basic functions
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
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.
In reply to If you click a note and… by mike320
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.
In reply to Thanks. I'm not used to… by songcatcher8
Note entry via mouse works just fine, I use it every day
In reply to Thanks. I'm not used to… by songcatcher8
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...
In reply to I'm finding the interface… by Marcus West
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.
In reply to It is very systematic and… by mike320
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.
In reply to To some extent, I feel for… by bobjp
I have no experience with other notation programs so I'm not familiar with how they work. Other programs allowing arbitrary note input makes the questions in the forum make more sense.
In reply to It is very systematic and… by mike320
Thanks! I will approach it with a more systematic frame of mind. I appreciate your bothering to comment. [smiley face]
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.
In reply to Replace a note: 1. Click… by jeetee
Oh, one other thing--how do you scroll up and down the document? I can't find a bar or action that will work. LOL
In reply to Oh, one other thing--how do… by songcatcher8
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.
In reply to Move your mouse wheel to… by mike320
What if you don't have a mouse--just the keypad?
In reply to What if you don't have a… by songcatcher8
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.
In reply to Move your mouse wheel to… by mike320
Oh, and...you're wonderful! Can you put lyrics in?
In reply to Oh, and...you're wonderful! … by songcatcher8
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.
Also, if you prefer seeing video demonstrations over reading a manual, you might consider my online course, https://school.masteringmusescore.com/p/complete. But, either way, it's a big program capable of doing thousands of things, so it's going to take time to learn to do them all.