# Adding and removing bars

## Inserting bars

MuseScore allows you to insert or delete bars in the score using a variety of methods. Bars can be inserted:

* After a selection
* Before a selection
* At the start of the score
* At the end of the score

### Bar context menu

To insert one or more bars:

1. Right-click on a blank area of a bar
2. From the context menu, choose **Insert bars**
3. From the options presented, choose the location where you want the bar(s) inserted
4. Complete the dialog box and press **OK**.

### The Properties panel

To insert one or more bars:

1. Click on a bar
2. Go to the **Properties** panel
3. Click **Insert bars** in the **Bar** section
4. Type the number of bars you wish to insert (or leave it as “1” to insert a single bar)
5. Select where you want the bar(s) to be inserted from the dropdown menu (or leave it as is to insert the new bar(s) after the selection point)
6. Click the **+** button

This popup remains open until you click another part of the user interface. As such, you can continue pressing the **+** button as many times as you need to insert further bars.

<figure><img src="https://3437726813-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FhlQyZtOnJ5I68XsXPBVv%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-07b1275e995090642b58deeb563b7518f1344127%2Fadding-measures.gif?alt=media" alt="Adding measures (animated image)"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

In addition, you can insert bars from one of two menus:

### Note input toolbar

1. Select something in your score (can be anything except line objects)
2. Click the **+** button in the **Note input** toolbar
3. Navigate to **Measures**
4. Choose where you want the new measure(s) to be inserted

### Menu bar

1. Select something in your score (can be anything except line objects)
2. Click the **Add** in the **Menu bar**
3. Navigate to **Measures**
4. Choose where you want the new measure(s) to be inserted

### Inserting bars with keyboard shortcuts

To quickly insert *one measure* before the selection point:

1. Select something in your score (can be anything except line objects)
2. Press `Ins`

Insert more measures before the selection point by repeatedly pressing `Ins`.

To quickly insert *multiple measures* before the selection point:

1. Select something in your score (can be anything except line objects)
2. Press `Ctrl`+`Ins` (Mac: `Cmd`+`Ins`)
3. Type the number of required bar in the dialog that appears
4. Click **OK**

To append to the end of your score, you can use the keyboard shortcut `Ctrl`+`B` (Mac: `Cmd`+`B`) for a single measure, or `Alt`+`Shift`+`B` (Mac: `Option`+`Shift`+`B`) for multiple measures.

## Deleting bars

To delete one or more measures using keyboard shortcuts:

1. Select a measure (or hold `Shift` and select multiple measures)
2. Type `Ctrl`+`Backspace` or `Ctrl`+`Del` (Mac: `Cmd`+`Backspace` or `Cmd`+`Del`).

Alternatively,

1. Select a measure (or hold `Shift` and select multiple measures)
2. Right-click on any measure within the selection
3. Select **Delete measures**

You can also:

1. Select a measure (or hold `Shift` and select multiple measures)
2. Go to **Tools**
3. Select **Remove selected range**

### Remove empty trailing bars

To remove any empty measures at the end of your score:

1. Go to **Tools**
2. Select **Remove empty trailing measures**

## See also

Other measure-related pages:

* [Bar numbering](https://handbook.musescore.org/en_gb/notation/rhythm-meter-and-measures/measure-numbering)
* [Bar and multibar rests](https://handbook.musescore.org/en_gb/notation/rhythm-meter-and-measures/measure-and-multimeasure-rests)
* [Anacrusis and non-metered bars](https://handbook.musescore.org/en_gb/notation/rhythm-meter-and-measures/pickup-and-non-metered-measures)
* [Bar properties](https://handbook.musescore.org/en_gb/notation/rhythm-meter-and-measures/measure-properties)
* [Mensural notation and Mensurstrich](https://handbook.musescore.org/en_gb/alternative-notation/mensural-notation-and-mensurstrich)


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