Re: Shorten stem length

Dear Carolyn,

It seems that Stem.details.beamed-lengths gets overridden by other 
spacing rules in some way. You can try manually setting the position of 
the beam like this:

\version "2.26.0"

\relative d'' {
   \time 6/8
   d8 b cis
   \override Beam.positions = #'(-1 . -1.3)
   d b cis
}

Does this work for you?
-William

On 7/1/26 3:54 PM, Carolyn Beeton wrote:
> I am trying to shorten the stem length for a couple of notes (because there is another voice underneath, from the other staff) to reproduce this music.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This snippet shows the default rendering, and then I’m trying to shorten and revert the stem length, but nothing changes.  This is only the one voice, but I can’t shorten the stems even in this simple example.
> 
> 
> 
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> I have been able to make the stems long, but not short.
> What am I doing wrong, and how can I achieve this?
> 
> Thanks,
> Carolyn
> 
> 
> 
> \version "2.24"
> \include "english.ly"
> 
> 
> shortBeams = {   % none of this works
>    \override Stem.details.beamed-lengths = #'(0.5)
>    \override Stem.details.beamed-minimum-free-lengths = #'(0.5)
>    \override Stem.details.beamed-exteme-minimum-free-lengths = #'(0.6)
>    \override Stem.details.stem-shorten = #'(0.5)
> }
> 
> \relative c'
> {
>    \time 6/8
>    e'4^"default" d8 cs4 d8 | d b cs d e8 e8 | d4 c8 b4 c8 ~ | 8 a b ~ 8 d c
>    \section
>    e4 d8 cs4 \shortBeams d8^"short" | d b cs \revert Stem.details.beamed-lengths d^"revert" e8 e8 |
>    d4 c8 b4 c8 ~ | \shortBeams 8^"short" a b ~ \revert Stem.details.beamed-lengths 8 d c
> }
> 
> 
>