Note input

This chapter explains music creation on standard staves only, see also tablature and drum notation chapters.

Overview

Musescore supports inputting music via any of four input devices: computer keyboard, mouse, MIDI keyboard, or virtual piano keyboard.

Basic note entry

This chapter explains the default input mode, step-time, where notes and rests are entered one at a time. It is based on the logic that, when a new note or rest is added by the user, the subsequent notes and rests adjust their duration ( note value or length ) automatically without affecting the total number of beats in any measures. See also Note input modes chapter.

After exiting the New Score Wizard, your new score will consist of a series of measures filled with measure rests:

As you enter notes in a measure, the measure rests are changed to appropriate rests to fill the remainder of the measure:

Notes of different durations on the same beat are entered by using voices:

Step 1. Select a starting position

Select a starting position for note input by clicking on a note or rest, or selecting a measure, with the mouse. If you don't select a starting point, the cursor automatically defaults to the beginning of the score when you enter Note Input mode ("Step 2" below).

Step 2. Enter Note Input mode

To enter Note Input mode, use either of the following options:

• Click on the "N" icon (on the extreme left of the Note Input toolbar).
• Press N on your computer keyboard.

To exit Note Input mode, use any of the following options:

• Press N.
• Press Esc.
• Click on the toolbar "N" button.

Step 3. Select a duration

Still in Note Input mode, select a note duration using either of the following:

• Click on a corresponding note icon in the Note Input toolbar (directly above the document window):
  
• Enter the keyboard shortcut for that duration (see below).

Step 4. Enter the note or rest

• To enter a note pitch from A–G, simply press the corresponding letter on your computer keyboard or place it using your mouse/touchpad (and a 'normal' left-click).
• To enter a rest, press 0 (zero) or right-click your mouse.

This method of entry also works if you are not in Note Input mode—as long as you have a note/rest selected, or the score is newly-created (in which case note entry will default to the beginning).

Select a note/rest duration

The following keyboard shortcuts are used to select note/rest duration in Note Input mode:

• 64th (hemidemisemiquaver): 1
• 32nd (demisemiquaver): 2
• 16th (semiquaver): 3
• Eighth (quaver): 4
• Quarter (crotchet): 5
• Half (minim): 6
• Whole (semibreve): 7
• Double whole (breve): 8
• Longa: 9
• Dot: . (toggles the selection to and from a dotted note/rest)
• "Increase active duration": In note input mode, this shortcut changes the selected duration to the next value above the current one. Set the shortcut in Preferences: Shortcuts.
• "Decrease active duration": In note input mode, this shortcut changes the selected duration to the next value below the current one. .

See also: Tuplets.

Additional durations

• Double, triple and quadruple dots: Apply from the note input toolbar in the advanced workspace or via a custom shortcut.
• 128th note: Ditto.
• 256th, 512th or 1024th durations: First enter a 128th note (or longer), then half it as many times as needed using the shortcut Q or, as of 3.5, via a custom shortcut, or via the corresponding entries on the note input toolbar in a custom workspace.

Input devices

Music notation can be entered by:

• Computer keyboard.
• Mouse.
• MIDI keyboard.
• Virtual Piano Keyboard.
• Any combination of the above.

Computer keyboard

This section expands on "Basic note entry" (see above) and introduces you to the full range of commands available for entering notes or rests from the computer keyboard.

Summary of commands

Here is a list of useful editing shortcuts available in Note input mode:

• 1–9 and . (dot): Set note input duration (as described above).
• A–G: Enter note A to G respectively.
• 0: Enter a rest.
• R: Repeat the last entered note.
• Backspace: Undo last entered note
• ↑ (Up): Raise the pitch of a note by a semitone (uses ♯).
• ↓ (Down): Lower the pitch of a note by a semitone (uses ♭).
• Alt+Shift+↑: Raise the pitch of a note by scale degrees using key signature (assumes Major).
• Alt+Shift+↓: Lower the pitch of a note by a scale degree using key signature (assumes Major).
• J: Change a note up or down to its enharmonic equivalent (e.g. D♯ to E♭). This alters the spelling in both concert pitch and transposed modes. See Accidentals.
• Ctrl+J (Mac Cmd+J): Change a note up or down to its enharmonic equivalent. This alters the spelling only in the current mode. See Accidentals.
• X: Flip direction of note stem (can be reset to Auto position in Inspector)
• Shift+X: Move note head to opposite side of stem (can be reset to Auto position in Inspector)
• Ctrl+Alt+1-4: Switch to corresponding voice
• Q: Halve the duration of the last entered note, and use that duration for future input. This is the default key for "Half Duration" shortcut command. Also see tips below.
• W: Double the duration of the last entered note, and use that duration for future input. This is the default key for "Double Duration" shortcut command. Also see tips below.
• Shift+Q: Decrease duration of the last entered note by a dot (for example, a dotted quarter note/crotchet becomes a quarter note/crotchet and a quarter note/crotchet becomes a dotted eighth note/quaver), and use that duration for the future input. This is the default key for "Decrease duration dotted" shortcut command. Also see tips below.
• Shift+W: Increase duration of the last entered note by a dot (for example an eighth note/quaver becomes a dotted eighth note/quaver and a dotted eighth note/quaver becomes a quarter note/crotchet), and use that duration for the future input. This is the default key for "Increase duration dotted" shortcut command. Also see tips below.
• Ctrl+↑ (Mac: Cmd+↑): Raise the pitch of the last entered note by an octave
• Ctrl+↓ (Mac: Cmd+↓): Lower the pitch of the last entered note by an octave
• Shift+←: Exchange last entered note with the note before it (repeat to keep moving note earlier)
• Shift+→: Exchange note moved with Shift+← with the note that follows it
• Alt+1-9: Add interval (unison to ninth) above current note.
• Shift+A-G: Add note A to G above current note respectively.

Note : (1) Q and W change the duration of the last entered note. The similar shortcuts "Increase active duration" and "Decrease active duration" do not change the last entered note, they are configurable in Preferences window. (2) Shift+Q and Shift+W change the duration of the last entered note by dot. Pressing . (dot) while in Note input mode does not change the last entered note.

Enter notes/rests

You can enter a note by typing the corresponding letter on your keyboard. After entering Note Input mode, type 5 C D E F G A B C to get the following result:

Note: When you enter a note using the keyboard, MuseScore places it closest to the previous note entered (above or below).

To enter a rest, type "0" (zero). To get the following, type 5 C D 0 E after entering Note Input mode.

Note: The duration selected in the toolbar applies to both notes and rests.

If you want to enter a dotted note, press . (period/full stop) after selecting the duration.

For example, after entering Note Input mode, type: 5 . C 4 D E F G A.

If you want to enter a tuplet (such as a triplet): see Tuplets.

If you want to write music with two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody on the same staff, see Voices.

Move notes up/down

To move a note up or down by a semitone:

• Press the ↑ or ↓ arrow.

To move a note up or down diatonically:

• Press Alt+Shift+↑ or Alt+Shift+↓.

To move a note up or down by one octave:

• Press Ctrl+↑ (Mac: Cmd+↑) or Ctrl+↓ (Mac: Cmd+↓).

Add accidentals

When a note is moved up or down with an arrow key (see above), any accidental required is automatically generated by the program. Accidentals can also be added manually—see Accidentals.

Chords

If you want to add a chord note to your previous entry:

• Press and hold Shift, then enter a note from AtoG.

Thus, typing C, D, Shift+F, Shift+A, E, F results in:

To add a note at a specific interval above or below one or more notes:

1. Ensure that one or more notes are selected;
2. Use one of the following options:
   • From the menu, select Add→Intervals and choose an interval from the list;
   • Press Alt+1-9 for intervals above (intervals below are also possible by adding relevant shortcuts to the list in Preferences).

Note: To create chords with notes of different durations, you will need to use more than one Voice.

Insert notes

Normally, when you enter music in MuseScore, any existing notes or rests are overwritten. There are, however, several ways to insert notes:

• Insert extra measures into the score.
• Cut and paste a section of the score forward, then enter music into the gap.
• To insert a note, press Ctrl+Shift (Mac: Cmd+Shift) + the note name (AtoG). This will insert a note of the selected duration and move the rest of the notes to the right in the same measure. If the measure exceeds the duration of the time signature, the blue plus will appear above the measure as in Insert Mode.

Delete notes

To delete a single note:

• Select the note and press Del (Mac: Backspace).

To delete a chord:

1. Press Esc to ensure that you are in Normal mode.
2. Press Shift and click on a note to select the chord.
3. Press Del (Mac: Backspace).

The delete command can also be applied to a range of notes/chords.

Mouse

It's easy to enter notes with the mouse, but it is not the fastest way to enter lots of notes.

1. Click on the desired note duration symbol in the Note input toolbar.
2. Click on the score to add a pitch of the selected duration.
3. To add more notes to an existing chord, simply repeat step 2.
4. To replace an existing chord (rather than adding to it), press Shift before clicking.
5. To add a rest, right-click.

Note: If you hover the cursor over the score in Note Input Mode it will show you a preview of the note or rest you are about to add.

MIDI keyboard

You can also insert pitches using a MIDI keyboard.

1. Connect your MIDI keyboard to the computer and switch the former on
2. Start MuseScore (this must be done after the keyboard is switched on)
3. Create a new score
4. Click the rest (selecting it) in measure 1 to indicate where you want note input to begin
5. Press N to enter note input mode
6. Select a note duration such as 5 for quarter notes (crotchets), as described above
7. Press a note on your MIDI keyboard.

The pitch should be added to your score. If the pitch does not appear, either use the toolbar and click 'Toggle MIDI Input' or follow these steps:

1. From the menu, select Edit→Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore→Preferences...).
2. Click on the Note Input tab and check "Enable MIDI Input".
3. Click OK to exit. You will need to restart MuseScore to apply the change.

Note: The default method of entry, Step-time allows you to enter one note at a time. Other note input modes are also available: see Note input modes.

If you have multiple MIDI devices connected to your computer, you may need to inform MuseScore which is the MIDI keyboard:

1. From the menu, select Edit→Preferences... (Mac: MuseScore→Preferences...).
2. Click on the I/O tab and select your device under the section labeled "MIDI input".
3. Click OK to exit. You will need to restart MuseScore to apply the change.

Virtual Piano Keyboard

You can also input notes using the on-screen piano keyboard.

• To toggle the display on and off: Press P (or select View→Piano).
• To resize the keyboard: Position the mouse pointer over the piano keys, hold down Ctrl (Mac: Cmd) and move the mouse scroll wheel up (larger) or down (smaller).

The method of note entry is similar to that for a midi keyboard:

1. Ensure that you are in Note Input mode.
2. To enter a:
   • Single note: Click on the appropriate piano key.
   • Chord: Select the note you wish to add to, press and hold Shift, then click on a piano key (in versions before 2.1, use Ctrl (Mac: Cmd). Repeat as required.

Note input modes

See Note Input modes main chapter.

MuseScore offers a variety of note input modes in addition to Step-time. All can be accessed by clicking the small arrow next to the "N" button on the left of the Note Input toolbar:

• Step-time (default): The default mode of note entry. See Basic note entry (above).
• Repitch: Replace pitches without changing rhythms.
• Rhythm: Enter durations with a single click or keypress.
• Real-time (automatic): Perform the piece at a fixed tempo indicated by a metronome beat.
• Real-time (manual): Perform the piece while tapping a key or pedal to set the beat.
• Insert: (Called "Timewise" until version 3.0.2) Insert and delete notes and rests within measures, automatically shifting subsequent music forwards or backwards.

Coloring of notes outside an instrument's range

Depending on the skill of the musician, certain notes are considered beyond the range of a particular instrument. For informational purposes, MuseScore optionally colors notes red if they are outside the range of a "professional" player, and olive green/dark yellow if outside the range of an "early amateur." The colors appear on the computer screen, but not on printed copies.

To enable/disable note coloration and to set "professional" and "amateur" ranges, see Usable pitch range (Staff properties: all staves).

Small notes/small noteheads

1. Select the note(s) you want in small size.
2. Check the "Small" checkbox in the Inspector. The one in the Note section is used to only change the size of the individual notehead; the one in the Chord section will change the note head, stem, beam, and flag sizes all together.

By default, the small size is 70% of the normal size. You can change that setting in Format → Style…→Sizes.

Change notes or rests already entered

Change duration, overwriting subsequent phrases or adding spaces

Version 3.3.3 and above

1. Make sure you are in Normal mode (press Esc to exit from Note input modes).
2. Select one or more notes/rests, or note-stems/hooks. Apply the desired duration shortcut (listed above), or click on the equivalent duration icon in the toolbar.

Prior to version 3.3.3

1. Make sure you are in Normal mode (press Esc to exit from Note input modes).
2. Click on a note or rest. Apply the desired duration shortcut (listed above), or click on the equivalent duration icon in the toolbar.

For example, to change three sixteenth rests into a single dotted eighth rest:

1. Click on the first sixteenth rest.
2. Hit 4 to turn it into an eighth rest.
3. Hit . to turn it into a dotted eighth rest.
4. As the duration increases, it overwrites the other two sixteenth rests following it.

Note that increasing duration overwrites the notes or rests that follow the selected phrase; decreasing duration adds rests between it and the notes or rests following.

See also Paste half/double duration

Change duration, expanding or shrinking the current measure

• Use the Duration Editor plugin that allows "Melody first, rhythm second" notes entry, or
• (insert only) insert notes or measure as described above.

Change duration of notes in selection only, overwriting rests only

Use the Note duration actions plugin to batch adjust notes length while keeping starting positions intact.

Change pitch

To change the pitch of a single note:

1. Make sure that you're not in note input mode and that you have no other notes selected.
2. Select the desired note and use any of the following methods:
   • Drag the notehead up or down with the mouse;
   • Press the keyboard arrows: ↑ (Up) or ↓ (down);
   • Type a new note letter name (A…G). Use Ctrl+↓ or Ctrl+↑ to correct the octave, if necessary (Mac: Cmd+↓ or Cmd+↑). This will automatically turn on note input mode.

To change the enharmonic spelling of a note, select it and use the J command. For more information, see Accidentals.

To change the pitches of a passage of music by a constant interval, you can use Transposition.

To change the pitches of a passage of music to a different melody, while keeping the rhythm unchanged, use Re-pitch mode.

If your score contains a lot of misspelled accidentals, you might try the Respell Pitches command (see Accidentals: Respell pitches).

Change voice

To change one or more notes to a different voice, see Voices.

Change rest to note and vice versa

To change a rest to a note of the same duration:

1. Make sure you are not in note input mode (press Esc to exit).
2. Select the rest.
3. Enter the desired pitch by entering a note letter, AtoG.

To change a note to a rest of the same duration:

1. Make sure you are not in note input mode (press Esc to exit).
2. Select the note.
3. Press 0 (Zero).

Note properties

• To adjust the horizontal position of a note/chord: see Offset notes.
• To edit note properties in general (spacing, offset, size, color, notehead direction, playback etc.): see Inspector and object properties.
• To adjust the layout of all notes in the score: see Layout and formatting, especially the sections about notes, accidentals and tuplets.

See also

• Note input modes
• Drum notation
• Tablature
• Tuplet
• Voices
• Shared noteheads
• Preferences (Configure keyboard shortcuts)

External links

• How to enter a chord (MuseScore HowTo)
• How to enter a rest (MuseScore HowTo)
• How to span a stem over two staves (MuseScore HowTo)
• How to add cue notes (MuseScore HowTo)
• Video tutorial: MuseScore in Minutes: Lesson 3 - Note input
• Video tutorial: MuseScore in Minutes: Lesson 4 - MIDI Keyboard Input
• Video tutorial: MuseScore in Minutes: Lesson 5 - More Input Ideas
• Video: Semi-Realtime MIDI Demo Part 1: New note entry modes
• Video tutorial: Musescore Quicktips: Note Entry