Overview
Time signatures are applied to the score from the "Time Signatures" palette.
![Time signatures palette Time signatures palette](https://new.musescore.org/sites/musescore.org/files/2023-02/time_sigs_palette.png)
Setting the initial time signature for your score
This is done from page 2 of the New Score dialog.
Adding a time signature change to your score
Use any of the following methods:
- Select an existing time signature, measure, note or rest in the score, and click a time signature in a palette.
- Drag and drop a time signature from a palette onto a space in a measure, or onto an existing time signature.
Deleting a time signature
- To delete a time signature in the score, select it and press Del.
Controlling the visibility of time signatures
To hide/show time signatures on a particular staff:
- Right-click on the staff and choose "Staff/Part properties";
- Uncheck/Check "Show time signature".
To disable/enable all courtesy time signatures (at the end of systems):
- From the menu bar, select Format→Style→Page.
- Uncheck/Check "Create courtesy time signatures".
To hide or show an individual courtesy time signature:
- Select the parent time signature;
- In the Time signature section of the Properties panel, uncheck/check "Show courtesy time signature".
Creating a custom time signature
- In the Time Signatures palette, click on More, then, in the supplementary palette, click on the “Create Time Signature” button;
- In Value enter the Numerator, Denominator, and Text (the latter is optional, when you need the display to be different from the actual time signature);
- Adjust the note beaming in the Beam Groups section (see Beam groups (below)
- Press Add to transfer the newly-created time signature to the Time Signatures palette.
You can also do the same thing from the Master Palette (Shift+F9).
Adding a local time signature for a single staff
In certain cases a score may show staves with different time signatures running at the same time. For example, in the following (J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variation no. 26):
![Example: Goldberg variation Example: Goldberg variation](https://new.musescore.org/sites/musescore.org/files/2022-08/goldberg_var_26.png)
The global time signature is 3/4, but the time signature of the upper staff has been set independently to 18/16.
To set a local time signature for just one staff:
- Hold down Ctrl (Mac: Cmd) and drag and drop a time signature from a palette onto an empty measure.
Resizing a time signature
- Select a time signature
- In the Time signature section of the Properties panel, adjust the horizontal and vertical Scale values.
Time signature properties
To open the Time signature properties dialog use one of the following:
- Right-click on a time signature and from the context menu select "Time signature properties".
- Select a time signature, then click on Time signature properties in the "Time signature" section of the Properties panel.
![Time signature properties Time signature properties](https://new.musescore.org/sites/musescore.org/files/styles/image_700/public/2023-04/time_sigs_properties.png?itok=mMorvJt3)
Appearance
This part of the dialog allows you to adjust the nominal appearance of the signature without affecting its underlying rhythmic value.
- Text: Insert the nominal numerator and denominator that you wish to appear on the score.
Alternatively, you can make a selection from a range of time signature symbols below.
Beam Groups
See the Beams chapter.
Time signature style
There are a few global style properties for time signatures (see Format→Style).
- Create courtesy time signatures: Found in the Clefs, key & time signatures section. Check or uncheck to turn on or off.
- Clef to time signature / Key signature to time signature / Barline to time signature / Time signature to barline / Time signature to first note: Found in the Measure section. Allows you to set spacing for various aspects of time signature layout.