Re: How to stop melisma line?

[James E. Bailey]

Another solution, (and the one that I use), is to put the notes for which the 
words are different into a different voice context, and then add lyrics to that 
voice. It requires a bit more planning before you begin to typeset, but it 
makes files a little easier to navigate, in my opinion, and I can separate 
things out a bit easier.

soprano = \relative c'' {
   \context Voice = "soprano 1" {
      c4 c c c ~
      c1 ~
      c4 } c r c
   \context Voice = "soprano 2" { c4 c c c }
}

alto = \relative a' {
  a4 a a a
  a a a a
  a a a a
  a a a a
}

sopranolyricsone = \lyricmode {
   la -- la -- la -- la __
}

sopranolyricstwo = \lyricmode {
   la -- la -- la
}

altolyrics = \lyricmode {
  la -- la -- la -- la,
  la -- la -- la -- la,
  la -- la -- la -- la,
  la, la -- la -- la!
}

\score {
   <<
      \new Staff = "staff" <<
         \context Voice = "soprano" { \voiceOne \soprano }
         \context Voice = "alto" { \voiceTwo \alto }
      >>
      \new Lyrics \with { alignAboveContext = "staff" } \lyricsto "soprano 1" 
\sopranolyricsone
      \new Lyrics \with { alignAboveContext = "staff" } \lyricsto "soprano 2" 
\sopranolyricstwo
      \new Lyrics \lyricsto "alto" \altolyrics
   >>
}