# MuseScore 3 Handbook This handbook is for **MuseScore versions 3.0 to 3.6.2** (and also mostly [MuseScore 3.7 Evolution](https://github.com/Jojo-Schmitz/MuseScore/wiki)). If you are using a different version of the program, please consult the appropriate handbook for your version: * [MuseScore 4 Handbook](https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4) **NEW** * [Handbook for MuseScore 2](https://musescore.org/en/handbook/2) * [Handbook for MuseScore 1](https://musescore.org/en/handbook/1) This handbook is maintained and translated by the MuseScore community. [Contributions are welcome!](https://musescore.org/community-documentation) In case of doubt, please consult the [English version of this handbook](/3/readme.md), or ask for help in the [Support Forum](https://musescore.org/en/forum/6). Try browsing the illustrated [Glossary](/3/appendix/glossary.md) for notations you cannot name. Use the links below to explore content in each chapter of the handbook. Alternatively, you can view the entire handbook as a [single continuous page](https://musescore.org/en/print/book/export/html/278625?toc=1) in a printer-friendly format with a multi-level table of contents. ## [Getting started](https://github.com/shoogle/Handbook/blob/3/docs/getting-started/README.md) This chapter helps you to install and run MuseScore for the first time. It will introduce you to the various learning and help resources. * [Learning MuseScore](/3/getting-started/learning-musescore.md) * [Get Support](/3/getting-started/get-support.md) * [Download and Installation](/3/getting-started/download-and-installation.md) * [Language, translations, and extensions](/3/getting-started/language-translations-and-extensions.md) (installation of [MuseScore Drumline](https://musescore.org/en/mdl) and the MuseScore General HQ [SoundFonts and SFZ files](/3/sound-and-playback/soundfonts-and-sfz-files.md)) * [Checking for updates](/3/getting-started/checking-for-updates.md) ## [Basics](https://github.com/shoogle/Handbook/blob/3/docs/basics/README.md) The previous [chapter](#getting-started) guided you through the [Download and Installation](/3/getting-started/download-and-installation.md) process.\ This chapter shows you how to set up a new score using the MuseScore Wizard and how to enter and edit basic music notation. The various parts of the program window are described—toolbars, Inspector, palettes, etc.—as well as viewing and navigation options. * [Create a new score](/3/basics/create-a-new-score.md) * [Instruments](/3/basics/instruments.md) (staff setup, templates) * [Note input](/3/basics/note-input.md) * [Edit mode](/3/basics/edit-mode.md) * [Palettes](/3/basics/palettes.md) * [Workspaces](/3/basics/workspaces.md) * [Viewing and navigation](/3/basics/viewing-and-navigation.md) * [Toolbars](/3/basics/viewing-and-navigation.md#toolbars) (adding and removing toolbar buttons) * [Inspector](/3/basics/inspector.md) * [Measure operations](/3/basics/measure-operations.md) * [Working with multiple voices](/3/basics/working-with-multiple-voices.md) * [Selecting elements](/3/basics/selecting-elements.md) * [Copy and paste](/3/basics/copy-and-paste.md) * [Undo and redo](/3/basics/undo-and-redo.md) * [Concert pitch](/3/basics/concert-pitch.md) * [Share scores online](/3/basics/share-scores-online.md) * [Open/Save/Export/Print](/3/basics/opensaveexportprint.md) ## [Notation](https://github.com/shoogle/Handbook/blob/3/docs/notation/README.md) In the previous [chapter ](#basics)you learned how to [enter notes](/3/basics/note-input.md) and interact with the [palettes](/3/basics/palettes.md). The "Notation" chapter describes the different types of notation, including more advanced music notation. * [Notation types](/3/notation/notation-types.md) * [*Note input*](/3/basics/note-input.md) (→ [Basics](#basics)) * [*Palettes*](/3/basics/palettes.md) (→ [Basics](#basics)) * [*Workspaces*](/3/basics/workspaces.md) (→ [Basics](#basics)) * [Barlines](/3/notation/barlines.md) * [Clefs](/3/notation/clefs.md) * [Key signatures](/3/notation/key-signatures.md) * [Time signatures](/3/notation/time-signatures.md) * [Accidentals](/3/notation/accidentals.md) * [Arpeggios and glissandi](/3/notation/arpeggios-and-glissandi.md) and portamento between two notes * [Articulations and ornaments](/3/notation/articulations-and-ornaments.md) (including turns, trills, and mordents) * [*Articulation Text (Mid-staff sound change, e.g. pizz., trem.)*](/3/sound-and-playback/mixer.md#mid-staff-sound-channel-change-pizz-con-sordino-etc) (→ [Sound and playback](#sound-and-playback)) * [Bends](/3/notation/articulations-and-ornaments/bends.md) * [Beams](/3/notation/beams.md) * [Brackets](/3/notation/brackets.md) * [Breaths and pauses](/3/notation/breaths-and-pauses.md) * [*Dynamics*](/3/sound-and-playback/dynamics.md) (→ [Sound and playback](#sound-and-playback)) * [Grace notes](/3/notation/grace-notes.md) * [Hairpins](/3/notation/hairpins.md) (including *crescendo* and *decrescendo*) * [Lines](/3/notation/lines.md) (including Pedal markings, Long Trill lines, and Guitar Barre line) * [Measure rests](/3/notation/measure-rests.md) * [Octave lines](/3/notation/octave-lines.md) * [Slurs](/3/notation/slurs.md) * [*Tempo*](/3/sound-and-playback/tempo.md) (→ [Sound and playback](#sound-and-playback)) * [Ties](/3/notation/ties.md) * [Tremolo](/3/notation/tremolo.md) (but see also Articulation Text [above](#articulation-text)) * [Tuplets](/3/notation/tuplets.md) * [Repeats and jumps](/3/notation/repeats-and-jumps.md) * [Voltas](/3/notation/voltas.md) (1st and 2nd time endings) * [Transposition](/3/notation/transposition.md) * [Entering and editing percussion notation](/3/notation/entering-and-editing-percussion-notation.md) * [Tablature](/3/notation/tablature.md) See also → [Advanced topics](#advanced-topics). ## [Sound and playback](https://github.com/shoogle/Handbook/blob/3/docs/sound-and-playback/README.md) Inside MuseScore, you can play back your score using the internal synthesizer. This chapter covers dynamics and tempo notations, the playback controls, and ways to extend the instrument sounds. If you are having problems with playback, try suggestions written on [How to get sound working if you don't hear anything](https://musescore.org/en/node/96811) * [Tempo](/3/sound-and-playback/tempo.md) * [Dynamics](/3/sound-and-playback/dynamics.md) * [Loudness of a note](/3/sound-and-playback/dynamics.md) * [Mixer](/3/sound-and-playback/mixer.md) * [Mid-staff sound change (e.g. pizz.)](/3/sound-and-playback/mixer.md#mid-staff-sound-channel-change-pizz-con-sordino-etc) * [Mid-staff instrument changes](/3/sound-and-playback/mid-staff-instrument-changes.md) * [Capo playback](/3/sound-and-playback/capo-playback.md) **NEW** * [Playback: Chord symbols / Nashville numbers](/3/sound-and-playback/playback-chord-symbols--nashville-numbers.md) **NEW** * [Piano Roll Editor](/3/sound-and-playback/piano-roll-editor.md) **NEW** * [Play mode](/3/sound-and-playback/play-mode.md) * [Play Panel](/3/sound-and-playback/play-mode.md#play-panel) * [SoundFonts and SFZ files](/3/sound-and-playback/soundfonts-and-sfz-files.md) * [Swing](/3/sound-and-playback/swing.md) * [Synthesizer](/3/sound-and-playback/synthesizer.md) * [Tuning systems, microtonal notation system, and playback](/3/advanced-topics/tuning-systems-microtonal-notation-system-and-playback.md) (→ [Advanced topics](#advanced-topics)) ## [Text](https://github.com/shoogle/Handbook/blob/3/docs/text/README.md) Many score elements in MuseScore are based on text, either alone (e.g., staff text, dynamics, tempo, fingering, lyrics, etc.) or in combination with lines (e.g., voltas, octave lines, guitar barre lines, etc.). * [Text types](/3/text/text-types.md) * [Text basics](/3/text/text-basics.md) * [Text editing](/3/text/text-editing.md) * [Text styles and properties](/3/text/text-styles-and-properties.md) * [Fonts](/3/advanced-topics/fonts.md) (→ [Formatting](#formatting)) This chapter covers these text types and their formatting options: * [Staff Text and System Text](/3/text/staff-text-and-system-text.md) (The "Expression" button on the [Text Palette](/3/basics/palettes.md) is a styled Staff text.) * [Chord notation systems](/3/text/chord-notation-systems.md) (incl. Chord Symbols, Nashville Number System, and Roman Numeral Analysis) * [Fingering](/3/text/fingering.md) * [Lyrics](/3/text/lyrics.md) * [Rehearsal marks](/3/text/rehearsal-marks.md) Other types of text are covered in other chapters: * [*Tempo*](/3/sound-and-playback/tempo.md) (→ [Sound and playback](#sound-and-playback)) * [*Dynamics*](/3/sound-and-playback/dynamics.md) —***p***, ***mf***, etc. (→ [Sound and playback](#sound-and-playback)) * [*Mid-staff sound change (eg pizz)*](/3/sound-and-playback/mixer.md#mid-staff-sound-channel-change-pizz-con-sordino-etc) (→ [Sound and playback](#sound-and-playback)) * [*Mid-staff instrument changes*](/3/sound-and-playback/mid-staff-instrument-changes.md) (→ [Sound and playback](#sound-and-playback)) * [*Swing*](/3/sound-and-playback/swing.md) (→ [Sound and playback](#sound-and-playback)) * [*Repeats and jumps*](/3/notation/repeats-and-jumps.md) —DC, Fine, Coda, etc. (→ [Notation](#notation)) * [*Figured bass*](/3/advanced-topics/figured-bass.md) (→ [Advanced topics](#advanced-topics)) * [*Frames*](/3/formatting/frames.md) text —in vertical, horizontal or [*text frames*](/3/formatting/frames.md#text-frame) (→ [Formatting](#formatting)) * [*Headers and footers*](/3/advanced-topics/score-properties.md#headerfooter) —different from standard text objects (→ [Formatting](#formatting)) * [*Lines*](/3/notation/lines.md) (→ [Notation](#notation)) * [*Layout and formatting: measure numbers*](/3/formatting/layout-and-formatting.md#measure-numbers) (→ [Formatting](#formatting)) * [*Measure operations: measure number*](/3/basics/measure-operations.md#numbering) (→ [Basics](#basics)) ## [Formatting](https://github.com/shoogle/Handbook/blob/3/docs/formatting/README.md) This chapter describes ways to format elements on the pages of a score. * [Layout and formatting](/3/formatting/layout-and-formatting.md) (global style, and .mss style file) * [Measure numbers](/3/formatting/layout-and-formatting.md#measure-numbers) * [Measure and horizontal spacing](/3/formatting/measure-and-horizontal-spacing.md) * [Page settings](/3/formatting/page-settings.md) * [Breaks and spacers](/3/formatting/breaks-and-spacers.md) * [Fonts](/3/advanced-topics/fonts.md) * [Frames](/3/formatting/frames.md) * [Images](/3/formatting/images.md) * [Image capture](/3/formatting/image-capture.md) * [Align elements](/3/formatting/align-elements.md) ## [Advanced topics](https://github.com/shoogle/Handbook/blob/3/docs/advanced-topics/README.md) * [Accessibility](/3/advanced-topics/accessibility.md) * [Albums](/3/advanced-topics/albums.md) **disabled in 3.x, maybe come back in 5.x** * [Automatic placement](/3/advanced-topics/automatic-placement.md) * [Cross-staff notation](/3/advanced-topics/cross-staff-notation.md) * [*Custom palettes*](/3/basics/palettes.md#customize-palette-contents) (→ [Basics](#basics)) * [Early music features](/3/advanced-topics/early-music-features.md) * [Figured bass](/3/advanced-topics/figured-bass.md) * [File formats](/3/advanced-topics/file-formats.md) * [Fretboard diagrams](/3/advanced-topics/fretboard-diagrams.md) * [Fretboard diagrams (prior to version 3.1)](/3/advanced-topics/fretboard-diagrams/fretboard-diagrams-prior-to-version-31.md) * [Layer (experimental)](/3/advanced-topics/layer-experimental.md) * [Master palette](/3/advanced-topics/master-palette.md) * [MIDI import](/3/advanced-topics/midi-import.md) * [Note input modes](/3/advanced-topics/note-input-modes.md) * [Notehead schemes](/3/advanced-topics/notehead-schemes.md) * [Noteheads](/3/advanced-topics/notehead-schemes/noteheads.md) * [Parts](/3/advanced-topics/parts.md) * [Plugins](/3/advanced-topics/plugins.md) * [Preferences](/3/advanced-topics/preferences.md) * [Recovered files](/3/advanced-topics/recovered-files.md) * [Score properties](/3/advanced-topics/score-properties.md) * [Headers and footers](/3/advanced-topics/score-properties.md#headerfooter) * [Score Comparison](/3/advanced-topics/score-comparison.md) **NEW** * [Staff / Part properties](/3/advanced-topics/staff--part-properties.md) * [Staff Type Change](/3/advanced-topics/staff-type-change.md) * [Timeline](/3/advanced-topics/timeline.md) * [Tuning systems, microtonal notation system, and playback](/3/advanced-topics/tuning-systems-microtonal-notation-system-and-playback.md) ## [Support](https://github.com/shoogle/Handbook/blob/3/docs/support/README.md) 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. * [Helping to improve translations](/3/support/helping-to-improve-translations.md) * [Bug reports and Feature requests](/3/support/bug-reports-and-feature-requests.md) * [Revert to factory settings](/3/support/revert-to-factory-settings.md) ## [Appendix](https://github.com/shoogle/Handbook/blob/3/docs/appendix/README.md) This chapter provides extra information on versions 3.x instead of detailed functions. * [Keyboard shortcuts](/3/appendix/keyboard-shortcuts.md) * [Command line options](/3/appendix/command-line-options.md) * [Glossary](/3/appendix/glossary.md) * [Known limitations of MuseScore 3.x](/3/appendix/known-limitations-of-musescore-3x.md) * [Known incompatibilities](/3/appendix/known-incompatibilities.md) * [New features in MuseScore 3.6](/3/appendix/new-features-in-musescore-36.md) * [New features in MuseScore 3](/3/appendix/new-features-in-musescore-3.md) * [Upgrade from MuseScore 1.x or 2.x](/3/appendix/upgrade-from-musescore-1x-or-2x.md) * [Handbook for MuseScore 2](https://musescore.org/en/handbook/2) * [Handbook for MuseScore 1](https://musescore.org/en/handbook/1) --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://handbook.musescore.org/3/readme.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.