Accessibility

Introduction

This document is written for blind and visually impaired users of MuseScore 3. It is not intended to provide a full description of all of the features of MuseScore; you should read this in conjunction with the regular MuseScore documentation.

MuseScore comes with support for the free and open source NVDA screen reader for Windows. You can also install a script to enable support for JAWS, or install a script for Orca on Linux.

Eventually we hope to support other screen readers such as VoiceOver and Narrator. Currently, unsupported screen readers will usually read menus and dialogs, but reading the score note by note currently requires one of the supported screen readers.

Beginning with MuseScore 3.3, most of the features of MuseScore are fully accessible, it is viable both as a score reader and editor. Previous versions were more limited with respect to editing.

Initial setup

When you run MuseScore for the first time, you will be asked some questions on startup. We recommend you accept the defaults, but answer "no" to the question about showing tours, since these unfortunately are not yet accessible.

When MuseScore starts, the first thing you normally see is the Start Center window. This shows you a list of recent scores that you can access via Shift+Tab and then using the left and right cursor keys. You may find it easier to open scores directly from the File menu, however so you can press Esc to close the Start Center if you prefer. In fact you may want to permanently disable it. After closing the Start Center, open the Edit menu (Alt+E), choose Preferences, and in the General tab, uncheck Show Start Center, then close the Preferences window.

MuseScore includes keyboard shortcuts for many of its commands, and others that do not have shortcuts defined by default can be customized later, in Edit, Preferences, Shortcuts.

Finding your way around

The user interface in MuseScore works much like other notation programs or other document-oriented programs in general. It has a single main document window within which you can work with a score. MuseScore supports multiple document tabs within this window. It also supports a split-screen view to let you work with two documents at once, and you can have multiple tabs in each window.

In addition to the score window, MuseScore has a menu bar that you can access via the shortcuts for the individual menus:

• File: Alt+F
• Edit: Alt+E
• View: Alt+V
• Add: Alt+A
• Format: Alt+O
• Tools: Alt+T
• Plugins: Alt+P
• Help: Alt+H

Hint: once you have opened a menu, it may take several presses of the Up or Down keys before everything is read properly. Also, if at any point the screenreader stops responding, a useful trick to kickstart it again is to press Alt to move focus to the menu bar, then Esc to return to the score. Sometimes switching to another application then back can help as well.

In addition to the menu bar, there are also a number of toolbars, palettes, and sub-windows within MuseScore, and you can cycle through the controls in these using Tab (or Shift+Tab to move backwards through this same cycle). When you first start MuseScore, or load a score, focus should be in the main score window.

If nothing is selected (press Esc to clear any selection), pressing Tab takes you to a toolbar containing a series of buttons for operations like New, Open, Play, and so forth. Tab will skip any buttons that aren't currently active. The names and shortcuts (where applicable) for these buttons should be read by your screen reader.

Once you have cycled through the buttons on the toolbar, the next window Tab will visit is the Palettes. This is used to add various elements to a score (dynamics, articulations, and so forth).

If an element is selected in the score, the first window visited by Tab is the Inspector, which is used for making various manual adjustments in your score. Many of these features are based on the visual appearance of the score (although a few relate to playback).

If you have opened one of the additional optional windows, such as the Selection Filter, the Tab key will also visit these. You can close windows you do not need by going to the View menu and making sure none of the first set of checkboxes is selected (the windows that appear before the Zoom settings). By default, only the Palettes and Inspector should be selected. See Initial Setup for instructions for disabling the Start Center. F9 can be used to toggle the Palettes while F8 will toggle the Inspector.

To return focus to the score window after visiting the toolbar, or a subwindow, press Esc. If something was selected before visiting the other window, the selection is left intact, but pressing Esc once focus is in the score window clears the selection. The selection is automatically restored when you commence navigation using the accessibility commands described below.

The score window

When you first start MuseScore 3 an empty example score is loaded by default. If you wish to experiment with editing features, this would be a good place to begin. Otherwise, you will probably want to start by loading a score. MuseScore uses the standard shortcuts to access system commands like Ctrl+O (Mac: Cmd+O) to open a file, Ctrl+S (Mac: Cmd+S) to save, Ctrl+W (Mac: Cmd+W) to close, etc.

If you press Ctrl+O (Mac: Cmd+O) to load a score, you are presented with a fairly standard file dialog. MuseScore can open scores in its own format (MSCZ or MSCX) as well as import scores in the standard MusicXML format, in MIDI format, or from a few other programs such as Guitar Pro, Capella, and Band-in-a-Box. Once you have loaded a score, it is displayed in a new tab within the score window. You can move between the tabs in the score window using Ctrl+Tab (does not apply for Mac). Hint: if the name of the score in the current tab is not read, ask your screen reader to read the title bar.

To read the score note by note, see below, but there are a few other interesting things you can do with a loaded score. You can press Space to have MuseScore play the score for you. You can use File / Export to convert to another format, including PDF, PNG, WAV, MP3, MIDI, MusicXML, etc. And of course, you can print it via File / Print or Ctrl+P (Mac: Cmd+P).

If a score contains multiple instruments, it may already have linked parts generated. Linked parts are presented as part tabs within score tabs, but currently, there is no way to navigate these part tabs using the keyboard. The parts would not normally contain information different from the score; they would just be displayed differently (each part on its own page). If a score does not already have parts generated, you can do so through File / Parts, and that dialog is accessible. If you wish to print the parts, you can work around the inability of accessing part tabs individually by using the File / Export Parts dialog, which automatically exports PDF’s (or other formats) for all parts in one step.

Score reading

When you first load a score, the score window has the keyboard focus, but there will be nothing selected. The first step to reading a score is to select something, and the most natural place to begin is with the first element of the score. After a score is loaded, Alt+Right (Mac: Alt+Right) will select the literal first element, which is likely the title; Ctrl+Home (Mac: Cmd+Home) will select the first "musical" element (usually a clef or an initial barline).

As you navigate between elements, your screen reader should give the name of the selected element. You will hear it read the name of the element (for example, “Treble clef”) and also give position information (for example, “Measure 1; Beat 1; Staff 1; Violin”). The amount of information read is optimized to not repeat information that has not changed. Pressing Shift currently interrupts the reading, which might also be useful.

Most navigation in MuseScore is centered around notes and rests only—it will skip clefs, key signatures, time signatures, barlines, and other elements. So if you just use the standard Right and Left keys to move through your score, you will only hear about notes and rests (and the elements attached to them). However, there are two special accessibility commands that you will find useful to gain a more complete summarization of the score:

• Next element: Alt+Right (Mac: Alt+Right)
• Previous element: Alt+Left (Mac: Alt+Left

These commands include clefs and other elements that the other navigation commands skip, and also navigate through all voices within the current staff, whereas other navigation commands such as Right and Left only navigate through the currently selected voice until you explicitly change voices. For instance, if you are on a quarter note on beat 1 of measure 1, and there are two voices in that measure, then pressing Right will move on to the next note of voice 1—which will be on beat 2—whereas pressing Alt+Right (Mac: Alt+Right) will stay on beat 1 but move to the note on voice 2. Only once you have moved through all notes on the current beat on the current staff will the shortcut move you on to the next beat. The intent is that this shortcut should be useful for navigating through a score if you don’t already know what the contents are.

When you navigate to an element, your screen reader should read information about it. For notes and rests, it will also read information about elements attached to them, such as lyrics, articulations, chord symbols, etc. The accessibility commands will also navigate through those elements individually.

One important note: Up and Down by themselves, with Shift, or with Ctrl / Cmd are not useful shortcuts for navigation! Instead, they change the pitch of the currently selected note or notes. Be careful not to inadvertently edit a score you are trying to read. Up and Down should only be used with Alt if your intent is navigation only. See the list of navigation shortcuts below.

If you should lose track of your place in the score - or if you lose the selection completely - press Shift+L ("location") to get the current location.

Moving forwards or backwards in time

The following shortcuts are useful for moving “horizontally” through a score:

• Next element: Alt+Right
• Previous element: Alt+Left
• Next chord or rest: Right
• Previous chord or rest: Left
• Next measure: Ctrl+Right
• Previous measure: Ctrl+Left
• Go to measure: Ctrl+F
• First element: Ctrl+Home
• Last element: Ctrl+End

Moving between notes at a given point in time

The following shortcuts are useful for moving “vertically” through a score:

• Next element: Alt+Right
• Previous element: Alt+Left
• Next higher note in voice, previous voice, or staff above: Alt+Up
• Next lower note in voice, next voice, or staff below: Alt+Down
• Top note in chord: Ctrl+Alt+Up
• Bottom note in chord: Ctrl+Alt+Down

The Alt+Up and Alt+Down commands are similar to the Alt+Right and Alt+Left commands in that they are designed to help you discover the content of a score. You do not need to know how many notes are in a chord, how many voices are in a staff, or how many staves are in a score in order to move vertically through the score using these commands.

Filtering score reading

Excluding certain elements like lyrics, or chord names while reading the score is possible by using the Selection filter (F6). Uncheck those elements you don't want to read. However, this feature may not currently be implemented.

Score playback

The Space bar serves both to start and stop playback. Playback will start with the currently selected note if one is selected; where playback was last stopped if no note is selected; or at the beginning of the score on first playback.

MuseScore supports looped playback so you can repeat a section of a piece for practice purposes. To set the “in” and “out” points for the loop playback via the Play Panel (F11):

1. First select the note in the score window where the loop should start;
2. Go to the Play Panel and press the Set loop In position toggle button;
3. Back to the score window, navigate to the note where you want the loop to end;
4. Switch again to Play Panel, and press the Set loop Out position toggle button;
5. To enable or disable the loop, press the Loop Playback toggle button.

You can also control the loop playback and control other playback parameters, such as overriding the basic tempo of a score, using the View / Play Panel (F11).

Score creation and editing

While some advanced score editing techniques require visual inspection of the score, and a small number of commands may require the mouse, as of MuseScore 3.3 most score editing features are fully accessible.

You can enter music into the default empty score (a score with one staff, using a piano sound), or edit an existing score that you have opened already, or you can create a new score with the set of instruments you want.

Creating a new score

To create a new score, use File, New or Ctrl+N. A wizard then walks you through the score creation process.

The first screen of the wizard has fields to enter the title, composer, and other information. The second allows you to select a template (predefined scores for common ensembles like choral SATB or jazz big band) or to select instruments. The third allows you to select an initial key signature and tempo. Sometimes this screen gets skipped, so if this happens, press the Back button to go back. To select a key, use Up and Down. The key signature control does not work well with some screenreaders, but if you give the "read current line" command (e.g., NVDA+L), it may read the currently-selected key. The next and final screen of the wizard allows you to select an initial time signature, pickup (anacrusis), and the number of measures to start with.

Once you have a score, you can begin editing it.

Note input

To enter notes, you need to be in note input mode. First, navigate to the measure in which you would like to enter notes, then press N. Almost everything about note input is designed to be keyboard accessible, and the standard documentation should be good to help you through the process. Bear in mind that MuseScore can either be in note input or normal mode, and it won’t always be clear which mode of these you are in. When in doubt, press Esc. If you were in note input mode, this will take you out. If you were in normal mode, you will stay there, although you will also lose your selection.

The basic process of note input is to first select a duration (for example, using shortcuts 4-5-6 for eighth, quarter, half), then enter a note by typing its letter name. Once a duration is selected you can enter multiple notes of the same duration. Press 0 to enter a rest.

The Up and Down keys raise or lower the pitch by a half step, adding or removing accidentals as necessary. To change enharmonic spelling of a note, press J.

To enter a tie, select the duration of the tied note then press +. To create triplets, select the total duration for the triplet, then press Ctrl+3 (similarly for quadruplets and other tuplets). To enter music in multiple voices on a single staff, pressing Ctrl+Alt plus a number from 1 to 4 will switch to that voice (keep in mind, the first voice for each staff is always voice 1).

There is much more to note input in MuseScore. See for the section on Note Input in the Handbook.

Selection

MuseScore supports the usual keyboard shortcuts for selection. Navigating is the same as selecting for single elements. To select a range of elements, navigate to the first, press and hold Shift, then navigate to the second. Ctrl+A will select the entire score.

Palettes

As mentioned previously, many symbols other than notes are entered from the palettes window. The basic use model is, first select the element or elements in the score you want to apply the palette item to, then apply the palette element. There are a few different ways to select the palette element.

The simplest method to use at first is to simply browse the palettes window by keyboard. To reach the palettes window, press Shift+Tab. The screenreader may not specifically tell you that you are in the palettes window, but you will discover that you are as you navigate. Depending on whether you have used the palettes before, focus may be where you left off, or at the top. Press Tab a few times to get to the first palette within the window (Clefs). You can browse the list of palettes using the Up and Down cursor keys. The Right cursor key opens a palette, and then all four cursor keys can be used to navigate through the elements (they are arranged in a table). You can also use Tab to navigate the palette names and contents.

Once you have found a palette item you want to apply, press Enter to apply it to the currently-selected score elements and return focus to the score. The next time you press Shift+Tab to return to the palettes, the last-used palette item will still be selected, so Enter will apply it again. The screenreader may stop responding after applying a palette item, even though focus has returned to the score, but the trick of pressing Alt followed by Esc should get it working again.

You can also use the palette search facility to quickly find a palette item. The search box is one of the first elements at the top of the palette, so you can navigate to it, or you can define a shortcut (Edit, Preferences, Shortcuts) for the "Palette search" command, which will subsequently take you directly to the search box. Once you are in the box, type the first few characters of a search term, and only palette items matching that search will shown. You can then navigate to the search results and find the element you want. The Down cursor will take you directly to the first search result, then you can use Right after that. However, on some systems MuseScore may crash when using the palette search function with a screen reader enabled.

Another way to reach the palettes window is with the F9 shortcut, which toggles the palettes window on and off. By default, the palettes window is open, so pressing F9 will close it, but then pressing it again opens the window and puts the cursor in the search box.

There is one other useful technique for palette accessibility, and that is the "Apply current palette element" command (for which you can define a shortcut). If you are in the score, this will apply the last-used palette element automatically (the equivalent of Shift+Tab followed by Enter).

Menus and Shortcuts

Some elements can be added or edited via menu commands or keyboard shortcuts. The Edit menu has standard copy and paste commands (and the usual shortcuts work too). The Add menu has commands to add notes, tuplets, measures, frames, text, and some lines. The Format menu has commands relating mostly to the visual appearance of the score (e.g., page and staff size, position and size of symbols, fonts used for text), which can be extremely useful in producing large print a.k.a. "modified stave notation" scores (see below). The Tools menu has a number of other useful commands, including ones to remove measures or other selected ranges, to transpose a selection, to join and split measures, and more. any of these commands have shortcuts defined by default that should be read by a screenreader. You can define custom shortcuts for most of the rest in Edit, Preferences, Shortcuts.

There are also shortcuts for a number of palette items, and the possibility to define others (although many palette items currently do not support this). Some useful shortcuts to remember include:

Ctrl+T: staff text
Alt+Shift+T: tempo
Ctrl+L: lyrics
Ctrl+K: chord symbol
Ctrl+M: rehearsal mark

S: slur
Shift+S: staccato
Shift+V: accent
Shift+N: tenuto
Shift+O: marcato
slash: grace note
less than: crescendo
greater than: diminuendo

Customization

You can customize the keyboard shortcuts by opening the Edit menu, selecting Preferences, then navigating to the Shortcuts tab. Once there, Tab will take you to the list of shortcuts, and you can navigate the list directly with the Up and Down cursor keys, but it is a very long list. You can instead hit Tab a few more times to reach the Search box, then type the first few characters of the command to filter the list, then navigate back to the list.

Once you have found the command you wish to customize, press Enter. You can then press the key combination you wish to be the shortcut. It can be a single key, a key with Shift, Ctrl, and/or other modifiers, or even a sequence or two or more keys pressed in succession. After entering the shortcut you wish, press Tab to get to the Add or Replace button (Tab is the only key that won't be interpreted as part of a shortcut sequence). If you reach Cancel without ever seeing Add or Replace, it means the shortcut you choose conflicts with another. Navigate back to the where you typed the shortcut and it will tell you the name of the command it conflicts with. Hit Tab to get to the Clear button to clear it, then try again with a different shortcut.

At some point, we may provide a set of special accessibility-optimized shortcuts. There is already a facility in the shortcut dialog to save and load shortcut definitions, so it is possible to share shortcut definitions with other users.

External links

• MuseScore Accessibility Demo (YouTube)
• Creating a New Score in MuseScore with NVDA
• Inputting notes in MuseScore with NVDA
• Creating Modified Stave Notation in MuseScore

Albums

The Album feature has been disabled for the initial 3.0 release. It will come back in a later patch release.

The Album Manager allows you to prepare a list of multiple scores and save the list as an album file ("*.album"), print all the scores as one long print job with consistent page numbers, or even join the scores into a single new MSCZ score. This is ideal for preparing an exercise book or combining multiple movements of an orchestration.

To open the Album Manager, go to File → Album...

Create album

1. To create a new album, click the New button. Fill in a title in the "Album Name:" box at the top.
2. To add scores to the album, click Add Score. A file selection dialog will appear and let you choose one or multiple scores from your file system. Click OK.
3. The scores you add will appear in a list in the Album Manager. You can rearrange their order by selecting a score and clicking the Up or Down button.

Load album

If you have previously created an album, you can open it through the Album Manager by clicking the Load button. A file selection dialog will appear to let you load the .album file from your file system.

Print album

To print an album as if it were a single document, click Print Album. The scores loaded into the Album Manager are printed in the order they are listed in with the correct page numbers, ignoring the page number offset values in Layout → Page Settings... → First page number for all but the first score. As the album is printed in one print job, double-sided printing (duplex printing) also works as expected.

Join scores

To combine multiple scores into a single .mscz file, click Join Scores. The scores are combined in the selected order into one single score. If not already present, line- and section breaks are added to the last measure or frame of each score in the combined file.
All style settings are taken from the first score, different style settings from subsequent score are ignored.

All the scores should have the same number of parts and staves for this to work correctly, ideally with the same instruments in the same order. If the scores have the same total number of instruments but not the same ones, or not in the same order, then the instrument names from the first score will overwrite ones from subsequent scores. If some of the scores have fewer instruments than the first score, then empty staves will be created for those sections. Any part or staff that is not present in the first score will be lost in the joined score.

Save album

Upon clicking the Close button, you will be prompted to save your album as a .album file. This file is not the same as a joined score; it simply consists of the list of scores. Album files can be loaded into the Album Manager as described above.

Automatic placement

MuseScore's automatic placement (AP) feature ensures that, in most cases, elements are correctly spaced and do not collide or overlap with each other.

Note: When you create an element, AP is automatically enabled, but can be turned off if required (see Disable automatic placement).

Default position

A newly-created element, such as staff text or fingering, assumes a default position on the staff specified by "positional" properties contained in the Style menu. These "positional" properties may include things such as:

• Placement: Whether the element appears above or below the staff.
• Offset: For elements with no "Placement above/below" properties, this specifies the default position. See Offset X/Y.
• Autoplace min distance: Minimum distance from other elements when autoplace is enabled.

For details of the settings available for each element type, see Layout and formatting: Style.

Change the default placement of an element

Use one of the following methods:

• From the menu, select Format→Style; choose an element type and then adjust the placement/position settings.
• Select a relevant element in the score and change the placement/position settings in the Inspector; then press the Set as style" button (S) to update the Style settings.

Manual adjustments

Adjust position of element

Use one of the following methods:

• Select the element and adjust the X and Y offsets in the Inspector (see X and Y offsets).
• Move the element using the arrow buttons. Change to edit mode first, if necessary.
• Drag and drop the element using the mouse. Use this method in preference to the above, if you want to move an element across another one (e.g. fingering across a slur). Once located on the other side you can use the X/Y offsets in the Inspector, or the keyboard arrow keys to fine tune the position.

Place element above/below staff

Elements with a "Placement" property available in the Inspector can be easily moved from above the staff to below it, and vice versa:

1. Select one or more elements.
2. Use one of the following methods:
   • Change the "Placement" setting in the Inspector.
   • Press X to toggle between above/below.

Note: When automatic placement is enabled for an element, you cannot position it in a way that causes a collision with other elements.

Disable automatic placement

• Select the element and uncheck the "Automatic placement" box in the Inspector.

The element reverts to its default position. It can be repositioned as desired and is no longer avoided when placing other elements.

Stacking order

To change the value for Stacking order:

• Select the element and change the "Stacking order" value in the Inspector.

In cases where elements are allowed to overlap, Stacking order controls the order in which they are placed on top of each other. The element with the lower value will be placed behind.

Cross-staff notation

In piano scores, it is common to write a musical phrase extending across both staves—bass and treble. This can be entered in MuseScore as follows:

1. Enter the notation in one staff to begin with. e.g.

   

2. Select a note and press Ctrl+Shift + ↓/↑ (Mac: Cmd+Shift + ↓/↑). This moves all the notes in that voice down/up to the other staff. e.g.

   

   Note: If you only want to move certain notes in a chord you need to ensure that they are in a separate voice.

3. To adjust the beam, double-click it to show the handles. Use the keyboard arrows or drag the handles to change the beam angle and height:

   

See also

• Barlines: How to extend barlines over multiple staves.
• Beams: How to adjust beam angle and height.

External links

• How to span a chord or stem over two staves (MuseScore "Howto")

Early music features

MuseScore offers several specialized functions to create engravings of early music (particularly medieval and renaissance) akin to commercial editions from the 20th century onwards.

Unbarred (or unmetered) notation

In MuseScore, notes lasting longer than the duration of a measure are normally tied across barlines. However MuseScore has a special feature which allows it to display the note values intact, without splitting and tying them in this way. This enables you to notate music which is unbarred (i.e. not divided into measures), such as that of the renaissance:

1. From the menu bar, select Format→Style...→Score.
2. Tick the box labelled "Display note values across measure boundaries … ."
   
3. Click "OK" or "Apply." The existing score is immediately updated.

Example

1. The example below shows an excerpt from the original score of "De Profundis Clamavi" for 4 voices by Nicolas Champion:
   
2. The same excerpt displayed in MuseScore:
   
3. And after activating "Display note values across measure boundaries … ."
   
4. To get rid of the barlines, just untick the “Show barlines” box in the Staff / Part properties dialog. See also Mensurstrich (below).

Note: The feature is still in development and may contain bugs. The longest supported note value is the longa (a dotted longa is still broken up and tied over).

Mensurstrich

Since a complete lack of barlines could make performing the music more difficult for current musicians, many modern engravers settled on a compromise called Mensurstrich, where barlines are drawn between, but not across, staves.

To place barlines between staves:

1. In the lowest staff (usually the bottom staff of a system) where the proposed Mensurstriche is required, uncheck "Show barlines" in the Staff / Part Properties dialog;
2. In the staff above where you want the Mensurstriche, right-click on one barline and choose Select→All Similar Elements (or select a set of barlines, one above the other, with Select→All Similar Elements in Range);
3. In the Barline section of the Inspector, tick the "Span to next staff" option;
4. In the Barline section of the Inspector, adjust the "Span from" value so that the top of the barlines meet the bottom line of the staff;

Note: It is important to work from the lowest staff upwards.

Ambitus

Before there was the concept of an absolute pitch, performers were required to transpose vocal music to a singable range for their ensemble "on the fly." To aid them, an ambitus was sometimes included, marking the entire range of a voice at the beginning of the piece.

To apply an ambitus, use one of the following methods:

• Drag the ambitus symbol (from the Lines palette of the Advanced workspace) onto a clef.
• Select one or more clefs, then click (double-click prior to version 3.4) the ambitus symbol (in the Lines palette of the Advanced workspace).

When applied, the ambitus automatically displays the note range of the score: if there is a section break then only the note range of the section is displayed. Beyond the section break a new ambitus may be applied.

The note range of the ambitus can be adjusted manually by selecting it and changing the "Top note" and "Bottom note" values in the Inspector. For automatic adjustment click the Update Range button in the inspector.

Mensural time signatures

In the mensural notation system, time signatures did not define the length of a measure, but the length of breves and semibreves. MuseScore supports mensural time symbols as a display method in the Time signature properties dialog rather than as symbols, but they are just for show, as the proportion of e.g. half notes per whole notes cannot be modified.

One way to make use of these symbols is to replicate when composers of the renaissance had multiple voices in different time signatures simultaneously without using tuplets. Edit the time signature on a per-staff basis, as long as the beginning and end of a measure in all staves match up. If they do not, then consider increasing the size of the measures to the lowest common denominator.

De Profundis Clamavi for 5 voices by Josquin Des Prez

See also

• Measure Operations: Split and join

Figured bass

Adding a new figured bass indication

1. Select the note to which the figured bass applies;
2. Press the Figured Bass shortcut. The default isCtrl+G (Mac: Cmd+G): this can be changed in Prefences: Shortcuts if desired;
3. Enter the text in the editor 'blue box' as required (see below);
4. Use one of the following options as required:
   • Press Space to move to the next note ready for another figured bass indication (or click outside the editor box to exit it). The editor advances to the next note, or to the rest of the staff to which figured bass is being added. (To move to a point in between, or to extend a figured bass group for a longer duration, see Duration (below)).
     
   • Shift+Space moves the editing box to the previous staff note or rest.
   • Tab advances the editing box to the beginning of the next measure.
   • Shift+Tab moves the editing box to the beginning of the previous measure.

Text format

Digits

Digits are entered directly. Groups of several digits stacked one above the other are also entered directly in a single text, stacking them with Enter:

Accidentals

Accidentals can be entered using regular keys:

To enter:	type:
double flat	bb
flat	b
natural	h
sharp	#
double sharp	##

These characters will automatically turn into the proper signs when you leave the editor. Accidentals can be entered before, or after a digit (and of course, in place of a digit, for altered thirds), according to the required style; both styles are properly aligned, with the accidental 'hanging' at the left, or the right.

Combined shapes

Slashed digits or digits with a cross can be entered by adding \, / or + after the digit (combining suffixes); the proper combined shape will be substituted when leaving the editor:

The built-in font can manage combination equivalence, favoring the more common substitution:

1+, 2+, 3+, 4+ result in (or )

and 5\, 6\, 7\, 8\, 9\ result in (or )

Please remember that / can only by combined with 5; any other 'slashed' figure is rendered with a question mark.

+ can also be used before a digit; in this case it is not combined, but it is properly aligned ('+' hanging at the left side).

Parentheses

Open and closed parentheses, both round: '(', ')' and square: '[', ']', can be inserted before and after accidentals, before and after a digit, before and after a continuation line; added parentheses will not disturb the proper alignment of the main character.

Notes: (1) The editor does not check that parentheses, open and closed, round or square, are properly balanced. (2) Several parentheses in a row are non-syntactical and prevent proper recognition of the entered text. (3) A parenthesis between a digit and a combining suffix ('+', '\', '/') is accepted, but prevents shape combination.

Continuation lines

Continuation lines are input by adding an '_' (underscore) at the end of the line. Each digit of a group can have its own continuation line:

Continuation lines are drawn for the whole duration of the figured bass group.

'Extended' continuation lines

Occasionally, a continuation line has to connect with the continuation line of a following group, when a chord degree has to be kept across two groups. Examples (both from J. Boismortier, Pièces de viole, op. 31, Paris 1730):

In the first case, each group has its own continuation line; in the second, the continuation line of the first group is carried 'into' the second.

This can be obtained by entering several (two or more) underscores "__" at the end of the text line of the first group.

Duration

Each figured bass group has a duration, which is indicated by a light gray line above it (of course, this line is for information only and it is not printed or exported to PDF).

Initially, a group has the same duration of the note to which it is attached. A different duration may be required to fit several groups under a single note or to extend a group to span several notes.

To achieve this, each key combination in the table below can be used to (1) advance the editing box by the indicated duration, and (2) set the duration of the previous group up to the new editing box position.

Pressing several of them in sequence without entering any figured bass text repeatedly extends the previous group.

Type:	to get:
Ctrl+1	1/64
Ctrl+2	1/32
Ctrl+3	1/16
Ctrl+4	1/8 (quaver)
Ctrl+5	1/4 (crochet)
Ctrl+6	half note (minim)
Ctrl+7	whole note (semibreve)
Ctrl+8	2 whole notes (breve)

(The digits are the same as are used to set the note durations)

Setting the exact figured bass group duration is only mandatory in two cases:

1. When several groups are fit under a single staff note (there is no other way).
2. When continuation lines are used, as line length depends on the group duration.

However, it is a good practice to always set the duration to the intended value for the purposes of plugins and MusicXML.

Editing existing figured basses

To edit a figured bass indication already entered use one of the following options:

• Select it, or the note it belongs to and press the same Figured Bass shortcut used to create a new one.
• Double-click it.

The usual text editor box will open with the text converted back to plain characters ('b', '#' and 'h' for accidentals, separate combining suffixes, underscores, etc.) for simpler editing.

Once done, press Space to move to a next note, or click outside the editor box to exit it, as for newly created figured basses.

Style

To configure how figured bass is rendered: from the menu, select Format → Style… → Figured Bass.

• Font: The dropdown list contains all the fonts which have been configured for figured bass. A standard installation contains only one font, "MuseScore Figured Bass," which is also the default font.
• Size: Select a font-size in points. Note: This value is also modified by any change made to Scaling (Format → Page Settings…), or Scale ("Staff properties").
• Vertical Position: The distance (in spaces) from the top of the staff to the top margin of the figured bass text. Negative values go up (figured bass above the staff) and positive values go down (figured bass below the staff: a value greater than 4 is needed to step over the staff itself).

• Line Height: The distance between the base line of each figured bass line, as a percentage of font size.

  The following picture visualizes each numeric parameter:

  

• Alignment: Select the vertical alignment: with Top, the top line of each group is aligned with the main vertical position and the group 'hangs' from it (this is normally used with figured bass notation and is the default); with Bottom, the bottom line is aligned with the main vertical position and the group 'sits' on it (this is sometimes used in some kinds of harmonic analysis notations):

  

• Style: Choose between "Modern" or "Historic." The difference between the two styles is shown below:

  

Proper syntax

For the relevant substitutions and shape combinations to take effect and for proper alignment, the figured bass mechanism expects input texts to follow some rules (which are in any case, the rules for a syntactical figured bass indication):

• There can be only one accidental (before or after), or only one combining suffix per figure;
• There cannot be both an accidental and a combining suffix;
• There can be an accidental without a digit (altered third), but not a combining suffix without a digit.
• Any other character not listed above is not expected.

If a text entered does not follow these rules, it will not be processed: it will be stored and displayed as it is, without any layout.

Summary of keys

Type:	to get:
Ctrl+G	Adds a new figured bass group to the selected note.
Space	Advances the editing box to the next note.
Shift+Space	Moves the editing box to the previous note.
Tab	Advances the editing box to the next measure.
Shift+Tab	Moves the editing box to the previous measure.
Ctrl+1	Advances the editing box by 1/64, setting the duration of the previous group.
Ctrl+2	Advances the editing box by 1/32, setting the duration of the previous group.
Ctrl+3	Advances the editing box by 1/16, setting the duration of the previous group.
Ctrl+4	Advances the editing box by 1/8 (quaver), setting the duration of the previous group.
Ctrl+5	Advances the editing box by 1/4 (crochet), setting the duration of the previous group.
Ctrl+6	Advances the editing box by a half note (minim), setting the duration of the previous group.
Ctrl+7	Advances the editing box by a whole note (semibreve), setting the duration of the previous group.
Ctrl+8	Advances the editing box by two whole notes (breve), setting the duration of the previous group.
Ctrl+Space	Enters an actual space; useful when figure appears "on the second line" (e.g., 5 4 -> 3).
BB	Enters a double flat.
B	Enters a flat.
H	Enters a natural.
#	Enters a sharp.
##	Enters a double sharp.
_	Enters a continuation line.
__	Enters an extended continuation line.

Note: For Mac commands, Ctrl is replaced with Cmd.

File formats

MuseScore can import and export a wide variety of file formats, allowing you to share and publish scores in the format that best meets your needs.

MuseScore native format

MuseScore saves files in the following native formats:

• *.mscz: The default MuseScore file format. Being compressed it takes up relatively little disk space.
• *.mscx: An uncompressed MuseScore file format, mainly used for debugging or storing in a versioning system
• .*.mscz, / .*.mscx,: These are backup files. Notice the point (full stop) added before the file name, and the comma added to the file extension.

A note about fonts: MuseScore does not embed text fonts in saved or exported native format files. If you want your MuseScore file to be viewed by other MuseScore users, make sure you are using the built-in FreeSerif or FreeSans font families for your text, or a font that the other parties have installed too. If a system does not have the fonts specified in your original file, MuseScore will use a fallback option, which may cause your score to appear differently.

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 any images the score may contain and a thumbnail.

Uncompressed MuseScore format (*.mscx)

MSCX is the uncompressed version of the MuseScore file format. A score saved in this format will retain all information, except images. It can be opened with a text editor, allowing the user access to the file's source code.

MuseScore backup file (.*.mscz,) or (.*.mscx,)

Backup files are created automatically and saved in the same folder as your normal MuseScore file. The backup copy contains the previously saved version of the MuseScore file and can be important if your normal copy becomes corrupted, or for looking at an older version of the score.

The backup file adds a period to the beginning of the file name (.) and a comma (,) to the end (e.g. if your normal file is called "untitled.mscz", the backup copy will be ".untitled.mscz,"), and the period and comma need to be removed from the name in order to open the backup file in MuseScore. As it is stored in the same folder as your normal MuseScore file, you may also need to give it a unique name (e.g. changing ".untitled.mscz," to "untitled-backup1.mscz").

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

Graphic files (export only)

MuseScore can export a score as a graphic file in either PDF, PNG or SVG format.

PDF (*.pdf)

PDF (Portable Document Format) files are ideal for sharing your sheet music with others who do not need to edit the content. This is a very widely-used format and most users will have a PDF viewer of some kind on their computers.

To set the resolution of exported PDFs:

1. From the menu bar, choose Edit→Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore→Preferences...), and select the "Export" tab;
2. Set the resolution in the "PDF" section.

PNG (*.png)

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) files are based on a bitmap image format, widely supported by software on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, and very popular on the web. MuseScore creates PNG images as they would appear if printed, one image per page.

To set the resolution of exported PNG images:

1. From the menu bar, choose Edit→Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore→Preferences...), and select the "Export" tab;
2. Set the resolution and transparency in the PNG/SVG section.

Note: If you want to create images that show only parts of the score (with or without screen-only items such as frame boxes, invisible notes, and out-of-range note colors), use Image capture instead.

SVG (*.svg)

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files can be opened by most web browsers (except Internet Explorer before version 9) and most vector graphics software. However, most SVG software does not support embedded fonts, so the appropriate MuseScore fonts must be installed to view these files correctly. SVG is the current format for all scores saved on MuseScore.com.

To set resolution and transparency of exported SVG files, see the instructions under PNG (above). Note that MuseScore does not (yet) support gradients on export (although it does for images in a score).

Audio files (export only)

MuseScore can create normalized, stereo audio of the score in any of the following formats: WAV, MP3, OGG VORBIS, FLAC. To export an audio file:

1. From the menu, select File → Export...;
2. Choose the desired format from the dropdown menu, then press Save.

You can adjust the sample rate of all audio formats as follows:

1. From the menu bar, select Edit→Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore→Preferences...), and click on the Export tab;
2. Set "Sample rate" in the "Audio" section.

WAV audio (*.wav)

WAV (Waveform Audio Format) is an uncompressed sound format. This was developed by Microsoft and IBM, and is widely supported by software for Windows, OS X, and Linux. It is an ideal format for use when creating CDs, as full sound quality is preserved. For sharing via email or the internet, use a compressed alternative such as MP3.

MP3 (*.mp3)

MP3 is a very widely-used compressed audio format. MP3 files are ideal for sharing and downloading over the internet due to their relatively small size.

To set the MP3 bitrate:

1. From the menu bar, choose Edit→Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore→Preferences...), and select the "Export" tab;
2. Set the MP3 bitrate in the "Audio" section.

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 OS X do not have built-in support for FLAC, but software such as the free and open source 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 (which MuseScore also supports—see above). Like MP3, Ogg Vorbis files are relatively small (often a tenth of uncompressed audio), but some sound quality is lost. Windows and OS X 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.

Share with other music software

MuseScore can import and export MusicXML and MIDI files; it is also able to import a variety of native format files from other music notation programs.

MusicXML (*.xml, *.musicxml)

MusicXML is the universal standard for sheet music. It is the recommended format for sharing sheet music between different scorewriters, including MuseScore, Sibelius, Finale, and more than 100 others. MuseScore imports *.xml and *.musicxml, but exports only *.musicxml. If you need *.xml (because the program you want to import it needs that), you need to rename it yourself after the export.

Compressed MusicXML (*.mxl)

Compressed MusicXML creates smaller files than regular MusicXML. This is a newer standard and isn't as widely supported by older scorewriters, but MuseScore has full import and export support.

MIDI (*.mid, *.midi, *.kar)

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a format widely supported by sequencers and music notation software. For details of the protocol see the MIDI Association website.

MIDI files are very useful for playback purposes but contain little in the way of score layout information (formatting, pitch spelling, voicing, ornaments, articulations, repeats, key signatures etc.). To share files between different music notation software, MusicXML is recommended instead.

For details about how to import MIDI files see MIDI import.

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 online.

Capella (*.cap, *.capx) (import only)

CAP and CAPX files are created by the score writer, Capella. MuseScore imports version 2000 (3.0) or later fairly accurately.

Bagpipe Music Writer (*.bww) (import only)

BWW files are created by the niche score writer, Bagpipe Music Writer.

BB (*.mgu, *.sgu) (import only)

BB files are created by the music arranging software, Band-in-a-Box. MuseScore's support is currently experimental.

Overture (*.ove) (import only)

OVE files are created by the score writer Overture. This format is mainly popular in Chinese-language environments, such as Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. MuseScore's support is currently experimental.

Guitar Pro (various—import only)

MuseScore can open Guitar Pro files with the following extensions: *.gtp, *.gp3, *.gp4, *.gp5, *.gpx, and, as of version 3.5, *.gp.

Power Tab Editor (*.ptb) (import only)

PTB files are created by Power Tab Editor. MuseScore's support is currently experimental.

See also

• Open/Save/Export/Print
• Recovered files

External links

• How to recover a backup copy of a score

Fretboard diagrams

Note: This page applies to MuseScore 3.1 and above only. Users of versions prior to 3.1 should go to Fretboard diagrams (prior to version 3.1).

Fretboard Diagrams overview

MuseScore allows the use and creation of fretboard (or chord) diagrams. They usually appear above the staff on lead sheets and piano scores. They are commonly used for guitar chords, but MuseScore permits the creation of diagrams for any instrument.

Below is a simple example of Fretboard Diagrams use.

(Note: Fretboard Diagrams are an alternative to and quite different from Tablature, which is a specialized notation form that is preferred by some string instrument players.)

The Fretboard Diagram mechanism can be used in several different ways.

1. Standard chords. A set of 21 common chord diagrams for the guitar are found in the Fretboard Diagrams palette in the Advanced Workspace. These consist of a single example of a major, minor, and seventh chord for each diatonic scale tone (CDEFGAB). These 21 chords are adequate for many simple pop or folk music scores. See the overview of this palette below.

2. Modified chords. In many cases, the standard chords from the Fretboard Diagrams palette are used as a starting point for creating modified chord diagrams, via the Inspector. This technique enables chord extensions, alterations, different voicings, different positions, etc. to be applied to the 21 standard diagrams. There are literally thousands of guitar chords in general use, making a comprehensive palette or dictionary impractical. See How to use Fretboard Diagrams for custom/complex chords for examples.

3. "Freehand" chords. More advanced guitarists often prefer to start from a blank chord grid, and then draw the specific chord tones desired. See How to use Fretboard Diagrams for custom/complex chords for examples.

Note: Many aspects of music notation follow well-established engraving standards. Guitar chord diagrams are an exception. Usage has varied widely from year to year, from publisher to publisher, from teacher to teacher, and from arranger to arranger. Many inconsistent practices persist today, and distinct styles of chord notation are preferred in different musical genres and regions. For this reason, the MuseScore Fretboard Diagram interface supports diagrams of various types. Users are free to choose their preferences.

Overview of the standard guitar chord palette

The Fretboard Diagrams palette in the Advanced Workspace provides 21 diagrams, comprising a single major, minor, and seventh chord for each diatonic scale tone (CDEFGAB). The name of each diagram appears when the cursor hovers over the entry.

Note: This range of chord diagrams, or indeed any selection of 21 chords, would not typically be sufficient for publication purposes. Arrangers must consider many other voicings, positions, and chord qualities. This palette is also an example of the diverse diagram formats in use, as discussed above. These 21 chords happen to incorporate open/mute string indicators (the X and O symbols above the diagrams). Although those symbols do often appear in published scores, their usage varies by context. For example, jazz arrangements generally omit mute string indicators, unless contextually important, and rarely use open strings.

Additional palettes that contain a broader range of standard chords are expected be available in the future. These would try to address the needs of specific musical genres and situations.

Overview of creating modified or custom chords

Modified Fretboard Diagrams are created by adding and then editing an existing diagram from the palette. By modifying standard chords, it is possible to create Fretboard Diagrams for any playable chord, and to reflect fingering on any Western fretted stringed instrument, regardless of tuning, number of strings, or number of frets. Most of the material below deals with the process of modifying diagrams and creating new ones.

Custom diagrams can be saved to a custom palette if desired for future use. Modified diagrams can of course be copied/pasted within a score in the usual ways.

To add a Fretboard Diagram

To add a Fretboard Diagram to the score, use one of the following methods:

• Select a note in voice 1 and double-click a Fretboard Diagram from the palette.
• Drag and drop a Fretboard Diagram from a palette to the desired position in the score.

As the cursor hovers over the chosen diagram within the palette, its name will appear as a pop-up hint (see the example in the overview).

Chord Symbols linked to Fretboard Diagrams

When adding a Fretboard Diagram to a score, a chord symbol is also automatically created. The chord symbol is normally placed above the diagram, and uses the chord name from the chord's palette cell. Automatic placement and formatting of a diagram's chord symbol is controlled by style settings (see style settings, below).

A Fretboard Diagram's generated chord symbol can be selected, moved, and modified like any other text element. It behaves generally like the normal chord symbols that are added using Add→Text→Chord Symbol or the shortcut Ctrl+K.

Note 1: A field on the Chord Symbols style page (Style submenu: select Format→Style…→Chord symbols) – rather than on the Fretboard Diagrams style page – controls the chord symbol's "Distance to Fretboard Diagram". This value interacts with the Element "Minimum distance" field, within the Inspector, to control automatic placement of the chord symbol relative to the diagram. Note also that the Fretboard Diagram's "top edge" includes the blank space where open/mute string indicators would appear, even if that area is empty. This may leave a larger gap than is desired. As usual, manual placement can be used to override the automatic settings.

Note 2: Automatic chord symbols generated for Fretboard Diagrams are not completely integrated with normal Chord Symbols that may be directly associated with notes on the staff. Specifically, focus does not flow from a Fretboard Diagram's chord symbol back to the sequence of other symbols on the page when using Space to move through the chord symbols. This minor issue will be addressed in a future update.)

Use of Chord Symbols with Fretboard Diagrams

• Add a diagram's Chord Symbol automatically simply be adding a Fretboard Diagram as described above.
• Delete a diagram's Chord Symbol by selecting the symbol and deleting it, as with any text item.
• Add a new Chord Symbol to a diagram without one by selecting the Fretboard Diagram and using Add→Text→Chord Symbol or the shortcut Ctrl+K.

To adjust a Fretboard Diagram's element properties (position, color, stacking order...)

The position of a Fretboard Diagram can be adjusted using the keyboard arrows in Edit mode; or with the X- and Y-offsets in the "Element" section at the top of the Inspector.

Visibility, Color and Stacking order can also be adjusted in the "Element" section: see the diagram under editing.

To adjust global/default Fretboard Diagram style properties

Certain default and global properties of Fretboard Diagrams (see diagram below) can be adjusted from the Style submenu: select Format→Style…→Fretboard Diagrams. Some of these properties are subject to override via the Inspector; but most affect all Fretboard Diagrams in the score.

• Default vertical position specifies the default placement of the diagram relative to the staff. (Subject to override via Inspector).
• Scale specifies the default scale (i.e. diagram size). (Subject to override via Inspector).
• Fret number font size and ...position control placement of fret numbers on all diagrams. (Global).
• Barre line thickness controls how large a line is used to represent a barre on all diagrams. By default, this is the same thickness as the solid dots. A smaller line will allow dots to be visible under the barre, for situations where that is desirable. (Global).
• Relative dot size controls the size of dots on all diagrams, relative to the size of the scaled grid. (Global).
• String spacing controls the spacing between strings, and thus the total width of all diagrams. (Global).
• Fret spacing controls the spacing between frets, and thus the total height of all diagrams relative to the number of frets they each display. (Global).

Most Fretboard Diagram properties exposed by the Inspector offer "reset to style default" and "save as style default" buttons. These values do not typically appear on the style page, but are manipulated via the Inspector.

To edit a Fretboard Diagram

When a Fretboard Diagram is selected, it can be edited in the Inspector as follows:

The Inspector displays three sections related to the Fretboard Diagram:

• An Element section that controls the Fretboard Diagram's visibility, placement, color, and other aspects that are used in common with other MuseScore elements; see adjust element properties and the Inspector for details.
• A Fretboard Diagram section, with control fields and buttons that define the appearance of this diagram.
• A magnified version of the Fretboard Diagram, showing its details and allowing editing.

Below is an example of the Inspector with a Fretboard Diagram selected.

Editing Fretboard Diagram properties

(See Inspector properties above in the editing example.)

• To adjust the scale (size) of the diagram: Use Scale.
• To adjust the diagram's placement relative to the staff: Use Placement.
• To adjust the number of instrument strings: Use Strings. Strings are added/removed from the left side of the diagram.
• To adjust how many frets to display (i.e. the height of the diagram): Use Frets. Frets are added/removed from the bottom of the diagram.
• To adjust the first fret position: Use Fret number. A digit is shown next to the first visible fret.
• To specify thickening of the nut (a heavy line above the first fret): Use Show nut.
• Place the finger dots as described below.

Finger dot editing (basic use)

(See Inspector properties above in the editing example.)

• To remove all current dots, use the "Clear" button above the diagram. (Note: you could save a blank grid in a custom palette, as a starting point for custom diagrams.)
• To create a dot, click on a fret in the diagram at the bottom of the inspector; click again to remove the dot.
• To move a dot, clear its current position by clicking on it; then create the desired dot.
• To create a barre or partial barre: Click the "Barre" button above the diagram; then click at the leftmost position desired for the barre. The barre will extend to the right edge of the fretboard. Keyboard shortcut: Holding the Shift key, click on the string where you want a barre to begin.
• To end a barre before the rightmost string: Click the "Barre" button above the diagram; then click at the rightmost position desired on an existing barre. The barre will end at that string. Keyboard shortcut: Holding the Shift key, click on the string where you want a barre to end.
• To delete a barre: Click the "Barre" button above the diagram; then click at the leftmost position of the barre. It will be removed. Keyboard shortcut: Holding the Shift key, click on the leftmost position of the barre.
• To create multiple barres: Use the above steps to create one than one barre, e.g. to show the third finger covering two strings.
• To adjust the barre thickness: Use the Style options (Format->Style->Fretboard Diagrams) to adjust the barre line thickness relative to the dots. This will allow dots to be visible on the barre, for cases where that is desired.
• To Indicate open and mute strings (optional). Click just above the diagram to toggle a string between:
  • Open (o)
  • Mute/unplayed (x)
  • No indication

Finger dot editing (advanced use)

Some arrangers and educators use a more advanced form of Fretboard Diagram that a) incorporates multiple types of "dot", and that b) allows multiple dots per string.

This technique is particularly associated with the many books and arrangements published by Ted Greene and his successors. (Note: No other notation software currently supports this diagram style.)

• Multi-dot notation style. With this approach, the round dots are played first. Then, on successive beats, the notes represented by the other dots are then played in order. This allows a single diagram to represent several beats of music. (The usual sequence is: dot→X→square→delta. Usage varies however.) Here are two examples of multi-dot diagrams.

  

  

• Optional-note notation style. Another use of multiple dots per string allows other symbols to show optional notes, rather than delayed notes. Typically, a related chord voicing is shown, such as an optional extension or an optional rootless chord version. Here is an example of an optional extension.

  

MuseScore Fretboard Diagrams allow the creation of these and other types of multi-symbol diagrams. A chord is first created and edited using the basic steps described above. Then, the multiple dot buttons above the diagram are used to add secondary notes.

1. To begin adding multiple dots (i.e. symbols) to a diagram, click "Multiple dots".
2. To add another dot to a string, click above or below an existing symbol. The next symbol in sequence will be placed at that position, e.g. if there is already a dot, an X will appear next.
3. To remove any symbol from a diagram, click on it.
4. To enter a particular symbol out of sequence, click on the button with that symbol before adding the dot; e.g. to enter an X on a string with no current dots, because that note should be played after the rest of the chord, click on the X and then place it as desired.

(Note: Experienced users of Ted Greene style diagrams will find that several secondary features from Ted's diagrams are not yet supported in MuseScore. These include: a. Displaying the fret number on a higher fret than the first visible fret. b. Allowing the note symbols to include digits, not just the four dot styles currently supported. c. Allowing the creation of annotation on and between diagrams, such as circling a particular note, or drawing lines linking notes in adjacent diagrams. However, MuseScore does provide many tools for drawing and annotation that can serve in place of these techniques.)

(Note: Because multi-note symbols are not standardized, even within the Ted Greene community, users must be careful to indicate how they are being used within a given score.)

External links

• How to use Fretboard Diagrams for custom/complex chords

Layer (experimental)

This feature is still experimental and only visible if MuseScore is started using the '-e' option, see Command line options

For the Open-Goldberg project, the ability to create different versions of the score was needed. One version is the "Urtext", a score which is close to the original version of Bach. A second version could be a Czerny variation, which in addition to the Urtext, contains fingerings.

The layer feature allows creating different versions out of one score file. If you want to add fingerings, you have to create a layer and tag the fingering elements with the layer name.

First, create layers:

Second, create a score variant:

Add the visible layer to the score variant, then select all fingerings and tag them with the name of the score variant:

Default layer:

Czerny layer:

See also

• Command line options

MIDI import

MuseScore can import MIDI files (.mid/.midi/.kar) and convert them into music notation.

• To import a MIDI file, use the standard Open command. This converts the MIDI file into a MuseScore file using default settings.

The MIDI Import Panel appears at the bottom of the screen: you can expand this by dragging the interface with the document window upwards. The panel shows all the tracks in the file (only those with note events are shown) and allows you to adjust parameters affecting the conversion process. If there are multiple tracks, then one more track is added at the top of the list to select all tracks at once.

• To accept the default conversion: Simply press the "X" symbol on the top-left of the Import Panel to close it. The panel can be re-opened at any time during the session by pressing "Show MIDI import panel" at the bottom of the document window.

• To reimport the file: Adjust the desired parameters in the Import Panel (see below) and press Apply. If you have made changes to the Import Panel but wish to UNDO them, press Cancel. To close the Import Panel, press the "X" symbol at the top-left of the panel.

Mouse wheel scrolling (MIDI Import Panel): Vertical scrolling is the default. For horizontal scrolling, press Shift or Ctrl while using the wheel.

Available operations

MuseScore instrument

Assign a MuseScore instrument (listed in instruments.xml or in specified custom xml file in Preferences) that defines staff name, clef, transposition, articulations, etc.

Quantization

Quantize MIDI notes by some regular grid. The grid MAX resolution can be set via the drop-down menu:

• Value from preferences (default) - quantization value is taken from the main Preferences dialog of MuseScore (in the “Import” tab)
• Quarter, Eighth, 16th, 32nd, 64th, 128th - user-defined values

However, the actual quantization grid size is adaptive and reduces when the note length is small, so for each note the quantization value is different. But there is an upper limit for the quantization value, and that value can be set by the user as "max. quantization".
For example, if some note is long - say, half note, and the max. quantization is set to 8th, then the note will be quantized with the 8th-note grid, not the half- or quarter-note grid as it supposed to be by the algorithm.
Such quantization scheme allows to quantize all notes in the score (with different lengths!) adequately.

Max. voices

Sets maximum count of allowed musical voices.

Search tuplets

When enabled, this option attempts to detect tuplets and applies the corresponding quantization grid to the tuplet chords.

Is human performance

If enabled, this option reduces the accuracy of MIDI-to-score conversion in favor of readability. It is useful for unaligned MIDI files, when no regular quantization grid is provided. For such files the automatic beat tracking algorithm is used which tries to detect the bar positions throughout the piece.

2x less measure count

The option is active for unaligned MIDI files (when "Is human performance" is checked by default). It halves measure count obtained in the internal beat tracking operation. It may be convenient when the beat tracking gives 2x more frequent bar subdivision than necessary.

Time signature

The option is active for unaligned MIDI files. The user can choose an appropriate time signature for the whole piece if the default detected value is wrong. The option is useful because it handles imported tuplets correctly unlike the direct time signature setting from the palette.

Split staff

This option is suited mainly for piano tracks - to assign notes to the left or right hand of the performer. It uses constant pitch separation (the user may choose the pitch via sub-options) or floating pitch separation (depending on the hand width - sort of a guess from the program point of view).
For drum tracks (“Percussion” sound in the track list) it splits the staff into multiple staves, each of which gets only one drum pitch (i.e. drum sound). There is also a sub-option to allow/disallow the application of the square bracket for the newly created set of drum tracks.

Clef changes

Small clefs can be inserted within a staff to keep chords closer to the 5 staff lines. Clef changes depend on the average pitch of the chord. Tied groups of notes are not broken by the clef insertion (if it occurs, one can report a bug for algorithm in importmidi_clef.cpp). This option is available for non-drum tracks only.

Simplify durations

Reduces number of rests to form more "simple" note durations. For drum tracks this option can remove rests and lengthen notes as well.

Show staccato

Option to show/hide staccato markings in the score.

Dotted notes

Controls whether MuseScore will use dotted notes or ties.

Show tempo text

Shows/hides tempo text markings in the score.

Show chord names

Shows/hides chord names in the score, if any, for XF MIDI file format.

Recognize pickup measure

When enabled, this option doesn't change the time signature of the first bar that is shorter than the second bar. It is also called anacrusis. This option is only available for all tracks at once.

Detect swing

MuseScore tries to detect swing, and automatically replace a pattern of 4th + 8th notes in triplets (for the most common swing feel, 2:1), or a dotted 8th + 16th pattern (for shuffle, 3:1), with two straight 8ths and a “Swing” or “Shuffle” text at the beginning.

Master palette

The Master Palette is a repository of symbols used to populate the workspaces (Basic, Advanced, and Custom). It is also used to create new Time Signatures and Key Signatures.

To open, use either of the following options:

• Press Shift+F9 (Mac: fn+Shift+F9).
• From the menu, select View → Master Palette.

The Master palette is divided into sections based on symbol type. Hovering the mouse over an item shows a tool tip (a short definition in black on yellow background).

To transfer a Master palette item to a custom palette:

• Drag the symbol from the Master Palette window into a custom palette.

Note: Except for the Symbols section (below), it is not usual to add items directly to the score from the Master palette: use the workspace palettes instead. However, if desired, items can be added directly using either (i) drag-and-drop or (ii) by selecting one or more notes/rests and double-clicking the item.

Symbols

The Symbols section of the Master Palette is a large repository of hundreds of musical symbols in addition to those found in the preset workspaces. You can open it from the Master Palette, or directly from the score by using the shortcut Z.

Find a symbol

The Symbols subcategories can be displayed by clicking on "Symbols". Use the font menu on the bottom right of the box to specify Emmentaler-, Gonville- or Bravura-specific symbols. You can search for a particular symbol by entering a keyword in the search box.

Apply a symbol

To add an item to the score from the Symbols section, use any of the following options:

• Drag and drop a symbol onto a staff.
• Select a note or rest and double-click a symbol.

The position of the symbol can be adjusted by dragging or by changing the horizontal / vertical offsets in the Inspector. Color and visibility can also be adjusted in the Inspector.

Note: Elements from the Symbols section do not follow any positioning rules (in many cases unlike identical elements from other sections of the Master Palette), nor do they affect score playback.

Connect symbols

Elements from the Symbols section can be connected to each other on the score page, so that they can be moved as one unit:

1. Apply first symbol to the score. Adjust position as required.
2. Double click, or drag-and-drop, a second element onto the first symbol. Adjust position as required.

Drag the first element and the attached element will follow.

See also

• Palettes and workspaces
• Symbols and special characters (add musical symbols to text objects)

Note input modes

MuseScore allows you to choose from any of several note input modes. Step-time (see below) is the default, but others can be accessed by clicking the small dropdown arrow next to the note entry button on the note input toolbar.

Step-time

This is the default method of note input and involves entering notes one at a time: first by selecting a note duration using the mouse or keyboard, then choosing a pitch using the mouse, keyboard, MIDI keyboard or virtual piano.

For details see Basic note entry.

Re-pitch

Re-pitch mode allows you to correct the pitches of a sequence of notes while leaving their durations unchanged (not to be confused with Accidental: Respell pitches).

1. Select a note as your starting point;
2. Select the Re-Pitch option from the Note input drop-down menu; or use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+Shift+I (Mac: Cmd+Shift+I).
3. Now enter pitches using the keyboard, MIDI keyboard or virtual piano keyboard.

You can also use the Re-pitch function to create a new passage from an existing one of the same sequence of durations—by copying and pasting the latter, then applying Re-pitch.

Rhythm

Rhythm mode allows you to enter durations with a single keypress. Combining Rhythm and Re-pitch modes makes for a very efficient method of note entry.

1. Select your starting point in the score and enter Rhythm mode.
2. Select a duration from the note input toolbar, or press a duration shortcut (numbers 1-9) on your computer keyboard. A note will be added to the score with the selected duration. In contrast to Basic note entry, pressing the . key will toggle dotting or not dotting all subsequent durations. All following rhythms will be dotted until the . key is pressed again. Unlike Basic note entry, the dot is to be pressed prior to entering the rhythm.
3. Entering rests is similar to adding dotted notes. Press the 0 key to toggle entering rests. All rhythms entered will be rests until the 0 key is pressed again. This can be used concurrently with dotted notes.
4. Continue pressing duration keys to enter notes with the chosen durations.
5. Now use Re-pitch mode to set the pitches of the notes you just added.

Real-time (automatic)

The Real-time modes basically allow you to perform the piece on a MIDI keyboard (or MuseScore's virtual piano keyboard) and have the notation added for you. However, you should be aware of the following limitations which currently apply:

• It is not possible to use a computer keyboard for Real-time input
• You cannot enter tuplets or notes shorter than the selected duration
• You cannot enter notes into more than one voice at a time

However, these restrictions mean that MuseScore has very little guessing to do when working out how your input should be notated, which helps to keep the Real-time modes accurate.

In the automatic version of Real-time input, you play at a fixed tempo indicated by a metronome click. You can adjust the tempo by changing the delay between clicks from the menu: Edit → Preferences... → Note Input (Mac: MuseScore → Preferences... → Note Input).

1. Select your starting position in the score and enter Real-time (automatic) mode.
2. Select a duration from the note input toolbar.
3. Press and hold a MIDI key or virtual piano key (a note will be added to the score).
4. Listen for the metronome clicks. With each click the note grows by the selected duration.
5. Release the key when the note has reached the desired length.

The score stops advancing as soon as you release the key. If you want the score to continue advancing (e.g. to allow you to enter rests) then you can use the Real-time Advance shortcut to start the metronome.

Real-time (manual)

In the manual version of Real-time input, you have to indicate your input tempo by tapping on a key or pedal, but you can play at any speed you like and it doesn't have to be constant. The default key for setting the tempo (called "Real-time Advance") is Enter on the numeric keypad (Mac: Fn+Return), but it is highly recommended that you change this to a MIDI key or MIDI pedal (see below).

1. Select your starting position in the score and enter Real-time (manual) mode.
2. Select a duration from the note input toolbar.
3. Press and hold a MIDI key or virtual piano key (a note will be added to the score).
4. Press the Real-time Advance key. With each press the note grows by the selected duration.
5. Release the note when it has reached the desired length.

Real-time Advance shortcut

The Real-time Advance shortcut is used to tap beats in manual Real-time mode, or to start the metronome clicks in automatic Real-time mode. It is called "Real-time Advance" because it causes the input position to move forward, or "advance", through the score.

The default key for Real-time Advance is Enter on the numeric keypad (Mac: Fn+Return), but it is highly recommended that you assign this to a MIDI key or MIDI pedal via MuseScore's MIDI remote control. The MIDI remote control is available from the menu: Edit → Preferences... → Note Input (Mac: MuseScore → Preferences... → Note Input).

Alternatively, if you have a USB footswitch or computer pedal which can simulate keyboard keys, you could set it to simulate Enter on the numeric keypad.

When the notes are entered they will be placed just before the selected starting element, which will be highlighted with a square blue marker. The start element and any subsequent notes or rests within the same measure will be shifted forward. You can move the insertion point forward and backward using the arrow keys → or ←, and the new insertion point will then be highlighted.

Insert

Insert Input mode (called Timewise in versions prior to 3.0.2) allows you to insert and delete notes and rests within measures, automatically shifting subsequent music forwards or backwards. Measure duration is automatically updated as you go.

1. Make sure you are in Note input mode, and that you have the element selected where you want to start inserting notes/rests;
2. Click on the arrow next to the Note input icon, and select Insert (or if Insert is the current default, just press N);
3. Enter a note or rest as you would in Step-Time mode. Each note is inserted before the current cursor position;
4. Move the cursor forward and backward if required (using the arrow keys), to change the insertion point.

Alternatively, if you have only one or two notes to insert, you may prefer to use a shortcut:

• Press Ctrl+Shift (Mac: Cmd+Shift) while adding the note by Mouse-click or keyboard shortcut (A-G).

If, at any time, the total duration of the notes and rests within the measure does not match the time signature, a small + or - sign will be shown above the measure.

See also: Remove selected range (Tools).

Normal mode

To leave Note Input mode, click on the Note Input tool button, press N, or press Esc. This puts you in Normal mode, in which you can change durations and delete notes or rests as follows:

• If you select a note and press Del the note will be replaced by a rest of the same duration.
• If you select a note or rest and press Ctrl+Del the note/rest will be deleted, and subsequent notes moved backward (see Remove selected range).
• If you reduce the duration of a note or rest the remaining duration will be filled with rests.
• If you increase the duration of a note or rest it will subtract duration from the subsequent notes/rests to make up the duration. If this is done on the last note/rest in the measure, a note or rest with the required duration will be inserted in the start of the following measure, and the two will be tied together.

See also

• Note input
• Copy and paste

External links

• Video: Semi-Realtime MIDI Demo Part 1: New note entry modes
• Introduction to the new Repitch Mode (YouTube)

Notehead schemes

You can choose choose any one of nine notehead schemes for a standard staff. To set a notehead scheme:

• Right-click on a staff and select Staff/Part Properties…; click on Advanced Style Properties… and choose from the "Notehead scheme" dropdown list.

The schemes are as follows:

• Normal: This is the default scheme and the one the vast majority of people will use: it is also the only scheme in MuseScore 1 and 2. It uses normal noteheads which can be changed via the Noteheads palette or the Inspector.
• Pitch name: Noteheads automatically and dynamically change to include the English pitch name in the notehead.
  
• German pitch name: Just like the previous one but B will be replaced by H, and Bb by B.
  
• Solfège Movable Do (also called Tonic Solfa): Noteheads include the solfege syllable, depending on the degree in the scale. It uses Ti and not Si.
  
• Solfège Fixed Do: Noteheads include the solfege syllable for the note name. As used in France, Italy, Spain, etc... It uses Si and not Ti.
  
• 4 Shape (Walker): Noteheads follow the four-shape system used in books such as William Walker’s Southern Harmony (1835).
  
• 7 Shape (Aikin): Noteheads follow the seven-shape system used in books such as Jesse B. Aikin’s The Christian Minstrel (1846), and books by the Ruebush & Kieffer Publishing Company. It's the most used 7-shape system.
  
• 7 Shape (Funk): Noteheads follow the seven-shape system used in books such as Joseph Funk’s Harmonia Sacra (1851).
  
• 7 Shape Walker: Noteheads follow the seven-shape system used in books such as William Walker’s Christian Harmony (1867).
  

(For more info about the different variant of shape notes, see the SMuFL specification)

The setting applies to a given staff and the notehead will be used when entering and editing notes. Here is an example.

Noteheads

A range of alternative noteheads can be accessed via the Note Heads palette of the Advanced workspace, or the Inspector (see Change notehead group, below).

Note: The design of the notehead may vary depending on the music font selected (Emmentaler, Gonville or Bravura). Those in the palette are displayed as half notes in Bravura font.

Notehead groups

MuseScore supports a range of notehead styles:

• Normal: A standard notehead.
• Crosshead (Ghost note): Used in percussion notation to represent cymbals. It also indicates muted and/or percussive effects in stringed instruments such as the guitar.
• Diamond: Used to indicate harmonic notes in instruments such as the guitar, violin etc.
• Slash: Used to notate rhythms (e.g. guitar strums).
• Triangle up/down: Used in percussion notation.
• Shape notes: Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti.
• Circle cross: Used in percussion notation.
• Circled noteheads
• Slashed notehead: A notehead with an oblique line through it.
• Plus noteheads
• Alt. Brevis: Used in early music notation.
• Brackets (Parentheses): applied around an existing note (or accidental).

Change notehead group

To change the shape of one or more noteheads in the score, use one of the following:

• Select one or more notes and click a notehead in a palette (double-click in versions prior to 3.4).
• Drag a notehead from a palette onto a note in the score.
• Select one or more notes and change the notehead in the Inspector, using the drop-down list under Note → Head group (not supported for drum staves).

Change notehead type

Occasionally you may need to change the apparent duration of a notehead—i.e. notehead type—without altering its actual, underlying duration:

1. Select one or more notes.
2. Choose one of the following options from the Inspector under Note → Head type:
   • Auto: Automatic, i.e. apparent duration = actual duration.
   • Whole: Whole notehead, regardless of actual duration.
   • Half: Half notehead, regardless of actual duration.
   • Quarter: Quarter notehead, regardless of actual duration.
   • Breve: Breve notehead, regardless of actual duration.

Shared noteheads

When two notes in different voices, but of the same written pitch, fall on the same beat, one of two things may happen:

• The notes may share the same notehead.
• The notes may be offset: i.e. arranged side by side.

MuseScore uses the following rules:

• Notes with stems in the same direction do not share noteheads.
• Dotted notes do not share noteheads with undotted notes.
• Black notes do not share noteheads with white notes.
• Whole notes never share noteheads.

Note: If two unison notes occur in the same voice they are always offset.

Change offset noteheads to shared

Offset noteheads can be turned into shared noteheads in one of two ways:

• Make the smaller-value notehead invisible by selecting it and using the keyboard shortcut V (or unchecking the "Visible" option in the Inspector).
• Alter the notehead type of the shorter-duration note to match the longer one by switching "Head type" in the "Note" section of the Inspector: change the Head type from the default "Auto" to a specific duration.

Examples of notehead sharing

1. In the first example below, the notes of voices 1 and 2 share noteheads by default, because they are all black, undotted notes:

   

2. By contrast, in the next example, white notes cannot share noteheads with black notes, so are offset to the right:

   

   To create a shared notehead, make the black eighth note invisible or change its head type to match that of the white note (as explained above):

   

Remove duplicate fret marks

In certain cases, a shared notehead, when pasted to a tablature staff, may result in two separate fret marks on adjacent strings. To correct this, make any extraneous tablature notes invisible by selecting them and using the keyboard shortcut V (or by unchecking the "visible" option in the Inspector).

External links

• Shape notes at Wikipedia.
• Ghost notes at Wikipedia.

Parts

MuseScore allows you to not only create and print a full score but also to generate individual player's parts from it.

A part can be created from a specific instrument staff in the main score or even from a specific voice within a staff. This allows you to display multiple parts (e.g. Flute 1 & 2) on a single staff in the score but to extract them as separate parts.

Create all parts

The most straightforward method is to create all parts at once. Parts are generated on a one-to-one basis from the corresponding Instruments in the score:

1. From the menu, select File → Parts....
2. Click All Parts (MuseScore 3.2-3.3.4: Generate; prior to MuseScore 3.2: New All) (parts are named with the instrument name, and a number added to differentiate parts that have the same label in the main score).

3. Click OK.

The parts can now be accessed by clicking on tabs above the document window.

Create specific parts

This method allows you to generate specific parts for only selected instruments (rather than all-at-once):

1. In the Parts window click Single Part (prior to MuseScore 3.4 New) to create a part;
2. In the center pane, type the words you want to use for the "Part title" (this also serves for the corresponding part of the filename when exporting);
3. Pick the instrument that you want to appear in your part from the "Instruments in Score" pane, and press + to add it to the "Instruments in Part" pane.

If you wish to create more parts, repeat steps 1 through 3 (above) for each part.

4. Click OK to save the parts.

You have now finished setting up the parts. You do not need to do this again, unless you add or remove an instrument from your full score.

Customize parts

Once you have generated a part (or all parts), you can select any part at the top and use the controls at the bottom to control not only what instrument is in the part, but also which staves and voices within the instrument are included.

Add instruments to a part

To add instruments to an existing part:

1. Select the part in the "Parts" pane.
2. Select the instrument from the "Instruments in Score" pane.
3. Press + to add it to the "Instruments in Part" pane.

Remove instruments from a part

To remove instruments from an existing part:

1. Select the part in the "Parts" pane.
2. Select the instrument from the "Instruments in Part" pane.
3. Press - to remove the instrument.

Select staves for an instrument

To select the staves of an instrument to include in the part:

1. Select the part in the "Parts" pane.
2. Click the arrow next to the instrument in "Instruments in Part" to expand the listing to show all staves and voices of the instrument.
3. Select the staff to be removed.
4. Press - to remove it from the instrument.

Select voices for an instrument

1. Select the part in the "Parts" pane.
2. Click the arrow next to the instrument in "Instruments in Part" to expand the listing to show all staves and voices of the instrument.
3. Uncheck the voices to be removed.

Note: If you select only voice 1 for a given staff, then only the content in voice 1 for that staff will be included in the part. Thus, in order to share flute 1 & 2 on the same staff, you will need to enter all notes onto both voices, even in passages where they share content. You also cannot enter the two parts as chords in the passages where they share rhythms.

Delete a Part

1. Open the Parts dialog (File → Parts...);
2. Select the relevant Part in the "Parts" pane;
3. Press Delete.

Export parts

1. From the menu, select File → Export Parts...;
2. Navigate to the place you want them to be exported to and select the file format (PDF is the default);
3. For filename just enter whatever prefix is useful for all parts, or leave the default (the filename of your score);
4. Click OK.

This will generate files with the names "<title>" + "-" + "<part name>.<extension>". In addition, when exporting as PDF, this will also generate "<title>" + "-Score_And_Parts.pdf".

Save parts

Parts and score are "linked", which means that any change to the content in one will affect the other, but changes to the layout will not. When you have the parts created, they are saved along with the score (if you open the score you have tabs for the score and every part you created).

However, if you wish to save a part individually:

1. Make sure the part is "active." Select its tab if not;
2. From the menu, select File → Save As....

Print a part

1. Make sure the part is "active." Select its tab if not;
2. From the menu, select File → Print to open the print dialog.

Plugins

What are Plugins?

Plugins are small pieces of software that add a particular feature to MuseScore. By enabling a plugin, a new menu option is appended to the Plugins menu: subsequently, when this option is selected, the plugin performs a particular task in the score.

Some plugins come pre-installed with MuseScore—see Plugins installed by default (below). You can find many more plugins in the plugin repository: some work with MuseScore 3, others only with older versions of MuseScore, and some work with either. To tell one from the other: MuseScore 3.x and 2.x plugin code files have an extension of .qml; for older versions, it is .js.

Warning: Plugins can potentially contain bad or malicious code, which can compromise or damage your scores or system. Plugins are entirely unvetted (except for those that are installed by default). You either need to trust the author or check the code yourself.

Installation

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

Most plugins are provided as ZIP archives: download the plugin's .zip file and uncompress (unzip) it to one of the directories mentioned below (depending on your OS). If the plugin is provided directly as an uncompressed .qml file, simply download it and place into one of the same directories.

Once a plugin is installed, it needs to be enabled in the Plugin Manager in order to use it—see Enable/disable Plugins.

Windows

MuseScore looks for pre-installed plugins in %ProgramFiles%\MuseScore 3\Plugins (or %ProgramFiles(x86)%\MuseScore 3\Plugins for the 32-bit versions) and in %LOCALAPPDATA%\MuseScore\MuseScore 3\plugins on Windows 7 and later.

New plugins should not be installed in the above folders, and neither should the folders be modified. Instead add new plugins to %HOMEPATH%\Documents\MuseScore3\Plugins; alternatively, specify a different folder to look for plugins in MuseScore's Preferences.

macOS

On macOS, MuseScore looks for pre-installed plugins in the MuseScore bundle in /Applications/MuseScore 3.app/Contents/Resources/plugins (to reveal files in the app bundle, right click on MuseScore 3.app and choose "Show package contents"), and in ~/Library/Application Support/MuseScore/MuseScore 3/plugins.

New plugins should not be installed in the above folders, and neither should the folders be modified. Instead add new plugins to ~/Documents/MuseScore3/Plugins; alternatively, specify a different folder to look for plugins in MuseScore's Preferences.

Linux

In Linux, MuseScore looks for pre-installed plugins in /usr/share/mscore-3.0/plugins and in ~/.local/share/data/MuseScore/MuseScore 2/plugins.

New plugins should not be installed in the above folders, and neither should the folders be modified. Instead add new plugins to ~/Documents/MuseScore3/Plugins; alternatively, specify a different folder to look for plugins in MuseScore's Preferences.

Enable/disable plugins

To be able to access the installed plugins from the Plugins menu, they need to be enabled in the Plugin Manager:

You do this simply by checking the appropriate tick box. This adds the name of the plugin to the list in the Plugins menu.

Create/edit/run plugins

It is possible to create new or edit existing plugins and run them via the Plugin Creator:

Documentation of all available elements can also be found here.

Plugins installed by default

Some plugins come pre-installed with MuseScore, but they are not enabled by default. See Enable/disable plugins (above) to enable plugins.

ABC Import

This plugin imports ABC text from a file or the clipboard and converts it to MusicXML. Internet connection is required, because it uses an external web-service for the conversion.

Notes → Color Notes

This demo plugin colors notes in the selected range (or the entire score), depending on their pitch. It 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 D♭ have the same color.
To color all the notes in black, just run that plugin again (on the same selection). You could also use the 'Remove Notes Color' plugin for this.

Create Score

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

helloQml

This demo plugin demonstrates some basic tasks.

Notes → Note Names

This plugin names notes in a selected range or for the entire score. It displays the names of the notes (as staff text) according to MuseScore's language settings: voices 1 and 3 notes above the staff; voices 2 and 4 notes below the staff; and chord notes in a comma separated list, starting with the top note.

Panel

This demo plugin creates a GUI panel.

random/random2

Creates a random score.

run

This demo plugin runs an external command. Probably this will only work on Linux.

scorelist

This test plugin iterates through the score list.

ScoreView

Demo plugin to demonstrate the use of a ScoreView

Walk

This test plugin walks through all elements in a score

See also

• Tools

External links

• Plugins for 3.x

Preferences

You can customize many of MuseScore's default behaviors via the menu: Edit→Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore→Preferences...).

The Preferences dialog has multiple tabs:

Reset All Preferences to Default will reset all preferences to the ones MuseScore had when you installed it. Ok will save the settings and close the dialog. Cancel will close the dialog without applying changes. Apply will make changes take effect without closing the dialog.

General

Here you can define:

• Program Start: Specify whether to start the session empty or to display a score. The options are one of the following: Start empty (no score) / Continue last session / Start with new score (i.e. New Score Wizard automatically opens) / Start with score (the program default, or one of your own chosing).
  You can also chose which panels to display. This can be any combination of: Splash screen, Play Panel, Navigator, or Start Center. Also select if Tours will be active.
• Folders: Specify the default folders for score files, style files, custom score templates, plugins, additional SoundFonts, images, and extensions.
• Language: Choose the language used by the program. Translations may be updated from here too. Note that language translation updates can also be done via the menu: Help→Resource Manager.
• Telemetry: Tick/untick to authorize MuseScore to collect usage data. The type of data collected is listed, and updated as needed, in telemetry.
• Theme: Specify a dark or light theme, and the width and height of icons. Set display "Font face" and "Font size".
• Auto Save: How frequently the program autosaves.
• OSC Remote Control

Canvas

Use Canvas to set your preferred color and wallpaper for the score background and paper. The default "Background" is dark blue (RGB 20, 36, 51; Alpha 255) and the default "Paper," white.

• Background: Use this to set the color or background around the score pages. Select "Color" then click on the bar to the right and make a choice from the color picker; or select "Wallpaper," click on the file icon and set a background image.
• Paper: Sets the color or background of the score pages. Controls identical to "Background" (above). You can also tick/untick "Use the same color in palettes".
• Scroll Pages: This defines the way that the pages are laid out in the score. Choose "Horizontally" for a row layout, or "Vertically" for a column layout. To limit scrolling, tick "Limit scroll area to page borders".
• Miscellaneous: "Draw antialiased" (the default option) makes diagonal lines and edges of shapes look smoother. "Proximity for selecting elements" controls the distance the mouse may be from an object and still act on it. Smaller numbers require more precision, making it harder to click on small objects. Larger numbers are less precise, making it harder not to click on nearby objects unintentionally. Choose a comfortable working value.

Note input

On this tab there are note input and MIDI remote control preferences. Here the following can be set:

Note Input

• Enable MIDI Input: Leave checked to allow MIDI input of notes.
• Color notes outside of usable pitch range: For details, see Coloring of notes outside an instrument's range and Usable pitch range (Staff properties: all staves).
• Delay between notes in automatic real-time mode: See Real-time (automatic).
• Play notes when editing: When ticked, MuseScore sounds the note when it is entered or selected. Tick "Play whole chord when adding note," if you want to hear all the notes of a chord when it is added to. You can also edit the "Default duration".

MIDI Remote Control

Midi Remote Control allows you to use certain keys on your MIDI keyboard to enter notes and rests and to select note durations, without involving the computer mouse or (computer) keyboard. The default setting is off.

To assign a command to a MIDI key:

1. Ensure that "MIDI Remote Control" is checked (your MIDI keyboard should be connected before opening the program).
2. Click the red button next to the option you wish to assign a MIDI key to: the red button now lights up.
3. Press a MIDI keyboard key. The red button becomes unlit and the green button lights up instead. The MIDI key has now been assigned to the desired option.
4. Repeat "2" and "3" to assign other keys.

Once you have defined your key settings you can use the MIDI keyboard to control note input operations. You can verify your key settings by observing the MuseScore Note Input toolbar while pressing the MIDI keys.

To temporarily deactivate Midi Remote Control: uncheck "Midi Remote Control": all MIDI input key action buttons are now greyed out. Note: Your key assignments are always saved between MuseScore sessions and are not affected by deactivation.

Notes: (1) The "Clear" option turns off all the green buttons for the current MuseScore session but all the user-recorded MIDI key settings are retained and will be reloaded on the next session. (2) A MIDI key setting that is activated cannot afterwards be turned off, and the green button will always remain lit: however it can be overwritten with a different MIDI key by using the red button again. (3) If the same MIDI key is accidentally assigned to more than one option, then all the associated green buttons remain lit although only one will work. To fix, see "(2)".

Score

Score preferences include

• Default instrument list files (two may be selected)
• Default style for score and parts (see Load/Save Style)
• Default zoom

I/O

PortAudio (API / Device)

This enables you to set the audio interface (API) and specify the device to be used for audio playback: e.g. built-in speakers/headphones, USB headset, wireless, etc.

MIDI Input/Output/Output Latency

When an external MIDI input device is connected, its identifier appears in MIDI Input. When the device is connected for the first time, you also need to select the correct MIDI Output option in order to enable note input and correct audio playback (e.g. in Windows, this might be "MMS<device name>"): then close and reopen the program to confirm the changes.

Jack Audio Server

Check these options as required if using the JACK Audio Connection Kit.

Audio Engine

In case of lost communication between your audio device or your MIDI keyboard and MuseScore (no sound output or MIDI action), click on Restart Audio and MIDI Devices to restore them.

Import

These settings determine how files from other sources are imported:

• Using either the built in MuseScore style or a style you choose (see Load/Save Style)
• Guitar Pro and Overture character sets
• MusicXML layout options
• Shortest note in MIDI files

Export

These settings determine how various files are exported from MuseScore:

• PNG: PNG/SVG image resolution (in DPI) and whether to use transparent background.
• MIDI: Whether to expand repeats in exported MIDI files.
• Audio: Set audio sample rate, MP3 bitrate, and whether to "normalize" exported audio.
• MusicXML: Whether to export the layout and how to export system and page breaks to MusicXML.

Shortcuts

This tab lists all the commands in MuseScore and any keyboard shortcuts associated with them. Shortcuts listed in preferences also appear next to their associated commands in the menus.

• To search for a particular command: Enter its name in the "Search" box near the bottom of the window.

• To create a new shortcut for a command:

  1. Select an existing entry in the list.
  2. Click Define...; or just double click the entry.
  3. Enter the new shortcut using up to four keys. Press Clear if you need to re-enter the shortcut.
  4. Press Replace to change the existing shortcut; or Add, to keep the old shortcut and add the new one.
     Note: Some shortcuts, including default ones, may not work with some keyboards.

• To reset a shortcut to its system default: Select a command in the list and press Reset Shortcut to Default.

• To save the shortcuts list: Press Save and save to a file name of your choice.

• To load a saved shortcut list: Press Load etc.

• To clear all shortcuts for an entry: Select the entry and press Clear.

• To print out the shortcuts list (incl. export to pdf): Press Print etc.

Update

This sets whether MuseScore will check for updates and extensions at startup.

Updates may be checked manually in Help→Check for updates.

Advanced

Allows you to control specific settings for "application, "export", "i/o" and "user interface", as well as color settings.

See also

• Keyboard shortcuts
• Language settings and translation updates
• Update checking

Recovered files

If MuseScore or your computer should crash, or if power is lost, a pop-up message upon restarting MuseScore will ask if you wish to restore the previous session:

• Click Yes, to initiate attempted recovery of files from the interrupted session. Or click No to ignore message.

Saving after session recovery

When MuseScore recovers files after a crash, it renames them with the full path name added in front of the original file name. This very long name will appear in the tab(s) above the active score window.

To ensure that the file is saved in its original location. You should immediately save the restored file using the "Save As..." option: this will open a window to allow you to navigate to the correct folder and directory. If you use the "Save" command instead, the file will be saved in its current location which is unlikely to be the original one.

Finding recovered files

In the event that "Save" is used instead of "Save As..." with a recovered file, you will have to find the files in your computer. The actual location of those files will vary, depending on your operating system, and in which directory MuseScore is installed.

For Windows 7, with a default installation of MuseScore to the x86 program files directory, recovered files are auto-saved to C:\Program Files (x86)\MuseScore 2\bin (actually %ProgramFiles(x86)%\MuseScore 2\bin).

For Windows 10, look in C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\MuseScore 2\bin (actually%LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore\%ProgramFiles(x86):~3%\MuseScore 2\bin).

You may need to run a system-wide search in order to find files saved directly after a session recovery. Use keywords from the original file name as well as wildcards, and specify the date modified.

See also

Save/Export/Print

External links

How to recover a backup copy of a score

Score Comparison

The Score Comparison Tool allows you to compare two versions of a score to find the differences between them.

Introduction

To open the Score Comparison Tool:

• From the menu, select View→Score Comparison Tool.

  

The dialog opens below the document window and consists of three sections (left to right):

• Choose scores to compare: Select the scores you want to compare.
• Diff mode: Select how to view the comparison.
• Comparison: A line by line comparison of the scores is displayed.

Select score

The first step is to select the score. Use the combo box next to "Score 1" to choose between the currently open scores, or click on the Browse button to open the File Explorer and select a score from disk. Secondly, use the next combo box on the right to choose whether the first score should be the current version, or the last saved version. Score 2 is set to the same score you selected for Score 1, but you may choose another of the open scores.

When you have selected the scores and versions press Compare to do the comparison.

Choose view

"Intelligent comparison" is the default option in Diff mode: this displays the differences between the scores in a human-readable format (e.g. "Measure 1: Note: property pitch changed from B4 to C5"). Change the Diff Mode selection to "Raw" if you prefer to see the results displayed in XML code.

View comparison

When you press Compare a list of differences will be displayed to the right, and the score view will automatically change to Documents Stacked. In the Comparison section, double-click on a difference from the list and both score views will automatically pan to show you the changed element, which will also be highlighted.

Leave comparison

To exit the Score Comparison tool, turn off the two options "Score Comparison Tool" and "Documents Stacked" in the View menu.

Example

Below you will see two small scores with a few differences between them.

Last saved:

Current:

The result of the comparison will look like this:

Score properties

The Score Properties dialog contains document meta tags such as "workTitle," "Composer," "Copyright" etc. To view the dialog:

1. Make sure that the applicable score or instrument part is the active tab;
2. From the menu, select File → Score Properties.

Several meta tags are generated automatically when you create a score using the New Score Wizard, and others may be added later. Meta tags can also be incorporated into a header or footer if required—see below.

Edit meta tags

1. Make sure that the applicable score or instrument part is the active tab;
2. From the menu, select File → Score Properties;
   
3. Edit the text of the various meta tags as required;
4. To add another meta tag, click on the New button. Fill in the "New tag name" field and press OK;
   

Pre-existing meta tags

Every score displays the following fields in Score Properties:

• File Path: The score file's location on your Computer.
• MuseScore Version: The version of MuseScore the score was last saved with.
• Revision: The revision of MuseScore the score was last saved with.
• API-Level: The file format version.
• arranger: (empty)
• composer: This is initially set to the same text as "Composer" on the first page of the New Score Wizard.
• copyright: This is initially set to the same text as "Copyright" on the first page of the New Score Wizard (if you need a copyright symbols, copy/paste this: ©).
• creationDate: Date of the score creation. This could be empty, if the score was saved in test mode (see Command line options).
• lyricist: This is initially set to the same text as "Lyricist" on the first page of the New Score Wizard.
• movementNumber: (empty)
• movementTitle: (empty)
• originalFormat: This tag exists only if the score is imported (see file formats).
• platform: The computing platform the score was created on. This might be empty if the score was saved in test mode.
• poet: (empty)
• source: May contain a URL if the score was downloaded from or saved to MuseScore.com.
• translator: (empty)
• workNumber: (empty)
• workTitle: This is initially set to the same text as "Title" on the first page of the New Score Wizard.

Entering Work / Movement / Part metadata

• workNumber is the number of the larger work (e.g. 8—for "The Four Seasons," Op. 8, by Vivaldi).
• workTitle is the title of the larger work (e.g "The Four Seasons,").
• movementNumber is the number of the movement in the larger work (e.g. 3 for Autumn).
• movementTitle is the title of the movement in the larger work (e.g.“Autumn”).

It is customary, when using the New Score Wizard, to create a work with the movementTitle as title (even though it ends up in workTitle then) and, directly after creating the score, amending this information in the Score Properties dialogue.

Every part additionally has the following meta tag, generated and filled on part creation:

• partName: The name of the part as given on part creation (which is also used to fill the corresponding part name text in the top vertical frame—be aware that later changes to one are not reflected in the other).

Header/Footer

To show the content of one or more meta tags in a header or footer for your score/part:

1. Make sure that the correct score or instrument part is the active tab;
2. From the menu, select Format → Style... → Header, Footer:
   
   If you hover with your mouse over the Header or Footer text region, a list of macros will appear, showing their meaning, as well as the existing meta tags and their content.
   
3. Add tags (e.g. $:workTitle:) and macros (e.g. $M) to the appropriate boxes, as required;
4. Click Apply to see how the header or footer looks in the score. Make corrections to the dialog if required;
5. If an instrument part is in the active tab, click Apply to all parts, if you want to apply these settings to all the score parts;
6. Click OK to assign the header or footer and exit the dialog.

See also

• Layout and formatting: Header and footer
• Command line options: Test mode

Staff / Part properties

The Staff / Part Properties dialog allows you to make changes to the display of a staff, adjust its tuning and transposition, change instrument etc. To open:

• Right-click onto either an empty area in a staff, or the instrument name, and select Staff/Part Properties....

Staff / Part Properties dialog, as of version 3.0.

Staff Types

For practical purposes, there are four different types of staff:

1a. Standard staff I. A pitched staff used for most instruments except fretted, plucked-string ones.
1b. Standard staff II. A pitched staff containing a fretted, plucked-string instrument, with options to set the number of instrument strings and tuning.
2. Tablature staff. A staff containing a fretted, plucked-string instrument, which displays music as a series of fret-marks on strings. Also contains options to set the number of instrument strings and tuning.
3. Percussion staff. A pitched staff for percussion instruments.

It is possible to change one type of staff into another using the Instruments dialog, as long as the original staff is loaded with the right instrument. For example, in order to change a standard staff to tablature, it must contain a plucked-string instrument. Similarly, to change a standard staff to a percussion staff you need to ensure that it has an appropriate percussion instrument loaded and so on.

Most options in the Staff / Part properties dialog are common to all staves, but each type also has one or two specific options of its own.

Staff / Part Properties: all staves

The following Staff Properties options are common to all staves:

Lines
The number of lines making up the staff.

Line Distance
The distance between two staff lines, measured in spaces (abbr.: sp.). Note: It is not recommended to change this value from the default shown. If you need to make the staff larger or smaller, use the Page Settings dialog instead.

Extra distance above staff
Increases or decreases the distance between the selected staff and the one above in all systems. Note: This setting does not apply to the top staff of a system, which is controlled by the minimum/maximum system distance (see Layout and formatting: Format → Style … → Page).

Notes: To alter the spacing above just one staff line in a particular system, see Breaks and Spacers.

Scale
Changes the size of the selected staff and all associated elements, as a percentage (to adjust the overall score size, use Scaling from the Format→Page Settings… menu).

Hide when empty
Together with the "Hide empty staves" setting in Format → Style ... → Score, this determines if the staff will be hidden when it is empty.

Possible values:

• Auto (default): The staff will be hidden if it is empty and "Hide empty staves" is set.
• Always: The staff will be hidden when empty, even if "Hide empty staves" is not set.
• Never: The staff will never be hidden when empty.
• Instrument: For instruments containing multiple staves, the staff is hidden only if all staves for that instrument are empty.

Show clef
Whether the staff clef will be shown.

Show time signature
Whether the staff time signature(s) will be shown or not.

Show barlines
Whether the staff barlines will be shown.

Hide system barline
Show/hide barline at left-hand edge of the staff.

Do not hide if system is empty
Never hide this staff, even if the entire system is empty. This overrules any "Hide empty staves" setting in Format → Style ... → Score.

Small staff
Create a reduced-size staff. You can set the default from the menu in Format → Style ... → Sizes.

Invisible staff lines
Make staff lines invisible.

Staff line color
Use a color picker to change the color of the staff lines.

Cutaway
Used to create a cutaway staff in which only measures containing notes are visible (e.g. ossias (Wikipedia); or cutaway scores). This can be used independently of "Hide when empty" or "Hide empty staves".

Instrument
The instrument loaded in the Instruments (I) or Select Instrument dialog. The sound associated with this instrument can be changed, if desired, in the Mixer.

Note: The properties below (i.e. Part Name, Long Instrument Name etc.) are set to the default values defined in the MuseScore instruments.xml file.

Part name
The name of the part. This is also displayed in the Mixer and the Instruments dialog (I). Any edits you make to the Part name affect only that particular instrument and no other.

Note: The Part name is defined by the value of the trackName element in the instruments.xml file. If trackName has not been defined, the value of longName (i.e. "Long instrument name"—see below) is used instead.

Long instrument name
Name displayed to the left of the staff in the first system of the score. The long instrument name may also be edited directly as a text object (see Text editing).

Short instrument name
Name displayed to the left of the staff in subsequent systems of the score. The short instrument name may also be edited directly as a text object (see Text editing). Editing affects all occurrences in the score.

Usable pitch range

• Amateur: Notes outside this range will be colored olive green/dark yellow in the score.
• Professional: Notes outside this range will be colored red in the score.

To disable out-of-range coloration of notes: From the menu, select Edit→Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore→Preferences...), click on the "Note Input" tab, and uncheck "Color notes outside of usable pitch range."

See also, Coloring of notes outside an instrument's range.

Transpose written pitches to sound
This option ensures that the staves of transposing instruments display music at the correct written pitch. Set the transpose in term of a musical interval (plus octave if required) up or down.

Use single note dynamics (as of version 3.1)
Leave ticked to allow playback of single note dynamics (such as sfz etc.) and hairpins, diminendo and crescendo lines on single (or tied) notes.

Navigation arrows
Use the ↑ and ↓ buttons, at the bottom left of the Staff Properties window, to navigate to the previous or next staff.

Staff / Part Properties: plucked strings only

Staves of fretted, plucked-string instruments have a few extra options in addition to those listed above,

Number of strings
Displays the number of instrument strings.

Edit String Data…
This button opens a dialog box which allows you to set the number and tuning of strings. See Change string tuning.

Advanced Style Properties

Clicking the Advanced Style Properties... button opens a window giving access to advanced display options for the staff. These will vary depending on the staff type chosen: see the relevant sections below for details.

Template

At the bottom of the Advanced Style Properties dialog there are a number of buttons which allow you to easily change the following:

• The number of lines displayed by a percussion staff.
• The staff type of a plucked-string instrument. For example, you can change from standard staff to tablature and vice versa, or select from a number of tablature options.

1. Make a selection from the drop-down list labelled "Template";
2. Press < Reset to Template;
3. Press OK to accept the changes and exit the dialog (or Cancel to cancel the operation).

Standard and Percussion staff options

Show clef / time signature / barlines / key signature / ledger lines
Option to turn the display of these elements ON or OFF.

Stemless
If checked, staff notes will have no stem, hook or beam.

Notehead scheme
See Notehead scheme.

Tablature staff options

Upside down
If not checked, the top tablature line will refer to the highest string, and the bottom tablature line to the lowest string (this is the most common option). If checked, the top tablature line refers to the lowest string, and the bottom tablature line to the highest line (e.g. Italian-style lute tablatures). For example:

'Upside down' tablature.

Tablature staff options: Fret Marks

Fret marks are the numbers or letters used to indicate the location of notes on the fingerboard. The following group of properties define the appearance of fret marks:

Font
The font used to draw fret marks. 8 fonts are provided supporting all the necessary symbols in 8 different styles (modern Serif, modern Sans, Renaissance, Phalèse, Bonneuil-de Visée, Bonneuil-Gaultier, Dowland, Lute Didactic).

Size
Font size of fret marks in typographic points. Built-in fonts usually look good at a size of 9-10pt.

Vertical offset
MuseScore tries to place symbols in a sensible way and you do not usually need to alter this value (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 property allows you to move fret-marks up (negative offsets) or down (positive offsets) for better vertical positioning. Values are in sp.

Marks are
Choice of 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.

Marks are drawn
Choice of placing fretmarks On lines or Above lines. For example:

Fretmark letters placed above line.

Lines are
Choice of Continuous (lines pass through fret marks) or Broken (a small space appears in the line where the fretmark is displayed). For example:

Tablature with lines broken.

Show back-tied fret marks
If unticked, only the first note in a series of tied notes is displayed. If ticked, all notes in the tied series are displayed.

Show fingering in tablature
Tick to allow the display of fingering symbols applied from a palette.

Tablature staff options: Note Values

This group of properties defines the appearance of the symbols indicating note values.

Font
The font used to draw the value symbols. Currently 5 fonts are provided supporting all the necessary symbols in 5 different styles (modern, Italian tablature, French tablature, French baroque (headless), French baroque). Used only with the Note symbols option.

Size
Font size, in typographic points. Built-in fonts usually look good at a size of 15pt. Used only with the Note symbols option.

Vertical offset
Applies only when Note symbols is selected (see below). Use negative offset values to raise the note value symbols, positive values to lower them.

Shown as:

• None: No note value will be drawn (as in the 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 (by default) for a sequence of notes all of the same value. E.g.
  
• Stems and beams: Note stems and beams (or hooks) will be drawn. Values are indicated for each note, using the same typographic mechanics as for a regular staff; all commands of the standard Beam Palette can be applied to these beams too. E.g.
  

Repeat:

If several notes in sequence have the same duration, you can specify if and where to repeat the same note symbol. i.e.

• Never
• At new system
• At new measure
• Always

Note: This option is only available if "Shown as: Note symbols" is selected (see above).

Stem style:

• Beside staff: Stems are drawn as fixed height lines above/below the staff.
• Through staff: Stems run through the staff to reach the fret marks.

Note: This option is only available when "Shown as: Stems and Beams" is selected (see above).

Stem position:

• Above: Stems and beams are drawn above the staff.
• Below: Stems and beams are drawn below the staff.

Note: This option is only available when "Shown as: Stems and Beams" and "Stem style: Beside staff" is selected (see above).

Half notes:

• None
• As short stems
• As slashed stems

Note: This option is only available when "Shown as: Stems and Beams and "Stem style: Beside staff" is selected (see above).

Show rests
Whether note symbols should be used to indicate also the rests; when used for rests, note symbols are drawn at a slightly lower position. Used only with the Note symbols option.

Preview

Displays a short score in tablature format with all the current parameters applied.

Change instrument

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

1. Right-click on an empty part of any measure OR on the instrument name and choose Staff Properties...;
2. Click on Change Instrument... (under "Part Properties");
3. Choose your new instrument and click OK to return to the Staff Properties dialog;
4. Click OK again to return to the score.

Not to be confused with Mid-staff instrument change.

External links

• How to turn a staff into an ossia.

Staff Type Change

You can change the appearance of a staff mid-score by adding a Staff type change element to a measure, and adjusting its properties in the Inspector.

Add a Staff Type Change

1. Select a measure in the score and, in the "Text" palette, click (double-click prior to version 3.4) the "Staff type change" symbol, ; alternatively, drag the "Staff type change" icon onto a measure;
2. Select the symbol, and adjust its properties (see below) in the Inspector as required.

Staff type change properties

When you alter a Staff type change property in the Inspector, the new value takes precedence over the value shown in the global Staff properties dialog. Only those property values in "Staff Properties" that cannot be changed in the "Staff type change" dialog will be valid throughout the score.

The properties that can be altered in the Staff type change dialog in the Inspector are:

Offset
How far the changed staff shall be moved up or down: measured in spaces (abbr.: sp) .

Small
Tick the box to create a reduced-size staff.

Scale
Changes the size of the staff and all associated elements, as a percentage.

Lines
The number of lines making up the staff.

Line distance
The distance between two staff lines, measured in spaces (abbr.: sp).

Step offset
How many steps up or down the notes in the staff are offset.

Show barlines
Whether the staff barlines will be shown.

Show ledger lines
Whether ledger lines will be shown for notes above/below the staff lines.

Slash style
Whether the notes shall be shown in standard or slash style.

Notehead scheme
Allows selection of how noteheads are displayed.

Generate clefs
Whether the staff clef will be shown.

Generate time signatures
Whether the staff time signature(s) will be shown or not.

Generate key signatures
Whether the staff key signatures will be shown or not.

Example

To illustrate the use of Staff type change, the staff shown below was created using the following steps:

1. Add a Staff type change to measure 2.
2. Set size to "Small".
3. Set "Lines" to 4.
4. Add a second Staff Type Change to measure 3.

5. Change "Lines" to 7,

   

Afterwards the global Staff Properties are changed using Staff properties:

1 Set "Lines" to 2.
2. Change "Staff Line Color".

As can be seen, the change in "Lines" is only effective up to the first staff type change, whereas the change to "Staff Line Color" is effective throughout the score.

Timeline

Introduction

The timeline was developed as part of the Google Summer of Code 2017, and is included for the first time in MuseScore 3.0.

Overview

The timeline is a navigation tool that displays an abstraction of the score to the order of measure numbers and instrument names. There are four parts to the timeline:

Meta labels

This is found in the top left corner of the timeline. These are the names of the meta rows.

Instrument labels

This is found in the bottom left corner of the timeline. These are the names of the rows in the main grid.

Meta rows

This is found in the top right corner of the timeline. These hold the meta values of the score.

Main grid

This is found in the bottom right corner of the timeline. This holds multiple 'cells' (a specific measure and staff in the score represented as a square)

Meta

Meta are elements found on the score that are not notes, but are still important to the score (key signature, time signature, tempo, rehearsal marks, bar lines, and jumps and markers).

Basic interaction

Select a measure

To select a measure in the timeline, press the mouse button on the cell. A blue box will appear around the selected cell and the respective measure in the score will be selected. The score view will place the selected measure in view.

Select multiple measures

Drag selection

Holding Shift and holding the left mouse button and dragging the mouse over the main grid will create a selection box. Upon releasing the mouse button, all the cells underneath the selection box will be selected, as well as all the measures in the score.

[Shift] selection

If a cell is already selected, holding Shift and selecting another cell in the timeline will stretch the selection to that new cell, similar to how the score does

[Ctrl] selection

If no cells are currently selected, holding Ctrl and selecting a cell will select the entire measure

Clearing selection

To clear selection, holding Ctrl and clicking anywhere on the grid or the meta rows will clear any current selection.

Meta values selection

Selecting the meta values on the timeline will attempt to select the respective meta values in the score.

Scrolling

Standard scrolling

Scrolling the mouse wheel up or down will move the grid and instrument labels down or up respectively. The meta labels and rows do not move.

[Shift] scrolling

Holding Shift and scrolling the mouse wheel up or down will move the grid and meta rows left or right respectively. The meta labels and instrument labels do not move.

[Alt] scrolling

Holding Alt and scrolling the mouse wheel up or down will move the grid and meta rows left or right respectively, faster than Shift scrolling. The meta labels and instrument labels do not move.

Dragging

To drag the contents of the timeline, hold the left mouse button and move it around.

Labels interaction

Rearranging meta labels

All meta labels besides the measures meta may be rearranged in any way. By moving the mouse cursor onto one of the meta labels, small up and down arrows will appear. Click the left mouse button on the up arrow to swap the meta label with the one above it. Click the left mouse button on the down arrow to swap the meta label with the one below it.

Collapsing the meta labels

In order to hide all the meta labels while keeping all the meta information on the timeline, there is an arrow that appears on the measures meta when the mouse is over it. Click the left mouse button on the large up arrow to collapse all the currently visible meta rows into one row, where the meta values are staggered in that row. Click the left mouse button on the large down arrow to expand the meta rows again.

Hiding instruments

All instruments--hidden or not--will be displayed on the timeline. To start this interaction, the mouse cursor is moved over an instrument label. A small eye will appear on the right side of the label that is open if the instrument is visible on the score, and closed if the instrument is hidden. Click the left mouse button on the eye to toggle between the two options.

Zooming

To zoom in or out of the score, hold Ctrl and scroll the mouse wheel up or down respectively.

Context menus

To bring up a context menu, right click on the timeline. There are three context menus found in these locations: meta labels, instrument labels, and meta rows.

Meta labels context menu

Upon clicking the right mouse button on the meta labels, a context menu appears that displays all possible meta labels as well as two options: "Hide all" and "Show all." Next to each meta label in the menu, there is a check box that shows if the meta label is currently being shown on the timeline. To show or hide one of the meta labels, select the box of the meta label in the context menu. Selecting "Hide all" will hide all meta labels except for the measures meta. Selecting "Show all" will display all meta labels.

Meta rows context menu

Clicking the right mouse button on the meta rows will display the same context menu as the meta labels.

Instrument context menu

Clicking the right mouse button on the instrument labels will display a context menu with the option to "Edit Instruments." Selecting this will bring you to the same dialog as Edit > Instruments... or pressing I for the shortcut.

Tools

A number of useful commands can be found in the Tools menu.

Transpose

This opens the Transpose dialog with various options for transposing passages of music.

See Automatic transposition.

Explode

The explode command allows you to select a passage of music in a single staff and split (explode) the chords into their constituent notes or voices as follows:

• If the passage is all in voice 1, the top note of the chord is retained on the top staff, while the lower notes are moved to subsequent staves.
• If the passage contains multiple voices, voice 1 notes are retained on the top staff, while other voices are moved to subsequent staves. All exploded voices are now in voice 1.

To explode a section of the score:

1. Ensure that there are enough staves underneath the source staff to receive the exploded notes. Create extra staves if necessary using the Instruments dialog.
2. Choose one of two options:
   • Select a range of measures in the source staff: this allows all notes to be exploded if there are enough staves available.
   • Select a range of measures that includes both the source staff and also extends downwards to include one or more destination staves: This limits the number of exploded notes/voices to the number of selected staves.
3. Choose Tools→Explode.

Notes: (1) If the selection is all in voice 1, MuseScore will discard the lowest note(s) of any chord that contains more notes than the number of staves in the selection. (2) If the selection is all in voice 1, and If a given chord has fewer notes than the number of destination staves, then notes will be duplicated as needed so that every staff receives a note. (3) Any existing music in the destination staves is overwritten. (4) If you select a partial measure, the explode command will automatically expand it to a full measure.

Implode

The Implode command works in the opposite way to "explode":

• With one staff selected, all notes in voices 1–4 are combined into voice 1.
• With multiple staves selected, the notes in the second staff are copied to the first available voice in the top staff, the notes in the third staff are copied to the next available voice in the top staff and so on.

Apply implode to a single staff

1. Select a range of measures in the desired staff.
2. Choose Tools→Implode.

All selected notes in the staff are now displayed in voice 1.

Apply implode to multiple staves

1. Ensure that there is only one voice in each staff.
2. Select a range of measures in the destination staff and extend this selection downwards to include the other staves to be imploded.
3. Choose Tools→Implode.

Voices

This allows you to swap the voices of a selected measure-range of notes. See Exchange voices.

Measure

Join or split measures. See Measure operations: Split and join.

Remove selected range

This command is used to completely remove an element, or range of elements from the score.

To remove measures (including partial measures):

1. Select a range of notes/rests, or a range of measures;
2. Use one of the following methods:
   • Press Ctrl+Del.
   • Select Tools→Remove selected range.

Note: If the selected range includes only part of a measure, the result will include a measure of smaller duration than the indicated Time Signature. This is indicated by a small - (minus) sign just above the system.

To join measures:

1. Select (i.e. click on) a barline;
2. Use one of the following methods:
   • Press Ctrl+Del.
   • Select Tools→Remove selected range.

The following table is a comparative summary of the Delete and Remove selected Range_ commands when applied to single elements:

	Selected Element	Apply Delete	Apply Remove selected range
	Note	Replaces with rest	Removes score section
	Rest (voice 1)	No effect	Removes score section
	Rest (voices 2-4)	Deletes rest	Removes score section
	Barline	No effect	Deletes barline and joins measures
	Measure	Replaces contents with rest	Removes measure

Note: To insert notes, see Insert.

Fill with slashes

This command fills the selection with slashes, one per beat:

1. Select one or more measures;
2. From the menu, select Tools→Fill With Slashes.

If a measure is empty the slashes are added to voice 1, full-sized and centered on the middle line of the staff:

Notes: (1) If there are already notes in a measure in the selection, the command will put the slashes into the first available empty voice. (2) Voice 2 slashes are full-sized and centered on the middle line of the staff; voices 3 slashes appear small and above the staff; voice 4 slashes are small and below the staff. (3) If a measure contains notes in all 4 voices, voice 1 will be overwritten. (4) All slashes are set to not transpose or playback.

Toggle rhythmic slash notation

This command toggles selected notes between normal notes and rhythmic slash notation:

1. Select a range of notes or measures (Note: use the selection filter if you need to exclude certain voices);
2. From the menu, select Tools→Toggle Rhythmic Slash Notation.

The selected noteheads are changed to slash noteheads which do not transpose or playback.

Slash-notehead notes in voices one or two are fixed to the middle staff line; those in voices three or four are small ("accent" notation) and fixed above or below the staff:

In percussion staves, notes in voices 3 and 4 are not converted to small slashes but to small notes above or below the staff.

Respell pitches

Corrects accidentals to fit in with the current key signature. See Accidentals: Respell pitches.

Regroup Rhythms

This option corrects note ties, durations and beaming so that they are grouped according to standard music notation practice. For example:

Before:

After:

Any notes that are tied and are the same length as a dotted note will be changed to the dotted note with two limitations. (i) Only the last note of a group of tied notes will have a single dot. Notes with more than one dot are not produced using this option. (ii) Dotted notes will not span from one group of beamed notes to another unless their duration is the same as all of the beam groups it covers. Any notes with more than one dot will be regrouped according to the above rules.

To apply:

1. Select the section of the score you want to reset. If nothing is selected, the operation will apply to the whole score;
2. Select Tools→Regroup Rhythms.

Note: This is an experimental feature and there are known bugs. Articulations and ornaments are deleted and some pitches respelled. Ties across barlines may be lost on UNDO.

Resequence rehearsal marks

The Resequence Rehearsal Marks command allows you to re-order the numbering/lettering of rehearsal marks if, for any reason, they have got out of sequence. For details see Automatically resequence rehearsal marks.

Unroll Repeats (version 3.1 and above)

This command creates a copy of the score (in a new tab), eliminates the repeat barlines and notates the repeat sections in full instead.

Copy lyrics to clipboard

This command copies all the lyrics of the score to the clipboard:

• From the menu, select Tools→Copy Lyrics to Clipboard.

Image capture

Take a snapshot of a selected part of the document window. PNG, PDF and SVG formats are supported. See Image capture.

Remove empty trailing measures

This automatically removes any blank measures at the end of the score.

See also

• Breaks and spacers
• Rehearsal marks

External links

• How to merge/combine/implode two staves in one with two voices