Handbook: Published On Musescore
Handbook: Published On Musescore
Handbook: Published On Musescore
org)
Handbook
This handbook is for MuseScore version 0.9.2 and above. In order to help improve or translate the handbook, leave a post in the MuseScore documentation forum and apply to become a handbook contributor.
Chapter 1
Getting started
This chapter helps you install and run MuseScore for the first time. The chapter will also show you how to create a new score.
Installation
Windows
You will find the Windows installer on the Download page of the MuseScore website. Click on the link to start the download. Your Internet browser will confirm that you want to download this file. Click "Save File". When the download finishes double click on the file to start the installation. Windows may open a security window and ask you to confirm before running the software. Click "Run" to continue.
The installer recommends that you close all other applications before continuing. After you close the other applications click "Next" to continue.
The setup wizard displays the terms of the free software license which you may review. Click "I Agree" to continue. Next it confirms the location for installing MuseScore. If you are installing a newer version of MuseScore but still want to keep the old version on your computer then you should change the folder. Otherwise click "Next" to continue. Next it confirms the name for the MuseScore folder that appears in the Windows Start menu list of programs. Click "Install" to continue. Give the setup wizard a few minutes to install the necessary files and configurations. When it is done click "Finish" to exit the installer. If you wish, you may now delete the installer file you downloaded.
Start MuseScore To start MuseScore choose Start All Programs MuseScore 0.9 MuseScore. After several seconds MuseScore will open up to the demo score. Feel free to experiment with the demo score and get the feel of the program. Next you may want to create your own score.
MacOSX
Install You will find the Mac dmg file on the Download page of the MuseScore website. Click on the link to start the download. When download is finished, the dmg file is automatically mounted on your desktop as "MuseScore-0.9.5" and the installer appears.
Drag the MuseScore icon and drop it to the Applications folder icon. If you are not admin, MacOSX will ask for password. You can now launch MuseScore from Applications or SpotLight. Uninstall Just delete MuseScore from Applications folder.
Linux
Please see the Download page for instructions pertaining to MuseScore on Linux. Packages are provided for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora and PCLinuxOS. Other distributions will require you to build the application from source. For 4
Fedora
Import the GPG key: su rpm --import http://prereleases.musescore.org/linux/Fedora/RPM-GPG-KEY-Seve 2. Go to the download page of the MuseScore website. Click on the link for the stable Fedora download and choose the correct rpm package for your architecture 3. Depending on your architecture, use one of the two sets of commands to install MuseScore if for arch i386 su yum localinstall musescore-0.9.4-1.fc10.i386.rpm or if for arch x86_64 su yum localinstall musescore-0.9.4-1.fc10.x86_64.rpm
Enter the title, composer, or any other information as shown above. Notice the two options at the bottom: Create new score from template Create new score from scratch The first option offers a list of ready-made scores in the next screen. The second option gives you the full choice of instruments in the next screen. Templates are discussed in more detail below, but for now choose "Create new score from scratch." Click "Next" to continue.
The instrument window is divided into two columns. The first column lists instruments or voice parts to choose from. The second column is initially empty but will soon contain a list of the instruments for your new score. The instrument list in the first column is categorized into instrument families. Double click a category to show the full list of instruments in each family. Select an instrument and click "Add". The instrument you selected now appears in the second column. You can add more instruments or voice parts if needed. The order of the instruments in the second column determines the order they appear in the score. To change the order click on an instrument name and use the "Up" or "Down" buttons to move it higher or lower. When you are done click "Next".
Key signature
If you are using the latest version of MuseScore the wizard asks for a key signature. Select the key signature you need and click "Next" to continue.
If you are using version 0.9.2 or earlier the wizard does not ask for a key signature so you may ignore this step.
Set the time signature to the numbers you want. If your piece begins with a pickup then mark the "Pickup measure" checkbox and adjust pickup time signature to indicate the actual duration of the first measure. If you know approximately how many measures you need you can specify that here. Otherwise you can add or delete measure later. Click "Finish" to create your new score.
Templates
The first screen of the new score wizard has an option to "Create new score from template" (see Title and other text above for details). To create a score using this method select the template option and click "Next" to continue. The next screen shows a list of templates. Select a template and click "Next". Continue and finish the new score wizard as usual. 7
The template files are normal MuseScore files stored in the template folder. You can create your own templates by saving MuseScore files to the template folder. On Windows the template folder is usually located at C:\Program Files\MuseScore 0.9\templates. On Linux look under /usr/share/mscore-xxx if you installed from the package manager. If you compiled mscore on Linux then look under /usr/local/share/mscore-xxx. On Mac look under /Applications/MuseScore.app/Contents/Resources/templates
Chapter 2
Basics
The "Getting started" chapter above guides you through the Installation and process for creating a new score. The "Basics" chapter gives an overview of MuseScore and describes the general methods for interacting with the score.
Note entry
Notes are entered in Note entry mode. First select a note or rest as start position for note entry. When entering notes you are always replacing existing notes or rests. So the duration of a measure does not change. N: Enters Note entry mode. Escape: Leaves Note entry mode. After entering Note entry mode you should select the duration of the note you want to enter by selecting a value from the note palette or by the corresponding keyboard shortcut. In version 0.9.4 and later the keyboard shortcuts for selecting the note duration are: 1: 64th note (semi-demi-semiquaver) 2: 32nd note (demi-semiquaver) 3: 16th note (semiquaver) 4: Eighth note (quaver) 5: Quarter note (crochet) 6: Half note (minim) 7: Whole note (semibreve) 8: Double whole note (breve) 9: Longa 9
.: A period (dot) changes the selected duration into a dotted note In version 0.9.3 or earlier the note duration shortcuts involve two keys: Alt+1: Quarter note (crochet) Alt+2: Eighth note (quaver) Alt+3: 16th note (semiquaver) Alt+4: 32nd note (demi-semiquaver) Alt+5: 64th note (semi-demi-semiquaver) Alt+6: Whole note (semibreve) Alt+7: Half note (minim) .: A period (dot) changes the selected duration into a dotted note Notes are entered by typing: C D E F G A B C
creates a rest: C D Space E. Notice that the duration you select for the notes (quarter/crochet notes in this example) also determines the duration of the rest (quarter/crochet rest)
Space
Notes are added to chords by holding Shift and entering a note name: C D
Shift+F Shift+A E F
Add an augmentation dot to a note: 5 . C 4 D E F G A (Note: versions 0.9.3 or earlier use different keyboard shortcuts to change note duration. See section above for more information)
To change octaves use the following key combinations: Ctrl+Up (Mac: +Up): Increase the pitch of a note by one octave. Ctrl+Down (Mac: +Down): Decrease the pitch of a note by one octave. Other editing commands: x: Flip note stem direction. Shift+x: Move note head to opposite side of stem.
10
MIDI keyboard
You can also insert pitches using a MIDI keyboard on Windows or Linux as of version 0.9.4. Version 0.9.3 or earlier has support for MIDI keyboard on Linux only. 1. Connect your MIDI keyboard to the computer and switch your keyboard on 2. Start MuseScore 3. Create a new score 4. Click to select the rest in measure 1 to indicate where you want note entry to begin 5. Press N to begin note entry mode 6. Select a note duration such as quarter note (crochet), as described above 7. Press a note on your MIDI keyboard, and notice that the pitch is added to your score
Colors
MuseScore colors out-of-range notes for as yellow or red in versions 0.9.5 or later. Notes above or below the comfortable range of an amateur appear yellow, note beyond the comfortable range of a professional appear red. The colors are informational and appear on the computer screen but do not appear on printed copies of your scores. To disable note colors in versions 0.9.6 or later choose Edit Preferences..., click on the Note Entry tab, and unmark "Color notes outside of usable pitch range". External links Video tutorial: Note entry basics by Katie Wardrobe
Copy
1. Click on the first note of your selection 2. Shift+click on the last note of your selection. A blue rectangle should highlight the region you selected. 3. From the menu choose Edit Copy
11
Paste
1. Click on the note or measure that you want your pasted selection to begin 2. From the menu choose Edit Paste
Paste 1. Click on the empty part of the measure you want to paste into 2. From the menu choose Edit Paste
Edit mode
Many elements in the score can be edited in Edit Mode : Double Click: Starts Edit Mode Escape: Ends Edit Mode Some elements show handles in edit mode which can be moved by mouse dragging or keyboard commands. Slur in Edit Mode:
Available keyboard commands: Left: Moves handle left one Space Right: Moves handle right one Space Up: Moves handle up one Space Down: Moves handle down one Space Ctrl+Left (Mac: +Left): Moves handle left 0.1 Space 12
Ctrl+Right (Mac: +Right): Moves handle right 0.1 Space Ctrl+Up (Mac: +Up): Moves handle up 0.1 Space Ctrl+Down (Mac: +Down): Moves handle down 0.1 Space Shift+Left: Moves handle's tick anchor left Shift+Right: Moves handle's tick anchor right Tab: Goes to next handle See also: Text editing, Slur, Bracket, Lines
Measure operations
Append
To add a measure to the end of the piece press Ctr+B (Mac: +B). To add multiple measures use the menu Create Measures Append Measures....
Insert
First select a measure then press Ins to insert a new empty measure before the selected one. To insert multiple measures use the menu Create Measures Insert Measures....
Delete
First select the measure then press Ctr+Del (Mac: +Fn+Backspace). For 0.9.5 and earlier, it's different. Press Ctr (Mac: ) on the keyboard as you click on an empty part of the measure with the mouse. The measure is marked with a dotted line indicating that you selected a "piece of time". Press Ctr+Click (Mac: +Click) to extend the selection. Pressing Del (Mac: Fn+Backspace) removes the selected measures.
Properties
To edit the properties of a measure right click on an empty part of the measure and select Measure Properties....
13
Staves
The Visible property allows you to show or hide the notes and staff lines for the current measure. The Stemless property allows you to show or hide all note stems for the current measure. Notes that normally have a stem such as half notes (minums) and quarter notes (crotchets) only show the note head when marked as stemless.
Duration
The Nominal duration is the time signature that is displayed on the score. You can change the Actual duration of a measure to anything regardless of the time signature displayed on the score. Normally the nominal and actual duration of a measure is identical. However a pickup (upbeat) measure for example can have a shorter actual duration. In the figure below the quarter note (crochet) pickup has a nominal measure duration of 4/4 but an actual duration of 1/4. The measures in the middle have both nominal and actual durations of 4/4. The complimentary measure with only a dotted half note (dotted minum) at the end has an actual duration of 3/4.
Irregular
An "irregular" measure is not counted in the measure numbering. Normally a pickup measure is marked as "irregular". If you are using version 0.9.4 or earlier and mark a measure as irregular then you may need to save and reload the score before the measure numbers show the change.
Repeat count
If the measure is the end of a repeat you can define how often the repeat should be played.
14
Numbering
MuseScore automatically numbers the first measure of each system but more numbering options are possible. From the main menu choose Style Edit Style. In the left pane choose "Numbers". In the bottom half of the right pane is the "Measure Numbers" ("Bar Numbers") section. Mark the checkbox next to the "Measure Numbers" ("Bar Numbers") to turn on automatic measure numbers. Mark "show first" if you want the first measure numbered. Mark "all staffs" if you want numbers on all staffs, otherwise only the top staff of each system shows measure numbers. Choose to show numbers on "every system" which numbers the first measure of each line, or show numbers by "interval" and specify the size of the interval. For example, an interval of 1 numbers every measure; an interval of 5 numbers every fifth measure.
Palette
You can show or hide the palette using the menu Display Palette. You can drag-and-drop palette symbols onto score elements. Double clicking a palette symbol is equivalent to drag-and-dropping this symbol to each of the selected elements on the score. For example you can easily put a tenuto on several notes at once: 1. Select notes 2. Double click on the tenuto symbol in the Articulations/Ornaments palette
Export
A score can be exported via File Save As... to several different formats: Compressed MuseScore format (*.mscz) MSCZ is the standard MuseScore file format and recommended for most uses. A score saved in this format will not lose any information. The format is a ZIP-compressed version of .msc files. MuseScore format (*.mscx) MSCX is the uncompressed version of the MuseScore file format used in version 0.9.5 or later. A score saved in this format will not loose any information and is recommended if you need to manually edit the file format using a text editor. Previous versions of MuseScore used the MSC file extension. However MSC has file extension conflicts on Microsoft Windows and is blocked by some email providers. The new MSCX file extension supersedes the old MSC file extension due to the problems outlined above. MusicXML (*.xml) MusicXML is the universal standard for sheet music and can be used by most of the currently available scorewriters including Sibelius, Finale, and more than 100 others. It is the recommended format for sharing your sheet music between different scorewriters. Compressed MusicXML (*.mxl) Compressed MusicXML creates smaller files than regular MusicXML. Compressed MusicXML is a newer standard and not as widely supported by other scorewriters at this time. MIDI (*.mid) Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a format widely supported by sequencers and music notation software. However MIDI files are designed for playback not score layout so they do not contain information about formatting, pitch spelling, voicing, ornaments, articulations, repeats, or key signatures, among other things. To share files between different music notation software use MusicXML. If all you care about is playback then use MIDI. 16
PDF (*.pdf) Portable Document Format (PDF) is ideal for sharing your sheet music with others who do not need to edit the music. Most computer users already have a PDF viewer on their computer so they will not need to install any extra software to see your score. PostScript (*.ps) PostScript (PS) is popular as a page description language used in printing. PNG (*.png) Portable Network Graphics (PNG) is a bitmap image format with native support on all major operating systems and image software and popular on the web. As of version 0.9.3 Multi-page scores export a PNG file for every page. SVG (*.svg) Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) can be opened by most web browsers (expect Internet Explorer) and most vector graphics software. However most SVG software does not support embedded fonts so the appropriate MuseScore fonts must be install to view these files correctly. LilyPond (*.ly) LilyPond format can be opened by the Lilypond scrorewriter . However LilyPond export is incomplete and experimental in the current versions of MuseScore. WAV Audio (*.wav) WAV (Waveform Audio Format) is an uncompressed sound format developed by Microsoft and IBM but widely supported by software for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. This is an ideal format for creating CDs since no sound quality is lost in the process of saving the file. However the large file sizes make it difficult to share via email or the web. This export option is available in version 0.9.5 or later. FLAC Audio (*.flac) Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) is compressed audio format. FLAC files are approximately half the size of uncompressed audio and just as good quality. Windows and Mac OS do not have built-in support for FLAC but software such as VLC media player can play FLAC files on any operating system. This export option is available in version 0.9.5 or later. Ogg Vorbis (*.ogg)
17
Ogg Vorbis is intended as a patent-free replacement for the popular MP3 audio format. Like MP3, Ogg Vorbis files are relatively small (often a tenth of uncompressed audio) but some sound quality is lost. Windows and Mac OS do not have built-in support for Ogg Vorbis. However software such as VLC media player and Firefox 3.5 or later can play Ogg files on any operating system. This export option is available in version 0.9.5 or later.
18
Chapter 3
Notation
In the previous "Basics" chapter you learn how to enter notes and interact with the palette. The "Notation" chapter describes the different types of notation in more detail including more advanced music notation.
Accidental
Accidentals can be set or changed by dragging an accidental symbol from the accidental palette to a note in the score.
If you only want to change the pitch of a note you can also select the note and press: Up: Increase the pitch of a note by one semitone. Down: Decrease the pitch of a note by one semitone. Ctrl+Up: Increase the pitch of a note by one octave. Ctrl+Down: Decrease the pitch of a note by one octave. MuseScore automatically tries to set an appropriate accidental for the changed pitch. If you need to manually correct an accidental or place an cautionary accidental (editorial accidental), then drag an accidental from the accidental palette to the note. If you later change the pitch with cursor keys, manual settings to the accidental are removed. 19
The menu function Notes Pitch spell tries to guess the right accidentals for the whole score.
Arpeggio
Arpeggios are set by dragging an arpeggio symbol from the arpeggio palette to a note of a chord.
In version 0.9.5 or later you can edit the length of the arpeggio by double clicking on it and dragging the handle up or down
Bar line
Change bar line type
Bar lines are changed by dragging a bar line symbol from the bar line palette to a bar line in the score.
To hide a bar line entirely right-click on the line and choose Set Invisible.
20
Click and drag the blue square down to the next staff. Display of all staff bar lines updates when you leave edit mode.
Beam
Beams are set automatically but the automatic setting can be overridden manually. Drag a beam symbol from the beam palette to a note in order to change its beam behavior.
You can also first select a note and then double click the appropriate symbol in the beam palette. Start a beam at this note. Do not end a beam at this note. Do not beam this note. Start a second level beam at this note. See also: Cross staff beaming
Bracket
Delete
Select the bracket and press Del
Add
Drag a bracket symbol from the bracket palette to an empty space in the first measure of a system.
Change
Drag a bracket symbol from the bracket palette to an bracket in the score.
21
Horizontal offset
In version 0.9.4 or later you can adjust the horizontal placement of a bracket. Double click a bracket and press Shift+Left or Shift+Right to move it left or right.
Edit
Double click on a bracket to enter edit mode, In edit mode you can drag the height of a bracket to span arbitrary staves of a system.
A caesura (informally called tram lines or railroad tracks) work the same way and are available in versions 0.9.6 or later.
Clef
Clefs are created or changed by dragging a clef symbol from the clef palette to a measure or another clef. Use F9 to show or hide the palette sidebar.
22
Change
Drag a clef from the palette onto a clef in the score. You can also drag a clef from the score to another clef of the score by using Shift + leftMouseButton + Drag.
Add
Drag a clef from the palette onto an empty part of a measure. This creates a clef at the beginning of the measure. Drag a clef to a particular note to create a mid-measure clef. If the measure is not the first measure in the staff it is drawn smaller.
Remove
Select a clef and press Del. Note that changing a clef does not change the pitch of any note. Instead the notes are moved.
23
Ctrl+Shift+Down +Shift+Down.)
See also: Bar line for cross-staff bar lines (i.e. grand staff).
Drum notation
Example drum notation:
Notation for drumsets often include upstem and downstem notes happening simultaneously. If are unfamiliar with editing multiple voices in a single staff then see voices for an overview. See below for instructions specific to percussion notation.
MIDI keyboard
The easiest way to add drum notation to your score is via MIDI keyboard. Most MIDI keyboard have percussion markings above each key. If you press the key for high hat then MuseScore will add the correct notation to the score. MuseScore automatically takes care of the stem direction and type of note head.
Mouse
Note input via mouse is available in version 0.9.4 or later 1. Select a note or rest in the percussion staff. This loads the corresponding drum palette 2. Press "N" to begin note entry 3. Select a note duration from the Note Input toolbar 4. Select a type of note (such as bass drum or snare) from the drum palette 5. Click on the percussion staff to add the note to the score
24
Grace note
Short grace notes (Acciaccatura) appear as small notes with a stroke through the stem. Long grace notes (Appoggiatura) have no stroke. Both are placed before the normal-sized main note. Create a grace note by dragging a grace note symbol from the Grace Notes palette (In versions 0.9.5 and earlier the palette is simply called Notes) to a regular note on the score.
Hairpin
Hairpins are line objects. To create a hairpin first select a note to mark the start point. H: Creates a crescendo hairpin Shift+H: Creates a diminuendo hairpin (decrescendo) You can also create hairpins by dragging a hairpin symbol from the line palette to a note head. 1. H creates a crescendo hairpin:
Key signature
25
Key signatures are created or changed by dragging a key symbol from the key palette to a measure or existing key signature.
F9
Change
Drag a key from the palette onto a key in the score. You can also drag a key from the score to another key on the score by using Shift+leftMouseButton+Drag.
Add
Drag a key from the palette onto an empty part of a measure. This creates a key at the beginning of the measure.
Remove
Select a key and press Del.
Lines
The lines palette like other palettes works via "drag-and-drop". Use the mouse to drag the item from the palette and drop it onto the score.
Change length
If you change the length of a line using the mouse then the anchor positions (the notes or measures they apply to) do not change. Therefore the following method is recommended for adjusting the start or end points of a line. 1. If you are in note entry mode then press N to leave note entry 26
2. Double click the line that you want to change 3. Move the handles using the following shortcuts Shift+Right to move the anchor right by one note (or measure) Shift+Left to move the anchor left by one note (or measure) 4. If you need to change the length visually without changing the notes or measures that the line is anchored to then use the following shortcuts Right to move the handle right by one unit Left to move the anchor left by one unit
Measure rests
Full-measure rest
When an entire measure is devoid of notes, a full-measure (full-bar) rest is used. To create a one-bar rest select a measure and press Del. All notes and rests on this measure are then replaced by a one-bar rest.
Multi-measure rest
Multi-measure (multi-bar) rests indicate a long duration of silence for an instrument and are frequently used in ensemble sheet music. In versions 0.9.5 and earlier this feature is experimental only (see limitations below) Instructions 1. From the menu choose Style Edit General Style (in versions 0.9.5 and earlier it is called Style Edit Style) 2. Click on the "Score" tab if it is not already selected 3. Add a check mark next to "Create Multi Measure Rests"
Limitations Versions 0.9.5 and earlier do not automatically break multi-measure rests at important points such as double bar lines, key signatures, rehearsal marks. This is already fixed for the upcoming version 0.9.6. As a workaround for earlier versions see the "Break multi-measure rests" heading of measure operations. 27
The style option automatically creates multi-measure rests throughout the score. Therefore it is recommended that you enter all your notes first and then turn on multi-measure rests afterward.
Repeat
The start and end of simple repeats can be defined by setting appropriate bar lines. For instructions on first and second ending measures see volta.
Playback
To hear repeats during playback make sure the "Play Repeats" button on the toolbar is selected. Likewise you can turn off repeats during playback by deselecting the button. In the last measure of a repeat you can set the property "Repeat Count" to define the number of played repeats.
Text
Repeat text such as "D.C. al Fine" or "D.S. al Coda" is located in the repeats palette.
Slur
A slur is a curved line between two or more notes that indicates they are to be played without separation. If you mean to join two notes of the same pitch, see Tie
Instructions
1. Leave note entry mode and select the first note:
28
2. S creates a slur:
Adjustments
The boxes or handles (displayed in the images for steps 2-4 above) can be adjusted with the mouse. The two outer handles adjust the start and end of the slur. The two inner handles adjust the contour of the slur. A slur can span several systems and pages. The start and end of a slur is anchored to a note/chord or rest. If the notes are repositioned due to changes in the layout, stretch or style, the slur also moves and adjusts in size. Note: It is not possible to change the start and end anchor notes using the mouse. Use Shift + left or right arrow keys to adjust the start and end points of a slur.
Dotted line
Dotted slurs are sometimes used in songs where the presence of a slur varies between stanzas. Right click on a slur and choose Slur Properties.... From the Slur Properties dialog you can choose whether you want a solid slur or a dotted slur. See also: Tie, Edit mode.
Tie
29
A tie is a curved line between two notes of the same pitch. If you want a curved line that spans multiple pitches see Slur.
First method
Select first note:
Second method
To create ties during note entry press + after the first note of the tie. In version 0.9.3 or earlier you must press + before adding the first note.
Time signature
Time signatures are available in the main palette sidebar. You can drag and drop the times signatures onto the score (see palette for general information on working with palettes in MuseScore).
If you need a time signature not found in the sidebar palette then go to Create Time... to create your own. You can edit the upper and lower numbers in the Create Time Signature pane. In most cases you'll only need to edit the first of the upper numbers. The additional upper numbers are for additive meters which contain multiple upper numbers separated by a plus sign.
30
Pickup measures
There are occasions when the actual duration of a measure is different from the duration specified by the time signature. Pickup measures are a common example. To change the actual duration of a measure without displaying a different time signature see the Properties section of measure operations.
Tremolo
Tremolo is the rapid repetition of one note or a rapid alternation between two or more notes. It is indicated by strokes through the stems of the notes. If the tremolo is between two or more notes, the bars are drawn between them. The tremolo palette contains separate symbols for one note tremolos (shown with stems below) and for two note tremolos (shown with no stem below).
In a two note tremolo every note has the value of the whole tremolo duration. To enter a tremolo with the duration of a half note (minim) first enter two normal quarter notes (crotchets). After dragging a tremolo symbol to the first note the note values automatically double to half notes.
Tuplet
To create a triplet first create a note with a duration of the whole triplet. Then select the note and press Ctrl+3 to change it to a triplet. Similarly Ctrl+5 changes the note to a quintuplet. First select a note:
31
Ctrl+3
creates a triplet:
Properties
To change the display properties of a tuplet right click on the tuplet number and choose Tuplet Properties....
The number section of the properties dialog allows you to show one integer, a ratio of two integers, or no number at all. In the bracket section the "bracket" and "nothing" allow you to explicitly show or hide the bracket. The "auto bracket" option hides the bracket for beamed notes and shows the bracket if the tuplet includes unbeamed notes or rests.
32
Voices
Voices allow you to have notes on a single staff which start at the same time yet have different durations. Voices are sometimes called 'layers' in other notation software.
Instructions
1. First start by entering the top voice (all the up-stem notes). 2. When you enter the notes some may have down-stems. If you are using version 0.9.4 or later you do not need to worry about the stem direction at this point because they will flip automatically when you add the second voice. 3. Now select the first note to move your cursor back to the beginning of the line. 4. Click on "Voice 2" button and start entering the bottom voice (all the down-stem notes). 5. When you are done it should look like this:
Volta
33
Volta brackets or first and second ending brackets are used to mark different endings for a repeat.
To place a volta bracket on the score drag-and-drop the item from the lines palette. The brackets can span more than one measure. Double click the volta to enter edit mode and then move the handles with: one measure right Shift+Right one measure left Shift+Left These commands move the "logical" start or end of the volta which determine the bracketed measures. Other commands in edit mode also move the handles but do not change how the repeat is played. If you move the handles, a dashed line from the logical position to the actual position is shown
Text
You can change the text and many other properties of a volta bracket using the Line Properties dialog. Right-click on a volta bracket and choose Line Properties.... If you are using version 0.9.3 or earlier then choose "Volta Properties..." The figure below shows the volta text as "1.-5."
Playback
34
Sometimes a repeat plays for more than two times. In the figure above the volta text indicates that it should play five times before it continues. If you want to change the number of times MuseScore plays a repeat then go to the measure containing the repeat bar line and change its Repeat Count (see Measure operations for details). In version 0.9.4 or earlier you can only place voltas on the top staff of a multi-part score. Otherwise you may encounter bugs such as the MuseScore crashing when you create parts (see bug report) or the anchor position moving when you reload the score.
35
Chapter 4
Play mode
MuseScore has an integrated sequencer and synthesizer to play your score. By pressing the Play button you enter Play mode. In Play mode the
following commands are available: Seek to previous chord Left Seek to next chord Right Seek to previous measure Ctrl+Left Seek to next measure Ctrl+Right Rewind to start of score Home Toggle show play panel F11 Press the play button again to stop and exit Play mode. MuseScore starts playback from the place it last left off. If you select a note then MuseScore starts from the newly selected note instead. The toolbar also has rewind button to quickly return to the beginning of the score for playback.
Play Panel
The Play Panel offers more controls over playback including tempo, starting position, and general volume. From the main menu choose Display Play Panel to open the Play Panel.
36
Troubleshooting
Version 0.9.5 or earlier: If you want to play instruments other than piano you have to change the MuseScore integrated SoundFont with a more capable one in Edit Preferences... I/O tab. See SoundFont for instructions. Sound on Ubuntu If you are having difficulty with sound on Ubuntu then it is recommended to upgrade to version 0.9.5 or later. Instructions for obtaining the latest release are on the download page of the website. If you have further problems feel free to use the forums.
SoundFont
MuseScore comes with a piano sound for play back. For more sounds, such as a violin or percussion, you need a General MIDI SoundFont.
Overview
A SoundFont file can store any number of instrument sounds. Many SoundFonts are available on the web. Look for one that covers the 128 sounds of General MIDI (GM). If you use a SoundFont that does not conform to the General MIDI standard then others may not hear the correct instruments when you share the score or save as MIDI. The file size and sound quality of SoundFonts available on the web varies. Larger SoundFonts often sound better but may be too large to run on your computer. If you find MuseScore runs slowly after installing a large SoundFont or your computer can't keep up during play back then look for a smaller SoundFont. Below are three popular GM SoundFonts of different sizes. FluidR3_GM.sf2 (141 MB uncompressed), download Fluid-soundfont.tar.gz (129 MB) MagicSF_ver2.sf2 (67.8 MB uncompressed), see Big SoundFonts TimGM6mb.sf2 (5.7 MB uncompressed), see Tim Brechbill's Timidity++ Download Site "Free SoundFont" section
37
Compression
Since SoundFont files are large they often are compressed into a variety of formats including .zip, .sfArk, and .tar.gz. You need to decompress these files before they can be used. ZIP is standard compression format supported by most operating systems. sfArk is a compression format designed especially for compressing SoundFont files. Use the special sfArk software to decompress it. .tar.gz is a popular compression format for Linux. Windows users can use 7-zip which supports a wide variety of compression formats. Note that you need apply decompression twice: once for GZip and once for TAR.
MuseScore settings
After finding and decompressing a SoundFont do not double click to open it since this does not set up MuseScore. Instead move the file to a folder of your choosing, start MuseScore, and follow the instructions below. Go to Display Synthesizer. If you are using version 0.9.5 or earlier then go to Edit Preferences... I/O tab. The initial SoundFont setting is :/data/piano1.sf2. Replace this with the location of your new SoundFont (.sf2) file. Click on the Open icon to browse for the file and open it. To apply changes click OK to exit the preferences panel. Quit and and reopen MuseScore for the changes to take affect
Troubleshooting
If the toolbar play panel is greyed out or not visible follow the instructions below to get your sound working again: 1. Make sure there is a check mark next to the Display Transport menu item. You can add or remove the check mark by clicking on the corresponding menu item. If this step does not solve your problem continue with the next step below 2. If the play panel disappears after changing the SoundFont go to Edit Preferences... I/O tab and click OK without making any changes, After restarting MuseScore the play panel should reappear. This is a known bug with versions 0.9.3 or earlier. If you are setting up a SoundFont for the first time please use one of the recommended SoundFonts listed above.
38
Tempo
Play back tempo can be changed via the play panel or via tempo text in the score.
Play panel
Display the play panel: Display Play Panel Change the Beats per Minute (bpm) using the Tempo (Tmp) slider
Tempo text
Select a note to indicate where the tempo text should be created From the main menu: Create Text... Tempo... Press OK to finish Note that in versions 0.9.3 or earlier it is not possible to change the tempo text or BPM from the initial Tempo Text dialog. However you can change both of these after you add a tempo text to the score. Existing tempo text can be changed by double clicking the text to enter edit mode. You can use the F2 palette to add a quarter note or another duration for a metronome mark in the tempo text.
Beats per minute (BPM) on existing tempo text can be adjusted by right clicking on the text and selecting Tempo Properties... Note: Tempo text in the score overrides a tempo setting in the play panel.
Mute and Solo Use the Mute check box to quickly silence certain staves. Alternatively use the Solo check box to silence all staves except the staff you mark as "solo".
39
Dials To turn a dials clockwise click and drag upwards. To turn a dial counter-clockwise (anti-clockwise) click and drag downwards. Sound The sound drop-down menu lists every instrument supported by your current SoundFont. This feature is not implemented in version 0.9.4 or earlier for Windows, but fixed in version 0.9.5.
Mid-staff change
In MuseScore some instruments can change sounds midway through a piece. For example strings can switch to pizzicato or tremolo and trumpet can switch to muted trumpet. The following instructions use muted trumpet as an example but the same principles apply to pizzicato or tremolo strings. 1. Select the first note of the muted section 2. From the main menu choose Create Text Staff Text 3. Type Mute (or an equivalent indication such as Con Sordino). At this point the staff text is for humans and does not affect playback in MuseScore 4. Right-click on the staff text and select Staff Text Properties... 5. In the Staff Text Properties dialog mark the Channel checkbox 6. In the Staff Text Properties dialog select mute 7. Click OK to return to the score Every note after the staff text you added now sounds muted. To return to an unmuted sound later in the piece follow the same guidelines as above except type Open in step 3 and select normal in step 6.
40
Chapter 5
Text
The previous chapter covers text that affects playback tempo, but there are many other types of text available in MuseScore: lyrics, chord names, dynamic markings, fingering, headings, plus many more. These are all accessible from the main menu via Create Text. For short generic text use staff or system text. The difference between these two texts is whether you want it to apply to a single staff or apply to the whole system.
Text editing
Double click on text to enter edit mode:
In text edit mode the following commands are available: Ctrl+B (Mac: +B) toggles bold face Ctrl+I (Mac: +I) toggles italic Ctrl+U (Mac: +U) toggles underline Up start superscript or end subscript if in subscript mode Down start subscript or end superscript if in superscript mode move cursor: Home End Left Right Backspace remove character to the left of the cursor Delete remove character to the right of the cursor Return start new line
41
F2 Show text palette. The text palette can be used to enter special characters and symbols. Text palette:
Text style
Text elements are created from a Text Style. This style defines the initial properties of text.
Text properties:
Font Family: name of the font such as "Times New Roman" or "Arial" Point Size: the size of the font in points Italic, Bold, Underline: font properties Anchor: page, time, notehead, system, staff Alignment: horizontal: left, right, center; vertical: top, bottom, center Offset: an offset to the normal anchor position Offset Type: mm, space, or percent of page size
Text types:
Title, Subtitle, Composer, Poet: anchored to page Fingering: Fingerings are anchored to note heads. Lyrics: Lyrics are anchored to a time position. Chord name: Chord names are also anchored to a time position.
Chord name
42
Chord names can be entered by first selecting a note and then pressing Ctrl+K. This creates a chord name text object for the selected chord. Type Space to move to the next chord. Shift+Space moves to the previous chord. Ctrl+Space enters a space into the chord name text. Chord names can be edited as normal text. To add a sharp type # and to add a flat type b. These characters will automatically turn into proper sharp or flat signs when you move to the next chord.
Jazz font
If you prefer a more handwritten appearance to the chord names in your score then versions 0.9.5 and later include a jazz font option.
1. From the main menu choose Style Edit Style... 2. From the left pane select Chord names 3. In the right pane replace the text chords.xml with jazzchords.xml
Fingering
Fingering can be added to notes by dragging a fingering character from the fingering palette to a note head in the score. When a note head is selected first, the fingering character can be added using a double click. Fingerings are normal text which can be edited like any other text. There is also a Fingering text style which can be used to define some (albeit crude) positioning.
Lyrics
1. First enter notes 2. Select first note 3. Type Ctrl+L and enter lyrics text for first note 4. Type Space at end of word to go next note 43
5. Type an hyphen - at end of syllable to go to next note. The syllables are connected with a dash 6. Shift+Space moves to the previous note 7. Enter (Mac: Return) moves down to the next lyric line
Special characters
Lyrics can be edited as normal text with the exception of a few characters. If you want to add a space, hyphen or underscore to a single syllable then use the following shortcuts. Ctrl+Space (Mac: +Space) enters a space into the lyrics text Ctrl+- (Mac: +-) enters a hyphen (-) into the lyrics text Mac only: +_ enters an underscore (_) into the lyrics text See also: Text, Chord name.
44
Chapter 6
Formatting
Break or spacer
Page breaks or line breaks (system breaks) are applied by dragging the corresponding symbol from the breaks palette to an empty space of a measure in the score. The break happens after the marked measure. The green break symbols are visible on the screen but do not appear on printouts.
Spacers are used to increase the space between two adjacent staves. Drag and drop a spacer to a measure above the area that needs more vertical space. Double click on the spacer and drag the handle using the mouse to adjust the height of the spacer. If you want to adjust the space between staves score-wide then use the style settings. Spacers are designed for local adjustments.
Frame
Frames provide empty space outside of normal measures. They can also contain text or pictures. MuseScore has two kinds of frames: Horizontal
45
Horizontal frames break a system. The width is adjustable and the height equals the system height. Horizontal frames can be used to separate a coda. Vertical
Vertical frames provide empty space between or before systems. The height is adjustable and the width equals the system width. Vertical frames are used to place title, subtitle or composer. If you create a title, a vertical frame is placed before the first measure automatically if it is not there already.
Create a frame
First select a measure. The command to insert a frame is found in the menu Create Measures . The frame is inserted before the selected measure.
Delete a frame
Select the frame and press Del.
Edit frame
Double click the frame to enter edit mode. A handle appears which can be used to drag the size of the frame. Title frame in edit mode:
46
47
Chapter 7
Support
This chapter describes how to find help using MuseScore: the best places to look, the best way to ask a question on the forums, and tips for reporting a bug.
This resets all MuseScore preferences to factory settings and immediately launches the MuseScore application. You can now quit Terminal, and 49
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, 2002-2010 Werner Schweer and others.
50