basic functions

• Nov 24, 2020 - 22:13

Hey, I'm new to MuseScore and about to scream because I can't find basic information. The tutorials are sadly lacking and the handbook directions don't work. I need to do basic things like select a specific note, delete a note, replace a note, etc. I can't do it. I am almost finished with a piece for a student and I can't do it because I can't do something simple like replacing a note. I even searched the handbook and it came up with something freaky that had nothing to do with my request! Anybody got any suggestions?

Comments

• Nov 24, 2020 - 22:34

If you click a note and press a key for a different note, it will be replaced and note input mode will automatically turn on. What exactly are you trying to do that you're having so much trouble with? A sample score will allow people to give more help and, as long as they're still awake, people are lining up to help you.

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• Nov 24, 2020 - 23:07

Thanks. I'm not used to typing note names--I usually click on the line or space instead, but that doesn't seem to work in this program. I'm used to Finale. I think MuseScore will end up being better to work with, but the learning curve is a little hard right now. Thanks for your help.

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• Nov 25, 2020 - 22:39

I'm finding the interface really difficult too. I just want to place notes where I want to on the staff. Not too much to ask for, I would have thought. But I can't do that, because the system insists on placing a note earlier than I want or later than I want, because it insists on placing it in what seems a fairly arbitrary place. Is there some way of going into a mode where it's not based on voices but, as I say, where I can place the cursor where I want a note to go, and just place the note there? If there is say a quaver rest at the beginning of a bar, and I want to place a note after that, it seems to be really tricky. Driving me a bit crazy...

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• Nov 25, 2020 - 23:01

It is very systematic and logical. If you want to put a note on beat 2, there must be something that fills beat 1 first. There is no option to arbitrarily place a note on beat 2 because there is nothing telling you a certain spot on the staff is on beat 2. So, just like when you type or read, do it from left to right placing rests where you don't want notes then you can place the notes on the next beat. It really does work a lot like a word processor program in this regard.

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• Nov 26, 2020 - 05:52

To some extent, I feel for the OP. There is little about any notation software that is logical. There is indeed a learning curve. You can't just open the program and go for it. Although, other software knows were beat two or three is, MuseScore does not.

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• Nov 24, 2020 - 22:38

Replace a note:
1. Click original note
2. Type notename for new note

Here are the "basics" in the handbook: https://musescore.org/en/handbook/basics
For note input you'd then click on "note input"

If you have a specific problem with a specific action, it might be best to attach the score and mention what you tried, step by step. So we can perform the same steps and/or show you what went wrong when you tried to do so.

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• Nov 24, 2020 - 23:10

Move your mouse wheel to move up and down, hold shift while you do that to move left and right.

If you add a note without pressing shift using the mouse, it will replace what you click.

I actually started entering notes using the mouse years ago, but quickly realized I can put my left hand on the note names and right hand on the 10 key pad for durations and enter a lot of the score without moving my hands. It's quite fast.

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• Nov 27, 2020 - 04:21

I assume you have some sort of pointing device - most laptops, for instance, have a touchpad. Twofinger swipe is the almost universal gesture for scrolling - vertically, at least. Some also support two finger horizontal swipe, others have you do Shift plus two-finger swipe.

As mentioned the Handbook explains the note input process pretty well, including how to enter notes left to right with keyboard or mouse. So if you are having a specific problem with a specific step of the instructions on a specific note of a specific score, best to attach the score and tell us which note you are having trouble with - what exactly you are doing, what you expect to see happen, what happens instead.

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• Nov 24, 2020 - 23:45

If you don't have a mouse, you need to carefully read the section on accessibility. These are the options used for blind and other physically handicapped users. I work closely with a blind user who creates braille editions and version 3.5 finally got to the point where he can enter a full symphonic score from scratch with very few exceptions.

For lyrics see https://musescore.org/en/handbook/lyrics. I strongly suggest that you download the PDF of the manual and look it over once to see all of the capabilities of the program. I also find it easier to do a search in a PDF than using the online manual.

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• Nov 30, 2020 - 15:27

Well good. Please include things like how to delete a whole file, how to select a note or a section, how to delete a measure (I finally figured it out, but NOT obvious, and could not find it in the manual) how to scroll up and down and sideways, how to add a pick-up measure after a file has already been created, how to pause or stop playback, etc. I have found things that address one or two of these in the manual, but unfortunately they don't work, most of them. What I have discovered is mostly through experimentation.

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• Nov 30, 2020 - 15:31

Deleting a whole file is not at all a MuseScore function, but one of your operating system
Delete a measure is described in the handbook (Select, Ctrl+Del)
Scrolling updown, left right is in the Handbook too (navigation)
Pickup measures are in the handbook too, at at least 2 places (score creation and measure properties)

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• Nov 30, 2020 - 15:54

Well normally deleting a file just involves clicking on File and choosing delete. But there is no delete option on MuseScore files on my computer. On every other kind of file, yes. But not on MuseScore.

As to these other directions, it's about what word you use to search. When I put in delete measure, all kinds of crazy things pop up. When I put in pick-up measure, literally nothing to do with pick-up measures pops up. How am I supposed to know the term to look under, when it's not intuitive?

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• Nov 30, 2020 - 16:00

Right! The online search function for the manual is terrible. If you search for "pickup" the first result will show measure operations and lead to the page that explains this. The second result is how to set up a pickup measure when you create a score.

Edit: I do recommend that you download the PDF version of the manual and read through it at least once. This will familiarize you with the program and you can search it a bit easier than the online manual in my opinion. For example, if you're at a loss you can search the PDF for "pick" and quickly go to the next result until you get to "pickup" so you can read about it.

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• Nov 30, 2020 - 16:10

Yeah I can read the manual but even the section you just attached doesn't really tell you how to DO this. It just says this function allows you to do this. But how do you get to it? Sigh. I just don't have all day. Well, I guess there's no help for it but to read the whole manual, and hope it actually gives me the information I really need.

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