Partial Measures with Matching Ending Measure

Question

In a hymn I am working on, the first measure is partial and has only an eighth note, but the Time Signature is 6:8. Someone told me that the ending measure should also be offset in reverse to make up for it so that the first and last measure add up correctly.

[Disclaimer: I'm learning music theory as I go...]

First measure:

Last measure:

Is that right?

Problem is that in Lilypond if I do that, the measure never closes with a full bar. Isn't it supposed to end with a full bar?

Here is the alternative:

[SOLVED]

Dave's answer below solves the display issue for Lilypond, whilst MattPutnam's answer described the use of the partial measure in the Finale. I wanted to post the results of the output, though:

Answer 1

You can use an s8 to fill out the measure, and cause the barline to draw. The s a spacer note -- it takes up time, but doesn't result in anything displayed.

As far as requiring the partial bar at the end: it is my impression that the degree to which it is required is somewhat genre dependent: I've never seen traditional music, or hymns for that matter, where the partial bar wasn't used, however, MattPutnam is (probably) right in that it isn't always required, and probably wouldn't be too confusing.

Answer 2

LilyPond places bars automatically on full measures. The partial bar at the end of a stanzaed piece with pickup, however, wants a double bar line (different from the default) anyway.

So you'd write it: d4.~ d4 \bar "|." and LilyPond will place the ending bar line wherever it currently happens to be within the measure. You don't need to fiddle with the timing in any way. Just be sure not to write the usual | bar check at the very end of the music. It does not produce any graphical output but just is in the music in order to check that a full measure has been completed regularly. And at the very end, it hasn't.

Are you sure you'd not rather consult the LilyPond user list?

You are likely to ask a lot more questions where the answers are just part of your general learning curve, covered already in LilyPond's introductory tutorial and will not really help others in any manner since they do not rise to the level of an actual problem not answered by reading any introductory text.

Answer 3

I disliked the aesthetics of using the spacer method, because it left too much space at the end of the measure. So I wrote this function:

end =
  #(define-music-function
    (parser location signature)
    (fraction?)
  #{
    \once \omit Staff.TimeSignature \time #signature
  #})

and then all I have to do is, for example:

\end 3/4 g4 g r \bar "|."

and it displays the last measure correctly without extra space at the end:

I'm not sure what that will do to beaming, to be honest, but I haven't run into problems yet. Presumably the some code can be added to the function to get correct beaming.

Thanks to MattPutnam for the inspiration.

Answer 4

I think it's not essential that the last measure compensate for the pickup. I certainly wouldn't be confused or bothered at all by the lack of it, and it might actually confuse people who are new to music. It doesn't provide any benefit other than aesthetics.

In Finale I would do this by making the last bar a 5/8 bar and having it display as a 6/8 bar so it doesn't generate a time signature change. My Lilypond skill is weak, but according to this you should be able to make the tine signature invisible.