> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://handbook.musescore.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/advanced-topics/notehead-schemes.md). # Notehead schemes
Ms3 noteheadschemes
\ \_Download this testing score file \[ms3\\\_noteheadschemes.mscz]\( "Download: ms3\_noteheadschemes.mscz (14.92 KB)")\_ Notehead schemes are used by musicians to designate notehead shape meaning, see the main chapter [Noteheads](/3/advanced-topics/notehead-schemes/noteheads.md). In MuseScore 3, scheme option for all notes on **a staff** is named "Notehead Scheme", scheme option for individual **note** is named "Head scheme". Specific Notehead shape can also be assigned to individual note directly. When a note has specific notehead shape assigned, it does not use pitch information to determine notehead shape. MuseScore supports nine schemes. Five of them are directly fully supported, notes written creating correct playback. Four "shape note notations" are supported in terms of notehead engraving, users neeing to take advantage of ['Transposing instruments' feature](/3/notation/transposition.md#transposing-instruments) to create desired playback, seeing [Noteheads](/3/advanced-topics/notehead-schemes/noteheads.md). To create custom "shape note notations" using a scheme other than the four, see [Noteheads: adding pitch info](/3/advanced-topics/notehead-schemes/noteheads.md#adding-pitch-information-to-notes). The nine supported by Musescore are: * **Normal**: The default scheme used by vast majority of musicians. 4 solfège related notations: * **Pitch name**: Noteheads automatically and dynamically change to include the English pitch name in the notehead. * **German pitch name**: similar to **Pitch name** but B replaced with H, and B♭ with B. * **Solfège Movable Do (also called Tonic Solfa)**: Noteheads with solfege literally written. It uses Ti and not Si. * **Solfège Fixed Do**: Noteheads with solfege literally written. Used in France, Italy, Spain, etc. It uses Si and not Ti. 4 shape note notations, need further config if you wish to create desired playback: * **4 Shape (Walker)**: used in books such as William Walker’s *Southern Harmony* (1835). * **7 Shape (Aikin)**: used in books such as Jesse B. Aikin’s *The Christian Minstrel* (1846), and books by the Ruebush & Kieffer Publishing Company. It's the most used 7-shape system. * **7 Shape (Funk)**: used in books such as Joseph Funk’s *Harmonia Sacra* (1851). * **7 Shape (Walker)**: used in books such as William Walker’s *Christian Harmony* (1867). ## External links * [Solfège on Wikipedia.org](https://w.wiki/7rKH) * [The Music Notation Project Wiki > Shape Note Notation](https://musicnotation.org/wiki/notation-systems/shape-note-notation/) * [IMSLP.org Wiki > 4-shape notation](https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:4-shape_notation) * [IMSLP.org Wiki > 7-shape notation](https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:7-shape_notation) * [staff/part properties preview window score](https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/tree/master/src/notation/view/resources/data) * [shape note SMuFL specification](https://w3c.github.io/smufl/latest/tables/shape-note-noteheads.html) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## 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, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://handbook.musescore.org/3/advanced-topics/notehead-schemes.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. 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.