Keyboard shortcuts

Most keyboard shortcuts can be customized via Edit → Preferences... → Shortcuts tab (Mac: MuseScore → Preferences... → Shortcuts tab). Below is a list of some of the initial shortcut settings.

Navigation

Beginning of score: Home
Last page of score: End

Next score: Ctrl+Tab
Previous score: Shift⇑+Ctrl+Tab

Zoom in: Ctrl++ or Ctrl + mouse wheel
Zoom out: Ctrl+- or Ctrl + mouse wheel

Next page: Pg Dn or Shift⇑ + mouse wheel
Previous page: Pg Up or Shift⇑ + mouse wheel

Next measure: Ctrl+→ (Mac: ⌘+→)
Previous measure: Ctrl+← (Mac: ⌘+←)

Next note: →
Previous note: ←

Note below (within a chord or on lower staff): Alt+↓
Note above (within a chord or on higher staff): Alt+↑

Top note in chord: Ctrl+Alt+↑ (Ubuntu uses this shortcut for Workspaces instead)
Bottom note in chord: Ctrl+Alt+↓ (Ubuntu uses this shortcut for Workspaces instead)

Note entry

Begin note entry mode: N
Leave note entry mode: N or Esc

Duration

1 ... 9 selects a duration. see also note entry .

Half duration of previous note: Q
Double duration of previous note: W

Voices

Voices 1: Ctrl+I Ctrl+1 (Mac ⌘+I ⌘+1)
Voice 2: Ctrl+I Ctrl+2 (Mac ⌘+I ⌘+2)
Voice 3: Ctrl+I Ctrl+3 (Mac ⌘+I ⌘+3)
Voice 4: Ctrl+I Ctrl+4 (Mac ⌘+I ⌘+4)

Pitch

Pitches can be entered by letter name, or MIDI keyboard. See note entry for full details.

Repeat previous note: R

Raise pitch by octave: Ctrl+↑ (Mac: ⌘+↑)
Lower pitch by octave: Ctrl+↓ (Mac: ⌘+↓)

Raise pitch by semi-tone (prefer sharp): ↑
Lower pitch by semi-tone (prefer flat): ↓

Add sharp to note: (undefined due to conflicts with tie)
Add flat to note: -

Rest: 0 (zero)

Interval

Add interval above current note: Alt+[Number]
Add interval below current note: Shift⇑+[Number]

Direction

Flip direction (stem, slur, tie, tuplet bracket, etc): X
Mirror note head: Shift⇑+X

Articulations

Tie : +
Slur : S
Staccato: Shift⇑+.
Crescendo: H
Decrescendo: Shift⇑+H

Text entry

Staff text: Ctrl+T
System text: Ctrl+Shift+T
Tempo text: Ctrl+Alt+T
Chord name : Ctrl+K
Rehearsal Mark: Ctrl+M

Lyrics entry

Enter lyrics on a note: Ctrl+L
Previous lyric syllable: Shift⇑+Space (In MuseScore 1.1 and earlier: Ctrl+←)
Next lyric syllable: if the current and the next sylables are separated by a '-': -, else Space (In MuseScore 1.1 and earlier in either case: Ctrl+→)

Up to previous stanza: Ctrl+↑ (Mac: ⌘+↑)
Down to next stanza: Ctrl+↓ (Mac: ⌘+↓)

For more lyric shortcuts, see lyrics

Display

Navigator: F12 (Mac: ⌥+⌘+N)
Play Panel: F11 (Mac: ⌥+⌘+P)
Palette: F9 (Mac: ⌥+⌘+K)
Mixer: F10 (Mac: M)