# Tools

A number of useful commands can be found in the **Tools** menu.

## Transpose

This opens the [Transpose](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/notation/transposition#automatic-transposition) dialog with various options for transposing passages of music.

See [Automatic transposition](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/notation/transposition#automatic-transposition).

## Explode

The `explode` command allows you to select a passage of music *in a single staff* and split ([explode](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/advanced-topics/implode-and-explode#explode)) the chords into their constituent notes or voices.

## Implode

The `Implode` command works in the [way opposite to explode](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/advanced-topics/implode-and-explode#implode).

## Voices

This allows you to swap the voices of a selected measure-range of notes. See [Exchange voices](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/basics/working-with-multiple-voices#exchanging-voices).

## Measure

Join or split measures. See [Measure operations: Split and join](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/basics/measure-operations#split-and-join).

## Remove selected range

Removes the currently selected segment of time and all score items associated. Affects all staffs. Default keyboard shortcut is <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Del</kbd> (Mac: <kbd>Cmd</kbd>+<kbd>Del</kbd>). *Do not apply this command only on a barline.*

## Fill with slashes

This command fills the selection with slashes, one per beat:

1. [Select](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/basics/measure-operations#select) one or more measures;
2. From the menu, select **Tools -> Fill With Slashes**.

If a measure is empty the slashes are added to voice 1, full-sized and centered on the middle line of the staff:

<figure><img src="https://1928698062-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5NUiVQIqbPkgQim8AxPy%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-c005e774659ffd3f05b53b43bcd4029cf9009be9%2FSlash_notation.png?alt=media" alt="Slash notation"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Notes**: (1) If there are already notes in a measure in the selection, the command will put the slashes into the *first available empty voice*. (2) Voice 2 slashes are full-sized and centered on the middle line of the staff; voices 3 slashes appear *small* and *above* the staff; voice 4 slashes are *small* and *below* the staff. (3) If a measure contains notes in all 4 voices, voice 1 will be overwritten. (4) All slashes are set to not transpose or playback.

## Toggle rhythmic slash notation

This command toggles selected notes between normal notes and rhythmic slash notation:

1. [Select](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/basics/selecting-elements#range-select) a range of notes or measures (*Note*: use the [selection filter](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/basics/copy-and-paste#selection-filter) if you need to exclude certain voices);
2. From the menu, select **Tools -> Toggle Rhythmic Slash Notation**.

The selected noteheads are changed to *slash noteheads* which do not transpose or playback.

<figure><img src="https://1928698062-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5NUiVQIqbPkgQim8AxPy%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-0fe15511a7d7237b3daeef9e29e4265b3eee4b21%2FRhythmic_slash_notation.png?alt=media" alt="Rhythmic slash notation"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Slash-notehead notes in *voices one or two* are fixed to the middle staff line; those in *voices three or four* are small ("accent" notation) and fixed above or below the staff:

<figure><img src="https://1928698062-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5NUiVQIqbPkgQim8AxPy%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-aeb701d6b4982bbdd81f3d30be4136a753f9cb8a%2Faccent-slash-notation.png?alt=media" alt="Accent notation"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

In *percussion staves*, notes in voices 3 and 4 are not converted to small slashes but to small notes above or below the staff.

<figure><img src="https://1928698062-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5NUiVQIqbPkgQim8AxPy%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-abb5901d1804498a13b2b4378d310e9590197c57%2FRhythmic_Slash_-_percussion.png?alt=media" alt="Rhythmic slash - percussion"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Respell pitches

Corrects accidentals to fit in with the current key signature. See [Accidentals: Respell pitches](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/notation/accidentals#respell-pitches).

## Regroup Rhythms

This option corrects note [ties](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/notation/ties), durations and [beaming](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/notation/time-signatures#change-default-beaming) so that they are grouped according to standard music notation practice. For example:

Before:\\

<figure><img src="https://1928698062-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5NUiVQIqbPkgQim8AxPy%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-a3b0e696f55b0b657166973835c5f4b29f6b6873%2Fregroup_rhythms_before.png?alt=media" alt="Regroup rhythms before"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

\ After:\\

<figure><img src="https://1928698062-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5NUiVQIqbPkgQim8AxPy%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-44e84ae4665e14e55472275b718502ecd6341e6e%2Fregroup_rhythms_after.png?alt=media" alt="Regroup rhythms after"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Any notes that are tied and are the same length as a dotted note will be changed to the dotted note with two limitations. (i) Only the last note of a group of tied notes will have a single dot. Notes with more than one dot are not produced using this option. (ii) Dotted notes will not span from one group of beamed notes to another unless their duration is the same as all of the beam groups it covers. Any notes with more than one dot will be regrouped according to the above rules.

To apply:

1. [Select](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/basics/selecting-elements) the section of the score you want to reset. If nothing is selected, the operation will apply to the whole score;
2. Select **Tools -> Regroup Rhythms**.

**Note**: This is an experimental feature and there are known bugs. Articulations and ornaments are deleted and some pitches respelled. Ties across barlines may be lost on UNDO.

## Resequence rehearsal marks

The **Resequence Rehearsal Marks** command allows you to re-order the numbering/lettering of [rehearsal marks](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/text/rehearsal-marks) if, for any reason, they have got out of sequence. For details see [Automatically resequence rehearsal marks](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/text/rehearsal-marks#automatically-resequence-rehearsal-marks).

## Unroll Repeats (version 3.1 and above)

This command creates a copy of the score (in a new tab), eliminates the [repeat barlines](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/notation/repeats-and-jumps) and notates the repeat sections in full instead.

## Copy lyrics to clipboard

This command copies *all* the lyrics of the score to the clipboard:

* From the menu, select **Tools -> Copy Lyrics to Clipboard**.

## Image capture

Take a snapshot of a selected part of the document window. PNG, PDF and SVG formats are supported. See [Image capture](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/formatting/image-capture).

## Remove empty trailing measures

This automatically removes any blank measures at the end of the score.

## See also

* [Breaks and spacers](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/formatting/breaks-and-spacers)
* [Rehearsal marks](https://handbook.musescore.org/3/text/rehearsal-marks)

## External links

* [How to merge/combine/implode two staves into one with two voices](https://musescore.org/en/node/12345) (MuseScore HowTo)
