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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