Why is my grace note not playing?
Specifically the acciaccatura doesn't make a sound in playback mode. Other grace notes seem to work just fine.
I added a grace note as in the picture below.
Any help?
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I'm having the same situation: zero sound. Version 4.1 installed.
I have a piece with a sequence of 24 semiquaver grace notes (as notated in a published work used as an examination piece) where not one note gets played back. I slowed it down to 10bpm and nothing.
MS 4.1 on Windows 11.
Attaching scores would help other research what's being found by you two. Also, have you tried to examine the property of the individual grace notes (which aren't heard) to see if they are marked 'Play'?
In reply to Attaching scores would help… by Are Jayem
I'm trying to find a consistent repro.
In the original score, the affected measure is #33. I copied measures 33-34 into a new score, and found that the grace-notes played, although there was a very weird long delay as if the 24 grace notes were scanned at the marked 10bpm and then suddenly played very fast at the end. It was if the tempo indicator made no difference at all in playback. Note I had to set the slowed tempo on the previous whole note before the grace-notes as you can't anchor any line to a grace-note (incl octava line, hairpin, ....).
So I pasted measures 30-34 into the new score, and the grace notes didn't play at all the first time but they did on subsequent plays!
In the original score I still can't get measure 33's grace notes to play, no matter how many times I try. I've rebooted my computer between attempts.
And yes the notes all have "Play" property on.
To engrave this, a leading space of 30 is required for the first grace note, otherwise it ignores its rhythmic position and the grace-notes display on top of the bass-notes that precede them.
In reply to I'm trying to find a… by memeweaver
As "grace notes won't play.mscz" is an MS4 score, I'm going to have to defer to those people more familiar with MS4, at this point. Thanks for attaching a score for research, though...
In reply to As "grace notes won't play… by Are Jayem
You have the tempo change on the third beat. The grace notes are attached to the fourth beat and therefore you have to wait for that very slow third beat to finish before the grace notes play. If you move the tempo change to the fourth beat I think you will get nearer what you are hoping for.
In reply to You have the tempo change on… by SteveBlower
I didn't get the grace notes playing at all when the tempo change was attached to the fourth beat - I just get a too-slow fourth beat.
I tried creating a hidden extra voice so that I could put the tempo change at beat 3.875 and then restore it at 4.0 but that didn't work either.
In reply to I didn't get the grace notes… by memeweaver
I certainly heard the grace notes earlier when I moved the tempo change. So, I don't seem to he able to reproduce your problem. Perhaps a screen capture video would help in this case.
In reply to I certainly heard the grace… by SteveBlower
I can't even get Musescore toplay back the same way twice in the same (attached) score with the same measure. in different locations.
In reply to I didn't get the grace notes… by memeweaver
i think it has something to do with how the ms4 sounds are custom (i mean it randomly shows keys pressed, or if an expert manually recorded every note with every accent at every speed) and it probably needs some time to load, unlike ms3 sounds are more like midi sounds that get stretched or squished to produce notes
try changing the sound to ms3 sound
if its piano, its probably not that bad of a sound but if its a horrible sound like the clarinet or organ, im sorry dude but idk what id do
Don't have MS4.
But the same issue applies in MS3 often.
The acciaccatura is played but at the same time as note.
For acciaccatura to be heard, it must be played slightly before the note. Either before the beat or on the beat, but then the note is played after the beat.
When I have this issue, I use the DockArticulate plugin of this suite of the plugins. Unfortunately it won't work in MS4, as MS4 is yet to support Dock-type plugins.
Really handy to set precisely how the acciaccatura and the note must be played.
In reply to Don't have MS4. But the same… by parkingb
This is still a problem in MS 4.5! Can't someone figure out how to implement grace-note playback properly??? I attach a sample score fragment. If I slow the tempo down dramatically (say, to 20%), I hear the grace note. But at any tempo in the ballpark of 100%, it's inaudible.
In reply to This is still a problem in… by dkaplan137
ATTACH A SCORE! It was only said umpteen times above.
Without a score, you're just spitting into the wind.
In reply to ATTACH A SCORE! It was only… by TheHutch
In their defence no grace note playback is properly working regardless of type or number of notes. All the above attached scores are still valid examples.
However this probably just one of dozens of grace note issues that have been known for many versions. I think there's a master big somewhere.
In reply to In their defence no grace… by memeweaver
I don't have any problem with grace note playback. To the best of my recollection, I never have had problems with grace note playback. I have not heard about any particular problems over the past 6-8 years that I've been contributing regularly.
[About an hour later] This does not imply that there isn't such a bug; only that it doesn't occur often enough to rise to the attention of someone who has read every post for the past 6-8 years.
In the Score fragment.mscz file that @dkaplan137 posted on May 30, 2025 at 17:01, the grace notes play normally for me.
In the grace notes won't play.mscz file that you (@memeweaver) posted on Feb 6, 2023 at 05:56, the grace notes play normally. At least one other contributor made the same comment at the time you posted it.
This probably means that there is not an application problem, but a problem on your system (and those of a few others).