Staff Text and System Text
Overview
Staff Text object and System Text object are used for,
Adding capo playback for guitarists (Staff Text only),
Applying swing and straight time,
Changing playback sound sample usage inside Musescore (see below and the Mid-staff sound change chapter), and
Adding general purpose text not covered by other Text types. For example,
Adding musical expressions and performance indications not supported or not found inside Musescore (eg a2); and
Adding score and movement titles.
General purpose text are also commonly added with a frame with text. See Frames chapter.
Their main difference is related to anchor as covered in details in the Text types chapter. Also, Staff Text affects the playback of staff / voice of the note it anchored to; System Text affects all staves.
The Expression button on the Text Palette is a styled Staff Text. It has its own "Text Style" profile. See "Style" section below and the Palette chapter.
Adding to a score
To add one onto a score:
Do either one of:
Select a note or rest; then for Staff Text, press Ctrl+T; or for System Text, press Shift+Ctrl+T, or
Select a note or rest; then select the desired option from Add -> Text, or
Select a note or rest, then click the desired text from Palettes (double-click in versions prior to 3.4), or
Drag the desired text from a palette onto a note or rest.
Start entering text.
Press Esc or click on an empty space outside of the box to exit.
Repeating System Text on other staves
New System Text is positioned above the top staff of each system (layout concept). If you need a similar indication on a lower staff, add it to that staff using Staff Text.
Properties
Fomatting of a Staff Text object or System Text object on a score is edited in the Inspector, covered in Text basics chapter.
The playback settings are edited in "Staff Text properties" and "System Text properties" window
Staff Text contains settings that affect playback. Only the section after the attached note or rest is affect. When a Staff Text is duplicated, or reused through customized palette, the playback settings are reused.
"Staff Text properties" window
The playback settings can be accessed in two ways:
Select the Staff Text, and click on "Properties" in the "Staff Text" section of the Inspector.
Right-click on the text and choose "Staff Text Properties," then click on the relevant tab.
The four tabs on top are:
Change Channel : Change the channel used by each Musescore Voices independently, understand channel by reading Mixer chapter first. This only works with Musescore Instrument that has more than one channel.
Swing Settings: Use "straight" or "swing" rhythm. To change rthythm of this instrument everywhere in the score or all instruments, see Swing: global chapter for more info.
Capo Settings: For stringed instruments you can apply a "capo", transposing the playback up by a number of frets/halftone steps. See Capo playback chapter for more info.
MIDI Action: For advanced users only, send a MIDI Continuous Controller / Control Change (MIDI CC) Message. You must setup a custom instrument using a instruments.xml and declare MIDI Actions for of its channel first. You cannot edit instruments.xml inside Musescore. More info see https://github.com/lminiero/musescore-vpo-midi-actions#musescore-tool-t….
"System Text properties" window
Works like "Staff Text properties", but only has "Capo Settings" and "MIDI Action" tabs.
Style
See main chapters Layout and formatting and Text styles and properties.
Format → Style → Staff Text.
Format → Style → Text Styles → Staff Text.
Format → Style → Text Styles → Expression.
Format → Style → Text Styles → System.
See also
External links
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