Frescobaldi

Frescobaldi is a text editor built around LilyPond, the notation system in which scores are described as source code rather than drawn with a mouse. The window is divided between the source text and a preview of the engraved result, so a passage can be adjusted and re-engraved without leaving the program. Errors reported by LilyPond are linked back to the line that produced them.

The editor is aware of LilyPond syntax: it highlights the language, completes commands, and can jump between a position in the printed music and the corresponding place in the source. Supporting tools cover the tasks that recur in score preparation — transposing, entering notes by rhythm, inserting articulation and dynamic marks, and managing multiple movements or parts within one project. Generated PDF and MIDI output can be reviewed from the same interface.

Frescobaldi is published by the Frescobaldi project under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence, in a Linux build. LilyPond itself is a separate program and must be present for engraving to take place.