#### Beam

Beam objects are created by: Auto_beam_engraver, Beam_engraver, Chord_tremolo_engraver and Grace_beam_engraver

Standard settings:

`print-function` (procedure):
  `Beam::print`

  Function taking grob as argument, returning a `Stencil` object.

`concaveness-gap` (dimension, in staff space):
  `1.85`

  A beam is printed horizontally if its concaveness-gap is larger than this value. The concaveness-gap is the distance of an inner note head to the line between two outer note heads.

`concaveness-threshold` (number):
  `0.26`

  A beam is printed horizontally if its concaveness is bigger than this threshold.

  Concaveness is calculated as the sum of the vertical distances of inner note heads that fall outside the interval of the two outer note heads, to the vertically nearest outer note head, divided by the square of the inner notes involved.

`gap` (dimension, in staff space):
  `0.8`

  Size of a gap in a variable symbol.

`positions` (pair):
  `'(#f . #f)`

  Pair of staff coordinates `(`left`.` right`)`, where both left and right are in the staff-space unit of the current staff.

`thickness` (number):
  `0.48`

  Bar line thickness, measured in `linethickness`.

`before-line-breaking-callback` (procedure):
  `Beam::before_line_breaking`

  This procedure is called before line breaking, but after splitting breakable items at potential line breaks.

`neutral-direction` (direction):
  `-1`

  Which direction to take in the center of the staff.

`dir-function` (procedure):
  `beam-dir-majority-median`

  The function to determine the direction of a beam. Choices include:

  `beam-dir-majority`
    number count of up or down notes
  `beam-dir-mean`
    mean center distance of all notes
  `beam-dir-median.`
    mean center distance weighted per note
`beamed-stem-shorten` (list):
  `'(1.0 0.5 0.25)`

  How much to shorten beamed stems, when their direction is forced. It is a list, since the value is different depending on the number flags/beams.

`slope-limit` (number):
  `0.2`

  Set slope to zero if slope is running away steeper than this.

`flag-width-function` (procedure):
  `beam-flag-width-function`

  Procedure that computes the width of a half-beam (a non-connecting beam.).

`damping` (integer):
  `1`

  Amount of beam slope damping. 0: no, 1: yes, 100000: horizontal beams.

`auto-knee-gap` (dimension, in staff space):
  `5.5`

  If a gap is found between note heads where a horizontal beam fits that is larger than this number, make a kneed beam.

`font-family` (symbol):
  `'roman`

  The font family is the broadest category for selecting text fonts. Options include: `sans`, `roman`

`space-function` (procedure):
  `Beam::space_function`

  Calculate the vertical space between two beams. This function takes a beam grob and the maximum number of beams.

This object supports the following interfaces: spanner-interface, beam-interface, staff-symbol-referencer-interface and grob-interface

Read comments on this page, or add one. This page is for LilyPond-2.2.2 (stable-branch).