MuseScore 4 is a powerful music notation software that o ers many new features and

improvements over previous versions. Whether you’re composing, arranging, or simply

transcribing, MuseScore 4 is packed with tools to help you create high-quality music scores.
Here’s an extensive guide to get you started and explore the full potential of MuseScore 4.

MuseScore 4 Interface Overview

Home Screen

Upon launching MuseScore 4, you’ll see the following key elements:

• Start Center: Displays your recent scores and allows you to create new ones or
open existing les.
• File Options: New score, open existing score, and score templates.
• Recent Scores: A list of the scores you’ve recently worked on for easy access.

Main Interface (Score Editing Area)

When editing a score, the main interface consists of:

• Top Toolbar: Quick access to common actions such as creating a new score,
saving, printing, undoing, and redoing.
• Palettes (Left Sidebar): A collection of musical symbols and elements (clefs, time
signatures, articulations, dynamics, etc.) that you can drag and drop onto your score.
• Inspector (Right Sidebar): A context-sensitive panel that allows you to adjust
properties of selected elements (note heads, beams, text, etc.).
• Score Display Area: The main workspace where you edit your score.
• Playback Controls (Bottom Toolbar): Play, pause, stop, and control playback
options. The tempo slider is also here for adjusting playback speed.
• Mixer: Access the mixer to balance volumes and change sound fonts for
di erent instruments.
• Status Bar: Displays information about the current score and selected elements.

Creating a New Score

1. Open the Start Center and click “New Score” or choose File > New.
2. Score Setup: Enter the title, composer, and other details. You can also leave
them blank and ll them in later.
3. Instrument Selection: Choose the instruments for your score. MuseScore has an
extensive list of instruments organized by families (e.g., Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, etc.). You
can add, remove, and rearrange instruments as needed.
4. Time Signature, Key Signature, Pickup Measure: Set the default time signature
(e.g., 4/4), key signature, and whether the score should start with a pickup measure (an
incomplete rst measure).
5. Score Layout: Choose the number of measures and page layout options. You
can adjust the score’s appearance later in the process if necessary.

Inputting Notes

MuseScore 4 provides several methods for entering notes into the score:

Step-Time Note Input

1. Select a measure where you want to start.
2. Press “N” on your keyboard to enter note input mode.
3. Choose the note duration (e.g., whole note, quarter note, etc.) using the toolbar
or numeric shortcuts:
• 1: 64th note
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 • 2: 32nd note
• 3: 16th note
• 4: 8th note
• 5: Quarter note
• 6: Half note
• 7: Whole note
4. Use the keyboard letters (A–G) to input pitches. You can also use the arrow keys
to navigate through the score.
5. Use accidentals (#, ♭) as needed by selecting them from the palette or using the
keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+↑ for sharp, Ctrl+↓ for at).

Real-Time MIDI Input

If you have a MIDI keyboard, MuseScore 4 allows real-time note input:

1. Connect your MIDI device and go to Preferences > I/O to con gure it.
2. Press “N” to enter note input mode and select the Real-Time (Manual/
Automatic) mode from the toolbar.
3. Play notes on your MIDI keyboard, and MuseScore will record them in real-time,
adjusting the note durations based on your input.

Adding Dynamics, Articulations, and Symbols

Dynamics (e.g., p, mf, f)

1. Open the Dynamics palette on the left sidebar.
2. Drag the dynamic marking to the desired note or measure.
3. To adjust the e ect of the dynamic, select it and use the Inspector to ne-tune
volume, velocity range, and more.

Articulations (e.g., staccato, accent, tenuto)

1. Open the Articulations palette.
2. Drag and drop articulations onto the notes you want to modify.
3. Customize articulation behavior (duration, velocity) in the Inspector.

Other Symbols

MuseScore 4 o ers a variety of musical symbols, including ornaments, trills, glissandi, and
slurs. These can be found in the respective palettes and can be easily applied by dragging
them onto notes or measures.

Working with Text and Lyrics

Adding Text (Title, Composer, and Other Information)

1. Select the area (measure or note) where you want to add text.
2. Use the Text options in the toolbar, such as Sta Text (Ctrl+T), System Text
(Ctrl+Shift+T), and other text types.
3. To edit text formatting (font, size, alignment), use the Inspector on the right.

Adding Lyrics
1. Select a note where you want the lyrics to begin.
2. Press Ctrl+L to start entering lyrics under the notes.
3. Type the lyrics, pressing the spacebar to move to the next note and hyphen to
divide syllables across multiple notes.
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Playback and Sounds

MuseScore 4 has introduced improved playback functionality, featuring more realistic sounds
via the Muse Sounds library.

Basic Playback
1. Use the playback controls at the bottom to play your score.
2. You can adjust the tempo using the slider or by clicking the tempo text in the
score itself.

Muse Sounds
1. Muse Sounds o er high-quality orchestral, piano, and choral sound libraries.
They are downloaded separately and integrated with MuseScore 4.
2. You can access the Mixer to assign di erent sound fonts to instruments and
adjust volume levels for balance.

Using the Mixer

1. Open the Mixer (F10) to control individual instrument volumes, mute/solo tracks,
and change sound fonts.
2. The Pan control allows you to position instruments within the stereo eld,
simulating a real ensemble setup.

Formatting and Layout Adjustments

MuseScore 4 provides extensive options for formatting your score, ensuring it looks
professional and is easy to read.

Page Layout
1. Go to Format > Page Settings to adjust page size, margins, and scaling.
2. You can choose between standard A4, Letter, or custom sizes.

Adjusting Measure Spacing

1. Select Format > Style to access the style editor.
2. In the Measure section, you can control the distance between measures, the
number of measures per system, and spacing between staves.

Line Breaks and System Breaks

To force a line break or system break, select a barline and press Enter. This is useful for
ensuring a clean, organized layout.

Exporting Your Score

Once your score is complete, you can export it in various formats for sharing or printing.

PDF Export
1. Go to File > Export and choose PDF as the format to create a print-ready
version of your score.
2. You can also print directly from MuseScore using File > Print.

Audio Export
1. Export your score as an audio le (WAV, MP3, OGG) using File > Export and
selecting the desired audio format.
2. MuseScore will use its playback sounds to render the audio.
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MusicXML Export

For interoperability with other music notation software, MuseScore 4 supports MusicXML
export. This format is useful if you’re collaborating with people using di erent software.

Advanced Features

Plugins

MuseScore 4 allows users to enhance its functionality through plugins:

1. Go to Plugins > Plugin Manager to enable or disable installed plugins.
2. The plugin repository includes tools for harmonic analysis, microtonal notation,
and more.

Playback with External VST Plugins

MuseScore 4 now supports VST and other audio plugins for more advanced playback and
sound manipulation:
1. Install VST plugins and con gure them in MuseScore’s preferences.
2. Use the Mixer to assign VST instruments or e ects to your score’s instruments.

Keyboard Shortcuts

MuseScore 4 has a wide array of keyboard shortcuts for increased e ciency:

• Ctrl+S for saving
• Ctrl+Z for undo
• Ctrl+Shift+Z for redo
• Ctrl+P for print
• Ctrl+L for lyrics

You can customize or create new shortcuts via Edit > Preferences > Shortcuts.

Final Tips and Best Practices

• Save Frequently: Use Ctrl+S regularly to avoid losing work.
• Use Versions: Save di erent versions of your score by adding version numbers
or dates to your le names.
• Regularly Update: MuseScore is frequently updated, so ensure you have the
latest version to bene t from new features and bug xes.
• Explore the Community: The MuseScore community o ers forums, tutorials, and
a vast library of shared scores.

With this guide, you should be able to explore most of MuseScore 4’s features. From creating
and formatting a score to advanced playback and exporting, MuseScore o ers powerful tools
for musicians of all levels. Enjoy composing and notating your music!
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