overlay that floats behind the chords and melody without affecting spacing. 
> Do you think it’s feasible to achieve such a watermark-like degree indication 
> in LilyPond? Ideally, it would:
> • Appear very large and semi-transparent;
> • Overlay directly beneath or behind the chord symbol;
> • Not affect vertical spacing or push any other elements out of place;

“With Lilypond, all things are possible.”

%%%  SNIPPET BEGINS  %%%
\version "2.24.4"
\language "english"

% Define a new context for the roman numerals
\layout {
  ragged-right = ##f
  \context {
    \Lyrics
    \name RN
    \remove Axis_group_engraver
    \override LyricText.extra-spacing-width = #empty-interval
    \override LyricText.layer = -2
    \override LyricText.font-size = #16
    \override LyricText.font-family = #'sans
    \override LyricText.font-series = #'bold
    \override LyricText.color = #(x11-color ‘mistyrose)
    \override LyricText.self-alignment-X = #LEFT
    \override LyricText.X-offset = #-1
    \override LyricText.Y-offset = #-4.5
  }
  \context {
    \Score
    \accepts RN
  }
}

% Define the chord progression
theChords = \chordmode {
  f1
  d1:m
  g1:m
  c1
}

% Write the analysis as lyrics (with appropriate durations)
theAnalysis = \lyricmode {
  "1"1
  "6"1
  "2"1
  "5"1
}

% Define a simple melody to go with the chords
melody =  {
  c'4 8 8 ~ 8 g'4.
  f'2. a4
  bf4 8 8 ~ 8 a'4.
  g'2 e'4 f'
}

\score {
  <<
    \new RN \theAnalysis
    \new ChordNames \theChords
    % Melody staff
    \new Staff {
      \clef treble
      \key f \major
      \time 4/4
      \melody
    }
  >>
}
%%%  SNIPPET ENDS  %%%

Hope that helps point you in the right direction!
Kieren.
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