Keyboard shortcuts

Updated 4 years ago
This page shows old instructions for MuseScore 2.
For MuseScore 4 users, see Keyboard shortcuts.

Most keyboard shortcuts can be customized via the menu: select EditPreferences...Shortcuts (Mac: MuseScorePreferences...Shortcuts). Below is a list of some of the initial shortcut settings.

Navigation

Beginning of score: Home (Mac: Fn+)
Last page of score: End (Mac: Fn+)
Find (measure number, rehearsal mark, or pXX when XX is a page number): Ctrl+F (Mac: Cmd+F)

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

Zoom in: Ctrl++ (doesn't work on some systems) (Mac: Cmd++); or Ctrl (Mac: Cmd) + scroll up
Zoom out: Ctrl+- (Mac: Cmd+-); or Ctrl (Mac: Cmd) + scroll down

Next page: Pg Dn; or Shift + scroll down (Mac: Fn+)
Previous page: Pg Up; or Shift + scroll up (Mac: Fn+)

Next measure: Ctrl+ (Mac: Cmd+)
Previous measure: Ctrl+ (Mac: Cmd+)

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 input

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

Duration

1 ... 9 selects a duration. See also Note input.

Half duration of previous note: Q
Double duration of previous note: W
Decrease duration by one dot: (as of version 2.1) Shift+Q (e.g. a dotted quarter note becomes a quarter note; a quarter note becomes a dotted eighth note)
Increase duration by one dot : (as of version 2.1) Shift+W (e.g. an eighth note becomes a dotted eighth note; a dotted eighth note becomes a quarter note)

Voices

To select a voice in note input mode.

Voice 1: Ctrl+Alt+1 (Mac: Cmd+Option+1)
Voice 2: Ctrl+Alt+2 (Mac: Cmd+Option+2)
Voice 3: Ctrl+Alt+3 (Mac: Cmd+Option+3)
Voice 4: Ctrl+Alt+4 (Mac: Cmd+Option+4)

Pitch

Pitches can be entered by their letter name (A-G), or via MIDI keyboard. See Note input for full details.

Repeat previous note or chord: R (the repeat can be of a different note value by selecting duration beforehand)

Repeat selection: R (The selection will be repeated from the first note position after the end of the selection)

Raise pitch by octave: Ctrl+ (Mac: Cmd+)
Lower pitch by octave: Ctrl+ (Mac: Cmd+)

Raise pitch by semi-tone (prefer sharp):
Lower pitch by semi-tone (prefer flat):
Raise pitch diatonically: Alt+Shift+
Lower pitch diatonically: Alt+Shift+

Change enharmonic spelling in both written and concert pitch views: J
Change enharmonic spelling in current view only: Ctrl+J (Mac: Cmd+J)

Rest: 0 (zero)

Interval

Add interval above current note: Alt+[Number]

Layout

Flip direction (stem, slur, tie, tuplet bracket, etc.): X
Mirror note head: Shift+X
Increase stretch of measure(s): }
Decrease stretch of measure(s): {
Line break on selected barline: Return
Page break on selected barline: Ctrl+Return (Mac: Cmd+Return)
Adjust space above a staff (except the top staff) for the whole score: Press Shift, click on the staff and drag

Articulations

Staccato: Shift+S
Tenuto: Shift+N
Sforzato (accent): Shift+V
Marcato: Shift+O
Grace note (acciaccatura): /
Crescendo: <
Decrescendo: >

Text entry

Staff text: Ctrl+T (Mac:Cmd+T)
System text: Ctrl+Shift+T (Mac: Cmd+Shift+T)
Tempo text: Alt+T
Rehearsal Mark: Ctrl+M (Mac: Cmd+M)

Lyrics entry

Enter lyrics on a note: Ctrl+L (Mac: Cmd+L)
Previous lyric syllable: Shift+Space
Next lyric syllable: if the current and the next syllables are separated by a '-': -, else Space
Move lyric syllable left by 0.1sp:
Move lyric syllable right by 0.1sp:
Move lyric syllable left by 1sp: Ctrl+ (Mac: Cmd+)
Move lyric syllable right by 1sp: Ctrl+ (Mac: Cmd+)
Move lyric syllable left by 0.01sp: Alt+
Move lyric syllable right by 0.01sp: Alt+

Up to previous stanza: Ctrl+ (Mac: Cmd+)
Down to next stanza: Ctrl+ (Mac: Cmd+)

For more lyric shortcuts, see Lyrics.

Display

Navigator: F12 (Mac: fn+F12)
Play Panel: F11 (Mac: fn+F11)
Mixer: F10 (Mac: fn+F10)
Palette: F9 (Mac: fn+F9)
Inspector: F8 (Mac: fn+F8)
Piano Keyboard: P
Selection filter: F6
Display full screen: Ctrl+U

Miscellaneous

Toggle visibility on selected element(s): V
Show Instruments dialog: I
Toggle multi-measure rests on or off: M

See also

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