Text basics
Add text
To add a text-based element to the score, use one of the following general methods:
- Keyboard shortcut: For example, press Ctrl+Tto enter Staff text , Ctrl+L to enter Lyrics, and so on.
- Menu command: Add→Text allows you to choose from a range of text-based elements.
- Workspace: Select a note and click an icon in one of the palettes (double-click in versions prior to 3.4); or, alternatively, drag a symbol from a palette onto the staff. E.g. Swing text, Tempo text etc.
Notes: (1) The exact method depends on the type of text you are adding (see Text). (2) For general-purpose text boxes attached to staves, see Staff and system text.
Text formatting
When a text object is created in MuseScore, it assumes the corresponding Text Style: all staff text, for example, has a unique Text Style, as have tempo markings, dynamics, chord symbols etc. Each Text Style consists of a number of text properties (font-face, font-size, font-style etc.), which can be viewed, mainly, in the Text Styles dialog (Format→Style…→Text Styles).
A newly-created text object starts off with identical text properties to the Text Style. These can be viewed in the Inspector:

However, these text properties are not limited to those of the default Text Style: if need be, you can edit them in the Inspector independently of Text Style.
Finally, if you want to apply formatting to specific characters in a text object (font-face, font-size, Bold, Italic, Underline, superscript, subscript), you can do so in text edit mode.
Adjust position of text objects
To position a text object, use any of the following methods:
- Drag the object.
- Select the object and adjust the X or Y offset values in the Inspector.
- Select the object and apply any of the following keyboard shortcuts:
- ←: Move text left 0.1 staff space.
- →: Move text right 0.1 staff space.
- ↑: Move text up 0.1 staff space.
- ↓: Move text down 0.1 staff space.
- Ctrl+← (Mac: Cmd+←): Move text left one staff space.
- Ctrl+→ (Mac: Cmd+→): Move text right one staff space.
- Ctrl+↑ (Mac: Cmd+↑): Move text up one staff space.
- Ctrl+↓ (Mac: Cmd+↓): Moves text down one staff space.
Text anchors
When you apply a text element to the score, its anchor position will depend on the type:
- Title, Subtitle, Composer, Poet: Anchored to a frame.
- Fingering: Anchored to note heads.
- Lyrics: Anchored to a time position.
- Chord symbol: Anchored to a time position.
- Staff text: Anchored to a time position.
- System text: Anchored to a time position.
- Sticking: Anchored to a time position.