Programari lliure de notació musical i composició


Retrieved from http://musescore.org on Fri, 02/04/2011

Manual

This handbook is for MuseScore version 0.9.2 and above. In order to help improving or translating the handbook, leave a post in the MuseScore documentation forum and apply to become a handbook contributor.

Com començar

This chapter helps you install and run MuseScore for the first time. The chapter will also show you how to create a new score.

Instal·lació

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.

install-wizard-1-winxp.png
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.
install-wizard-finish-winxp.png

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.
screenshot-demo-score.png

Linux

This guide is written primarily for users of the K Desktop Environment (KDE), used in Linux systems such as SUSE or Kubuntu, with instructions in brackets (...) for users of the GNOME Desktop Environment, used in Linux systems such as Ubuntu or Fedora.

Install MuseScore

The project source is available at http://www.musescore.org/en/download but you will usually find a suitable binary package in the repository of your distribution.
In Ubuntu, MuseScore is located in the "universe" repository. The universe repository must be enabled, if you want to install MuseScore.
To output sounds you have the option to use ALSA or the JACK sound server. Which one works (better) depends on the individual system.

Follow these steps to install MuseScore:

  1. Open Add/Remove Software (in Gnome: Add/Remove Programs)
  2. Under the category Multimedia (in Gnome: Sound & Video), select MuseScore
  3. select the package "JACK Control" too.
  4. Click on Preview (only KDE)
  5. Click on Apply Changes

Setting up the JACK server

Open the "JACK Audio Connection Kit" and select Setup.

  1. Under the audio tab deselect "realtime"
  2. If you use ALSA audio, set the driver to "ALSA" and set the I/O device to “hw:0” (hw:Zero)
    In some systems, OSS might work but ALSA doesn't.
    If you use OSS audio, set the driver to "oss" and set the I/O device to "/dev/audio".
  3. Apply the changes and start the JACK server

Setting up MuseScore

Follow these steps to set up MuseScore:

  1. Open Muse Score, which is under Multimedia in the main menu (in Gnome: Sound & Video)
  2. Open the Edit menu and select Preferences
  3. Under the I/O tab:
    1. Ensure that "Use internal synthesizer" is checked
    2. Ensure that your SoundFont is /usr/share/sounds/sf2/FluidR3_GM.sf2 - this is the default - or select your private SoundFont if you have installed additional ones
    3. If you use ALSA audio, set the driver to "ALSA" and set the device to hw:0 (hw:Zero)
      In the other case deselect ALSA and activate the JACK audio server
  4. Click Apply, and then click OK
  5. Close MuseScore and then open it again to start writing your music

Comment

  • Your music player of choice, such as Amarok or Rhythmbox, cannot play music at the same time that JACK is running. You will need to stop your music, or even perhaps close your music player, to start the JACK server. However, to play music again, one simply needs to press Stop on JACK to use your music player again.
    If you try to start the Jack server while listening to a playback, the JACK Connection GUI may hang.
  • If you encounter problems with MIDI, it may be that your system is not set up to play MIDI. In a Console or Terminal, run the following commands:
    sudo modprobe snd-seq
    sudo su -c 'echo snd-seq >> /etc/modules'
  • Especially the Jack server is a tricky thing that might hang if not configured properly. If you encounter any problems that this handbook was unable to solve, please consult any or all of the following web pages:
    • https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudioPreparation
    • https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToQjackCtlConnections
    • https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToJACKConfiguration

Crear nova partitura

From the main menu choose File → New.... This opens the new score wizard.

Title, composer and other information

New Score wizard: Title and other text

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.

Instruments and voice parts

New Score wizard: Add instruments

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.

Time signature, pickup, and number of measures

New Score wizard: Time signature and measure options

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.

Adjustments to score after creation

You can change any settings specified during the new score wizard even after you start working on the score.

  • To add or delete measures or create a pickup see Measure operations
  • To change any text see Text editing. To add a missing Title (or other text item) use the menu Create → Text → Title (or other text item)
  • To add, delete, or change the order of instruments use the menu Create → Instruments....

See also: Key signature, time signature, clef.

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.

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.

Conceptes bàsics

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.

Entrada de notes

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
  • .: 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
Notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

Space creates a rest: C D Space E
C, D, rest, E

Notes are added to chords by holding Shift and entering a note name: C D Shift+F Shift+A E F
C, D minor triad, 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)
Dotted quarter note: C, Eight notes: D, E, F, G, A

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.

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.

Copiar i enganxar

MuseScore can copy individual notes or large selections of music. The 0.9.4 release includes many improvements to copy-paste including support for shift-drag selections. Copy-paste in versions 0.9.3 or earlier is limited to full measures and difficult to use (see below for instructions).

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

Paste

  1. Click on the note or measure that you want your pasted selection to begin
  2. From the menu choose Edit → Paste

Instructions for 0.9.3 or earlier

Copy

  1. Click on an empty part of a measure to select the entire measure (a blue rectangle highlights the selection)
  2. If you want to extend the selection then Shift+click on the empty part of another measure
  3. From the menu choose Edit → Copy

Paste

  1. Click on the empty part of the measure you want to paste into
  2. From the menu choose Edit → Paste

Mode d'edició

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:

Sample 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
  • 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

Operacions de compàs

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

To delete a measure you have to first select it in a special way. 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....

Measure properties dialog

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. A pickup (upbeat) measure can have a shorter actual duration.

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.

Break multi-measure rests

This property separates a multi-measure rest at the current measure. If the current measure contains a change of time signature then MuseScore marks this property automatically.

Paleta

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

Desfer i refer

MuseScore has unlimited undo/redo functions.

The standard shortcuts are:

  • Undo Ctrl+Z (Mac: ⌘+Z)
  • Redo Ctrl+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y (Mac: ⌘+Shift+Z)

Or use the toolbar buttons:

Undo/Redo buttons

Exportar

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 loose 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.
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)
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.

Notació

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.

Alteracions

Accidentals can be set or changed by dragging an accidental symbol from the accidental palette to a note in the score.
Accidentals palette

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.

The menu function Notes → Pitch spell tries to guess the right accidentals for the whole score.

Arpegis

Arpeggios are set by dragging an arpeggio symbol from the arpeggio palette to a note of a chord.

Arpeggio Palette

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

Arpeggio spanning two staves

Barres de compàs

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.

Bar Line palette

To hide a bar line entirely right-click on the line and choose Set Invisible.

Create grand staff

To extend bar lines over multiple staves double click on a bar line to edit it (see Edit mode).

Bar Line edit mode

Click and drag the blue square down to the next staff.
Display of all staff bar lines updates when you leave edit mode.

Grand staff

See also: Measure operations

Grups de notes

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.
Beam Palette

You can also first select a note and then double click the appropriate symbol in the beam palette.
Start beam button Start a beam at this note.
Middle of beam button Do not end a beam a this note.
No beam button Do not beam this note.
Second level beam button Start a second level beam at this note.

See also: Cross staff beaming

Claudàtors

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.
Brackets Palette

Change

Drag a bracket symbol from the bracket palette to an bracket in the score.

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.

Respiracions

To place a breath symbol drag it from the breath palette to a note in the score. The breath symbol is placed before the note.
Breath Palette

Breath symbol in score:
Breath

Claus

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.

Clefs palette

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.

Grups de notes entre pentagrames

In piano scores it is common to use both staves (bass and treble clef) to write a musical phrase.
This can be entered in MuseScore as follows:

First enter all notes in one staff:
Beamed notes in upper staff

Ctrl+Shift+Down moves the selected note or chord to the next staff (Mac: ⌘+Shift+Down.)
Selected note moved to lower staff

See also: Bar line for cross-staff bar lines (i.e. grand staff).

Notació de percussió

Example drum notation:
Sample 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 the 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

Notes de gràcia

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 notes palette to a regular note on the score.

grace-palette.png

See also: Grace note at Wikipedia

Reguladors

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:
    One-measure crescendo
  2. Double click switches to edit mode:
    Crescendo shows handles and anchors in edit mode
  3. Shift+Right moves end anchor:
    Crescendo anchor extends to the next note
  4. Right moves end point:
    Crescendo visually extends beyond anchor point

Armadures

Key signatures are created or changed by dragging a key symbol from the key palette to a measure or existing key signature.
Keys palette

F9 toggles the palette window.

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.

Línies

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.

Lines palette

Change length

  1. If you are in note entry mode then press N to leave note entry
  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

See also: Hairpin, Volta (1st and 2nd endings)

Silenci de compàs

When an entire measure is devoid of notes, a full measure (semibreve) 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.

Repeticions

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" play-repeats.png 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.

Repeats palette contains the symbols for measure repeat, segno and coda. It also contains 'D.S.', 'D.C.', and Fine text.

Lligadures d'expresió

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:
    First note selected
  2. S creates a slur:
    Slur to adjacent note
  3. Shift+Right moves the slur end to the next note:
    Three-note slur
  4. X flips the slur direction:
    Slur above note stems
  5. Escape ends Slur Edit mode:
    Slur no longer in edit mode

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.

See also: Tie, Edit mode.

Lligadures

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:
First note selected

+ creates a tie: (In version 0.9.3 or earlier the shortcut is Shift+S)
Slur to adjacent 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.

Indicacions de compàs

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).

Time Signature sidebar palette

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.

Create new time signatures

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.

Tremolos

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).

Tremolo palette

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 (quavers). After dragging a tremolo symbol to the first note the note values automatically double to half notes.

Grups irregulars

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:
Quarter note selected

Ctrl+3 creates a triplet:
Triplet eight note followed by rests

which can be further edited
Three triplet eight notes

Note entry mode

Tuplet entry works a little differently in note entry mode than the method outlined above. In version 0.9.5 or later you must take care of duration first then enter the pitches afterward. Below are step-by-step instructions for making triplet eight notes.

  1. Begin note entry mode
  2. Make sure the note entry marker is in the place that you want to start the tuplet (use the right and left arrow keys if necessary)
  3. Select a quarter note duration from the toolbar to specify the duration of the entire tuplet
  4. Notes → Tuplets → Triplet to specify the type of tuplet
  5. Notice that an eighth note duration is automatically selected. Click on the staff to add pitches

Properties

To change the display properties of a tuplet right click on the tuplet number and choose Tuplet Properties....
Tuplet Properties dialog

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.

Tuplet with a 5:6 ratio and auto beam

Veus

Note: The MuseScore implementation of voices in 0.9.4 is not yet complete and subject to change.

Enter multiple voices per staff:

  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.Voice 1 notes
  3. Version 0.9.3 only: If you are using version 0.9.3 or earlier you need to manually flip all down-stem notes. Select a note and click the "Flip direction" button flipdirection.png on the toolbar or press X on the keyboard.Voice 1 notes with up-stems
  4. Now select the first note to move your cursor back to the beginning of the line.
  5. Click on "Voice 2" button Voice 2 selected and start entering the bottom voice (all the down-stem notes).
  6. Version 0.9.3 only: Once again if you are using version 0.9.3 or earlier you need to flip the stems as to go along using X on the keyboard or the flip direction button flipdirection.png
  7. When you are done it should look like this:
    Voices 1 and 2

When to use voices

  • If you need stems pointing in opposite directions within a chord on a single staff
  • If you need notes of different durations within a single staff, played simultaneously

Hidden spacer rests

To hide a rest right-click on the rest and select Set Invisible. If you have Display → Show Invisible marked then the rest still shows in gray on your screen. The rest does not appear when you print.

Voltes

Volta brackets or first and second ending brackets are used to mark different endings for a repeat.

Sample first and second endings

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
Second-ending volta in edit mode

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."

Line Properties dialog

Sample first-through-fifth ending followed by sixth ending

Playback

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).

Issues with multi-part scores

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.

So i reproducció

MuseScore has "Sound and playback" capabilities built in. This chapter covers the playback controls and ways to extend the instrument sounds beyond the built-in piano sound.

Mode de reproducció

MuseScore has an integrated sequencer and synthesizer to play your score.
By pressing the Play play.png button you enter Play mode. In Play mode the following commands are available:

  • Toggle pause/play Space
  • 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.

The play panel allows you to adjust tempo and volume

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.

Orígens de so 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).

The file size and sound quality of SoundFonts available on the web is varied. 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 two 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

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 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.

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.
Metronome mark: Andante quarter note = 75

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.

Canvi i ajustament de sons

Mixer

The mixer allows you to change instrument sounds and adjust the volume, panning, reverberation, and chorus for each staff. From the main menu choose Display → Mixer to show the mixer.

The mixer shows dials for each part

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".

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.

Text

The "Text" chapter covers lyrics, chord names, and other staff text. The previous chapter covers text that affects playback tempo

Edició de textes

Double click on text to enter edit mode:
Sample text in 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
  • F2 Show text palette. The text palette can be used to enter special characters and symbols.

Text palette:
The text palette contains methods for changing text alignment, style, size, and font, plus buttons for inserting symbols into the text such as a quarter note or special characters such as a copyright symbol or accented letters.

See also: Chord name, Lyrics, Frame, Edit mode

Estils de text

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.

Noms d'acord

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 this option.

Chord names have a handwritten appearance

  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

Digitacions

Fingering can be added to notes by dragging a fingering character from the fingering palette to a note head in the score. Fingerings are normal text which can be edited like any other text.

Fingering palette

Lletres

  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
  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

Sample lyrics:A-des-te fi-del-es

Syllables can be extended by an underline:
Syllable extension line

Entered with: soul, _ _ _ To Esc.

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.

Formateig

Salt o espaiament

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.

Breaks Palette

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.

Marcs

Frames provide empty space outside of normal measures. They can also contain text or pictures. MuseScore has two kinds of frames:

Horizontal
Horizontal Frame
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 Frame
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:

Horizontal frame

Suport

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.

Com informar d'un error o demanar suport

Before posting your support request in the forum:

  • PLEASE, look for a solution in the user handbook.
  • Use the search function of the website to see if someone has already encountered the same problem on the forums.
  • If you are posting an error report, first try to reproduce the problem with the latest prerelease. You may also view the version history to check whether it has been fixed already.

When posting your request for support or bug report, please include as much of the following information as you know:

  • Version of MuseScore you are using (e.g. version 0.9.5) or the revision number if you are using a prerelease (e.g. revision 1944)
  • Operating system you are running it on (e.g. Windows Vista, Mac OS 10.5 or Ubuntu 9.04)
  • If you are reporting a bug, please describe the precise steps that lead to the problem (where do you click, what keys do you press, what do you see, etc.). If you are not able to reproduce the problem with the steps, it is probably not worth reporting it as the developers will not be able to reproduce it (and solve) either.
  • Limit your reports in the issue tracker to one bug per report

Tornar a la configuració per defecte

Recent versions of MuseScore have the option to revert back to the standard built-in presets or "factory-settings". Sometimes this is helpful if your settings are corrupted. This is not a normal occurrence so it is best to consult the forums first since there maybe a way to solve your problem without resetting everything.

Warning: reverting to "factory settings" removes any changes you have made to the preferences, palettes, or window settings.

Instructions for Windows

  1. If you have MuseScore open then you need to close it first
  2. Type Windows key+R to open the Run dialog. (The Windows key is the one with the logo for Microsoft Windows.)
  3. Click Browse...
  4. Look for mscore.exe on your computer. The location may vary depending on your installation but it is probably something similar to My Computer > Local Disk > Program Files > MuseScore 0.9 > bin > mscore.exe
  5. Click Open to leave the Browse dialog and return to the Run dialog. The following text (or something similar) should display in the Run dialog: "C:\Program Files\MuseScore 0.9\bin\mscore.exe"
  6. Click after the quote and a hyphen followed by a capital F: -F
  7. Press OK

After a few seconds MuseScore should start and all the settings reverted to "factory settings"

Instructions for Mac OSX

  1. If you have MuseScore open then you need to quit the application first (⌘+Q)
  2. Open Applications/Utilities/Terminal and a Terminal session window should appear
  3. Type, (or jusy simply copy/paste) the following command into your terminal line (include the '/' at the front):

    /Applications/MuseScore.app/Contents/MacOS/mscore -F

This resets all MuseScore preferences to factory settings and immediately launches the MuseScore application. You can now quit Terminal, and continue using MuseScore.

Llicenciat sota la llicència Creative Commons Attribution 3.0, 2002-2011 Werner Schweer i d'altres