The following page documents features in an upcoming version of MuseScore. These features are only available for testing in the latest nightly builds. This page should not be translated yet.

Background

In MuseScore, each instrument’s staff belongs to one of 3 groups:

• Pitched (the classic, ‘regular’, kind of staff)
• Tablature
• Percussion

Each group may contain several types of similar, but more or less customized, staves to accommodate specific needs.
Each score is created with 3 standard staff types - one for each group.
This dialogue box allows to modify the properties of each type and/or to create new types.

How to get there

This dialogue box is accessed from a score staff (an open score is needed):

1. Right-click on an empty spot of a staff whose type you want to customize or clone.
2. In the contextual menu, select Staff Properties... (if this item is not present in the menu, the clicked spot was not empty and the contextual menu for some other object is shown).
3. In the “Staff Properties” dialogue box, press the Edit button at the right of the Type drop list.
4. The “Edit Staff Type” dialogue box for the type of the clicked staff opens.

Common items

The dialogue box shows different items depending on the group of the clicked staff: pitched, tablature or percussion.
Some dialogue items, however, are common to all types:
Type list at the left side: Lists all the staff types defined in the score; at least the 3 default types are shown, but more can appear if custom types have been added. Select one of the staff types to edit its properties.
Name: A human-readable name
Lines:: The number of lines making up the staff
Line Distance: The distance between two staff lines, expressed in spaces (abbr.: sp), i.e. the default distance between two staff lines; 1.0 is (rather obviously) the default, a higher value will generate lines spaced more widely apart, a lower value lines more tightly spaced. It is not recommended to change this value for the default type of the ‘pitched’ group (although it is possible); other groups, like for instance tablatures, may have different default values.
Save: Saves the selected staff type in a separate file for archiving, sharing or adding to other scores (not yet implemented).
Load: Loads a saved staff type adding to the type list for this score (not yet implemented).
Create new ... type: Creates a new staff type initially identical to the current staff; the new staff type can then be customized, but its group cannot be changed (however, each staff can be assigned to another type of any group).
OK: Closes the dialogue box, accepting the changes.
Cancel: Closes the dialogue box, rejecting the changes.

Pitched staff specific items

Clef: Whether the staff clef will be shown or not.
Stemless: If not checked, staff notes will have no stem, hook or beam.
Barlines: Whether the staff bar lines will be shown, or not.
Key Signature: Whether the staff key signature will be shown, or not.
Ledger Lines: ??

Tablature staff specific items

Presets

To quickly set all the tablature properties to one of the preset types, select the type in the Select drop list and press the Set button. All properties remain accessible: if the exact type needed is not among the presets, choose the nearest one and fix the properties as needed.

 

Show clef: Whether the staff clef will be shown or not.
Show barlines: Whether the staff bar lines will be shown or not.
Show time signature: Whether the staff time signature will be shown or not.
Upside down: If not checked, the top tablature line will refer to highest string and the bottom tablature line will refer to the lowest string (most common case). If checked, the top tablature line will refer to the lowest string and the bottom tablature line will refer to the highest line (used in Italian style lute tablatures).

Fret marks

This group of properties defines the appearance of fret marks.
Font: The font used to draw the marks. Currently 4 fonts are provided supporting all the necessary symbols and can be identified in the font list by the “MScoreTabulature...” prefix. More fonts (or the possibility to use custom fonts) may be available in the future
Size: The font size to use, in typographic points. Built-in fonts look usually good at a size of 10pt.
Vertical offset: MuseScore tries to place symbols in a sensible way and this value is usually not needed (set to 0) for built-in fonts. If the font has symbols not aligned on the base line (or in some other way MuseScore does not expect), this value allows to move mark symbols up (negative offsets) or down (positive offsets) for better vertical positioning.
Numbers / Letters: Whether to use numbers (‘1’, ‘2’, ...) or letters (‘a’, ‘b’, ...) as fret marks. When letters are used, ‘j’ is skipped and ‘k’ is used for the 9th fret.
On lines / Above lines: Whether marks should be placed on the string lines or above them.
Continuous / Broken: Whether string lines should pass ‘through’ fret marks or should stop at them.

Example of numbers on broken lines	Example of letters above continuous lines
Example of 'upside down' tablature (same contents as number example above)

Note values

This group of properties defines the appearance of the symbols above the staff indicating note values.
None: No note value will be drawn (as in examples above)
Note symbols: Symbols in the shape of notes will be drawn above the staff. When this option is selected, symbols are drawn only When the note value changes, without being repeated for a sequence of notes all of the same value.
Example of values indicated by note symbols
Stems and beams: Note stems and beams (or hooks) will be drawn above the staff (but only if value is shorter than a minim (half note); minims or longer values are not indicated). Values are indicated for each note, using the same typographic devices as for a regular staff; all commands of the standard Beam Palette can be applied to these beams too.
Example of values indicated by note stems
Font: As for Fret Marks above, but referring to value symbols instead. Used only with Note symbols option.
Size: As for Fret Marks above, but referring to value symbols instead. Duration symbols in built-in fonts usually look good at a size of 15pt. Used only with Note symbols option.
Vertical offset: as for Fret Marks above, but referring to value symbols instead. Used only with Note symbols option.

Percussion staff specific items

[To be done]