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Key signatures are applied from the Key signatures palette.
When creating a new score, the initial key signature can be set on the second page of the New Score dialog. The default is C major/A minor, which will be used if you skip this page.
To add a key signature, or replace an existing one:
Select a measure, note or rest, or key signature in the score
Click a key signature in the Key signatures palette.
Alternatively, drag a key signature directly from the palette onto the measure where you want it to appear.
Currently, key signature changes can only occur at the beginning of a measure (except for local key signatures).
Though they most commonly appear at the start of a measure, key signature changes can occur on any note or rest within a measure.
Note: It is also possible, though uncommon, to add a key-signature mid measure by selecting a note then clicking a palette key signature, or dragging the key signature to a note.
To delete a key signature, select it and press Del.
You cannot delete the key signature at the very beginning of a score, and MuseScore Studio will give an error if you try. This is because it is impossible to know whether you want a C major/A minor key signature, or an 'open/atonal' one. Instead, add the key signature you want to the first bar from the palette.
To toggle whether key signatures should be shown on a particular staff (throughout the score):
Right-click the staff and choose Staff/Part properties... from the context menu
Click the Advanced style properties... button
Check/uncheck the Show key signature box.
Note that the music is still notated as though the key signatures are in effect, even though they are not drawn. To remove a key signature from a particular staff and notate the pitches with accidentals instead, apply a local key signature of the open/atonal type to that staff instead.
Usually, key signatures are repeated at the start of each system after the point where they first appear. To change this:
Open the Style dialog (Format -> Style)
Select Clefs, key & time signatures from the list on the left
Under Key signatures, select an option for Visibility:
Show on every system is the default behaviour
Hide after the first system where they appear will suppress the automatic restatement of key signatures on subsequent systems.
To hide a specific key signature on all staves:
Select the key signature
In the Properties panel, under General, uncheck the Visible toggle (or simply press V).
Note that the key signature will still appear on subsequent systems, unless you disable this behaviour (see above).
For controlling visibility of courtesy key signatures, see Courtesy key signatures, below.
Sometimes you may need a different key signature to the global one on certain staves. We refer to this as a 'local' key signature.
Unlike global key signatures, local key signatures can be applied to any note or rest within the measure, not just to the beginning.
To add a local key signature, add it (either by dragging from the palette to the required place, or selecting the measure, or a note or rest within it, and clicking a key signature in the palette) while holding Ctrl (Mac: Cmd).
If you have a global key signature but do not want the change to apply to a specific staff, you can delete it on that staff only:
Hold Ctrl (Mac: Cmd) and click the key signature on the desired staff
Press Del.
Normally, when a key signature change falls at the start of a system, a courtesy (also called cautionary) is shown at the end of the previous system.
To disable or re-enable all courtesy key signatures throughout the score:
Open the Style dialog (Format -> Style)
Select Clefs, key & time signatures from the list on the left
Under Key signatures, check/uncheck the Show courtesy key signatures box.
To hide or show an individual courtesy key signature:
Select the parent key signature (i.e. not the courtesy itself)
In the Properties panel, under Key signature, check/uncheck the Show courtesy key signature on previous system box.
When working with a transposed score or part (i.e. with Concert pitch turned off), care must be taken when applying key signatures. All key signatures are 'sounding pitch', so, for example, if you wish to achieve a 'written' D major key signature in a B flat clarinet part, you need to apply a C major key signature (since the clarinet is written a tone higher than it sounds).
Some instruments (e.g. French horn, timpani) are conventionally written with no key signatures. To achieve this, add an open/atonal local key signature to the staff. This is already done in scores created from templates.
An open/atonal key signature looks like a C major/A minor one, but unlike all the other key signatures it is unaffected by transposition.
If you need a key signature that is not available in the palette, you can create your own using the Create Key Signature dialog. You can access this dialog from the Key signatures palette:
In the Key signatures palette, click More
Click the Create key signature button in the popup
Or, from the Master Palette:
Select View -> Master palette from the menu bar, or press Shift+F9
Choose Key signatures from the list in the left of the dialog.
To create your key signature in this dialog, simply drag accidentals from the bottom of the dialog onto the staff above as required. Note:
To adjust the vertical position of an accidental on the staff, simply drag it up or down
The accidentals are automatically spaced from left to right in the order you add them. If you want to move them horizontally, hold Ctrl (Mac: Cmd) and drag them left or right
To remove an accidental, select it and press Del
To remove all accidentals, click the Clear button.
To add the new time signature to the Key signatures palette, click the Add button. You can now add it to the score from the palette in the usual way.
You can set the mode of a key signature (major, minor, Dorian, etc) if required:
Select a key signature
In the Properties panel, under Key signature, select an option from the Mode dropdown.
MuseScore Studio does not currently do anything with this information, and the default setting is Unknown. However, it is included when exporting to MusicXML, where it may be relevant.
There are some more global style settings for key signatures available in the style dialog (Format -> Style):
In Measures, under Padding, some settings to configure the distances between key signatures and other items:
Clef to key signature
Key signature to time signature
Barline to key signature
Key signature to barline
In Accidentals:
Naturals in key signatures lets you specify when cancelling naturals should be shown in key signature changes
In Measures, under System header, one more distance setting:
Clef/key signature to first note (this only applies at the beginning of a system)
In Barlines, Use double barlines before key signatures has three options:
Always: always use a double barline
Never: always use a single barline
Only before courtesy key signatures: use a double barline before courtesies, but a single barline otherwise
Octave (Ottava) lines are used to indicate that a section of music is to be played one or more octaves above or below written pitch; the line may be dotted or solid:
8--------┐or 8va--------┐: Play one octave above written pitch. 8--------┘or 8va--------┘: Play one octave below written pitch.
8va alta/bassa lines are particularly common in piano scores, though they are sometimes used in other instrumental music. 15ma alta (2 octaves above) and 15ma bassa (2 octaves below) are also occasionally used.
MuseScore automatically adjusts playback of the score under the ottava to the correct pitch.
Ottava lines may be found in the Lines palette.
See Adding a line to your score.
To adjust the range and vertical position of the line, see Adjusting elements directly.
Properties specific to the selected ottava(s) can be adjusted in the Ottava section of the Properties panel, namely:
Type: Specifies whether the Ottava line is 8va, 8vb etc. Show number only: Hides any text (such as “va”). Show line: Makes the line visible / invisible. Text is unaffected. Allow diagonal: Allow line to slope if required.
For other properties in this tab, see Line properties.
This has a similar user interface to general lines (see Line properties), but uses special code to specify the ottava text.
Default properties for ottavas can be adjusted in Format→Style→Ottava.
Transposition is the act of raising or lowering the pitch of a selection of notes by the same interval.
In MuseScore, you can transpose your music using keyboard shortcuts, or via the Transpose dialog.
To transpose with keyboard shortcuts, first select a range of notes (See Selecting elements). Then use one of the following options, depending on how you need to transpose your music:
Press ↑ or ↓ to move the selection up/down in semitone steps
Press Alt+Shift+↑/↓ to move the selection up/down in scale degrees (Mac: ⌥+Shift+↑/↓).
Press Ctrl+↑/↓ to move the selection up/down in octave steps (Mac: ⌘+↑/↓).
The Transpose dialog gives you more control over transposition, with options to transpose to selected keys or by specific intervals.
First select a range of notes you wish to transpose. (See Selecting elements). If no selection is made, the whole score is automatically selected for transposition.
Then open the dialog by selecting Tools → Transpose...
When this is selected, you can choose to transpose to a specific key, or by specified interval.
Select To key
Select whether to transpose to the Closest key (relative to the current key signature of the selection), or Up or Down to the destination key signature
Choose your destination key signature from the drop down menu
Leave Transpose key signatures selected to transpose any existing key signatures in your selection (deselecting this will leave any existing key signatures unchanged)
Leave Transpose chord symbols selected to transpose any existing chord symbols in your selection (deselecting this will leave any existing chord symbols unchanged)
Click OK
To transpose selected notes up or down in semitone increments:
Select By interval
Select whether to transpose your selection Up or Down by the specified interval
Select the transposition interval from the drop down menu
Select options for Transpose key signatures and Transpose chord symbols as required (see above)
Click OK
Select this to transpose the selection by a specified interval without changing the existing key signature(s). Note: the intervallic relationships between pitches in your selection will change as a result!
Select Transpose Diatonically
Select whether to transpose your selection Up or Down by the specified interval
Leave Keep degree alterations selected to retain any accidentals in the selection (Note: accidentals will be modified relative to the existing key signature. Note also: Deselecting this will remove any existing accidentals upon transposition)
Leave Transpose chord symbols selected to transpose any existing chord symbols in your selection (see above)
Click OK
Transposing instruments (such as the clarinet, French horn, trumpet etc.) are notated at a different pitch (and key signature) to how they sound. The notated pitch is called the written pitch, while the actual pitch is called concert or sounding pitch.
By default the program is displayed with all the staves at written pitch. However, if you wish to view the score at concert pitch just check the "Concert pitch" box (to the left of the tuning fork icon) in the status bar.
When you set up a score in the New Score, or Add or remove instruments dialogs, transposed key signatures are automatically applied to any transposing instruments. However if for any reason you need to set up the staff transposition manually, this is how to do it.
Right-click on the instrument staff and select Staff/Part properties;
Next to "Transpose" in the lower part of the dialog, select the interval that the instrument sounds above/below concert pitch. (Music for the Bb clarinet, for example, is written a tone above its sounding pitch and the transpose setting is therefore a major second down.)\
Click OK.
The correct transposed key signature will now appear on the staff.
The enharmonic spelling of the transposed key signature, whether in sharps or flats, is set in Staff/Part properties (see Setting the interval of transposition ).
To change the enharmonic spelling of pitches in the score, see Change spelling.
This chapter discusses the appearance of noteheads in MuseScore.
One aspect of music notation systems is notehead scheme. A scheme is a set of rules used to decide notehead shape's meaning, some of which are supported in MuseScore. Supported schemes relate notehead meaning to a note's:
duration: as in the most widely used scheme.
pitch (using movable-do or absolute pitch solfege): literally written on it, and
pitch (relative pitch using shape note solfege): as in "shape note notation" (see reference under External links).
The most widely used scheme is very likely the only one known to most musicians. It is referred to as "Normal" in MuseScore and is the default setting for a new staff. Details of the nine schemes available in MuseScore are covered in Custom staff types:Notehead scheme.
Understanding relative pitch notations (shape note solfege, shape note notation) can enhance the reader's comprehension of this chapter. Most of the time, a notehead shape conveys one specific meaning, and that meaning is only associated with one notehead shape. Shape note solfege is like a variant of movable-do solfege that belongs to the exceptions. For example, in one type of "shape note notation", a triangle must be used to notate a relatively pitched "C4", but triangles are also read as relatively pitched "C"s or "F"s only, and triangles must sing "Fa" or a syllable agree upon by singers on-site. The loosely related shape note solfege notates interval perception much better than the "Normal" setting.
\ _Shown above, the diamond notehead can be used for harmonic notes in guitar, violin etc; and slash notehead for guitar strums etc. The cross is also known as crosshead, ghost note, or dead note._
Final display of notehead shape in MuseScore is determined by three factors: the notehead type factor, the pitch factor, and the duration factor (or note-value, rhythm).
Note pitch may affect affect notehead shape, depending on the scheme, but it only happens on note(s) that do not use an overriding Notehead type property. See "Notehead type factor" section. "Normal" notehead scheme does not use pitch to determine notehead shape.
The duration factor is determined by a note's duration. To edit duration see Entering notes and rests and Editing notes and rests chapters. It also can be visually overridden for an individual note, while keeping the real value and playback intact.
Options available for notehead type factor depends on staff type:
On Standard staffs (type 1a, type 1b), there are three levels:
Level 1 Notehead scheme of a staff : Default is "Normal".
Level 2 Notehead scheme of a note (option named "Notehead System" in Musescore 4.1.1):
The default option "Auto" means "ignore this level".
Other options: scheme to use on this note, overrides Level 1.
Level 3 Notehead type property of a note. Affects notehead shape if and only if the result scheme of Level 1 and Level 2 is "Normal".
Tablatures (type 2) do not use notes. To change selected fret number(s) into crosshead, click the cross item in the Noteheads palettes. To enclose selected fret number(s) with brackets (parentheses, dead note or ghost note), use Shift+X. Only the first two items of Noteheads palettes works on Tablatures.
On percussion staffs (type 3), instrument (like snare or hi-hat, not the "drumset" MuseScore Instrument) determines the notehead type factor. See Entering and editing percussion notation: Notehead shape chapter.
Notehead scheme is used to determine notehead shape unless overridden by individual note's Notehead type property. When notehead scheme is not overridden, note pitch may affect notehead shape, depending on the scheme. "Normal" notehead scheme does not use pitch to determine notehead shape. When a note uses an overriding Notehead type property, note pitch information does not affect notehead shape at all.
Notehead type factor
(Valid on standard staffs only) To change level 1 notehead scheme of a single staff, affecting all notes:
Right click on an empty part of the desired staff and select Staff/Part properties.
Click on the Advanced style properties button (opens Edit Staff Type window).
Select an option in Notehead scheme dropdown.
(Valid on standard staffs only) To change level 2 notehead scheme of note(s):
Select note(s) on a score.
In the Properties panel, open Note: Head tab.
select an option from the Notehead system dropdown (you may need to click "Show more" at the bottom of the panel to reveal it): the default "Auto" means "ignore this level".
(Valid on standard staffs only) To change level 3 notehead type property:
Select note(s) on a score.
Use one of the following:
In Properties panel, open Note: Head tab, select a Notehead type, or
Click on an item in the Noteheads palettes, or drag it onto a notehead in the score.
To change selected fret number(s) into crosshead, click the cross item in the Noteheads palettes. To enclose selected fret number(s) with brackets (parentheses, dead note or ghost note), use Shift+X.
To change noteheads on percussion staffs, see Entering and editing percussion notation: Notehead shape chapter.
Duration factor
To change note duration, see Entering notes and rests and Editing notes and rests.
To change the apparent duration without altering real value so that playback is not affected:
Select note(s) on a score.
In the Properties panel, open Note: Head tab.
Select the desired option from the Override visual duration (you may need to click "Show more" at the bottom of the panel to reveal it): the default "Auto" means "no override"
\ _shown above 7 Shape (Aikin), a "shape note notation"_
There are six methods to change "pitch".
Most of the time, a note's pitch only affects its staff space / vertical position, to change it:
Change note pitch, see Entering notes and rests and Editing notes and rests.
Modify the playback pitch of note(s) on score without altering notation: In Properties panel, click General: Playback , edit Tuning (cents). This is useful for reasons explained in Musescore 3 Handbook's Tuning systems, microtonal notation system, and playback. Does not work on instruments using Muse sounds (yet) on Musescore 4.1.1
Tablatures, percussion staffs and some notehead scheme (see Overview) use notehead shape to convey pitch information:
[not working yet, upcoming fixed 4.3 https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/issues/16500 ] The brackets (parentheses, dead note or ghost note) item in Noteheads palettes can be added to a note or accidental.
To change selected fret number(s) into crosshead, click the cross item in the Noteheads palettes. To enclose selected fret number(s) with brackets (parentheses, dead note or ghost note), use Shift+X.
To use custom notehead shape for visual pitch representation:
Change level 1 setting as required for the staff.
Use a level 2 overriding setting on selected note(s):
Select note(s) on a score.
In the Properties panel, open Note: Head tab.
Select an "Normal" from the Notehead system dropdown (you may need to click "Show more" at the bottom of the panel to reveal it).
Assign level 3 notehead type property. Use either one of the following:
In Properties panel, open Note: Head tab, select a Notehead type, or
Click on an item in the Noteheads palettes, or drag it onto a notehead in the score.
These note(s) will be always use this item, regardless of any future pitch change by user unlike other notes on this staff.
Change duration factor as required.
To loosen the relationship between note vertical position and pitch so that all notes on a staff create desired playback, take advantage of 'Transposing instruments' feature.
To move notehead(s) horizontally to the other side of stem, use one of the following:
Press Shift+X, or
In Properties panel, open Note: Head tab, select a Notehead direction (you may need to click "Show more" at the bottom of the panel to reveal it).\
(Note: Contrast this command with X which moves the stem and beam horizontally and vertically to other side of the notehead)
Selecting a note(s) on score, in the Properties panel Note: Head tab :
Notehead parentheses: Add or remove parentheses.
Notehead type: See overview and changing notehead shape.
Hide notehead: Makes notehead invisible, see Properties: visibility.
Small notehead
Duration dot position: This provides an alternative vertical offset for the duration dot.
Show more / Show less button
Notehead system: level 2 Notehead scheme, see Overview. The default "Auto" means "ignore this level".
Override visual duration: change duration factor, see Overview. "Auto" means "no override".
Note direction: See Changing notehead direction (above).
Notehead offset: This changes the offset of the notehead only (to change the offset of the complete note, use "Offset" in Properties: Appearance instead).
There are 8 font options (two new options compared to MuseScore 3) for notehead set in Format→Style→Score. Notehead does not use style profiles (Templates and styles). Noteheads palette is displayed with Bravura font.
When two notes in different voices coincide on the same beat, they can either share a single notehead, or else be offset to allow the display of both noteheads. This is done automatically by MuseScore according to certain rules (see below).
To force two offset noteheads in different voices to share a single notehead, use one of the following methods:
Make the smaller-value notehead invisible. This works for the majority of cases.
Select the smaller value notehead and in the Note section of the Properties toolbar change "Head type (visual only)" to that of the higher value note.
Rules for automatically sharing or offsetting noteheads:
Notes with stems in the same direction do not share noteheads.
Dotted notes do not share noteheads with undotted notes.
Black notes do not share noteheads with white notes.
Whole notes never share noteheads.
If you are using paired standard and tablature staves you will come across situations where a shared notehead in the standard staff generates two fretmarks in tablature. In this case simply hide one of the fretmarks by making it invisible.
An ambitus indicates the range of notes included within a stave. It is used to indicate the appropriate voice for a particular part. See Wikipedia: Ambitus.
To create an ambitus choose one of the following methods:
Select the desired start clef and click on the ambitus symbol in either the Pitch or Lines palette.
Drag the ambitus symbol from either the Pitch or Lines palette and drop it onto the desired start clef.
The top and bottom notes of the range can be manually adjusted via Properties.
Four different properties of the ambitus can be manually altered: 1. style: vertical or diagonal 2. notehead type 3. notehead duration 4. line thickness of the line joining the two noteheads
Clefs are applied to the score from the "Clefs" palette.
MuseScore automatically applies the most appropriate clef(s) for the instrument when creating a new score. You can easily change this from the score window if needed.
To change a clef at the start of a system, use one of the following:
Select the first measure in the system and click a clef symbol in the palette.
Drag a clef from the palette onto the first system measure.
Select the clef and click a clef in the palette.
Drag a new clef from the palette onto the clef.
To add/change a mid-measure clef before a note, use one of the following:
Click on the note, then click a clef in the palette.
Drag a clef from a palette onto the note
To add/change a mid-measure clef in front of a barline, use one of the following:
Select the following measure and click a palette clef.
Drag a clef from a palette onto the following measure.
Notes: (1) “Mid-staff” clefs are always smaller than the main system clef. (2) Notes after a clef change are automatically repositioned so that they continue to sound at the original pitch.
To delete a clef, just select it and press Del. Note that clefs at the beginning of systems cannot be deleted.
To hide/show clefs at the beginning of all systems except the first:
From the menu bar, select Format→Style→Page;
Uncheck/check Create clef for all systems.
Mid-measure clefs are unaffected.
To hide/show all clefs on a selected staff:
Right-click on a measure;
Choose "Staff/Part properties";
In the dialog, uncheck "Show clef".
This affects clefs at the start of a system and mid-measure.
To hide/show courtesy clefs:
From the menu bar, select Format→Style→Page;
Uncheck/Check the Create courtesy clefs.
If courtesy clefs are enabled, you can still hide an individual courtesy clef as follows:
Select the relevant standard clef;
In the Properties panel, uncheck/check Show courtesy clef on previous system.
[To be added]
[To be added]
See Courtesy clefs (above).
Clefs applied to an entire measure or the first note in a measure are shown before the barline.
To move the clef after the barline: 1. Select the clef 2. Open the Properties panel 3. Under Position relative to barline, choose After
To replace the first clef in a score, see Add/Change a start clef.
Tablature users can select the type of TAB clef displayed:
From the menu, select Format→Style→Clefs
Set the default TAB clef to "Standard" or "Serif" as required.
Other style properties are available in Format→Style→Page, namely:
Create clef for all systems Create courtesy clefs
For details, see Controlling the visibility of clefs (above).
To change the enharmonic spelling of a note, or notes, in both written and concert pitch views:
Select a note, or group of notes;
Press J;
Continue pressing J to cycle through the enharmonic equivalents.
To change the enharmonic spelling in the written pitch view, without affecting the concert pitch view, or vice versa:
Select a note, or group of notes;
Press Ctrl+J (Mac: Cmd+J);
Continue pressing the same combination of keys to cycle through the enharmonic equivalents.
Note: If the pitches of selected notes are not all the same, the effect may be unpredictable.
From the menu, select Tools→Respell Pitches.
