Playback: Chord symbols / Nashville numbers

To laydown chord notes onto score, see Chord symbols: Realize Chord Symbols instead.

As of MuseScore version 3.5, both chord symbols and Nashville numbers (but not Roman numerals) automatically sound when you play back the score.
As of MuseScore 3.5.1 this only happens with scores initially created with MuseScore 3.5 or later, for older scores you'd need to enable it, using the methods described below.

Turn playback on/off

Note: Settings made below also affect Audio and MIDI export.

For all scores (as of version 3.5.1)

To enable or disable chord symbol playback for all scores:

• Select Edit (Mac: MuseScore)→Preferences…→Advanced); then the following options, as required:
  • To disable/enable playback of pre-version 3.5 scores: Check/Uncheck score/harmony/play/disableCompatibility (default is checked—no playback)
  • To disable/enable playback of version 3.5 or later scores: Check/Uncheckscore/harmony/play/disableNew (default is unchecked, playback)

For the current score

As of version 3.5.1

To turn playback of ALL chord symbols on/off:

• Tick/Untick Format→Style…→Chord Symbols→Play.

As of version 3.5

To turn playback of ALL chord symbols on/off:

1. Select a chord symbol or Nashville number
2. In the "Chord Symbol" section of the Inspector check/uncheck the "Play" box.
3. Click on the associated "Set as style" button (to the right of that box, you may need to scroll a bit)

Alternatively, you can mute the playback track(s) in the mixer—see below. This might be necessary, for example, when you have chord symbols on more than one staff and want to have playback for only one of them. Score parts need to be adjusted separately.

To turn playback of a SELECTION of chord symbols on/off:

1. Select a range of symbols.
2. Right-click a chord symbol or Nashville number.
3. Click on Select→Select all similar elements in selected range, OK.
4. In the "Chord Symbol" section of the Inspector check/uncheck the "Play" box.

or

1. Click on first chord symbol or Nashville number in that range.
2. Shift+click on last chord symbol or Nashville number in that range.
3. In the "Chord Symbol" section of the Inspector check/uncheck the "Play" box.

Note: This does not affect the parts which need to be adjusted seperately.

Change playback sound

The default sound for chord symbols is "Grand Piano". As of version 3.5.1, scores created from Guitar solo templates, use "Nylon String Guitar" instead.

To change the chord symbol playback sound:

1. Open the Mixer (shortcut: F10, Mac: Fn+F10)
2. In the Track area locate the track for the part in question.
3. Click on the "Show channels" arrow to display all the child tracks for that part.
4. Click on the track whose name contains the words "harmony" or "Chord syms." (may be truncated).
5. Select a new "Sound" in the Sound drop-down list.

This setting is shared between score and parts.

Change playback volume / Mute track

1. Open the Mixer (shortcut: F10, Mac: Fn+F10)
2. In the Track area locate the track for the part in question.
3. Click on the "Show channels" arrow to display all the child tracks for that part.
4. Click on the track whose name contains the words "harmony" or "Chord syms." (may be truncated).
5. Adjust the volume slider; or press the "M" button to mute the track.

You'd need to do this for the score and/or the parts, separately.

Turn symbol sound on/off when editing

To turn the sound of the symbols on/off when editing:

1. From the menu, select Edit (Mac: MuseScore)→Preferences…→Note input.
2. Check/Uncheck the "Play chord symbol when editing" option.

Interpretation and voicing of chord symbols

If desired, you can adjust the playback properties of selected chord symbols as follows:

1. Select one or more chord symbols.
2. In the Inspector make changes as follows:
   • Interpretation. The options are:
     • Literal;
     • Jazz. This adds color tones (e.g. the major 9th) but may also omit certain notes—this depends on both the chord itself and the context (the next chord in particular).
   • Voicing. Options are:
     • Auto
     • Root only = Just the bass note;
     • Close = arranges the notes within the span of an octave;
     • Drop 2 = lowers the second highest note of the chord by one octave;
     • Six Note;
     • Four Note = 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th intervals;
     • Three Note.
       Note: All voicings include a bass note, 2 octaves below the root note of the chord.
   • Duration: Options are
     • Until next chord symbol
     • Until measure end
     • Chord/rest duration.

The following shows how the Interpretation and Voicing options affect the playback of a C major seventh symbol (Cmaj7 or CM7).

Note: The "Close" and "Auto" Voicing options are the same for this particular chord, but this isn't necessarily the case for every chord. So if you specifically want "Close", it is best to make the option explicit.