#### 4.2.1 Creating contexts

For scores with only one voice and one staff, correct contexts are created automatically. For more complex scores, it is necessary to create them by hand. There are three commands which do this.

The easiest command is `\new`, and it also the quickest to type. It is prepended to a music expression, for example

           \new type music expression

where type is a context name (like `Staff` or `Voice`). This command creates a new context, and starts interpreting music expression with that.

A practical application of `\new` is a score with many staves. Each part that should be on its own staff, is preceded with `\new Staff`.

      << \new Staff { c4 c }
         \new Staff { d4 d }
      >>

Like `\new`, the `\context` command also directs a music expression to a context object, but gives the context an extra name. The syntax is

           \context type = id music

This form will search for an existing context of type type called id. If that context does not exist yet, it is created. This is useful if the context is referred to later on. For example, when setting lyrics the melody is in a named context

          \context Voice = "tenor" music

so the texts can be properly aligned to its notes,

         \new Lyrics \lyricsto "tenor" lyrics

Another possibility is funneling two different music expressions into one context. In the following example, articulations and notes are entered separately,

    music = \notes { c4 c4 }
    arts = \notes  { s4-. s4-> }

They are combined by sending both to the same `Voice` context,

      << \new Staff \context Voice = "A" \music
         \context Voice = "A" \arts
      >>

The third command for creating contexts is

           \context type music

This is similar to `\context` with `=` id, but matches any context of type type, regardless of its given name.

This variant is used with music expressions that can be interpreted at several levels. For example, the `\applyoutput` command (see Running a function on all layout objects). Without an explicit `\context`, it is usually is applied to `Voice`

           \applyoutput #function   % apply to Voice

To have it interpreted at the `Score` or `Staff` level use these forms

           \context Score \applyoutput #function
           \context Staff \applyoutput #function

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