Fonts for Lyrics

Music notation symbols, fonts, font sources and font creation, SmuFL.
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OCTO
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Re: Fonts for Lyrics

Post by OCTO »

benwiggy wrote:One other thing to remember is that Finale reduces the lyric size along with the staff reduction. A 16pt lyric on a 75% staff size will appear as 12pt, unless you set a Fixed size for your font. And of course some fonts appear smaller than others at the same point size.
Good to know.
benwiggy wrote:Bulmer MT Display: This is the one I have chosen for my house style. It's a very crisp, modern face, and the Display style has a nice metric that avoids displacing notes.
Yes, I have noticed that, very beautiful font indeed.

Here is my edit of FreeSerif - emboldened by 16 and narrowed to 88%. It is more narrow and somehow visible. Your tests are welcome.
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benwiggy
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Re: Fonts for Lyrics

Post by benwiggy »

Here's a chart comparing different fonts for use as lyrics. It's possible that this says something about Finale's spacing, too.
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odod
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Re: Fonts for Lyrics

Post by odod »

Free Serif.png
Free Serif.png (940.38 KiB) Viewed 19022 times
Bulmer.png
Bulmer.png (937.25 KiB) Viewed 19022 times

Comparation between Bulmer and Freeserif
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OCTO
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Re: Fonts for Lyrics

Post by OCTO »

odod wrote:Free Serif.pngBulmer.png


Comparation between Bulmer and Freeserif
Thanks. You mean Free Serif Narrow SB, which I have provided?
At my screen FSNSM is clearly more visible even from the longer distance, and at the same time takes less space. What are your opinions?
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odod
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Re: Fonts for Lyrics

Post by odod »

yes, your font sir .. indeed very crisp and clear .. i love this one .. beautiful
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John Ruggero
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Re: Fonts for Lyrics

Post by John Ruggero »

Interesting. I like all the fonts mentioned EXCEPT Bulmer. It is too thin, compressed and hard to read.
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MJCube
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Re: Fonts for Lyrics

Post by MJCube »

To my eye all of the lyrics in both of the latest samples are much smaller than necessary. With the notes spaced so very wide, the lyrics could be at least 25% larger, and then they’d be more comparable to the size of the notes for legibility. Don’t forget that singers often must focus on the words even more than the notes.
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odod
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Re: Fonts for Lyrics

Post by odod »

MJCube wrote:To my eye all of the lyrics in both of the latest samples are much smaller than necessary. With the notes spaced so very wide, the lyrics could be at least 25% larger, and then they’d be more comparable to the size of the notes for legibility. Don’t forget that singers often must focus on the words even more than the notes.
what i did is to test the font with the smallest size, to make sure its visibility .. and Freeseriff just did it compared to bulmer
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benwiggy
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Re: Fonts for Lyrics

Post by benwiggy »

After vacillating once more, I've come to agree that Bulmer can be a little unclear at small sizes, (though I tend to use it large enough). I've not found anything to beat the legibility of Minion (Condensed Caption is now the preferred face). I think OUP use it?
However, it doesn't quite suit the style of the other fonts on the page. I use Bodoni for titling and Monotype Modern for expressions.

I "designed" a version of Bodoni Book -- condensing it by 85% and boldening it by only about 5ems. Also I increased the X-height a bit. It looks quite good, but still not quite as legible as Minion. I called it "Bodoni Light", so I can use it in Dorico.

ITC Century Book Condensed is still a favourite for very tight scores, but it's a little too squished. Can't believe after looking through the entire Monotype library, I can't find a font that fits!
Marc Larcher
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Re: Fonts for Lyrics

Post by Marc Larcher »

Hi ! Sorry to revive this thread, I was looking for a better font (if there is) for lyrics than the one I've been using for years : Linux Libertine O. I've tried those listed here that I had never used and… I'll stick to Linux Libertine O. Have you ever tried it? I find it's extremely legible, elegant, and is narrow enought (without seeming narrow).
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