# Noteheads
## Overview
This chapter discusses the appearance of noteheads in MuseScore.
### Notehead schemes
One aspect of music notation systems is **notehead scheme**. A scheme is a set of rules used to decide notehead shape's *meaning*, some of which are supported in MuseScore. Supported schemes relate notehead meaning to a note's:
* **duration**: as in the most widely used scheme.
* **pitch (using movable-do or absolute pitch solfege)**: literally written on it, and
* **pitch (relative pitch using shape note solfege)**: as in "shape note notation" (see reference under [External links](##external-links)).
The most widely used scheme is very likely the only one known to most musicians. It is referred to as "Normal" in MuseScore and is the default setting for a new staff. Details of the nine schemes available in MuseScore are covered in [Custom staff types:Notehead scheme](https://handbook.musescore.org/alternative-notation/custom-staff-types).
Understanding relative pitch notations (shape note solfege, shape note notation) can enhance the reader's comprehension of this chapter. Most of the time, a notehead shape conveys one specific meaning, and that meaning is only associated with one notehead shape. Shape note solfege is like a variant of movable-do solfege that belongs to the exceptions. For example, in one type of "shape note notation", a triangle must be used to notate a relatively pitched "C4", but triangles are also read as relatively pitched "C"s or "F"s only, and triangles must sing "Fa" or a syllable agree upon by singers on-site. The loosely related shape note solfege notates interval perception much better than the "Normal" setting.
### Notehead shape
\ \_Shown above, the diamond notehead can be used for harmonic notes in guitar, violin etc; and slash notehead for guitar strums etc. The cross is also known as crosshead, ghost note, or dead note.\_
Final display of notehead shape in MuseScore is determined by three factors: the **notehead type factor**, the **pitch factor**, and the **duration factor** (or note-value, rhythm).
#### Pitch factor
Note pitch *may* affect affect notehead shape, depending on the scheme, but it only happens on note(s) that do not use an overriding **Notehead type** property. See ["Notehead type factor" section](#notehead-type-factor). "Normal" notehead scheme does not use pitch to determine notehead shape.
#### Duration factor
The duration factor is determined by a note's duration. To edit duration see [Entering notes and rests](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/entering-notes-and-rests) and [Editing notes and rests](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/editing-notes-and-rests) chapters. It also can be [visually overridden](#changing-notehead-shape) for an individual note, while keeping the real value and playback intact.
#### Notehead type factor
Options available for **notehead type factor** depends on [staff type](https://handbook.musescore.org/instruments-staves-and-systems/staff-part-properties#overview):
* On Standard staffs (type 1a, type 1b), there are three levels:
1. Level 1 **Notehead scheme** of a **staff** : Default is "Normal".
2. Level 2 **Notehead scheme** of **a note** (option named "Notehead System" in Musescore 4.1.1):
* The default option "Auto" means "ignore this level".
* Other options: scheme to use on this note, overrides Level 1.
3. Level 3 **Notehead type** property of **a note**. Affects notehead shape **if and only if** the result scheme of Level 1 and Level 2 is "Normal".
* [Tablatures](https://handbook.musescore.org/idiomatic-notation/guitar/entering-and-editing-tablature-notation) (type 2) do not use notes. To change selected fret number(s) into crosshead, click the cross item in the **Noteheads** [palettes](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes). To enclose selected fret number(s) with brackets (parentheses, dead note or ghost note), use Shift+X. Only the first two items of **Noteheads** [palettes](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes) works on Tablatures.
* On percussion staffs (type 3), instrument (like snare or hi-hat, not the "drumset" MuseScore Instrument) determines the notehead type factor. See [Entering and editing percussion notation: Notehead shape](https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/entering-and-editing-percussion-notation#notehead) chapter.
**Notehead scheme** is used to determine notehead shape unless overridden by individual note's **Notehead type** property. When notehead scheme is not overridden, note pitch *may* affect notehead shape, depending on the scheme. "Normal" notehead scheme does not use pitch to determine notehead shape. When a note uses an overriding Notehead type property, note pitch information does not affect notehead shape at all.
## Changing notehead shape
**Notehead type factor**
* (Valid on standard staffs only) To change level 1 **notehead scheme** of a **single staff**, affecting all notes:
1. Right click on an **empty** part of the desired staff and select **Staff/Part properties**.
2. Click on the **Advanced style properties** button (opens **Edit Staff Type** window).
3. Select an option in **Notehead scheme** dropdown.
* (Valid on standard staffs only) To change level 2 **notehead scheme** of **note(s)**:
1. Select note(s) on a score.
2. In the **Properties** panel, open **Note: Head tab**.
3. select an option from the **Notehead system** dropdown (you may need to click "Show more" at the bottom of the panel to reveal it): the default "Auto" means "ignore this level".
* (Valid on standard staffs only) To change level 3 **notehead type** property:
1. Select note(s) on a score.
2. Use one of the following:
* In **Properties** panel, open **Note: Head tab**, select a **Notehead type**, or
* Click on an item in the **Noteheads** [palettes](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes), or drag it onto a notehead in the score.
* To change selected fret number(s) into crosshead, click the cross item in the **Noteheads** [palettes](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes). To enclose selected fret number(s) with brackets (parentheses, dead note or ghost note), use Shift+X.
* To change noteheads on percussion staffs, see [Entering and editing percussion notation: Notehead shape](https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/entering-and-editing-percussion-notation#notehead) chapter.
**Duration factor**
* To change note duration, see [Entering notes and rests](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/entering-notes-and-rests) and [Editing notes and rests](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/editing-notes-and-rests).
* To change the apparent duration *without altering real value* so that playback is not affected:
1. Select note(s) on a score.
2. In the **Properties** panel, open **Note: Head tab**.
3. Select the desired option from the **Override visual duration** (you may need to click "Show more" at the bottom of the panel to reveal it): the default "Auto" means "no override"
## Adding pitch information to notes
\ \_shown above 7 Shape (Aikin), a "shape note notation"\_
There are six methods to change "pitch".
Most of the time, a note's pitch only affects its staff space / vertical position, to change it:
* Change note pitch, see [Entering notes and rests](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/entering-notes-and-rests) and [Editing notes and rests](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/editing-notes-and-rests).
* Modify the **playback** pitch of **note(s)** on score *without altering notation*: In **Properties** panel, click **General: Playback** , edit **Tuning (cents)**. This is useful for reasons explained in Musescore 3 Handbook's [Tuning systems, microtonal notation system, and playback](https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/tuning-systems-microtonal-notation-system-and-playback). Does not work on instruments using Muse sounds (yet) on Musescore 4.1.1
[Tablatures](https://handbook.musescore.org/idiomatic-notation/guitar/entering-and-editing-tablature-notation), [percussion staffs](https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/entering-and-editing-percussion-notation#notehead) and some notehead scheme (see [Overview](#overview)) use notehead shape to convey pitch information:
* *\[not working yet, upcoming fixed 4.3* [*https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/issues/16500*](https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/issues/16500) *]* The brackets (parentheses, dead note or ghost note) item in **Noteheads** [palettes](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes) can be added to a note or accidental.
* To change selected fret number(s) into crosshead, click the cross item in the **Noteheads** [palettes](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes). To enclose selected fret number(s) with brackets (parentheses, dead note or ghost note), use Shift+X.
* To use custom notehead shape for **visual pitch representation**:
1. [Change level 1 setting](#changing-notehead-shape) as required *for the staff.*
2. Use a level 2 overriding setting on selected note(s):
1. Select note(s) on a score.
2. In the **Properties** panel, open **Note: Head tab**.
3. Select an "Normal" from the **Notehead system** dropdown (you may need to click "Show more" at the bottom of the panel to reveal it).
3. Assign level 3 **notehead type** property. Use either one of the following:
* In **Properties** panel, open **Note: Head tab**, select a **Notehead type**, or
* Click on an item in the **Noteheads** [palettes](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes), or drag it onto a notehead in the score.
4. These note(s) will be **always** use this item, regardless of [any future pitch change by user](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/editing-notes-and-rests) unlike other notes on this staff.
5. [Change **duration factor**](#changing-notehead-shape) as required.
* To loosen the relationship between note vertical position and pitch so that **all notes on a staff** create desired playback, take advantage of ['Transposing instruments' feature](https://handbook.musescore.org/notation/transposition#working-with-transposing-instruments).
## Changing notehead direction
To move notehead(s) *horizontally* to the other side of stem, use one of the following:
* Press Shift+X, or
* In **Properties** panel, open **Note: Head tab**, select a **Notehead direction** (you may need to click "Show more" at the bottom of the panel to reveal it).\\
(**Note**: Contrast this command with X which moves the stem and beam *horizontally and vertically* to other side of the notehead)
## Notehead properties
Selecting a note(s) on score, in the **Properties** panel **Note: Head tab** :
* **Notehead parentheses**: Add or remove parentheses.
* **Notehead type**: See [overview](#overview) and [changing notehead shape](#changing-notehead-shape).
* **Hide notehead**: Makes notehead invisible, see [Properties: visibility](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/properties-panel#visibility).
* **Small notehead**
* **Duration dot position**: This provides an alternative vertical offset for the duration dot.
* Show more / Show less button
* **Notehead system**: level 2 **Notehead scheme**, see [Overview](#overview). The default "Auto" means "ignore this level".
* **Override visual duration**: change **duration factor**, see [Overview](#overview). "Auto" means "no override".
* **Note direction**: See [Changing notehead direction](#changing-notehead-direction) (above).
* **Notehead offset**: This changes the offset of the notehead *only* (to change the offset of the complete note, use "Offset" in **Properties: Appearance** instead).
## Notehead style and font
There are 8 font options (two new options compared to MuseScore 3) for notehead set in Format→Style→Score. Notehead does not use style profiles ([Templates and styles](https://handbook.musescore.org/customization/templates-and-styles)).\
Noteheads [palette](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes) is displayed with Bravura font.
## Sharing noteheads between voices
When two notes in different voices coincide on the same beat, they can either share a *single* notehead, or else be offset to allow the display of *both* noteheads. This is done *automatically* by MuseScore according to certain rules (see below).
To force two offset noteheads in different voices to share a single notehead, use one of the following methods:
* Make the smaller-value notehead [invisible](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/properties-panel#visibility). This works for the majority of cases.
* Select the smaller value notehead and in the **Note** section of the **Properties** toolbar change "Head type (visual only)" to that of the higher value note.
**Rules for automatically sharing or offsetting noteheads**:
* Notes with stems in the same direction do not share noteheads.
* Dotted notes do not share noteheads with undotted notes.
* Black notes do not share noteheads with white notes.
* Whole notes never share noteheads.
### Remove duplicate fretmarks in tablature
If you are using **paired standard and tablature staves** you will come across situations where a shared notehead in the standard staff generates two fretmarks in tablature. In this case simply hide one of the fretmarks by making it [invisible](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/properties-panel#visibility).
## See also
* [Entering and editing percussion notation](https://handbook.musescore.org/idiomatic-notation/percussion/inputting-percussion-notation)
## External links
* [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)
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