Published on MuseScore.org

Handbook for MuseScore 1

This Handbook is for MuseScore version 1.3 and earlier. The Handbook for MuseScore 2 is available here.

Getting started

This chapter helps you install and run MuseScore for the first time. The chapter will also show you how to create a new score.

Installation

MuseScore works on many different computer systems including, Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.

Windows

You can get the Windows installer from the Download page of the MuseScore website. Click on the link to start the download. Your Internet browser will confirm that you want to download this file. Click "Save File".

When the download finishes double click on the file to start the installation. Windows may open a security window and ask you to confirm before running the software. Click "Run" to continue.

install-wizard-1-winxp.png

The installer recommends that you close all other applications before continuing. After you close the other applications click "Next" to continue.

The setup wizard displays the terms of the free software license which you may review. Click "I Agree" to continue.

Next it confirms the location for installing MuseScore. If you are installing a newer version of MuseScore but still want to keep the old version on your computer then you should change the folder. Otherwise click "Next" to continue.

Next it confirms the name for the MuseScore folder that appears in the Windows Start menu list of programs. Click "Install" to continue.

Give the setup wizard a few minutes to install the necessary files and configurations. When it is done click "Finish" to exit the installer. If you wish, you may now delete the installer file you downloaded.

install-wizard-finish-winxp.png

Start MuseScore

To start MuseScore choose Start → All Programs → MuseScore → MuseScore.

After several seconds MuseScore will open up to the demo score. Feel free to experiment with the demo score and get the feel of the program. Next you may want to create new score .

screenshot-demo-score.png

Advanced users: Silent or unattended install

You can install MuseScore silently with the following command
MuseScore-X.Y.exe /S /D=C:\Program Files\MuseScore
You can uninstall with
cd C:\Program Files\MuseScore
Uninstall.exe /S

Mac OS X

Install

You will find the Mac dmg file on the Download page of the MuseScore website. Click on the link to start the download. When download is finished, the dmg file is automatically mounted on your desktop as "MuseScore-X.Y" and the installer appears.

install_mac.png

Drag the MuseScore icon and drop it to the Applications folder icon. If you are not logged in as an administrator, Mac OS X will ask for a password: click "Authenticate" and enter your password to let Mac OS X copy MuseScore into your Application folder.
You can now launch MuseScore from Applications or SpotLight.

Uninstall

Just delete MuseScore from Applications folder.

Linux

Please see the Download page for instructions pertaining to MuseScore on Linux. Packages are provided for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora and PCLinuxOS. Other distributions will require you to build the application from source. For instructions specific to Fedora see below.

Fedora

  1. Import the GPG key: 
    su
rpm --import http://prereleases.musescore.org/linux/Fedora/RPM-GPG-KEY-Seve
  2. Go to the download page of the MuseScore website. Click on the link for the stable Fedora download and choose the correct rpm package for your architecture
  3. Depending on your architecture, use one of the two sets of commands to install MuseScore
    • if for arch i386 
      su
yum localinstall musescore-X.Y-1.fc10.i386.rpm
    • or if for arch x86_64
      su
yum localinstall musescore-X.Y-1.fc10.x86_64.rpm

If you have difficulty with sound, see Fedora 11 and sound .

External links

Note input

    MuseScore allows you to enter music notation from any of four input devices: computer keyboard, mouse, MIDI keyboard, or virtual piano keyboard. The default input mode is step-time, in which notes or rests are entered one at a time. However, other input modes are also available.

    After exiting the New Score Wizard, your new score will consist of a series of measures filled with measure rests:

    Empty score

    As you enter notes in a measure, the measure rests are changed to appropriate rests to fill the remainder of the measure:

    Entering notes

    Notes of different durations on the same beat are entered by using Voices:

    Voices

    Basic note entry

    This section introduces you to the basics of entering notes and rests in step-time from a computer keyboard. It is also recommended that you work through the tutorial, "Getting Started: An introduction to note entry in MuseScore". This is available from the Start Center.

    Step 1. Select a starting position

    Select a starting position for note input by clicking on a note or rest, or selecting a measure, with the mouse. If you don't select a starting point, the cursor automatically defaults to the beginning of the score when you enter Note Input mode ("Step 2" below).

    Step 2. Enter Note Input mode

    To enter Note Input mode, use either of the following options:

    • Click on the "N" button (on the extreme left of the Note Input toolbar).
    • Press N on your computer keyboard.

    To exit Note Input mode, use any of the following options:

    • Press N.
    • Press Esc.
    • Click on the toolbar "N" button.

    Step 3. Select a duration

    Still in Note Input mode, select a note duration using either of the following:

    • Click on a corresponding note icon in the Note Input toolbar (directly above the document window).
    • Enter the keyboard shortcut for that duration (see below).

    Step 4. Enter the note or rest

    • To enter a note pitch from A–G, simply click on the corresponding letter on your computer keyboard.
    • To enter a rest, press 0 (zero).

    This method of entry also works if you are not in Note Input mode—as long as you have a note/rest selected, or the score is newly-created (in which case note entry will default to the beginning).

    Note: Note input in MuseScore overwrites existing notes or rests in a measure. If you need to insert notes you can make room for them by moving a section of the score using the copy and paste command. You can also insert new measures at any point (see Measure operations: Insert).

    Select a note/rest duration

    The following keyboard shortcuts are used to select note/rest duration in Note Input mode:

    • 64th (hemidemisemiquaver): 1
    • 32nd (demisemiquaver): 2
    • 16th (semiquaver): 3
    • Eighth (quaver): 4
    • Quarter (crotchet): 5
    • Half (minim): 6
    • Whole (semibreve): 7
    • Double whole (breve): 8
    • Longa: 9
    • Dot: . (changes the selection into a dotted note/rest)
    • Double dot: Use a custom shortcut (or apply by clicking on the icon in the note input toolbar)
    • Triple dot: Use a custom shortcut.

    See also: Tuplets.

    Input devices

    Music notation can be entered by:

    Computer keyboard

    This section expands on "Basic note entry" (see above) and introduces you to the full range of commands available for entering notes or rests from the computer keyboard.

    Enter notes/rests

    You can enter a note by typing the corresponding letter on your keyboard. Thus, after entering Note Input mode, type: 5 C D E F G A B C.

    Notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

    Note: When you enter a note using the keyboard, MuseScore places it closest to the previous note entered (above or below).

    To enter a rest, type "0" (zero). Thus, after entering Note Input mode, type: 5 C D 0 E.

    C, D, rest, E

    Note: The duration selected in the toolbar applies to both notes and rests.

    If you want to enter a dotted note, press . (period/full stop) after selecting the duration.

    For example, after entering Note Input mode, type: 5 . C 4 D E F G A.

    Dotted quarter note: C, eighth notes: D, E, F, G, A

    If you want to enter a tuplet: see Tuplets.

    If you want to write music with two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody (i.e. polyphony): see Voices.

    Move notes up/down

    To move a note up or down by a semitone:

    • Press the ↑ or ↓ arrow.

    To move a note up or down diatonically:

    • Press Alt+Shift+↑ or Alt+Shift+↓.

    To move a note up or down by one octave:

    • Press Ctrl+↑ (Mac: ⌘+↑) or Ctrl+↓ (Mac: ⌘+↓).
    Add accidentals

    When a note is moved up or down with an arrow key (see above), any accidental required is automatically generated by the program. Accidentals can also be added manually—see Accidentals.

    Chords

    If you want to add a chord note above your previous entry:

    • Press and hold Shift, then enter a note from A to G.

    Thus, typing C, D, Shift + F, Shift + A, E, F results in:

    C, D minor triad, E, F

    To add a note at a specific interval above or below one or more notes:

    1. Ensure that one or more notes are selected;
    2. Use one of the following options:
      • From the menu, select Notes→Add Interval... and chose an interval from the list;
      • Press Alt+1-9 for intervals above (intervals below are also possible by adding relevant shortcuts to the list in Preferences).

    Note: To create chords with notes of different durations, you will need to use more than one Voice.

    Keyboard shortcuts

    Here is a list of useful editing shortcuts available in Note Input mode:

    • ↑ (Up): Increase the pitch of a note by a semitone (uses ♯).
    • ↓ (Down): Decrease the pitch of a note by a semitone (uses ♭).
    • Alt+1-9: Add interval (unison to ninth) above current note
    • J: Change note up or down to enharmonic note (alters the spelling in both concert pitch and transposed modes). See Accidentals
    • Ctrl+J (Mac Cmd+J): Change note up or down to enharmonic (alters the spelling only in the current mode). See Accidentals
    • Alt+Shift+↑: Increase the pitch of a note using key signature
    • Alt+Shift+↓: Decrease the pitch of a note using key signature
    • R: Repeat the last entered note
    • Q: Halve the duration of the last entered note
    • W: Double the duration of the last entered note
    • Shift+Q (as of version 2.1): Decrease duration by a dot (for example, a dotted quarter note/crotchet becomes a quarter note/crotchet and a quarter note/crotchet becomes a dotted eighth note/quaver).
    • Shift+W (as of version 2.1): Increase duration by a dot (for example an eighth note/quaver becomes a dotted eighth note/quaver and a dotted eighth note/quaver becomes a quarter note/crotchet).
    • Backspace: Undo last entered note
    • Shift+←: Exchange last entered note with the note before it (repeat to keep moving note earlier)
    • Shift+→: Exchange note moved with Shift+← with the note that follows it
    • X: Flip direction of note stem (can be reset to Auto position in Inspector)
    • Shift+X: Move note head to opposite side of stem (can be reset to Auto position in Inspector)

    Mouse

    It's easy to enter notes with the mouse, but it is not the fastest way to enter lots of notes.

    1. Click on the desired note duration symbol in the Note input toolbar.
    2. Click on the score to add a pitch of the selected duration.
    3. To add more notes to an existing chord, simply repeat step 2.
    4. To replace an existing chord (rather than adding to it), press Shift before clicking.

    Note: If you hover the cursor over the score in Note Input Mode it will show you a preview of the note or rest you are about to add.

    MIDI keyboard

    You can also insert pitches using a MIDI keyboard.

    1. Connect your MIDI keyboard to the computer and switch the former on
    2. Start MuseScore (this must be done after the keyboard is switched on)
    3. Create a new score
    4. Click the rest (selecting it) in measure 1 to indicate where you want note input to begin
    5. Press N to enter note input mode
    6. Select a note duration such as 5 for quarter notes (crotchets), as described above
    7. Press a note on your MIDI keyboard.

    The pitch should be added to your score.

    Note: The MIDI keyboard enters one note or chord at a time. This mode of note input (often called "step-time entry") is fast and reliable. Beginning with version 2.1 MuseScore introduced a limited real time entry mode, in which the musican plays a passage and MuseScore tries to produce the notation.

    If you have multiple MIDI devices connected to your computer, you may need to inform MuseScore which is the MIDI keyboard. Go to Edit→Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore→Preferences...). In the preferences dialog, click on the I/O tab and select your device under the section labeled "PortAudio".

    Virtual Piano Keyboard

    You can also input notes using the on-screen piano keyboard.

    • To toggle the display on and off: Press P (or select View→Piano).
    • To resize the keyboard: Position the mouse pointer over the piano keys , hold down Ctrl (Mac: Cmd) and move the mouse scroll wheel up (larger) or down (smaller).

    The method of note entry is similar to that for a midi keyboard:

    1. Ensure that you are in Note Input mode.
    2. To enter a:
      • Single note: Click on the appropriate piano key.
      • Chord: Select the note you wish to add to, press and hold Shift, then click on a piano key (in versions before 2.1, use Ctrl (Mac: Cmd)). Repeat as required.

    Input modes

    In addition to the existing Step-time and Repitch modes, three more input modes have been added in MuseScore 2.1 (see links below). All can be accessed by clicking the small arrow next to the "N" button on the left of the Note Input toolbar.

    Note entry modes

    Coloring of notes outside an instrument's range

    Depending on the skill of the musician, certain notes are considered beyond the range of a particular instrument. For informational purposes, MuseScore optionally colors notes red if they are outside the range of a "professional" player, and olive green/dark yellow if outside the range of an "early amateur." The colors appear on the computer screen, but not on printed copies.

    Notes out of range

    To enable/disable note coloration and to set "professional" and "amateur" ranges, see Usable pitch range (Staff properties: all staves).

    Small notes/small noteheads

    1. Select the note(s) you want in small size.
    2. Check the "Small" checkbox in the Inspector. The one in the Note section is used to only change the size of the individual notehead; the one in the Chord section will change the note head, stem, beam, and flag sizes all together.

    By default, the small size is 70% of the normal size. You can change that setting in Style → General→Sizes.

    Change notes or rests already entered

    Change duration

    To change the length of a single note or rest:

    1. Make sure you are not in note input mode (press Esc to exit) and have no other notes selected.
    2. Click on the note or rest and use the duration shortcuts listed above, or the duration icons in the toolbar, to change it to the duration of your choice.

    Increasing the duration will overwrite the notes or rests that follow it; decreasing the duration will add rests between it and the notes or rests following.

    For example, to change three sixteenth rests into a single dotted eighth rest:

    1. Click on the first sixteenth rest.
    2. Hit 4 to turn it into an eighth rest.
    3. Hit . to turn it into a dotted eighth rest.

    As the duration increases, it overwrites the other two sixteenth rests following it.

    Change pitch

    To change the pitch of a single note:

    1. Make sure that you're not in note input mode and that you have no other notes selected.
    2. Select the desired note and use any of the following methods:
      • Drag the notehead up or down with the mouse;
      • Press the the keyboard arrows: ↑ (Up) or ↓ (down);
      • Type a new note letter name (A…G). Use Ctrl+↓ or Ctrl+↑ to correct the octave, if necessary (Mac: Cmd+↓ or Cmd+↑).

    To change the enharmonic spelling of a note, select it and use the J command. For more information, see Accidentals.

    To change the pitches of a passage of music by a constant interval, you can use Transposition.

    To change the pitches of a passage of music to a different melody, while keeping the rhythm unchanged, use Re-pitch mode.

    If your score contains a lot of misspelled accidentals, you might try the Respell Pitches command (see Accidentals: Respell pitches).

    Change rest to note and vice versa

    To change a rest to a note of the same duration:

    1. Make sure you are not in note input mode (press Esc to exit).
    2. Select the rest.
    3. Enter the desired pitch by entering a note letter, A–G.

    To change a note to a rest of the same duration:

    1. Make sure you are not in note input mode (press Esc to exit).
    2. Select the note.
    3. Press 0 (Zero).

    Note properties

    See also

    Create New Score

    From the main menu choose File → New.... This opens the new score wizard.

    Title, composer and other information

    New Score wizard: Title and other text

    Enter the title, composer, or any other information as shown above. Windows users please be aware that currently, using characters in the Title field which are restricted by your file system such as : or / may result in you being unable to save your work due to a bug. This is fixed as of version 1.3. If you wish to use characters like this in your title, then edit your title after score creation.

    Notice the two options at the bottom:

    • Create new score from template
    • Create new score from scratch

    The first option offers a list of ready-made score templates in the next screen. The second option gives you the full choice of instruments in the next screen. Templates are discussed in more detail below, but for now, choose "Create new score from scratch."

    Click "Next" to continue.

    Instruments and voice parts

    New Score wizard: Add instruments

    The instrument window is divided into two columns. The first column lists instruments or voice parts to choose from. The second column, while initially empty, will soon contain a list of the instruments for your new score.

    The instrument list in the first column is categorized into instrument families. Double click a category to show the full list of instruments in each family. Select an instrument and click "Add". The instrument you selected now appears in the second column. You can add more instruments or voice parts, if needed.

    The order of the instruments in the second column determines the order they appear in the score. To change the order, click on an instrument name and use the "Up" or "Down" buttons to move it higher or lower. When you are done, click "Next".

    Key signature

    The wizard asks for a key signature. Select the key signature you need and click "Next" to continue.

    Time signature, pickup, and number of measures

    New Score wizard: Time signature and measure options

    Set the time signature to the numbers you want. If your piece begins with a pickup, then mark the "Pickup measure" checkbox and adjust pickup time signature to indicate the actual duration of the first measure.

    If you know approximately how many measures you need, you can specify that here. Otherwise, you can add, or delete measures later.

    Click "Finish" to create your new score.

    Adjustments to score after creation

    You can change any settings specified during the new score wizard, even after you start working on the score.

    • To add or delete measures or create a pickup see Measure operations
    • To change any text see Text editing . To add a missing Title (or other text item) use the menu Create → Text → Title (or other text item)
    • To add, delete, or change the order of instruments use the menu Create → Instruments....

    See also: Key signature , time signature , clef .

    Templates

    The first screen of the new score wizard has an option to "Create new score from template" (see Title and other text above for details). To create a score using this method, select the template option and click "Next" to continue.

    The next screen shows a list of templates. Select a template and click "Next". Continue and finish the new score wizard as usual.

    The template files are normal MuseScore files stored in the template folder. You can create your own templates by saving MuseScore files to the template folder.
    On Windows, the template folder is usually located at C:\Program Files\MuseScore\templates or in the 64-bit versions at C:\Program Files (x86)\MuseScore\templates
    On Linux, look under /usr/share/mscore-xxx if you installed from the package manager. If you compiled mscore on Linux yourself, then look under /usr/local/share/mscore-xxx.
    On Mac, look under /Applications/MuseScore.app/Contents/Resources/templates

    Basics

    The "Getting started " chapter above guides you through the Installation and process for create new score . The "Basics" chapter gives an overview of MuseScore and describes the general methods for interacting with the score.

    Note entry

    Adding notes and rests to a staff requires four basic steps:

    1. Select your starting position for note entry
    2. Select Note Entry mode
    3. Select the duration of the note (or rest) you want to enter
    4. Enter the pitch (or rest) using keyboard shortcut, mouse or a MIDI keyboard

    To add notes that overlap in time, but start or end at different times, see Voices . For chords, continue reading here.

    Step 1: Starting position

    First, select a note, or rest on the score as your starting position for note entry. Note entry in MuseScore replaces the existing notes or rests in a measure with your new notes (i.e. overwrites rather than inserts). However, you can insert new measures at any point (see measure operations , "Insert"), or use copy and paste to move a passage of notes.

    Step 2: Note Entry mode

    The "N" button on the Note Entry toolbar indicates whether you are in Note Entry mode or not. Besides clicking the button, you can also use the following keyboard shortcuts:

    • N: Enter Note Entry mode
    • N or Esc: Leave Note Entry mode

    Step 3: Duration of the note (or rest)

    After entering Note Entry mode, select the duration you need from the Note Entry toolbar, or use the corresponding keyboard shortcut.

    The keyboard shortcuts for selecting the duration are:

    • 1: 64th (hemidemisemiquaver)
    • 2: 32nd (demisemiquaver)
    • 3: 16th (semiquaver)
    • 4: Eighth (quaver)
    • 5: Quarter (crotchet)
    • 6: Half (minim)
    • 7: Whole (semibreve)
    • 8: Double whole (breve)
    • 9: Longa
    • 0: Rest
    • .: A period (dot) changes the selected duration into a dotted note/rest

    Step 4: Enter pitch

    For all instruments (except unpitched percussion), you can add note pitches using the mouse by clicking directly on the staff. (For instructions specific to percussion see Drum notation ). However, you may find it quicker to use a MIDI keyboard (see below), or your alphabetical computer keyboard. The following examples use the latter.

    Enter pitches by typing the corresponding letter on your keyboard:
    C D E F G A B C
    Notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

    0 (Zero) creates a rest: for example C D 0 E. Notice that the duration you select for the notes (quarter/crotchet notes in this example) also determines the duration of the rest (quarter/crotchet rest).
    C, D, rest, E

    During note entry, MuseScore automatically advances in the score. If you want to add a chord note to your previous entry, hold Shift⇑ and enter a note name: C D Shift⇑+F Shift⇑+A E F
    C, D minor triad, E, F

    To create chords with notes of different durations, see voices .

    If you want to create a dotted note, press .. For example 5 . C 4 D E F G A
    Dotted quarter note: C, eighth notes: D, E, F, G, A

    When you type a note on the keyboard, MuseScore chooses the octave closest to the previous note entered. To shift your note up or down by an octave, use the following keyboard shortcuts:

    • Ctrl+↑ (Mac: ⌘+↑): Increase the pitch of a note by one octave.
    • Ctrl+↓ (Mac: ⌘+↓): Decrease the pitch of a note by one octave.

    Other useful editing keyboard shortcuts available in Note Entry Mode:

    • ↑ (Up): Increase the pitch of a note by a semitone (uses sharps).
    • ↓ (Down): Decrease the pitch of a note by a semitone (uses flats).
    • R: Duplicate the last entered note
    • Q: Halve the duration of the last entered note
    • W: Double the duration of the last entered note
    • Backspace: Undo last entered note
    • X: Flip direction of note stem
    • Shift⇑+X: Move note head to opposite side of stem

    MIDI keyboard

    You can also insert pitches using a MIDI keyboard.

    1. Connect your MIDI keyboard to the computer and switch your keyboard on
    2. Start MuseScore
    3. Create a new score
    4. Click to select the rest in measure 1 to indicate where you want note entry to begin
    5. Press N to begin Note Entry mode
    6. Select a note duration such as 5 for quarter notes (crotchets), as described above
    7. Press a note on your MIDI keyboard, and notice that the pitch is added to your score

    Note: The MIDI keyboard enters one note or chord at a time. This mode of note entry (often called "step-time entry") is fast and reliable. Some notation software try to interpret "real-time entry", in which the musician plays a passage and the software tries to produce notation. However, the results are generally unreliable. MuseScore focuses on more reliable forms of note entry.

    If you have multiple MIDI devices connected to your computer, you may need to tell MuseScore which one is the MIDI keyboard. Go to Edit → Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore → Preferences...). In the preferences dialog, click on the I/O tab and select your device under the section labeled "Choose PortMidi input device".

    Coloring of notes out of an instrument's range

    Notes within the playable range of an instrument or voice part appear appear black, whilst notes extending beyond the normal range of an instrument, are marked red. For some instruments, the range depends on the skills of the musician (such as string, wind, or voice). For these instruments, notes outside the range of an early amateur appear dark yellow, and notes outside the typical range of a professional appear red.

    The colors are informational and appear on the computer screen but do not appear on printed copies of your scores. To disable note colors, choose Edit → Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore → Preferences...), click on the Note Entry tab, and unmark "Color notes outside of usable pitch range".

    See also

    External links

    Copy and paste

    Copy and paste is useful tool for repetitious music, or for shifting a section of music by a beat or two.

    Copy

    1. Click on the first note of your selection.
    2. Shift⇑+click on the last note of your selection. A blue rectangle highlights the region you selected.
    3. From the menu choose Edit → Copy or press Ctrl+C

    Paste

    1. Click on the note or measure that you want your pasted selection to begin.
    2. From the menu, choose Edit → Paste or press Ctrl+V

    Quick repetition

    1. Select a note or measure.
    2. Press R and MuseScore duplicates the selected object.

    Edit mode

    Many elements in the score can be edited in Edit Mode :

    • Double Click: Starts Edit Mode
    • Esc: Ends Edit Mode

    Some elements show handles in edit mode, which can be moved by mouse dragging or keyboard commands.

    Slur in Edit Mode:

    Sample slur in Edit Mode

    Available keyboard commands:

    • ←: Moves handle left one Space (the distance between two staff lines)
    • →: Moves handle right one Space
    • ↑: Moves handle up one Space
    • ↓: Moves handle down one Space
    • Ctrl+← (Mac: ⌘+←): Moves handle left 0.1 Space
    • Ctrl+→ (Mac: ⌘+→): Moves handle right 0.1 Space
    • Ctrl+↑ (Mac: ⌘+↑): Moves handle up 0.1 Space
    • Ctrl+↓ (Mac: ⌘+↓): Moves handle down 0.1 Space
    • Alt+←: Moves handle left 0.01 Space
    • Alt+→: Moves handle right 0.01 Space
    • Alt+↑: Moves handle up 0.01 Space
    • Alt+↓: Moves handle down 0.01 Space
    • Shift⇑+←: Moves handle's tick anchor left
    • Shift⇑+→: Moves handle's tick anchor right
    • Tab: Goes to next handle

    If you need to move score elements manually, double-click it and use the directional keys.

    See also

    Measure operations

    Append

    To add a measure to the end of the piece, press Ctrl+B (Mac: ⌘+B), or from the menu choose Create → Measures → Append Measure. To add multiple measures, press Ctrl+Shift⇑+B (Mac: ⌘+Shift⇑+B) or use the menu Create → Measures → Append Measures....

    Insert

    Select a measure, then press Ins or use the menu Create → Measures → Insert Measure to insert a new empty measure before the selected one. To insert multiple measures, press Ctrl+Ins or use the menu Create → Measures → Insert Measures....

    Delete

    Select the measure, then press Ctrl+Del (Mac: ⌘+Fn+Backspace).

    Properties

    To edit the properties of a measure, right-click on an empty part of the measure and select Measure Properties....

    Measure properties dialog

    Staves

    The Visible property allows you to show or hide the notes and staff lines for the current measure. The Stemless property allows you to show or hide all note stems for the current measure. Notes that normally have a stem such as half notes (minums) and quarter notes (crotchets) only show the note head when marked as stemless.

    Duration

    The Nominal duration is the time signature that is displayed on the score. You can change the Actual duration of a measure to anything regardless of the time signature displayed on the score. Normally, the nominal and actual duration of a measure is identical. However, a measure (e.g. pickup, anacrusis) can have an actual duration that is shorter.

    In the figure below, the quarter note (crotchet) pickup has a nominal measure duration of 4/4, but an actual duration of 1/4. The measures in the middle have both nominal and actual durations of 4/4. The complimentary measure with only a dotted half note (dotted minim) at the end has an actual duration of 3/4.

    incomplete measures

    Irregular

    An "irregular" measure is not counted in the measure numbering. Normally a pickup measure is marked as "irregular".

    Add to measure number

    You can also use the "add to measure no." option to influence the measure numbering. You can enter positive or negative numbers here. Please note that this affects subsequent measures. A value of "-1" has the same effect as marking a measure irregular.

    Layout stretch

    You can increase, or decrease horizontal space between notes with this option.

    Repeat count

    If the measure is the end of a repeat , you can define how often it is played.

    Break multi-measure rests

    This property separates a Measure rests at the start of the selected measure. This option should be checked before you turn on the "Create multi-measure rests" option in Style → Edit General Style.

    Multi-measures are automatically broken at important breaks, such as rehearsal marks, time changes, double bar lines, irregular measures etc.

    Numbering

    MuseScore automatically numbers the first measure of each system, but more numbering options are possible. From the main menu, choose Style → Edit Style. In the left pane, choose "Numbers". In the bottom half of the right pane is the "Measure Numbers" ("Bar Numbers") section.

    Mark the checkbox next to the "Measure Numbers" ("Bar Numbers") to turn on automatic measure numbers.
    Mark "show first" if you want the first measure numbered.
    Mark "all staffs" if you want numbers on all staffs. Otherwise, only the top staff of each system shows measure numbers.
    Choose to show numbers on "every system" which numbers the first measure of each line, or show numbers by "interval" and specify the size of the interval. For example, an interval of 1 numbers every measure; an interval of 5 numbers every fifth measure.

    Palette

    You can show, or hide the palette using the menu Display → Palette (or use the shortcut F9).

    Add symbols to your music

    You can drag-and-drop palette symbols onto score elements.

    Double clicking a palette symbol is equivalent to drag-and-dropping it to each of the selected elements on the score.

    For example, you can quickly add tenuto marks to a group of notes:

    1. Select notes
    2. In the Articulations/Ornaments palette, double-click on the tenuto symbol.

    Edit palettes

    You can also add or remove palette symbols.

    1. Click on the palette title and hold your click down for one second.
    2. From the menu select Enable Editing.
    3. Drag symbols in the palette to add.
    4. Drag symbols out, or highlight it with a right click and select Delete Contents to delete it.
    5. When you finish editing the palette click and hold on the palette title and deselect Enable Editing to prevent accidental changes in the future.

    Undo and redo

    MuseScore has unlimited undo/redo functions.

    The standard shortcuts are:

    • Undo Ctrl+Z (Mac: ⌘+Z)
    • Redo Ctrl+Shift⇑+Z or Ctrl+Y (Mac: ⌘+Shift⇑+Z)

    Or use the toolbar buttons:

    Undo/Redo buttons

    File format

    MuseScore supports a wide variety of file formats, which allows you to share and publish scores in the format that best meets your needs. You can import files via File → Open... and export via File → Save As.... In addition to the formats detailed below, you can save and share your scores on the web at MuseScore.com File → Save Online.... See Share scores online .

    MuseScore native format

    Compressed MuseScore format (*.mscz)
    MSCZ is the standard MuseScore file format and recommended for most uses. A score saved in this format takes up very little disk space, but preserves all the necessary information. The format is a ZIP-compressed version of .mscx files and includes images.
    MuseScore format (*.mscx)
    MSCX is the uncompressed version of the MuseScore file format. A score saved in this format will not lose any information, except images. It is recommended if you need to manually edit the file format using a text editor. Previous versions of MuseScore used the MSC file extension. However, MSC conflicts with a file extension used by Microsoft Windows and is blocked by some email providers. The new MSCX file extension supersedes the old MSC file extension, due to the problems outlined above.

    Note about fonts: MuseScore does not embed fonts in the file. If you want to share a MuseScore file with other parties, choose a font for your text that the other parties have installed. When a computer does not have the fonts specified in the file, MuseScore uses a fallback font. Of course, the fallback font has a different appearance.

    MuseScore backup files

    MuseScore Backup File (.*.mscz, or .*.mscx,)
    Backup files are created automatically and saved in the same folder as your normal MuseScore file. The backup file adds a period to the beginning of the file name (.) and a comma (,) to the end (for example, if your normal file is called "untitled.mscz", then the backup copy is called ".untitled.mscz,"). The backup copy contains the previously saved version of the MuseScore file and can be important if your normal copy becomes corrupted, or you need to look at an older version of your score. To open a MuseScore backup file, you need to rename the file by removing the period and comma. Since it is stored in the same folder as your normal MuseScore file, you also need to give it a unique name (for example, you might change the file name ".untitled.mscz," to "untitled-backup1.mscz").

    In order to see the MuseScore backup files, you may need to change your view settings to "show hidden files". See also How to recover a backup copy of a score .

    View and print (Export only)

    PDF (*.pdf)
    Portable Document Format (PDF) is ideal for sharing your sheet music with others who do not need to edit the music. Most computer users already have a PDF viewer on their computer, so they will not need to install any extra software to see your score.
    PostScript (*.ps)
    PostScript (PS) is popular as a page description language used in professional printing.
    PNG (*.png)
    Portable Network Graphics (PNG) is a bitmap image format widely supported by software on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. The image format is particularly popular on the web. Multi-page scores export a PNG file for every page. MuseScore creates images as they would appear on the printed page. If you want to create images that show screen-only items, such as frame boxes, invisible notes, and out-of-range note colors, then go to Edit → Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore → Preferences...) click on the Export tab and mark "Screenshot function" check box.
    SVG (*.svg)
    Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) can be opened by most web browsers (except Internet Explorer before version 9) and most vector graphics software. However, most SVG software don't support embedded fonts, so the appropriate MuseScore fonts must be installed to view these files correctly.

    Listen (Export only)

    WAV Audio (*.wav)
    WAV (Waveform Audio Format) is an uncompressed sound format developed by Microsoft and IBM, but widely supported by software for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. This is an ideal format for creating CDs, since no sound quality is lost in the process of saving the file. However, the large file sizes make it difficult to share via email, or the web.
    FLAC Audio (*.flac)
    Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) is compressed audio format. FLAC files are approximately half the size of uncompressed audio and just as good quality. Windows and Mac OS do not have built-in support for FLAC, but software such as VLC media player can play FLAC files on any operating system.
    Ogg Vorbis (*.ogg)
    Ogg Vorbis is intended as a patent-free replacement for the popular MP3 audio format. Like MP3, Ogg Vorbis files are relatively small (often a tenth of uncompressed audio), but some sound quality is lost. Windows and Mac OS do not have built-in support for Ogg Vorbis. However, software such as VLC media player and Firefox can play Ogg files on any operating system.
    MP3 (*.mp3) (2.0+)
    MP3 files are relatively small (often a tenth of uncompressed audio), but some sound quality is lost. To be able to create MP3 files, an additional DLL, lame_enc.dll, needs to be installed and MuseScore needs to get told about its location.

    Share with other music software

    MusicXML (*.xml)
    MusicXML is the universal standard for sheet music and can be used by most of the currently available scorewriters including Sibelius, Finale, and more than 100 others. It is the recommended format for sharing your sheet music between different scorewriters.
    Compressed MusicXML (*.mxl)
    Compressed MusicXML creates smaller files than regular MusicXML. Compressed MusicXML is a newer standard and not as widely supported by other scorewriters at this time.
    MIDI (*.mid, *.midi, *.kar)
    Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a format widely supported by sequencers and music notation software. However, MIDI files are designed for playback, and not score layout. Therefore, they do not contain information about formatting, pitch spelling, voicing, ornaments, articulations, repeats, or key signatures, among other things. To share files between different music notation software, use MusicXML. If you are only interested in playback, use MIDI.
    LilyPond (*.ly) (Export only)
    LY files can be opened by LilyPond , a free scorewriter. However, LilyPond export is currently incomplete and experimental.
    MuseData (*.md) (Import only)
    MuseData is a format developed by Walter B. Hewlett beginning in 1983 as an early means of sharing music notation between software. It has since been eclipsed by MusicXML, but several thousand scores in this format are still available on the web.
    Capella (*.cap) (Import only)
    CAP files are created by the scorewriter, "Capella". MuseScore imports these files fairly accurately (only version 2000 (3.0) or later, importing scores from 2.x doesn't work, the *.all format from 1.x versions is not supported at all) .
    Bagpipe Music Writer (*.bww) (Import only)
    BWW files are created by the niche scorewriter, "Bagpipe Music Writer".
    BB (*.mgu, *.sgu) (Import only)
    BB files are created by the music arranging software, "Band-in-a-Box". MuseScore includes experimental support for BB import.
    Overture (*.ove) (Import only)
    OVE files are created by the scorewriter, "Overture". This format is mainly popular in Chinese-language environments, such as Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan. This is experimental.

    Share scores online

    Go to http://musescore.com/sheetmusic to view other scores from MuseScore.

    You can save and share your scores online at MuseScore.com. You can choose to save a score privately for personal access from any computer, or choose to share the score publicly for friends and band members to view, or download. MuseScore.com lets you view and playback scores in your web browser, and even lets you synchronize your score with a YouTube video. For use outside of a web browser, you can download the score in a variety of formats (including PDF, MIDI, MP3, MusicXML, and the original MuseScore file).

    Create an account

    1. Visit MuseScore.com and click on Create new account
    2. Pick a username and enter a valid email and press "Create New Account"
    3. Wait a few minutes for an email from MuseScore.com support. If no email arrives, check your spam folder
    4. Click the link in the email and visit your user profile to change your password

    Share a score directly from MuseScore

    You can directly save a score online from File → Save Online.... First time users will have to authenticate.

    First time authentication

    1. Go to File → Save Online...
    2. Once you understand the prompt regarding permission, click OK - this will open your browser and MuseScore.com
      MuseScore needs your permission
    3. If you are not logged in, enter your username and password
    4. Click "Allow Access"
    5. Go back to MuseScore, and press "OK". If your browser doesn't open, you can copy/paste the URL into the address bar of your browser
      Press OK once access is allowed
    6. MuseScore is now linked to your account on MuseScore.com

    Save online

    After your first authentication, or when you go to File → Save Online..., MuseScore asks some information about your scores
    score information

    1. The title is the title of the score. You can change it
    2. The description will end up next to your scores.
    3. You can choose to make your score public and everybody on MuseScore.com will see it or private and only you will be able to see the score.
    4. Choose a license. By using a Creative Commons licence, you allow people to use your scores under certain restrictions.
    5. You can add tags to help finding your scores on MuseScore.com. Don't forget to use a comma to separate the tags.

    Upload a score on MuseScore.com

    You can also upload a score directly on MuseScore.com.

    1. Click the Upload link on MuseScore.com
    2. You have the same options as with the Save Online menu
    3. You have also access to more information such as Genre

    Note: Should you reach the five score upload limit, you can still upload score directly from MuseScore, but only the last five are visible. If you wish to continue uploading via the web, upgrade to a Pro Account first.

    Edit a score on MuseScore.com

    If you want to make changes to one of your scores on MuseScore.com, edit the MuseScore file on your own computer and follow the steps below.

    1. Go to the score page on MuseScore.com
    2. Click the edit link
    3. In the form, you can change the score file, you can also change all the score info, such as title, description, etc...

    External links

    Notation

    In the previous "Basics " chapter you learn how to note entry and interact with the palette . The "Notation" chapter describes the different types of notation in more detail including more advanced music notation.

    Accidental

    Accidentals can be set, or changed by dragging an accidental symbol from the accidental palette to a note in the score.
    Accidentals palette

    If you only want to change the pitch of a note, you can also select the note and press:

    • ↑: Increase the pitch of a note by one semitone (favors sharps).
    • ↓: Decrease the pitch of a note by one semitone (favors flats).
    • Ctrl+↑: Increase the pitch of a note by one octave.
    • Ctrl+↓: Decrease the pitch of a note by one octave.

    You can change an existing accidental into a cautionary accidental (enclosed in parentheses), drag the parentheses from the accidental palette onto to the existing accidental (not the note head). To remove parentheses, select the accidental and press Del.

    If you later change the pitch with cursor keys, manual settings to the accidental are removed.

    The menu function Notes → Pitch spell tries to guess the right accidentals for the whole score.

    External links

    Arpeggio & Glissando

    Arpeggios are set by dragging an arpeggio symbol from the Arpeggio & Glissando palette to a note of a chord.

    Arpeggio palette

    To change the length of the arpeggio, double-click the arpeggio and drag the handle up or down.

    Arpeggio spanning two staves

    Glissandi are set by dragging a glissando symbol from the Arpeggio & Glissando palette to the first of two consecutive notes on the same staff.

    MuseScore can create glissandos with a straight or zig-zag line

    Edit or delete the text of a glissando by right-clicking it and select "Glissando Properties" in menu. If there isn't enough room between two notes, MuseScore will not display the text.

    External links

    Bar line

    Change bar line type

    Bar lines are changed by dragging a bar line symbol from the bar line palette to a bar line in the score.

    Bar Line palette

    To hide a bar line entirely, right-click on the line and choose Set Invisible.

    Create grand staff

    To extend bar lines over multiple staves, double-click on a bar line to edit it (see Edit mode ).

    Bar Line edit mode

    Click and drag the blue square down to the next staff.

    Staff bar lines updates appear when you leave edit mode.

    Grand staff

    See also

    Beam

    Beams are set automatically, but the automatic setting can be overridden manually. Drag a beam symbol from the beam palette to a note in order to change its beam behavior.

    Beam Palette

    You can also first select a note, and then double-click the appropriate symbol in the beam palette.

    Start beam button Start a beam at this note.

    Middle of beam button Do not end a beam at this note.

    No beam button Do not beam this note.

     'A'   = (back to) Automatic mode: the mode MuseScore chooses on note entry, dependent on current time signature.

    To change the beam angle or the distance of the beam to the notes (i.e. the length of the stems), double click on the beam to put it into Edit mode , with the right end handle being selected. Up/down arrow will now change the angle. Selecting left end handle and using the up/down arrow keys will lengthen/shorten the stems. Hit Esc to get out of edit mode, once done with the changes.

    To move a beam from above to below the notes, or vice-versa, flip the direction of the stems by using the button along the second top row (before the voice indicators) that shows a note with stems attached above and below or use the X key.

    See also

    Bracket

    Delete

    Select the bracket and press Del

    Add

    Drag a bracket symbol from the bracket palette to an empty space in the first measure of a system.
    Brackets Palette

    Change

    Drag a bracket symbol from the bracket palette to an bracket in the score.

    Edit

    Double-click on a bracket to enter edit mode . In edit mode, you can drag the height of a bracket to span arbitrary staves of a system.

    Horizontal offset

    If you need to move a bracket further left or right, then double-click the bracket to enter edit mode, and press Shift⇑+← or Shift⇑+→.

    Breath and pause

    To place a breath symbol, drag it from the breath palette to a note in the score. The breath symbol is placed after the note.

    Breath & Pause Palette

    Breath symbol in score:

    Breath

    Caesura (informally called tram lines or railroad tracks) work the same way.

    Clef

    Clefs are created, or changed by dragging a clef symbol from the clef palette to a measure or another clef. Use F9 (Mac: ⌥+⌘+K) to show or hide the palette sidebar.

    Clefs palette

    Add

    Drag a clef from the palette onto an empty part of a measure. This creates a clef at the beginning of the measure. Drag a clef to a particular note to create a mid-measure clef. If the measure is not the first measure in the staff, it is drawn smaller.

    Remove

    Select a clef and press Del.

    Note: Changing a clef does not change the pitch of any note. Instead, the notes move to preserve pitch.

    Drum notation

      Example drum notation
      Sample Drum Notation

      Notation for drumsets often include simultaneous upstem and downstem notes. If you are unfamiliar with editing multiple voices in a single staff, see voices for an overview. See below for instructions specific to percussion notation.

      MIDI keyboard

      The easiest way to add drum notation to your score is via MIDI keyboard. Most MIDI keyboard have percussion markings above each key. If you press the key for high hat, then MuseScore will add the correct notation to the score. MuseScore automatically takes care of the stem direction and type of note head.

      Computer keyboard

      Only a few drum-instruments are mapped to shortcut by default. You can add more with right click on the staff → Edit drumset...

      • c for Bass-Drum
      • d for Ride

      Mouse

      Note entry for unpitched percussion works differently than for other instruments, so here are the special steps:

      1. Select a note or rest in the percussion staff. Please note that the Drum palette will remain empty until you have completed this step
      2. Press "N" to begin note entry
      3. Select a note duration from the Note Input toolbar
      4. Select a type of note (such as bass drum or snare) from the drum palette
      5. Click on the percussion staff to add the note to the score
      upload
      Attachment Size
      drum1.png 7.65 KB

      Grace note

      Short grace notes (Acciaccatura) appear as small notes with a stroke through the stem. Long grace notes (Appoggiatura) have no stroke. Both are placed before the normal-sized main note.

      Instructions

      Create a grace note by dragging a grace note symbol from the Grace Notes palette to a regular note on the score. It's also possible to create a grace note by selecting a notehead and double-clicking a grace note symbol from the Grace Notes palette .

      To add more than one grace note, drag successive grace notes on the notehead.

      To add a chord of grace notes, enter the first one and select it, then use Shift⇑+ note names (C, D, E etc...)

      If you want to change the duration of a previously created grace note, select it and choose a duration from the toolbar or enter with one of the keys 1 ... 9 (see Note Entry ).

      Grace Notes palette

      External links

      Hairpin

      Hairpins are line objects. To create a hairpin, select a note to mark the start point.

      • H: Creates a crescendo hairpin
      • Shift⇑+H: Creates a diminuendo hairpin (decrescendo)

      You can also create hairpins by dragging a hairpin symbol from the line palette to a note head.

      1. H creates a crescendo hairpin:
        One-measure crescendo
      2. Double click switches to edit mode :
        Crescendo shows handles and anchors in edit mode
      3. Shift⇑+→ moves end anchor:
        Crescendo anchor extends to the next note
      4. → moves end point:
        Crescendo visually extends beyond anchor point

      Key signature

      Key signatures are created, or changed by dragging a key symbol from the key palette to a measure, or existing key signature.
      Keys palette

      F9 (Mac: ⌥+⌘+K) toggles the palette window.

      Change

      Drag a key from the palette onto a key in the score.

      Add

      Drag a key from the palette onto an empty part of a measure. This creates a key at the beginning of the measure.

      Remove

      Select a key and press Del.

      Line

      The lines palette like other palette , works via "drag-and-drop". Use the mouse to drag the item from the palette and drop it onto the score.

      Lines palette

      Change length

      If you change the length of a line using the mouse, the anchor positions (the notes or measures they apply to) do not change. Therefore, the following method is recommended for adjusting the start or end points of a line.

      1. If you are in note entry mode then press N to leave note entry
      2. Double click the line that you want to change
      3. Move the handles using the following shortcuts
        • Shift⇑+→ to move the anchor right by one note (or measure)
        • Shift⇑+← to move the anchor left by one note (or measure)
      4. If you need to change the length visually without changing the notes, or measures that the line is anchored to, then use the following shortcuts:
        • → to move the handle right by one unit
        • ← to move the anchor left by one unit

      See also

      Measure rests

      Full-measure rest

      A full-measure rest looks like a whole-note (semi-breve) rest except it is centered in the middle of a measure

      When an entire measure is devoid of notes, a full-measure (full-bar) rest is used.

      To create a one-bar rest select a measure and press Del. All notes and rests on this measure are then replaced by a one-bar rest.

      Multi-measure rest

      Multi-measure rests have a number above the staff indicating the duration of the rest by the number of measures

      Multi-measure (multi-bar) rests indicate a long duration of silence for an instrument and are frequently used in ensemble sheet music.

      Instructions

      1. From the menu choose Style → Edit General Style (in versions 0.9.5 and earlier it is called Style → Edit Style)
      2. Click on the "Score" tab if it is not already selected
      3. Add a check mark next to "Create Multi Measure Rests"

      Limitations

      The style option automatically creates multi-measure rests throughout the score. Therefore it is recommended that you enter all your notes first and then turn on multi-measure rests afterward.

      Versions 0.9.5 and earlier do not automatically break multi-measure rests at important points such as double bar lines, key signatures, rehearsal marks. This is fixed for the latest versions of MuseScore. As a workaround for earlier versions see the "Break multi-measure rests" heading of measure operations .

      Repeat

      The start and end of simple repeats can be defined by setting appropriate bar line . For instructions on first and second ending measures, see volta .

      Playback

      To hear repeats during playback, make sure the "Play Repeats" play-repeats.png button on the toolbar is selected. Likewise, you can turn off repeats during playback by deselecting the button.

      In the last measure of a repeat, you can set the measure operations "Repeat Count" to define the number of played repeats.

      Repeat symbols and text

      Text and symbols related to repeats are located in the Repeats palette :

      Repeats palette contains the symbols for measure repeat, segno and coda. It also contains 'D.S.', 'D.C.', and Fine text.

      To add an object from the Repeats palette, drag it onto (not above) the desired measure. The object then appears above that measure in your score.

      Jumps

      Jumps generally consist of three parts:

      • Jump to tag
      • play up to tag
      • continue at tag

      Tags are names you give to certain measure position. Two tags ("start", "end") denote the start and end of the score and don't need to get added explicitly.

      Examples:

      At the jump instruction Da Capo the playback jumps to the start and plays the entire score again (up to the implict end tag).

      At the jump instruction Da Capo al Fine the playback jumps to the start and plays the score up to the tag Fine .

      Dal Segno al Fine (or D.S. al Fine) jumps to the Segno tag and then plays up to the tag Fine

      Dal Segno al Coda jumps to the Segno tag and then plays up the first Coda tag. Playback then continues at the second Coda tag. The properties of jumps can get set via a right-click at the D.S. al Coda tag.

      See also

      Slur

      A slur is a curved line between two or more notes that indicates they are to be played without separation. If you mean to join two notes of the same pitch, see Tie

      First Method

      1. Leave note entry and select the first note:
        First note selected
      2. S creates a slur:
        Slur to adjacent note
      3. Shift⇑+→ moves the slur end to the next note:
        Three-note slur
      4. X flips the slur direction:
        Slur above note stems
      5. Esc ends Slur Edit mode:
        Slur no longer in edit mode

      Second Method

      1. Leave note entry and select the first note.
      2. Ctrl-select (resp. ⌘-select on a Mac) or Shift⇑-select the last note.
      3. Hit S.

      Third Method

      1. While in note entry key in the first note in the slurred section.
      2. Hit S to begin the slurred section.
      3. Key in the remaining notes in the slurred section.
      4. Hit S to end the slurred section.

      Adjustments

      The boxes or handles (displayed in the images for steps 2-4 above) can be adjusted with the mouse. The two outer handles adjust the start and end of the slur. The two inner handles adjust the contour of the slur.

      A slur can span several systems and pages. The start and end of a slur is anchored to a note/chord or rest. If the notes are repositioned due to changes in the layout, stretch or style, the slur also moves and adjusts in size.

      This example shows a slur that spans from the bass to the treble clef. Using the mouse, select the first note of the slur, hold down the Ctrl key (resp. ⌘ key on a Mac) and select the last note for the slur, and press S to add the slur.

      Slur across clefs

      Note: It is not possible to change the start and end anchor notes using the mouse. Use Shift⇑ + ← or → to adjust the start and end points of a slur.

      Dotted line

      Dotted slurs are sometimes used in songs where the presence of a slur varies between stanzas. Dotted slurs are also used to indicate an editor's suggestion (as opposed to the composers original markings). To change an existing slur into a dotted slur, right-click on it and choose Slur Properties.... From the Slur Properties dialog, you can choose whether you want a solid or a dotted slur.

      X flips the direction of a selected slur.

      See also

      Transposition

      Transposition moves a selection of notes higher or lower on the staff. MuseScore supports several kinds of transposition.

      1. Chromatic transposition

        Chromatic transposition moves notes up or down in semitone increments. From the main menu choose Notes → Transpose.... You can also transpose a selection of notes using the arrow keys (↑ or ↓).

      2. Scalar transposition

        Scalar transposition (also known as diatonic transposition) moves notes up or down the current scale according to the key signature. You can move a single note by dragging it up or down. You can move a selection of multiple notes with Ctrl + click and drag.

      Transposing instruments

      Certain instruments such as B-flat trumpet or alto sax are known as transposing instruments. These instruments sound lower or higher than their written pitch. MuseScore has built-in support for transposing instruments.

      The Concert Pitch button and Notes → Concert Pitch from the main menu lets you switch between concert pitch and transposing pitch. Concert pitch helps composers and arrangers because it displays every instrument in the same key, so the notes on the staff match their sounding pitches. When concert pitch is turned off, the notes on some instrument staves may not match their sounding pitches, but they are ready for an instrumentalist to play from. If you use concert pitch during your session, remember to turn off concert pitch before printing the parts.

      Instrument transpositions are already set up in MuseScore. However if you want a rare instrument or transposition that is not available in MuseScore you may need to edit the instrument transposition manually. Right-click on an empty part of the instrument staff and choose Staff Properties.... At the bottom of the Staff Properties window you can select the interval of transposition, any octave shifts, and whether the interval is "Up" (sounds higher than written) or "Down" (sounds lower than written).

      Tie

      A tie is a curved line between two notes of the same pitch. If you want a curved line that spans multiple pitches, see Slur .

      First method

      Select first note:
      First note selected

      + creates a tie:
      Slur to adjacent note

      (+ key or the tie button located on the top to the right of the notes)

      Second method

      To create ties during Note Entry , press + after the first note of the tie.

      Tied chords

      To add ties between two chords, select the stem of the first chord, or Shift⇑ + click on the first chord and press +. Note Entry mode must not be enabled.

      X flips the direction of a selected tie.

      Time signature

      Time signatures are available in the main palette sidebar. You can drag and drop the time signatures onto the score (see palette for general information on working with palettes in MuseScore).

      Time Signature sidebar palette

      If you need a time signature not found in the sidebar palette, go to Create → Time... to create your own. You can edit the upper and lower numbers in the Create Time Signature pane. Once added, just drag and drop the time signature to the score from the window where you manufactured it. Be aware that it will not appear in the pallet.

      In most cases, you'll only need to edit the first of the upper numbers. The additional upper numbers are for additive meters , which contain multiple upper numbers separated by a plus sign.

      Create new time signatures

      Time signatures you don't need (any longer) could get removed in the above dialog box via right-click -> "Delete Content".

      Pickup measures

      There are occasions when the actual duration of a measure is different from the duration specified by the time signature. Pickup measures are a common example. To change the actual duration of a measure without displaying a different time signature, see the Properties section of measure operations .

      Tremolo

      Tremolo is the rapid repetition of one note, or a rapid alternation between two or more notes. It is indicated by strokes through the stems of the notes. If the tremolo is between two or more notes, the bars are drawn between them. Tremolo symbols are also used to notate drum rolls.

      The tremolo palette contains separate symbols for one note tremolos (shown with stems below) and for two note tremolos (shown with no stem below).

      Tremolo palette

      Tremolo can be added to the stem of a single note by selecting the notehead and then double click on the desired symbol in the tremolo palette.

      In a two note tremolo, every note has the value of the whole tremolo duration. To enter a tremolo with the duration of a half note (minim), first enter two normal quarter notes (crotchets). After dragging a tremolo symbol to the first note, the note values automatically double to half notes.

      Tuplet

      Tuplets are used to write rhythms beyond the beat divisions usually permitted by the time signature. For example, triplet eighth notes (quavers) in a 4-4 time signature divide the quarter note (crotchet) beat into three instead of two.

      Instructions

      To create a triplet, first select a note on the score that specifies the full duration of the triplet group. For example, a group of triplet eighth notes (quavers) has a "full duration" of one quarter note (crotchet).
      Quarter note selected

      From the main menu, choose Notes → Tuplets → Triplet. This creates a triplet by dividing the full duration into three equal parts.
      Triplet eight note followed by rests

      They can be further edited.
      Three triplet eight notes

      Note entry mode

      Tuplet entry works slightly differently in note entry mode, than the method outlined above. You must select the duration first, and enter the pitches afterwards. Below are step-by-step instructions for making triplet eighth notes.

      1. Switch to note entry mode by pressing N
      2. Make sure the note entry marker is in the place that you want to start the tuplet (use the right and left arrow keys if necessary)
      3. Choose the duration for the whole tuplet group from the note entry toolbar. For this example, click on the quarter note (or press 5 on the keyboard)
      4. From the main menu, choose Notes → Tuplets → Triplet, or press Ctrl+3 (Mac: ⌘+3)
      5. Notice that an eighth note duration is automatically selected. Click on the staff to add pitches or enter them via the computer- or MIDI-keyboard

      Properties

      To change the display properties of a tuplet, right-click on the tuplet number and choose Tuplet Properties....
      Tuplet Properties dialog

      The number section of the properties dialog allows you to show one integer, a ratio of two integers, or no number at all.

      In the bracket section, the "bracket" and "nothing" allow you to explicitly show, or hide the bracket. The "auto bracket" option hides the bracket for beamed notes and shows the bracket - if the tuplet includes unbeamed notes or rests.

      Tuplet with a 5:6 ratio and auto beam

      External links

      Voices

      Voices allow you to have notes on a single staff which start at the same time, yet have different durations. Voices are sometimes called 'layers' in other notation software.

      In a polyphonic measure, voice 1 takes the up-stem notes and voice 2 takes the down-stem notes

      Instructions

      1. Start by entering the top voice (all the up-stem notes). When you enter the notes, some may have down-stems. You do not need to worry about the stem direction at this point, because they will flip automatically when you add the second voice.
        Voice 1 notes
      2. If you are using a computer or MIDI keyboard to enter notes (instead of the mouse), use the ← key to move your cursor back to the beginning of the staff (or measure)
      3. Click on "Voice 2" button Voice 2 button
      4. Enter all the bottom voice notes (all the down-stem notes). When you are finished, it should look like this:
        Voices 1 and 2

      When to use voices

      • If you need stems pointing in opposite directions within a chord on a single staff
      • If you need notes of different durations within a single staff, played simultaneously

      Hidden spacer rests

      Only the rests of voices 2/3/4 can be deleted, not those of the main voice (1 - blue), they can be only hidden.
      voice selector
      To hide a rest, right-click on the rest and select Set Invisible. If you have Display → Show Invisible marked, the rest still shows in gray on your screen. The hidden rest will not appear if you print.

      External links

      Volta

      Volta brackets, or first and second ending brackets are used to mark different endings for a repeat.

      Sample first and second endings

      To place a volta bracket on the score, drag-and-drop the item from the line .

      The brackets can span more than one measure. Double-click the volta to enter edit mode, and move the handles with:

      • one measure right Shift⇑+→
      • one measure left Shift⇑+←

      These commands move the "logical" start or end of the volta bracket, which determines playback in MuseScore and layout over multiple systems. Moving the handles using the left or right arrows keys only, or using the mouse allows finer adjustments, but does not change how the repeat is played.

      If you move the handles, a dashed line from the logical position to the actual position is shown
      Second-ending volta in edit mode

      Text

      You can change the text and many other properties of a volta bracket using the Line Properties dialog. Right-click on a volta bracket and choose Line Properties.... The figure below shows the volta text as "1.-5."

      Line Properties dialog

      Sample first-through-fifth ending followed by sixth ending

      You can also right-click on the Volta and bring up the Volta Properties dialog. From here, you can change both the displayed Volta text (the same from the Line Properties above) and the Repeat List. If you want one volta to be played only on certain repeats and another volta on other repeats, enter the repeat times in a comma separated list. In the example below, this volta will be played during repeat 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7. Another volta will have the other ending, like 3, 6 and possibly other higher numbers like 8, 9, etc.

      Volta Properties dialog

      Playback

      Sometimes a repeat plays for more than two times. In the figure above, the volta text indicates that it should play five times before it continues. If you want to change the number of times MuseScore plays a repeat, go to the measure containing the end repeat bar line and change its Repeat Count (see Measure operations for details).

      External links

      Sound and playback

      MuseScore has "Sound and playback" capabilities built in. This chapter covers the playback controls and ways to extend the instrument sounds beyond the built-in piano sound.

      Play mode

      MuseScore has an integrated sequencer and synthesizer to play your score.

      By pressing the Play play.png button, you enter Play mode. In Play mode, the following commands are available:

      • Seek to previous chord ←
      • Seek to next chord →
      • Seek to previous measure Ctrl+← (Mac: ←)
      • Seek to next measure Ctrl+→ (Mac: →)
      • Rewind to start of score Home (Mac: ⌘+Home)
      • Toggle show play panel F11 (Mac: ⌥+⌘+P)

      Press the play button again to stop and exit Play mode.

      MuseScore starts playback from the place it last left off. If you select a note, MuseScore plays from there instead. The toolbar also has a rewind button to quickly return to the beginning of the score for playback.

      To also play repeats, activate the play-repeats.png Enable/Disable Repeats-Button.

      Play Panel

      The Play Panel offers more controls over playback, including tempo, starting position, and general volume. From the main menu, choose Display → Play Panel to open the Play Panel.

      The play panel allows you to adjust tempo and volume

      SoundFont

      MuseScore comes with a special type of file called a SoundFont that tells MuseScore how to play each instrument sound. Some SoundFonts are custom designed for classical music - others for jazz, or pop, etc. They can vary in size - some are large and take up a lot of memory, whilst others are very small and light-weight. MuseScore 0.9.6 to 1.3 features a relatively light-weight, general-purpose SoundFont called TimGM6mb.sf2.

      Overview

      A SoundFont file can store any number of instrument sounds. Many SoundFonts are available on the web. Look for one that covers the 128 sounds of General MIDI (GM). If you use a SoundFont that does not conform to the General MIDI standard, others may not hear the correct instruments when you share the score, or save as MIDI.

      The file size and sound quality of SoundFonts available on the web varies. Larger SoundFonts often sound better, but may be too large to run on your computer. If you find MuseScore runs slowly after installing a large SoundFont, or your computer can't keep up during playback, then look for a smaller SoundFont.

      List of SoundFonts

      Below are some popular GM SoundFonts of different sizes.

      Specialized SoundFonts

      Compression

      Since SoundFont files are large, they often are compressed into a variety of formats, including .zip, .sfArk, and .tar.gz. You need to decompress these files before they can be used.

      • ZIP is standard compression format supported by most operating systems.
      • sfArk is a compression format designed especially for compressing SoundFont files. Use the special sfArk software to decompress it.
      • .tar.gz is a popular compression format for Linux. Windows users can use 7-zip which supports a wide variety of compression formats. Note that you need apply decompression twice: once for GZip and once for TAR.

      MuseScore settings

      After finding and decompressing a SoundFont, do not double-click to open it, since this does not set up MuseScore. Instead, move the file to a folder of your choice, start MuseScore, and follow the instructions below.

      Go to Display → Synthesizer. The initial SoundFont setting depends on which operating system you are using.
      • Windows: C:\Program Files\MuseScore\sound\TimGM6mb.sf2
        (actually %ProgramFiles%\MuseScore\sound\TimGM6mb.sf2)
      • Windows (64-bit): C:\Program Files (x86)\MuseScore\sound\TimGM6mb.sf2
        (actually %ProgramFiles(x86)%\MuseScore\sound\TimGM6mb.sf2)
      • Mac OS X: /Applications/MuseScore.app/Contents/Resources/sound/TimGM6mb.sf2
      • Linux (Ubuntu): /usr/share/sounds/sf2/TimGM6mb.sf2

      Click on the Open icon next to the SoundFont location and browse for your new SoundFont (.sf2) file. In the open dialog, browse and select your file; then press Open.

      Troubleshooting

      If the toolbar play panel is greyed out, or not visible, follow the instructions below to get your sound working again:

      1. Make sure there is a check mark next to the Display → Transport menu item. You can add, or remove the check mark by clicking on the corresponding menu item. If this step does not solve your problem, continue below.
      2. If the play panel disappears after changing the SoundFont, go to Edit → Preferences... → I/O tab and click OK without making any changes. After restarting MuseScore, the play panel should reappear.

      If you are setting up a SoundFont for the first time, please use one of the recommended SoundFonts listed above.

      If playback stutters, then your computer is not able to handle the SoundFont being used. Two solutions:

      1. Reduce the amount of RAM (memory) used by MuseScore by using a smaller SoundFont. See list above for suggestions.
      2. Increase the amount of RAM available for MuseScore by quitting all applications, except MuseScore. If you still have problems and a large SoundFont is important to you, consider more RAM for your computer.

      Tempo

      Playback tempo can be changed via the play panel, or via tempo text in the score.

      Play panel

      • Display the play panel: Display → Play Panel
      • Change the Beats per Minute (bpm) using the Tempo (Tmp) slider

      Tempo text

      • Select a note to indicate where the tempo text should be created
      • From the main menu: Create → Text... → Tempo...
      • Press OK to finish

      Existing tempo text can be changed by double-clicking the text to enter edit mode. You can use text editing to add a quarter note or another duration for a metronome mark in the tempo text.
      Metronome mark: Andante quarter note = 75

      Beats per minute (BPM, quarter notes per minute) on existing tempo text can be adjusted by right-clicking on the text and selecting Tempo Properties...

      Note: Playback of tempo text may be faster or slower than the specified BPM if the tempo setting in the play panel is not set to 100 percent.

      Change and adjust sounds

      Mixer

      The mixer allows you to change instrument sounds and adjust the volume, panning, reverberation, and chorus for each staff. From the main menu, choose Display → Mixer to show the mixer.

      The mixer shows dials for each part

      Mute and Solo

      Use the Mute check box to quickly silence certain staves. Alternatively, use the Solo check box to silence all staves, except the staff you mark as "solo".

      Dials

      To turn a dial clockwise, click and drag upwards. To turn a dial counter-clockwise, click and drag downwards.

      Sound

      The sound drop-down menu lists every instrument supported by your current SoundFont .

      Change instrument

      You can change a staff to be a different instrument. The following method updates instrument sound, staff name, and staff transposition all at once.

      1. Right-click on an empty part of the measure and choose Staff Properties...
      2. Click on Change Instrument
      3. Choose your new instrument and click OK to return to the Staff Properties dialog
      4. Click OK again to return to the score

      Mid-staff change

      Some instruments can change sounds midway in a score. For example, strings can switch to pizzicato or tremolo and trumpet can switch to muted trumpet. The following instructions use muted trumpet as an example, but the same principles apply to pizzicato or tremolo strings.

      1. Select the first note of the muted section
      2. From the main menu, choose Create → Text → Staff Text
      3. Type Mute (or an equivalent indication such as Con Sordino). At this point, the staff text is a visual reference and not applied during playback
      4. Right-click on the staff text and select Staff Text Properties...
      5. In the Staff Text Properties dialog, mark the Channel checkbox
      6. In the Staff Text Properties dialog, select mute
      7. Click OK to return to the score

      Every note after the staff text you added now sounds muted. To return to an unmuted sound later in the piece, follow the same guidelines as above except type Open in step 3 and select normal in step 6.

      Dynamics

      Playback volume can be changed for the entire piece by the play panel, or locally by Dynamics text in the score.

      Play panel

      • Display the play panel: Display → Play Panel
      • Change the Volume using the slider

      Dynamics text

      • From the Dynamics palette, click and drag a Dynamics text to a note in the score. (Alternatively you can select a note in the score and doubleclick a Dynamics text.)
      • To mark crescendo and decrescendo, see hairpin
      • For additional Dynamics texts press L, choose the symbol in the window that shows up now and drag it to a note in the score. You can also add it to the palette, by dragging it there, see also palette .

      Adjusting playback volume for a Dynamics text

      In versions 1.3 and earlier:
      1. Right-click on the Dynamics text and select MIDI Properties...
      2. Adjust the "Velocity" number: higher for louder, lower for softer.
      In versions 2.0 and later:
      1. Click to select the Dynamics text
      2. View → Inspector (or press F8)
      3. Adjust the "Velocity" number: higher for louder, lower for softer.

      Text

      The previous chapter covers tempo , but there are many other types of text available in MuseScore: lyrics , chord name , dynamics , fingering , headings, rehearsal marks, plus many more. These are all accessible from the main menu via Create → Text.

      For short generic text use staff or system text. The difference between these two texts is whether you want it to apply to a single staff or apply to the whole system. This makes a difference when part extraction .

      Text editing

      Double-click on text to enter edit mode:
      Sample text in edit mode

      In text edit mode, the following commands are available:

      • Ctrl+B (Mac: ⌘+B) toggles bold face
      • Ctrl+I (Mac: ⌘+I) toggles italic
      • Ctrl+U (Mac: ⌘+U) toggles underline
      • move cursor: Home End Left Right
      • Backspace remove character to the left of the cursor
      • Delete remove character to the right of the cursor
      • Return start new line
      • F2 Insert text symbol (see below)

      Symbols and special characters

      You can use Text Symbols to insert quarter notes, fractions, and other special symbols or characters into your text. In the text toolbar, click on the keyboard icon special-text-symbols-button.png, or hit F2 to open the Text Symbols palette

      The Text Symbols palette contains buttons for inserting symbols into the text (e.g. quarter note), or special characters (e.g. copyright symbol).

      See also

      Text style

      Each text type has a basic style. For example, title text is centered and uses a large font size, Composer text is smaller and aligned to the right. To edit text styles, go to Style → Edit Text Style....

      During text editing , you can make changes that depart from basic style.

      Text properties:

      • Font: name of the font such as "Times New Roman" or "Arial"
      • Size: the size of the font in points
      • Italic, Bold, Underline: font properties
      • Anchor: page, time, notehead, system, staff
      • Alignment: horizontal: left, right, center; vertical: top, bottom, center
      • Offset: an offset to the normal anchor position
      • Offset Type: mm, space, or percent of page size

      Text types:

      • Title, Subtitle, Composer, Poet: anchored to page
      • Fingering : Fingerings are anchored to note heads.
      • Lyrics : Lyrics are anchored to a time position.
      • Chord name : Chord names are also anchored to a time position.
      • System text: Applies to all staves in a system.* Anchored to a time position.
      • Staff text: Applies to a single staff in a system.* Anchored to a time position.

      * The distinction between System and Staff text matters for ensemble scores. System text will extract to all parts. Staff text will only extract to the part to which it is anchored.

      Chord name

      Chord names can be entered by first selecting a note and then pressing Ctrl+K (Mac: ⌘+K). This creates a chord name text object for the selected chord.

      • Type Space to move to the next beat.
      • Shift⇑+Space moves to the previous beat.
      • Ctrl+Space (Mac: ⌘+Space) Adds a space to the chord name.
      • Type Tab to move to the next measure.
      • Shift⇑+Tab moves to the previous measure.

      Chord names can be text editing as normal text. To add a sharp, type #. To add a flat, type b. These characters will automatically turn into proper sharp or flat signs when you move to the next chord.

      MuseJazz font

      If you prefer a more handwritten appearance to the chord names in your score, there is a font option called "MuseJazz".

      Chord names have a handwritten appearance

      Comprehensive style

      If you want to use "MuseJazz" for chord names and most other text, use the following procedure:

      1. From the main menu, choose Style → Load Style...
      2. Navigate to the styles folder if necessary
      3. Select MuseJazz.mss

      Chord names only

      If you want to use "MuseJazz" for chord names only:

      1. From the main menu, choose Style → Edit General Style...
      2. From the left pane, select Chordnames
      3. In the right pane, replace the text stdchords.xml with jazzchords.xml or one of the alternate chord styles listed below.

      Alternate chord styles

      MuseScore provides several chord styles in addition to jazzchords.xml. To use an alternate chord style in your score follow the instructions for "Chord names only" above, but replace jazzchords.xml, with one of the styles listed below.

      • cchords_muse.xml (the default when using MuseJazz.mss):
        cchords_muse.xml sample
      • cchords_nrb.xml:
        cchords_nrb.xml sample
      • cchords_rb.xml:
        cchords_rb.xml sample
      • cchords_sym.xml:
        cchords_sym.xml sample

      Fingering

      Fingering can be added to notes by dragging a fingering character from the fingering palette to a note head in the score. When a note head is selected first, the fingering character can be added using a double-click. Fingerings are normal text, which can be text editing like any other text.

      Fingering palette

      Lyrics

      1. First enter notes
      2. Select first note
      3. From the main menu choose Create → Text → Lyrics or type Ctrl+L (Mac: ⌘+L) and type the syllable for the first note
      4. Continue entering lyics:
        • Type Space at end of a word to go to the next note
        • Type a hyphen - at end of syllable to go to next note. The syllables are connected with a dash
        • Shift⇑+Space moves to the previous syllable
        • ↵ (Mac: Return) moves down to the next lyric line (Note: not the Enter key from the numeric keypad!)
        • Type ↑ to return to the above lyric line
      5. Hitting Esc ends lyrics entry
      6. To type a second or further lyric line repeat steps 2 and 3 above, or double-click the first syllable, hit ↵ and type the syllable for the first note, then continue at step 4

      Sample lyrics:A-des-te fi-del-es

      Syllables can be extended by an underline _ to notate a melisma:
      Syllable extension line

      Entered with: soul, Shift⇑ + _ _ _ To Esc.

      Melisma over system break:

      melisma.png

      enter Ctrl+Space as the lyric for the first note of the new system, then type _.

      Two syllables under a note can be joined with an elision character, also known as a "lyric slur" or "synalepha".
      Sample syllable under a note

      In the text toolbar, click on the keyboard icon Keyboardico.png, or hit F2 to open the Text Symbols palette. The synalepha is the 4th from the end (U+203F ‿ "undertie"). The synalepha will be evenly centered separating the syllables with two spaces and by inserting it after the first. For the "e͜ A" example shown above:

      1. Type e
      2. Insert the synalepha using the F2 palette
      3. Type Ctrl+Space (Mac: ⌥+Space)
      4. Type A

      Note: AltGr+- leaves the dash near the syllable, as the mi- in the example.

      Not all fonts include the synalepha character. To see which fonts on your computer support the synalepha, see fontlist . (Look for any font that shows a tie between "e" and "A" instead of a blank rectangle). The alignment of the character also varies between fonts.

      Special characters

      Lyrics can be text editing as normal text with the exception of a few characters: If you want to add a space, hyphen, or underscore to a single syllable, use the following shortcuts:

      • Ctrl+Space (Mac: ⌥+Space) enters a space into the lyrics text
      • Ctrl+- (Mac: ⌥+-) or AltGr+- enters a hyphen (-) into the lyrics text
      • Ctrl+Shift⇑+_ (Mac: ⌥+_) enters an underscore (_) into the lyrics text
      • Ctrl+↵ (Mac: ⌥+Return) or Enter (from the numeric keypad) enters a line feed into the lyrics text

      See also

      Formatting

      Break or spacer

      Page breaks or line breaks (system breaks) are applied by dragging the corresponding symbol from the breaks palette to an empty space of a measure or on a horizontal frame in the score. The break happens after the marked measure resp. frame. The green break symbols are visible on the screen, but do not appear on printouts.

      Breaks Palette

      Mid-measure system breaks are sometimes needed (especially for strophic hymns or lieder). For example, if you want three beats on one system and a one beat pickup on the next system, then you need to create two measures with a shortened duration. For details, see Measure operations , "Duration" and "Irregular" sections.

      Spacers are used to increase the space between two adjacent staves. Drag and drop a spacer to a measure above the area that needs more vertical space. Double-click on the spacer and drag the handle using the mouse to adjust the height of the spacer.

      If you want to adjust the space between staves score-wide, use the style settings. Spacers are designed for local adjustments.

      Adding a break or spacer

      To add a break or spacer:

      1. Navigate to Layout → Breaks & Spacer...< or use the corresponding palette (see above).
      2. Drag the desired break or spacer from there.
      3. Drop the break or spacer in the measure you wish to affect.

      Deleting a break or spacer

      There are times that you may want to remove a break or spacer. To delete a break or spacer:

      1. Single click the break or spacer (it will turn blue to indicate that it is selected).
      2. Press the Del key.

      Frame

      Frames provide empty space outside of normal measures. They can also contain text or pictures. MuseScore has two kinds of frames:

      Horizontal
      Horizontal Frame
      Horizontal frames break a system. The width is adjustable and the height equals the system height. Horizontal frames can be used to separate a coda.
      Vertical
      Vertical Frame
      Vertical frames provide empty space between or before systems. The height is adjustable and the width equals the system width. Vertical frames are used to place title, subtitle, lyricist or composer. If you create a title, a vertical frame is placed before the first measure automatically, if it is not already there.

      Create a frame

      Select a measure. The command to insert a frame is found in the menu Create → Measures . The frame is inserted before the selected measure.

      Delete a frame

      Select the frame and press Del.

      Edit frame

      Double click the frame to enter edit mode . A handle appears which can be used to drag the size of the frame.

      Title frame in edit mode:

      Horizontal frame

      Image

      You can use images to illustrate scores, or add symbols that are not included in the standard palettes.

      To add an image, drag-and-drop an image file onto the score.

      MuseScore supports the following image formats:

      • PNG (*.png)
      • JPEG files (*.jpg, but currently not *.jpeg, so rename accordingly)
      • Simple SVG files (*.svg). MuseScore currently does not support SVG shading, blurring, clipping or masking.

      Layout and formatting

      You've finished your score and you want to print it out. However, you want improve how it looks. This handbook page describes many different ways, and how they work together.

      Ways to affect layout

      • Layout → Page Settings. Change global settings such as page size, how big a "space" is (under "Scaling"), and how big page margins are. Space is used in other settings (example: "5.0sp"), so changing "space" will change most other settings.
      • Layout → Add More Stretch, Add Less Stretch. Stretch or squash measures you specifically select.
      • Style → Edit General Style → Page. Change global settings that affect how close staves are and systems are, how much margin lyrics have, and so on.
      • Style → Edit General Style → System. Fix the number of measures per system, or the measure width.
      • Style → Edit General Style → Score. Change score details, such as whether there are multimeasure rests or hidden empty staves.
      • Style → Edit General Style → Measure. Set measure spacing, key to controlling number of measures per line.
      • Palette / Breaks & Spacer. Break a line at a particular measure, a page at a particular line, or add space between measures.
      • Style → Edit General Style → Sizes. Set the proportional size of "small" and grace notes. Changing this would be unusual.

      Layout / Page Settings

      MuseScore1.1_Layout_PageSettings_cropped.png

      Scaling / Space - This is the size of the space between 2 lines of a staff. Since notes fit in that space, it also controls the size of note heads. Since music is proportional to notes, this also affects note stems, accidentals, clefs - all kinds of things. It also shows up as sp in many other settings (example: system distance "9.2sp"). So, as you change the "Space" parameter, many other settings change proportionally. For this reason, it is also sometimes called "scaling."

      Changing the scaling may not change the number of systems per page because of the "page fill threshold" (see below). To see the effects of changes to scaling without interference, set the "page fill threshold" to 100%.

      Note: there is also a scaling parameter in Edit → Preferences → Score → Scaling. That sets the global preference for new documents, but does not change the current score.

      Layout: Add More Stretch, Add Less Stretch

      MuseScore1.1_Layout.png

      You can select measures, then widen them so that fewer are on a line ("Add More Stretch"), or squash them to fit more on a line ("Add Less Stretch").

      Style / Edit General Style / Page

      MuseScore1.1_EditStyle_Page_cropped.png

      • Music upper and lower margin - Space before and after the first and last staves on a page.
      • Staff distance (Stave distance) - Space between staves within a system.
      • Accolade distance (Great Stave distance) - Space between the staves of a multi-staff (multi-stave) instrument like piano.
      • System distance - Space between systems.
      • Lyrics upper and lower margin - Space before and after the first and last lines of lyrics.
      • V-frame upper and lower margin - Margins for a vertical frame (for example, the box containing the title and composer info).
      • Page fill threshold - If the page is fuller than this, system space is ignored, and everything is stretched to fill the page. So 100% prevents any stretching.
      • Last system fill threshold - If the last system is larger than this percentage of the page width, the last system is stretched to fill the page width.

      Percentages in a threshold are percentages of the full page height or width. So a page fill threshold of 70% means stretch of things to fill the page, if it is more than 70% full.

      Style / Edit General Style / System

      MuseScore1.1_EditStyle_System_cropped.png

      Style / Edit General Style / Score

      MuseScore1.1_EditStyle_Score_cropped.png
      Here, you can cause the creation of multi-measure rests and hide empty staves. This can affect score size greatly.

      Style / Edit General Style / Measure

      MuseScore1.1_EditStyle_Measure_cropped.png
      Set measure spacing as well as margins. The measure spacing is key to controlling number of measures per line. Changing the other settings would be unusual.

      Style / Edit General Style / Bar Lines

      Bar Lines
      To change the bar lines at the beginning of the stave or multiple staves

      Palette / Breaks & Spacer

      breaks-spacer-palette.png

      Using this palette, you can choose where you want page breaks or line breaks. Some people do this first, and some save it until the end, after modifying the global settings.

      To put a page break, drag and drop the page break symbol to a measure. To put a line break, drag and drop the line break symbol to the last measure you want on a line. If you want the same number of measures for several systems, select them and use Plugins → Break every X measures. If some measures end up alone on the line, reduce the scaling, or use Layout → Add More Stretch, Add Less Stretch.

      See also Break or spacer .

      Style / Edit General Style / Sizes

      MuseScore1.1_EditStyle_Sizes_cropped.png
      Set the proportional size of "small" and grace notes. Changing this would be unusual.

      Edit spacing between individual notes

      You can edit the spacing between notes in your score by the following steps.

      1. Double click on the note head for the note you wish to nudge
      2. Press the arrow key in the direction (left or right) that you wish to nudge the note
      3. Press the Esc key to finalize the process (this will re-draw the note stem).

      Note: you may need to delete and then re-enter ties, as they sometimes fail to re-draw.

      External links

      Advanced topics

      Cross staff beaming

      In piano scores, it is common to use both staves (bass and treble clef) to write a musical phrase.

      This can be entered in MuseScore as follows:

      Enter all notes in one staff:
      Beamed notes in upper staff

      Ctrl+Shift⇑+↓ moves the selected note or chord to the next staff (Mac: ⌘+Shift⇑+↓.)
      Selected note moved to lower staff

      If you want to move the beam, double click the beam to show the handles. Drag the handles to adjust the layout.

      See also

      • Bar line for cross-staff bar lines (i.e. grand staff).

      Create slash notation

      If you want to write sheet music for a Jazz ensemble, Big Band, or other group performing improvisation, you may want to use "slash notation".
      To do this, you can either perform the steps below or simply use the slash notation plugin . Only use the steps below if you really cant install the plugin (possibly because you aren't allowed to install the plugin or if installation fails).
      This kind of notation is used to indicate when a solist is supposed to play a solo. It looks like this:
      forward slashes show when to solo
      As seen in the picture above, you can still add chord symbols and dynamics to the slashed bars.

      In the current version of MuseScore, the process of creating slash notation is a bit complicated and involves the following steps:

      1. Fill a whole bar with quarter notes. They should be placed on the middle line of the stave. If your meter consists of an uneven number of eighth notes, use eighths instead.
      2. Select all those notes by selecting the whole bar. Then right click directly on one of the selected notes.
        In the resulting menu select the "Note Properties" entry.
      3. Now you will see something like this:

        before

      4. You have to change some entries now.
        • Check the "stemless" checkbox on top to make the stem disappear.
        • Under "Note Properties", select "slash" as "Note Head Group".
        • Now you have to silence the note so it does not disturb playback. You can do this by selecting "user" as "velocity type" and "1" as velocity value. This step is optional, but highly recommended.
          (Note: setting the velocity to 1 makes the cursor treat it as a note. If value is 0, cursor just jumps over it during playback.)

          This is how your window should look now:

          after

      5. Click "OK" and you are done!

      Plugins

      Plugins are small piece of code that add a particular feature to MuseScore. By adding a plugin, a new menu will be appended to the Plugins menu in MuseScore to accomplish a given action on the score or a part of it. Plugins are a way to let users with minimal programming skills add features to the software. To develop plugins, checkout the documentation .

      Some plugins are already delivered with MuseScore. You can find more plugins in the plugin repository .

      Installation

      Note that some plugins may require the installation of other components (e.g. fonts...) to work. Check the plugin's documentation for more information.

      Most plugins are provided as zip files, so download the plugin .zip file and uncompress it to one of the directories mentioned below.
      Some are provided as a .js file, download and place into one of these directories.
      Some are provided as a .txt file, download, place in one of these directories and rename it, so it ends with .js

      Windows

      MuseScore looks for plugins in %ProgramFiles%\MuseScore\Plugins (resp. %ProgramFiles(x86)%\MuseScore\Plugins for the 64-bit versions) and in %LOCALAPPDATA%\MusE\MuseScore\plugins on Vista and Seven or C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\MusE\MuseScore\plugins (adjusted to your language version) on XP.

      Mac OS X

      On Mac OS X, MuseScore looks for plugins in the MuseScore bundle in /Applications/MuseScore.app/Contents/Resources/plugins and in ~/Library/Application Support/MusE/MuseScore/plugins. To be able to move files in the app bundle, right click (Control-click) on MuseScore.app and choose "Show package contents" to reveal the Contents directory. Be careful to use Contents/Resources/plugins and not Contents/plugins.

      Linux

      In Linux, MuseScore looks for plugins in /usr/share/mscore-1.2/plugins and in ~/.local/share/data/MusE/MuseScore/plugins.

      In any of the above cases, restart MuseScore to allow the new plugin(s) to load.
      In MuseScore 2.0+ the plugin then needs to get enabled in Menu -> Edit -> Preferences -> Plugins, followed by another restart.

      Prior to MuseScore 2.0 a score needs to be open for the Plugins menu to become available.

      Plugins installed by default

      ABC import

      This plugin uses a web service (http://abc2xml.appspot.com/) to open an ABC file in MuseScore. It supports ABC 1.6. The ABC file is sent to the web service, and a MusicXML file is returned. The plugin then displays it as a new score.
      An improved version is available from the plugin repository .

      Break Every X Measures

      This plugin enters line breaks in the interval selected by you on the selected measures or, if no measures are selected, the entire score.

      Break 4

      This is an older version of the Break Every X Measures plugin and was part of MuseScore 0.9.5. It may still be available in your installation.
      It inserts line breaks every 4 measures on the entire score.

      Chord Chart

      This plugin creates a new score with all the chord names supported by MuseScore in Jazz style
      Since version 1.2 it is called "Create Chord Chart", found under "Plugins -> Lead Sheet" and lets you select the chord style file to use.
      An improved version is available from the plugin repository .

      Color Notes

      This plugin colors the note head of all notes in all staves and voices, according to the BoomWhackers convention. Each pitch has a different color. C and C# have a different color. C# and Db have the same color.
      To color all the notes in black, right click on a note head -> Select -> All similar elements. Right-click again on the note head -> Color -> Pick black. You could also use the "Remove Notes Color" plugin or the improved version from the Plug-In Repository for this.

      Create Score

      This plugin creates a new piano score with 4 quarters C D E F. It's a good start to learn how to make a new score and add notes from a plugin.

      Font Test

      This plugin is identical to the Note Names plugin, but uses a different font. It is not part of MuseScore anymore, but was part of 1.0 and as such might still be available in your installation.

      Note Names

      This plugin displays the English name of the top note of a chord in voice 1 in the top staff above the note head (as a Staff Text )
      An improved and extended version is available from the plugin repository

      Remove Notes

      This plugin removes the given (bottom, middle, or top) note of all 3-note chords in voice 1 of the top staff.

      Save Online ...

      This Plugin is not in the Plugins menu, but in the File Menu (File → Save Online...). It is a plugin nonetheless and is used to send your Score to MuseScore.com, see Share scores online for documentation.

      Temperament Tuning

      This plugin was part of MuseScore 0.9.6 and is the newer version of the Tuning plugin (see below). It later got moved to the plugin repository , so check its documentation there.

      Test

      This plugin is just a test and display a dialog box "Hello MuseScore". It's a good base to start learning plugin development. It is not part of MuseScore anymore, but was part of 1.0 and earlier and as such may still be available in your installation.
      As a remnant from having installed version 0.9.6.3 and earlier, you may also find one of the same name in the Create menu (Create → Test).

      Tuning

      This plugin was part of MuseScore 0.9.5 and is the older version of the Temperament Tuning plugin (see above). It may still be available in your installation.
      It applies a user defined tuning to all notes of all chords of voices 1-3 (but not voice 4!) of all staves.

      Part extraction

        If you have written a full ensemble score, MuseScore can create sheet music that shows only the individual part for each musician in the ensemble.

        In the current version of MuseScore, the process of extracting parts from a full score involves two main steps:

        1. Specifying which instruments are included in each part ("Defining the parts")
        2. Actually creating the part

        Defining the parts

        You can define the parts at any point after creating a new score. You only need to define the parts once for each score, but you can make changes if needed. The following instructions use a string quartet as an example, but the same principles apply for any other ensemble.

        1. From the main menu, choose File → Parts...

          When you first open the Parts window, the only active button reads

        2. In the Parts window click New to create a "part definition"

          The Parts window now lists the new part in the left pane and shows the properties of the selected part in the right pane

        3. In the right pane, type the words you want to use for the "File Name" and "Part Title"
          File Name
          The initial name used when you save the part on your computer (required)
          Part Title
          The text printed on the first page of your part, top left corner (optional)
        4. Pick the instrument that you want to appear in your part by marking the relevant box in the right-hand pane. Usually, you only want one instrument per part, but sometimes you might need a part that includes more than one instrument (such as multiple percussion staves). MuseScore allows you to mark as many instruments per part as you need.

          In the right pane of the Parts window, the properties for the first part are now complete

        5. Repeat steps two through four (above) for each part as needed

          For our example, all four string parts are now listed in the left pane of the Parts window

        6. Once you done, press Close to dismiss the Parts window

        You have now finished defining the parts. You do not need to do this again, unless you add or remove an instrument from your full score. In the current version of MuseScore, it is not possible to split a single staff (that contains two or more voices) into separate parts. So, any instrument that you want to print out a separate part for also needs to have its own staff in the full score.

        Creating the parts

        You can create your parts at any time to see how they look, but it is only necessary to do it after you have finished the full score and want to print out the individual parts:

        1. From the main menu, choose File → Parts... to return to the Parts window.
        2. In the left pane, click to select a part that you want to create and view
        3. Press Create Part and a new tab is added to the main MuseScore window containing your newly created part

        Repeat steps two and three for each part that you want to view or print. If you make any changes to the full score, you can re-create a part at any time in order to show the new changes in the part.

        Saving

        In the current version of MuseScore, changes on a score are not linked to parts that have already been created, so any change you make on the score will also need to be made on the individual part either manually, or by recreating the part from the steps above. Also, parts are created as not-yet-saved files, so each part you just created needs to be saved as an individual file (via File → Save...) or it will be lost when closing the tab. You may wish to review it before saving to check for proper formatting.

        Separar partes

        Separar partes

        Support

        This chapter describes how to find help using MuseScore: the best places to look, the best way to ask a question on the forums, and tips for reporting a bug.

        How to ask for support or file reports

        Please use the search function of the website to see if someone has already encountered the same problem.

        Before submitting your support request in the forum:

        If posting in either the issue tracker (for established reports) or forum (for enquiries or discussions):

        • Try to reproduce the issue with the latest nightly (not the 1.x series, as it won't receive further maintenance). You may also view the older and new version history to check whether it has been fixed/implemented already.
        • Please include as much of the following information as you know and limit each issue to one report:
          • Version/revision of MuseScore you are using (e.g. version 2.0, revision 2902cf6)
          • Operating system being used (e.g. Windows XP SP3, Mac OS 10.7 or Ubuntu 10.10)
          • If reporting a bug, describe the precise steps that lead to the problem (where do you click, what keys do you press, what do you see, etc.).

            If you are not able to reproduce the problem with the steps, it is probably not worth reporting it as the developers will not be able to reproduce (and solve) it either. Remember that the goal of a bug report is not only to show the problem, but to allow others to reproduce it easily.

        Known incompatibilities

        Hardware incompatibilities

        The following software is known to crash MuseScore on startup :

        Software incompatibilities

        AVG Internet Security hangs MuseScore

        MuseScore requires access to your internet connection with AVG. MuseScore doesn't need an internet connection to function, but if AVG blocks it, MuseScore hangs.

        If AVG prompts you, Allow MuseScore and check "Save my answer as a permanent rule and do not ask me next time."

        If it doesn't prompt you anymore,

        1. Open the AVG user interface (right click on the AVG icon, close to your clock -> Open AVG User Interface
        2. Click on Firewall
        3. Click Advanced Settings
        4. Click Applications
        5. Find MSCORE.EXE in the list and double click it
        6. Change Application Action to Allow for All

        Font problem on Mac OS X

        MuseScore is known to display notes as square when some fonts are damaged on MacOS X.
        To troubleshoot this issue :

        1. On your Mac, go to Applications -> Font Book
        2. Select a font and press ⌘+A to select them all
        3. Go to File -> Validate Fonts
        4. If any font is reported as damaged or with minor problems, select it and delete it
        5. Restart MuseScore if necessary

        In this forum article , a user believes to have found the font "Adobe Jenson Pro (ajenson)" to be the culprit, regardless of not being reported as broken or problematic as per the above validation, and solved the problem by deleting that font, so this is worth checking too.

        Font problem on Linux

        If the default desktop environment application font is set to bold, MuseScore will not display the notes properly.
        To troubleshoot this issue (gnome 2.*/MATE users):

        1. Right-click on your desktop and select Change Desktop background
        2. Click on Fonts tab
        3. Set Regular style for Application font
        4. Restart MuseScore if necessary

        For GNOME 3/SHELL users

        1. Open the shell and open "Advanced Settings"
        2. Click on the Fonts option in the list
        3. Set the default font to something non-bold
        4. Restart MuseScore if necessary

        Save As dialog empty on Linux

        Some users reported that the Save As dialog is empty on Debian 6.0 and Lubuntu 10.10.
        To troubleshoot this issue :

        1. Type the following in a terminal
          which mscore
        2. The command will answer with the path of mscore. Edit it with your prefered text editor and add the following line at the beginning
          export QT_NO_GLIB=1

            3. Launch MuseScore and the problem should be solved.

        Revert to factory settings

        Recent versions of MuseScore have the option to revert back to the standard built-in presets or "factory-settings". This can be helpful if your settings are corrupted. This is not a normal occurrence, so it is best to consult the forums first, as there maybe a way to solve your problem without resetting everything.

        Warning: reverting to "factory settings" removes any changes you have made to the preferences, palettes, or window settings.

        Instructions for Windows

        1. If you have MuseScore open, you need to close it first (File → Quit)
        2. Type Windows key+R to open the Run dialog. (The Windows key is the one with the logo for Microsoft Windows.)
        3. Click Browse...
        4. Look for mscore.exe on your computer. The location may vary depending on your installation, but it is probably something similar to My Computer > Local Disk > Program Files > MuseScore > bin > mscore.exe
        5. Click Open to leave the Browse dialog and return to the Run dialog. The following text (or something similar) should display in the Run dialog: "C:\Program Files\MuseScore\bin\mscore.exe". (For 64-bit Windows, the location is "C:\Program Files (x86)\MuseScore\bin\mscore.exe" ).
        6. Click after the quote and add a space followed by a hyphen and a capital F: -F
        7. Press OK

        After a few seconds, MuseScore should start and all the settings reverted to "factory settings".

        For advanced users, the main preference file is located at:

        • Windows Vista or later: C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Roaming\MusE\MuseScore.ini
        • Windows XP or earlier: C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\MusE\MuseScore.ini

        The other preferences (palette, session...) are in:

        • Windows Vista or later: C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\MusE\MuseScore\
        • Windows XP or earlier: C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\MusE\

        Instructions for Mac OS X

        1. If you have MuseScore open, you need to quit the application first (File → Quit)
        2. From the Open Applications/Utilities/Terminal and a Terminal session window should appear
        3. Type, (or copy/paste) the following command into your terminal line (include the '/' at the front):

          /Applications/MuseScore.app/Contents/MacOS/mscore -F

        This resets all MuseScore preferences to factory settings and immediately launches the MuseScore application. Note that you cannot quit the Terminal without quitting MuseScore. You can safely quit MuseScore, quit the Terminal, and then reopen MuseScore in the normal fashion, ready to continue using.
        For advanced users, the main preference file is located in ~/.config/muse.org/MuseScore.ini.
        The other preferences (palette, session...) are in ~/Library/Application Support/MusE/MuseScore/

        Instructions for Linux (please adapt for flavors other than Ubuntu)

        1. If you have MuseScore open, you need to quit the application first (File → Quit)
        2. From the Ubuntu main menu, choose Applications → Accessories → Terminal. A Terminal session window should appear
        3. Type, (or just copy/paste) the following command into your terminal line:

          mscore -F

        This resets all MuseScore preferences to factory settings and immediately launches the MuseScore application. You can now quit Terminal, and continue using MuseScore.

        For advanced users, the main MuseScore preference file is located at ~/.config/MusE/MuseScore.ini
        The other preferences (palette, session...) are in ~/.local/share/data/MusE/MuseScore/

        Appendix

        Keyboard shortcuts

        Most keyboard shortcuts can be customized via Edit → Preferences... → Shortcuts tab (Mac: MuseScore → Preferences... → Shortcuts tab). Below is a list of some of the initial shortcut settings.

        Navigation

        Beginning of score: Home
        Last page of score: End

        Next score: Ctrl+Tab
        Previous score: Shift⇑+Ctrl+Tab

        Zoom in: Ctrl++ or Ctrl + mouse wheel
        Zoom out: Ctrl+- or Ctrl + mouse wheel

        Next page: Pg Dn or Shift⇑ + mouse wheel
        Previous page: Pg Up or Shift⇑ + mouse wheel

        Next measure: Ctrl+→ (Mac: ⌘+→)
        Previous measure: Ctrl+← (Mac: ⌘+←)

        Next note: →
        Previous note: ←

        Note below (within a chord or on lower staff): Alt+↓
        Note above (within a chord or on higher staff): Alt+↑

        Top note in chord: Ctrl+Alt+↑ (Ubuntu uses this shortcut for Workspaces instead)
        Bottom note in chord: Ctrl+Alt+↓ (Ubuntu uses this shortcut for Workspaces instead)

        Note entry

        Begin note entry mode: N
        Leave note entry mode: N or Esc

        Duration

        1 ... 9 selects a duration. see also note entry .

        Half duration of previous note: Q
        Double duration of previous note: W

        Voices

        Voices 1: Ctrl+I Ctrl+1 (Mac ⌘+I ⌘+1)
        Voice 2: Ctrl+I Ctrl+2 (Mac ⌘+I ⌘+2)
        Voice 3: Ctrl+I Ctrl+3 (Mac ⌘+I ⌘+3)
        Voice 4: Ctrl+I Ctrl+4 (Mac ⌘+I ⌘+4)

        Pitch

        Pitches can be entered by letter name, or MIDI keyboard. See note entry for full details.

        Repeat previous note: R

        Raise pitch by octave: Ctrl+↑ (Mac: ⌘+↑)
        Lower pitch by octave: Ctrl+↓ (Mac: ⌘+↓)

        Raise pitch by semi-tone (prefer sharp): ↑
        Lower pitch by semi-tone (prefer flat): ↓

        Add sharp to note: (undefined due to conflicts with tie)
        Add flat to note: -

        Rest: 0 (zero)

        Interval

        Add interval above current note: Alt+[Number]
        Add interval below current note: Shift⇑+[Number]

        Direction

        Flip direction (stem, slur, tie, tuplet bracket, etc): X
        Mirror note head: Shift⇑+X

        Articulations

        Tie : +
        Slur : S
        Staccato: Shift⇑+.
        Crescendo: H
        Decrescendo: Shift⇑+H

        Text entry

        Staff text: Ctrl+T
        System text: Ctrl+Shift+T
        Tempo text: Ctrl+Alt+T
        Chord name : Ctrl+K
        Rehearsal Mark: Ctrl+M

        Lyrics entry

        Enter lyrics on a note: Ctrl+L
        Previous lyric syllable: Shift⇑+Space (In MuseScore 1.1 and earlier: Ctrl+←)
        Next lyric syllable: if the current and the next sylables are separated by a '-': -, else Space (In MuseScore 1.1 and earlier in either case: Ctrl+→)

        Move lyric syllable left by 1sp: ←
        Move lyric syllable right by 1sp: →
        Move lyric syllable left by 0.1sp: Ctrl+←
        Move lyric syllable right by 0.1sp: Ctrl+→
        Move lyric syllable left by 0.01sp: Alt+←
        Move lyric syllable right by 0.01sp: Alt+→

        Up to previous stanza: Ctrl+↑ (Mac: ⌘+↑)
        Down to next stanza: Ctrl+↓ (Mac: ⌘+↓)

        For more lyric shortcuts, see lyrics

        Display

        Navigator: F12 (Mac: ⌥+⌘+N)
        Play Panel: F11 (Mac: ⌥+⌘+P)
        Palette: F9 (Mac: ⌥+⌘+K)
        Mixer: F10 (Mac: M)

        Create a new score

          To create a new score, open the New Score Wizard (see Create new score, below): this can also be accessed via the Start Center.

          Start Center

          This is the window that displays when you open MuseScore for the very first time:

          Start Center

          To open the Start Center (if not already visible), use any of the following options:

          • Press F4.
          • From the menu bar, select View→Start Center...

          From the Start Center you can:

          • Open the "Getting Started" tutorial score.
          • View thumbnails of previously-opened scores: click on a thumbnail to open it.
          • Open a score from your computer's file system: click on Open a score ...
          • Create a new score (by clicking on the icon with the plus sign).
          • See the "In the spotlight" score of the day.
          • Search sheet music on musecore.com.
          • Link to mobile apps
          • Link to follow MuseScore on social networks

          Create new score

          To open the New Score Wizard when the Start Center is not open, use one of the following options:

          • Click on the New Score icon in the toolbar on the top left of the window;
          • Use keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N (Mac: Cmd+N);
          • From the menu, select File→New....

          Note: The following subheadings may differ slightly in versions prior to MuseScore 2.2.

          Enter score information

          New Score wizard: Title, subtitle, etc.
          Step 1: Enter score information.

          Enter the title, composer, or any other information as shown above, then click on Next >. This step is optional: you can also add this information after the score is created (see Vertical frame).

          Choose template file

          New Score wizard: Select template file
          Step 2: Choose template file.

          Here, you can choose from a range of solo, ensemble and orchestral templates. Any custom templates stored in your user templates folder will be displayed under the heading, "Custom Templates". From version 2.2, you can use the Search bar (top right) to find specific templates.

          • Click on a template to select it. This will automatically take you to the next page of the Wizard (Chose key signature and tempo).
          • Alternatively, to choose exactly which instruments to include in your score, click on the "Choose Instruments" template (under "General").

          Choose instruments (or voice parts)

          New score wizard: Choose instruments

          The Choose Instruments window is divided into two columns:

          • The left column contains a list of instruments, or voice parts to choose from. This list is categorized into instrument families, and clicking a category shows the full list of instruments in each family.

            The default entry is "Common instruments" but you can choose from others, including "Jazz instruments" and "Early music". There is a search box at the bottom of the instrument window: typing the name of an instrument there will search for it in "All instruments".

          • The right column starts off empty, but will eventually contain a list of instruments for your new score in the order that they will appear.

          Add instruments

          To add instruments to the score, use any of the following options:

          • Select one or more instruments in the left column and click Add.
          • Double-click an instrument in the left column.

          The instrument names, and their associated staff lines, now appear in the list of instruments in the right column. You can add more instruments or voice parts, as needed. Each instrument added in this way is allocated its own Mixer channel.

          Note: If you want staves to share the same instrument, use the Add staff or Add linked staff commands instead (see below).

          Add Staff / Add Linked Staff

          To add a staff to an existing instrument in the score:

          1. Select a staff in the score list on the right-hand side (e.g. see "Staff 1" in the image below). Click Add Staff or Add Linked Staff.
          2. Adjust the Staff type, if applicable.

          New score wizard: Add staff

          Summary of commands:

          Command Staff added Edit staves independently? Share mixer channel? Examples
          Add Staff Unlinked Yes Yes Guitar staff/tab, Piano grand staff
          Add Linked Staff Linked No. Edit in one staff updates others Yes Guitar staff/tab

          See also, Combine pitched staff with tablature.

          Change order of instruments

          To change the order of instruments (or staves) in the score:

          • Click either an instrument name or a staff, in the right-hand column, and use the ↑ or ↓ buttons to move it higher/lower.
          Delete an instrument

          To delete an instrument, or staff line, from the score

          • Select an instrument, or a staff line, in the right-hand column, and click Remove.

          Choose key signature and tempo

          New Score wizard: Select key signature
          Step 3: Choose key signature and tempo.

          The wizard asks for two things: The initial key signature and tempo of the score. Select any of the former and click Next > to continue. An initial tempo can be set here too.

          Choose time signature, pickup measure, and number of measures

          New score wizard: Create time signature and set measure options
          Step 4: Choose time signature etc.

          You can set your initial time signature here. If the score starts with a pickup measure (also known as an anacrusis or upbeat measure), then mark the Pickup measure checkbox and adjust the "Duration" accordingly.

          Measures is set to 32 by default: you can change the number here, or add/remove measures later from the score.

          Click Finish to create your new score.

          Adjustments to score after creation

          Any settings you make in the New Score Wizard can always be changed when you start work on the score itself:

          Add/delete measures

          To add/delete measures or create a pickup measure, see Measure operations.

          Add/edit text

          To add text, see Add text (Text basics). To change existing text, see Text editing.

          Change instrument set-up

          To add, delete, or change the order of instruments: from the menu, select Edit→Instruments...; or use the keyboard shortcut, I. This opens the Instruments dialog which is virtually identical to the Choose Instruments dialog in the New Score Wizard (see above).

          See also Change instrument (Staff properties).

          Hide a staff

          • To hide a staff permanently: Open the Instruments dialog (I) and untick the "Visible" box for that staff.
          • To hide a staff under certain conditions: See the "Hide" options in the Score menu, and Staff Properties.

          Adjust layout and formatting

          To adjust the distance between staves and systems, set page margins etc., see Layout and formatting.

          Templates

          A Template is simply a standard MuseScore file that has been stored in one of two "templates" folders: any files in these folders are automatically displayed on the "Chose template file" page of the New Score Wizard. Two templates folders are created by default:

          System templates folder

          This folder contains the templates installed with MuseScore and should not be modified. It can be found in the following locations:

          Windows: Usually at C:\Program Files\MuseScore 2\templates; or in the 64-bit versions at C:\Program Files (x86)\MuseScore 2\templates.

          Linux: Under /usr/share/mscore-xxx if you installed from the package manager. If you compiled MuseScore on Linux yourself, then look under /usr/local/share/mscore-xxx (with xxx being the version you are using).

          MacOS: Under /Applications/MuseScore 2.app/Contents/Resources/templates.

          User templates folder

          Any templates that you create for future use should be stored here. Once in the user "templates" folder, they will automatically appear on the "Chose template file" page of the New Score Wizard—under the heading "Custom Templates". Note: prior to version 2.3, you need to restart MuseScore in order to see a newly-added template.

          The default location of the user templates folder is as follows:

          Windows: %HOMEPATH%\Documents\MuseScore2\Templates.

          MacOS and Linux: ~/Documents/MuseScore2/Templates.

          To configure the location of your private templates folder:

          • From the menu, select Edit→Preferences...→General.

          See also