Piano Roll Editor

Overview

This feature is unstable, may lead to crash and data loss. Backup beforehand. Many PRE adjustments are ignored by Musescore 4 by design.

Using Piano Roll Editor (PRE) on a target staff (a piano grand staff contains two staffs), the user can

• add, remove notes, edit their properties,
• edit note value,
• edit note playback length without altering apparent note value,
• advance or delay notes, and
• offset note playback without altering notated rhythm.

To open PRE,

1. Right click on any blank space in a measure, but not on any note, stem, rest etc, or spaces in between staffs.
2. Select Piano Roll Editor..., as shown below.

Interface

From the top down are,

• Toolbars: Buttons mirror main Score View toolbar counterparts. The Wave button is invalid in Musescore 3.6.2 and 3.7. Items useful in editing are,
  • Edit Tool: Click to select Canvas editing mode,
    
    1. Select notes
    2. Insert note
    3. Append note to chord (removed in 3.7)
    4. Cut chord
    5. Erase note
    6. Change chord length (removed in 3.7)
    7. Change playback length (added in 3.7)
    8. Toggle tie
  • Voices: as shown below.
    
    
  • Subdiv and Tuplet input. Defaults 0 (no subdivision) and 1 (no tuplet subdivision) respectively. Edit them to add or remove Canvas grid lines. Crowded grid lines may be temporarily hidden when zoomed out.
  • Velocity option and value and Pitch: Selected note's Velocity type and Velocity note properties and pitch. Approximation automatically applied when switching option. The entered value is applies to all selected notes.
  • OnTime: Selected notes' playback offset per 1/1000 note length only. Does not affect notated rhythm. Use negative values to nudge forward. Default value 0. Related to Data type selection box : Position option below.
  • Len: Selected notes' playback length multiplication per 1/1000 note length only. Does not affect apparent note value. Often used to mimic staccato, non-legato (950), legato (>=1000) etc playback. Max cap of 2000 present in Musescore 3.6.2 is removed in 3.7. Default value varies with Instrument. Related to Data type selection box : Duration (multiplier) option below.
• Ruler: Measure numbers (bold) and beat numbers. The red arrow indicates the current playback caret (Left click to reposition). The blue arrows indicate loop starting and end positions (middle click and right click to mark respectively). See "Navigating" section.
• Piano roll (left) and Canvas (right): Click any key under Piano roll to demo. Canvas is covered in "Navigating" section.
• Data type selection box, Value input and Set button (left), and Levels / Lanes (right): Use Data type selection box to select the note data to display in Levels. Levels is covered in "Navigating" section. Data types available are,
  • Duration: Note playback length addition or subtraction. Value 250 is equvalent to adding length of a crochet (quarter note).
  • Duration (multiplier): Note playback length multiplication using a 1/1000 note length unit. Related to Len input above.
  • Velocity (relative): note property Velocity when Velocity type is Offset.
  • Velocity (absolute): note property Velocity when Velocity type is User.
  • Position: Note playback offset. Related to OnTime above.

Navigating

The same time segment is shown under Canvas and Levels with timing shown on Ruler. To rewind or forward displayed segment,

• Shift + mouse wheel on Canvas,
• Re-opening from the main Score view at measure desired,
• Use the scrollbar on Canvas, or
• Drag with middle mouse button on Canvas (Musescore 3.7 Evolution).

Adjust time scale with Ctrl+Shift + mouse wheel on Canvas.

Canvas

(Musescore 3.6.2 only) Each block represents a sounding event,

• which is a non-tremolo note, or
• "a segement of sound" among many produced by a tremolo.

(Musescore 3.7 Evolution),

• works as 3.6.2 when Change playback length tool is selected,
• otherwise always shows the note as if tremolo markings are removed.

Note value is indicated by width. Vertical position always corresponds to sounding pitch. Text shown aligned to the left border is the concert pitch / sounding pitch, number on the right is Voice. Red line between two blocks represents a Tie. Selected notes are highlighted in yellow. To pan pitch-wise,

• Mouse wheel,
• Use the scrollbar, or
• Drag with middle mouse button (Musescore 3.7 Evolution).

Adjust pitch range scale with Ctrl + mouse wheel.

Levels

Each dot represents a note, with visual aid lines (one extending down to axis, one extending right briefly). Selected notes are highlighted in yellow. Only selected notes can be edited, which is useful when editing overlapping lines (chord notes).

Repositioning the playback cursor

• Left click on Ruler.

Editing

Selecting and deselecting notes

1. Select the Select notes tool.
2. Under Canvas,
   • Click a block to select.
   • Click a blank space to deselect.
   • Drag a box to select multiple.
   • Ctrl + click to add to the current selection.
   • Shift + click to add to or remove from the current selection.
   • Ctrl+Shift + click to remove from the current selection.

Adding a note

1. Adjust grid under Canvas by editing Subdiv and Tuplet values. All new notes start at a grid line.
2. Depending on the result required, either,

(Musescore 3.6.2 only)

3. Select the Insert note tool.
4. Select note value in Toolbar.
5. Select a Toolbar Voices option.
6. Click any blank space under Canvas. The new note starts at the nearest grid line to the left. It always overwrite and truncate existing content.

or

(Musescore 3.7 Evolution),

3. Select the Insert note tool.
4. Select a Toolbar Voices option.
5. Under Canvas, click and drag to add new note. Click without drag to add new note using the last created note's length. The new note starts at the nearest grid line to the left. It merges into a chord with any existing notes, adding ties where appropiate.

or

(Musescore 3.6.2 and above)

3. Select the Select notes tool.
4. Select note value on the main Score View toolbar as shown below, but not on PRE Toolbars.
5. Select a Toolbar Voices option.

6. Ctrl + click any blank space under Canvas. The new note starts at the nearest grid line to the left. It merges into a chord with existing notes if note values match, overwrites and truncates otherwise. Tuplets are ignored.

or

(Musescore 3.6.2 and above)

3. Select the Select notes tool.
4. Select a Toolbar Voices option.
5. Shift + click any blank space under Canvas. The new note starts at the nearest grid line to the left, merges into a chord with existing notes, or replace an existing rest.

or

(Musescore 3.6.2 and above)

3. Select the Select notes tool.
4. Select a Toolbar Voices option.
5. Ctrl+Shift + click any blank space on the Canvas. Existing notes still sounding but not starting at the nearest grid line to the left is splitted. Tuplets are ignored.

Editing pitch

1. Select note(s).
2. Either drag and drop the blocks, or ↑ or ↓.

Editing Velocity type and Velocity property

See also note property and Dynamics chapter.

1. Select note(s).

2. Either,

3. Edit Velocity option and value.

or

3. Select Data type selection box : Velocity (relative) or Velocity (absolute). Values explained in Interface.
4. Click on any yellow item in Levels. Click and drag to edit multiple. Shift + click and drag to assign the same value.

or

3. Select Data type selection box : Velocity (relative) or Velocity (absolute). Values explained in Interface.
4. Enter a value in Value input.
5. Click the Set button to assign the value to all selected notes.

Editing note value

(Musescore 3.6.2 only),

1. Select the Change chord length tool.
2. Select note value in Toolbar.
3. Click blocks under Canvas.

(Musescore 3.7 Evolution),

1. Select the Select notes tool.
2. Resize blocks under Canvas by dragging right border.

Editing note playback length without altering apparent note value

(Musescore 3.6.2),

1. Select note(s).

2. Either,

3. Enter a Len value.

or

3. Select Data type selection box : Duration or Duration (multiplier). Value explained in "Interface".
4. Click on any yellow item in Levels. Click and drag to edit multiple. Shift + click and drag to assign the same value.

or

3. Select Data type selection box : Duration or Duration (multiplier). Value explained in "Interface".
4. Enter a value in Value input.
5. Click the Set button to assign the value to all selected notes.

(Musescore 3.7 Evolution),

• Use any of the above methods, or

1. Select note(s).
2. Select the Change playback length tool.
3. Resize blocks under Canvas by dragging left or right border. Dragging left border also advances or delays the note.

Advancing or delaying notes

(Musescore 3.6.2),

1. Select note(s).
2. Drag and drop to a new horizontal position.

(Musescore 3.7 Evolution),

• Use the method above, or

1. Select the Select notes tool.
2. Resize blocks under Canvas by dragging left border. This changes note length by keeping the same release time.

Offseting note playback without altering notated rhythm

(Musescore 3.6.2),

1. Select note(s).

2. Either,

3. Enter a OnTime value.

or

3. Select Data type selection box : Position. Values explained in Interface.
4. Click on any yellow item in Levels. Click and drag to edit multiple. Shift + click and drag to assign the same value.

or

3. Select Data type selection box : Position. Values explained in Interface.
4. Enter a value in Value input.
5. Click the Set button to assign the value to all selected notes.

(Musescore 3.7 Evolution),

• Use any of the above methods, or

1. Select note(s).
2. Select the Change playback length tool.
3. Resize blocks under Canvas by dragging left or right border. Dragging left border also advances or delays the note.

Moving and duplicating notes

1. Select note(s).
2. Right click, select Cut notes or Copy notes.
3. Right click on a blank space, select Paste notes here to duplicate to that time moment.

Not working: Ctrl+C/X/V.

Removing notes

1. Select note(s).
2. Press Del.

Customization

Edit Preferences Advanced tab "ui/pianoroll/[dark or light]/[item]".

MuseScore 3.7 Evolution update

The fork Musescore 3.7 Evolution contains PRE improvements and changes.

• MuseScore 3.7 - Piano Roll Editor Updates video by dev Mark McKay / blackears
• https://github.com/Jojo-Schmitz/MuseScore/pull/287
• Known bugs and feature suggestions https://github.com/orgs/musescore/discussions/16925

See also

• TAB Ring plugin by yonah_ag