#### 3.15.1 Ancient note heads

For ancient notation, a note head style other than the `default` style may be chosen. This is accomplished by setting the `style` property of the NoteHead object to the desired value (`baroque`, `neo_mensural` or `mensural`). The `baroque` style differs from the `default` style only in using a square shape for `\breve` note heads. The `neo_mensural` style differs from the `baroque` style in that it uses rhomboidal heads for whole notes and all smaller durations. Stems are centered on the note heads. This style is in particular useful when transcribing mensural music, e.g. for the incipit. The `mensural` style finally produces note heads that mimic the look of note heads in historic printings of the 16th century.

The following example demonstrates the `neo_mensural` style

>          \override NoteHead #'style = #'neo_mensural
>          a'\longa a'\breve a'1 a'2 a'4 a'8 a'16

When typesetting a piece in Gregorian Chant notation, a Gregorian ligature engraver will automatically select the proper note heads, such there is no need to explicitly set the note head style. Still, the note head style can be set e.g. to `vaticana_punctum` to produce punctum neumes. Similarly, a mensural ligature engraver is used to automatically assemble mensural ligatures. See Ligatures for how ligature engravers work.

##### See also

In this manual Percussion staves use note head styles of their own that are frequently used in contemporary music notation.

Examples: input/regression/note-head-style.ly gives an overview over all available note head styles.

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