![music21 how to export to musicxml music21 how to export to musicxml](https://journal.code4lib.org/media/issue51/bellanti/2-MusicXML_tree.png)
Import the musicxml into music21 and look at what types of music21 objects represent these lyrics. The best way to see what is possible is to create what you want in your notation software, export it to musicxml.
![music21 how to export to musicxml music21 how to export to musicxml](https://www.playscore.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Music-Recognition-In-An-App-500x383.jpg)
And then there is the issue that music21 might support a feature, the format might support the feature, but the music notation client might not (ex., music21 supports ossias MusicXML does also Finale does also but Finale does not support importing or exporting MusicXML ossias.)
![music21 how to export to musicxml music21 how to export to musicxml](http://web.mit.edu/music21/doc/_images/musicxmlTest_79_1.png)
![music21 how to export to musicxml music21 how to export to musicxml](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-diIViohycqU/T5sPJRt8jVI/AAAAAAAAAMc/01zPM-wRdKI/s1600/Winters_excerpt.jpg)
However, there are some workarounds such as creating a rest at a certain location, attaching a lyric to it, and then hiding the rest. And then there are formats that don't support it, such as MusicXML. Some formats support it, but music21 does not. Some formats that this is possible have music21 support (I believe just Lilypond). Some formats, such as Lilypond or Humdrum, have the ability to put lyrics directly into a score. There's a difference between what can be represented in music21 and what can be exported in any given format. I can already guess your next question though, "Why doesn't it show up when I show it in ?" Now your have a Stream with a Note with a lyric on beat 1 (offset 0) and a bare lyric on beat 2 (offset 1). Just create a note.Lyric object and put it in a base.ElementWrapper. The answer is simple if you want to have lyrics at "empty" places in music21.