MuseScore Tutorial2
MuseScore Tutorial2
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Navigation....................................................23
Basic Edits....................................................23
Input Option 3: Virtual keyboard......................24
Input Option 4: Midi Keyboard.........................24
Activity 3: More Edits.......................................26
Creating Chords...........................................26
Adding ties:...................................................27
Adding slurs:.................................................28
Input Option 5: Import from another source.....29
Activity 4: It’s time to listen and save!..............30
Playback.......................................................30
Saving and Exporting...................................30
Lesson 3: More editing options............................31
Master Palette..................................................31
Activity 1: Change the score set-up.................32
Add instruments...........................................32
Change key signature..................................32
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Change time-signature.................................33
Adding/changing barlines.............................33
Activity 2: Add performance nuances..............34
Activity 3: Add lyrics and chord symbols..........35
Lyrics............................................................35
Chord symbols:............................................35
Activity 4: Editing larger passages of music.....36
Selecting a passage of music.......................36
Copy and Paste............................................37
Editing the passage......................................38
Activity 5: Formatting.......................................39
Appendix: Shortcut keys......................................41
Note input.........................................................41
Navigation........................................................41
Editing..............................................................42
Formatting........................................................43
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Note. To jump to any section in this tutorial, press
Ctrl and click on the subject in this contents list.
Introduction
Welcome to MuseScore!
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MuseScore Downloads
MuseScore 3 https://musescore.org/en/download
Accessibility tricks
1.Shortcut keys: If you usually access most
programmes with a mouse or touch pad, your
first instinct will be to reach for the mouse in
MuseScore too. But, you may find yourself
chasing little symbols around the screen which
can be really frustrating. The quickest way to
access almost all functions is via shortcut
keys. Trust me … they will become your best
friends! This tutorial will focus on learning and
using shortcut keys but you will need to
experiment to find what works best for you. It
may be a combination of shortcut keys and
mouse, or screen reader. The good news is
that MuseScore uses the same shortcuts as
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other apps and programmes (e.g. word) so
you will already know many of the shortcut
keys.
2.Keyboard: A full keyboard which includes a
numpad is recommended. This makes
inputting music much faster because your right
hand can change note value on the numpad,
while your left hand can change pitch name
using the A B C D E F G keys. You can
purchase an external Numpad if your
computer does not have one.
3.Tab key and spacebar. MuseScore provides
lots of options to change details in its menus.
Once inside a menu, there can be multiple
little boxes to navigate through. Instead of
searching with your mouse, make the most of
the tab key and simply press tab to move
through options and find the one you want. If
you tab too far you can go backwards using
shift + tab Once you have found it there may
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be a check box which can simply be checked
or unchecked with the spacebar. Alternatively,
you may find a spin box with set options (e.g.
numbers or colours). Use your up and down
arrow keys to circle through the options.
4.Screen Readers: Print music contains a lot of
small signs and symbols which can be difficult
to see. Consider using a screen reader to
assist you and give your eyes a break,
especially if they are getting tired. MuseScore
comes with support for Windows Narrator and
NVDA which is a free screen reader for
Windows. The current version of MuseScore is
not yet supported by VoiceOver for Mac
computers, however this will be resolved in the
upcoming release of MuseScore Version 4.
5.Mac users: this tutorial has been written for
Windows users with NVDA screen reader.
Replace CRTL key with your Command key
and Option instead of Alt.
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Formats
MuseScore supports a range of different file types
which are indicated by the extension at the end of
the file name. Here is a brief explanation of some
of the main types you will use.
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mp3. This is an audio file type. Use this file if you
want to share the audio version of your score.
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Initial Setup
When MuseScore starts, the first thing you
normally see is the Start Centre window. This
shows a list of recent scores and links to the online
community. You may find it easier to simply
access your files from the file menu. Press esc to
close the start centre.
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Lesson 1: Exploring the Screen
In this lesson we will be exploring what MuseScore
can do and learning how to open and set up a new
score.
Activity 1: Video
Watch a short video to learn about some of the
options on the main screen. Please note, the video
was created for MuseScore Version 2 so some
features may look a little different. Follow the link
below and select Lesson 2: Working with
MuseScore.
https://musescore.org/en/tutorials
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Alternatively you can press CTRL + F on the
webpage and type lesson 2. Press esc and then
focus will be on lesson 2.
Activity 2: Explore
Now it’s your turn to explore the features using
shortcut keys and navigation tricks.
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submenu (Narrator says “menu item”). Right
arrow to enter the submenu and then down
arrow to explore the list of options. Left
arrow to return to the main menu or simply
press esc.
File: Alt + F
Edit: Alt + E
View: Alt + V
Add: Alt + A
Format: Alt + O
Tools: Alt + T
Plugins: Alt + P
Help: Alt + H
If you are using a screen reader, simply follow the
directions above and NVDA will read each element
on the screen.
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Activity 3: Setting up a new score
1. Open a blank score: Press Ctrl + N to open a
new score. This will take you through a series
of windows to set up your score. Window one
begins with Title. Type in the title of the music
and then tab each time to enter Subtitle,
Composer, Lyricist, and Copyright. You don’t
have to fill in all fields. Press Enter or Alt + N
(for next) to get to the next window. Note. Alt +
B (for back) will take you to the previous
window at any stage.
2. Add instruments: This window is where you
will choose the instruments you want to
include on the score. There are several ways
to add instruments, including adding more if
you need to later on. Below are two different
ways to try. Have a go at the first option and
then Alt + B to go back and try the second
option.
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Option 1: Select a pre-set score that already
contains the instruments you want. Simply arrow
down past the “choose instruments option” to
select from a range of scores like Jazz Band or
SATB. When you find the one you want, press
Enter. It will automatically be added to the score
and you will be taken to the next window.
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Activity 1: Inputting music
The following activities will explore five different
ways to input music: mouse input, step-time,
virtual keyboard, midi keyboard, and importing
from another source. Have a go at all five (if
possible) and see which option you prefer.
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score. Alternatively you can simply press the
letter N to turn note input on.
3.Click on the note value you would like from the
row of notes beside the Note-input sign e.g.
crotchet.
4.Move your mouse to the score. You will see a
blue note moving around the music staff. Once
you have it in position, simply click the mouse
and it will be added to the score.
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bigger and as the numbers go lower, the notes
get smaller.
3.Press a letter between A and G and it will
instantly be added to the score.
This option is fastest with a full sized
QWERTY keyboard because you can quickly
select the note value with your right hand on
the num-pad, and then the note name with
your left hand. It also works really well in
combination with the mouse, just remember, if
the mouse is blue, it’s “live” and will add notes
to score wherever it lands!
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Keyboard Shortcuts for note values
0 Rest
1 Hemi-demi-semi-quaver (4 tails)
2 Demi-semi-quaver (3 tails)
3 Semi-quaver (2 tails)
4 Quaver
5 Crotchet
6 Minim
7 Semibreve
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Activity 2: Navigation and Basic Edits
Now that you have a few notes on the score,
practice navigating through them and try these
simple edits.
Navigation
Basic Edits
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To use a midi-keyboard, you need to connect the
keyboard to your computer and turn it on before
opening MuseScore. Then open MuseScore,
press Alt + E to open the edit menu, then P to
open preferences. Arrow right to Note Input, Tab
to Enable MIDI input and tick this checkbox.
Press Enter. Importantly, you will need to restart
MuseScore to apply this change.
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(or chord) on the midi-keyboard. It is possible to
simply play your composition on the midi-keyboard
and the notes will appear on the screen … BUT …
nobody plays like a metronome so you will find the
music will appear on the screen with very strange
rhythms. This generally requires lots of editing
which takes much longer in the end.
Creating Chords
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Mouse: hover your mouse on the stave and click
where you would like the note to be added.
Adding ties:
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Adding slurs:
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Input Option 5: Import from another source
The final input method to explore is importing
music from another source. This is really helpful if
your teacher has sheet music that has been
created in a different programme, or you need to
share your work with someone who uses a
different programme. The file type you need for
this is xml, however, be aware that it may still
require some editing once imported.
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Activity 4: It’s time to listen and save!
Playback
Save your work in the same way that you save any
word doc or other file using Ctrl + S, or access the
file menu and arrow down to the save option. This
will save your file in MuseScore’s own format so
you can return to it and continue working on it at a
later date.
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To save your work as an xml:
Master Palette
Many of the edits below can be accessed via the
Master Palette window. This contains a list of key
elements in the score and it may become your
best friend as you tweak your composition. To
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open the Master Palette window, press Shift + F9.
From here, you can select and apply a range of
nuances and edits. You can also access individual
palettes from the left side of the screen. However,
you may find it easier to remember some of the
shortcuts for specific edits listed in the appendix
and contained in the following activities.
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use the arrow keys to make a selection, Tab until
you hear “add”, press Enter to add it, and then esc
to return to the score.
Change time-signature
Adding/changing barlines
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Activity 2: Add performance nuances
Have a go at editing your composition by adding
performance directions and nuances as directed
below.
Staccato: Shift + S
Tenuto: Shift + N
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how we include performance directions like Allegro
to the top of the score.
Lyrics
Chord symbols:
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Editing the passage
While the passage has the blue box around it, you
can edit the entire passage by adding nuances,
e.g. staccatos, or shifting the pitch using up or
down arrows.
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Some bars have a lot of notes and look too busy.
This can make it difficult to scan or read. In this
situation, you can stretch the bar to spread the
notes out. Select the bar or bars you wish to
stretch. A blue box will appear around the bar/s.
Press Shift + } and the bar/s will visibly grow wider
and stretch the notes out. Shift + { will reverse the
process and shrink the bar.
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Appendix: Shortcut keys
Note input
Note input mode N
Note values 1 – 9 (Rest = 0)
Note names A–G
Dotted notes full stop
Add note to chord Shift + letter name
Add interval above chord Alt + number
Create tie +
Create triplet Ctrl + number
Raise or lower semitone or
Raise or lower octave Ctrl + or
Navigation
Move to next note or
Move to next bar Ctrl + or
Move to next staff Alt + or
Beginning of score Home
End of score End
Playback Spacebar
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Editing
Undo Ctrl + Z
Master Palette Shift + F9
Add instrument I
Change key signature Shift + K
Change time signature Shift + T
Add lyrics Ctrl + L
Add chord symbols Ctrl + K
Add expression mark Ctrl + E
Add staff text Ctrl + T
Add staccato Shift + S
Add tenuto Shift + N
Add slurs S
Add cresc and decresc > or <
Select Shift + , or
Copy Ctrl + C
Paste Ctrl = V
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Formatting
Add bar at end Ctrl + B
Add multiple bars at end Alt + Shift + B
Insert bar Insert
Insert multiple bars Ctrl + Insert
Delete Bar/s Ctrl + Delete
Stretch tool Shift + } or {
Force new line Enter
Force new page Ctrl + Enter
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