How do you change tempo in musescore 4

• Jan 20, 2023 - 14:44

i hit F11 and I see the tempo marking but can't change it. How do you change the tempo?

Comments

• Mar 28, 2023 - 00:07

I've seen several of your comments and you seem to delight in correcting people rather than enhancing your "logic" with empathy, so you really understand the problem - seems to be a classical musician thing. Macs are different from PC's; F11 is not working for me even with Fn + F11, or Command or Ctrl. It simply does nothing. I also get bugs that are unfixable, or so obscure that the only real fix seems to be opening a new file, and beginning again. Do you work for Musescore or do you just do this for fun?

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• Mar 28, 2023 - 13:26

F11 on Windows/Linux opened the play pannel in Mu3. But never for Mac, for the reasons you stated. And no longer for Mu4, where it is the shortcut for Full Screen (on Windows, Linux)
And yes, I missed that, sorry about that.
I don't work for MuseScore, in the sense that I don't get paid for it. So yes, for fun.

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• May 8, 2023 - 05:05

Hi Jojo,
Please understand that YOU are an expert with this program. Not sure about our friend who asked, but I am certainly not.

So your answer, while making perfect sense to you... well I'm lost.

I just want to play my piece a bit slower, or faster, or whatever I'd like. Any help would be most appreciated.

I see 1/4 note = 120 at the top right of the screen and my logic says "click that and / or drag it up or down to change my mm". Not the case.

I don't know what a play panel is, and the 6 dots seem to to nothing for me.

So if you can shed any light on this daunting task of changing my bpm I'd be grateful.

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• May 8, 2023 - 05:14

Hi, I'm back. After researching and getting (sadly) no help from our "know-it-all smart-ass poor teacher" (sorry dude but either help or don't... nobody needs your attitude).

So...
1. Go to the View menu
2. Click Palettes
3. Look for "Tempo" to the left of the screen (4th one down)
4. Click and drag 1/4 = 80 onto your score (you have to touch an actual note).
5. When you get it right it will say "1/4 = 80" at the top of your score, double click the number 80 and type in whatever number you want.
6. Write an email to someone who knows entitled "why can't I just double click the bloody Metronome Marking at the top right".

  1. That's it, now your score is playing at the correct tempo.

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• Jun 17, 2024 - 21:33

For the sake of precision, this doesn't really let you adjust the tempo to a BPM that you want - it adjusts the tempo to a percentage of 120 BPM. I think what some folks - myself included, as a brand-new user - are wondering is why the process of altering a piece's parameters feels disjointed from the clicking and navigating that you can do to enter notes. I assume there are reasons, but they are opaque.

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• Jun 20, 2024 - 08:35

@shanethedavis... You wrote:
... it adjusts the tempo to a percentage of 120 BPM.

Yes, because 120 BPM is the default tempo when nothing is specified in the score.
If the tempo in the score is set to 80 BPM, then moving the slider to 150% will speed playback to 120 BPM (80 + 40), so in this case it adjusts the tempo to a percentage of 80 BPM.

You also wrote:
...this doesn't really let you adjust the tempo to a BPM that you want...

If you want a specific BPM, use the Tempo palette to place a metronome mark into the score and edit to the desired number; or add a tempo text (e.g., Moderato) and (if necessary) tweak the BPM in the Properties panel.

That percentage slider is a feature of the Play panel. It allows for speeding up (or slowing down) the playback speed. It is a temporary change. The setting of each written tempo marking on the score remains unchanged.
The slider works well for listening to scores with multiple tempo changes within the score itself. Using it to speed up (or slow down) by a percentage keeps everything relative during playback.

See:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/playback-controls#play-position-and…

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• Jun 20, 2024 - 13:27

To be clear: the process of setting a tempo is done exactly the same way as entering notes, or dynamics, or articulations, or repeat signs - by actually adding markings to the score. In the case of tempo, that means using the palette (or Add menu, or keyboard shortcut Alt+Shift+T). The play panel isn’t how you actually set the tempo; it’s just a way to temporarily override the tempo. Like if you want to hear the piece played more slowly than usual so you can practice along with it, or if you want to have it run through faster than usual so you can check that your repeats are placed correctly. That’s kind of a niche thing not really connected to basic score creation, and that’s why it’s done differently.

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• Jan 31, 2024 - 13:46

You don't neeed the master palette - the standard palette contains the tempo markings. You can also add via the Add menu or via the shortcut Alt+Shift+T.

MuseScore is a notation program. If you want the musicians playing your score to play a C, you add a C to your score. if you want them to play C#, you add a sharp. If you want them to play it staccato, you add a staccato marking. If you want them to play loudly, you add a "f" dynamic marking. and if you want them to play 180 BPM, you add that marking. Tempo isn't special - it's just a thing you put in your score to tell people - and MuseScore - what you want to hear.

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• Jan 31, 2024 - 23:07

Thanks Mark, but in my Musescore version (updated 4) the ordinary pallet does not bring up tempo (only Key signature, time signature, pitch, accidentals, dynamics, articulations, text, keyboard, repeats and jumps, barlines, layout and nothing more). Your Add menu did work successfully via text and that is what I will probably settle for. I also tried the Command (Mac) + Shift + T and that brought up the tempo box in which I was able to type numbers, but not notes and without an eg quarter note the new number does not adjust the tempo. Am I doing something wrong with the latter?

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• Jan 31, 2024 - 23:14

Sounds like you may have accidentally hidden that palette; add it back with the "Add palettes" button.

Cmd+Shift+T is probably system text on Mac, not tempo text. The shortcut for tempo is Alt+Shift+T on Windows and Linux, which on Mac keyboards should be Option+Shift+T, but also the Add menu should report this. It should default to note = 80 and then you can edit from there. You can also press Shift+F2 (may also require Fn to activate the function keys) to bring up the "Special characters" dialog while editing text - any text - and access the note symbols and more.

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• Mar 3, 2024 - 01:26

I am appalled and disgusted by what I see here.
I spent a couple of hours trying to understand exactly what the O.P. and several others in this thread were asking. Not because I or any of the others are idiots. But for two reasons: one simply (arguably) inadequate design, easily fixable. The other: really nasty.

  1. It is frustrating, that what should be a trivial setting for a new project requires, (for me and many others here) to go through lot of trouble to even understand why this anti-pattern, which unfortunately is not clearly documented (I understand and sympathize that maintaining documentation is hugely complicated, though). Posts here prove that.
    One should guess that the Play Panel has to be "dragged" out, so to get access to a small slider, not the actual numbers. Or: one would have to guess that having reached to the palette, we still have to figure out where the time marking has to be dragged to. The target is the smallest item: a note or rest. Which for someone with a big screen, and/or incidentally a trackball for ergonomic reasons, and/or a less firm pulse, it is extremely annoying to be dragging exactly with great precision a thing that is huge compared to the tiny target rest or note. Why? why not give a more accessible option?

  2. But please forget about that for now: that's debatable and really easy to fix, even if just adding a couple of lines to the docs. Far much worse than lack of a few UX design K.I.S.S. principles, there is this unbelievable attitude of Mr. @Jojo-Schmitz, who (yes, frequently as others have pointed out) manages to irritate or humiliate (not only) newbies with his rather nasty "style". Interestingly, he openly admits that he makes this "for fun". How nice for him this is so amusing. But not so much for some users, including me, too. Most don't dare to complain, they fear loosing support in the future, so they kindly endure that.

In any big corporation, -I guarantee in mine, for sure- an attitude like that would likely cost the employee's job. But hey, some people are really lucky.

So either:

a) this person is really MuseScore's owner or CEO, or its most important and influential person, and in that case, there ought to be some EULA that makes it very clear and binds the users to unconditionally accept and silently endure whatever rude, sarcastic, condescending, cynical or any similar form or shape of antisocial behavior from certain MuseScore collaborators ... OR

b) there is some group, or some mature adult that really cares about that and timely reacts to make sure that any kind of abuse or bad attitudes (whether more or less subtle, indirect, smart-ass, funny-guy, etc.) are totally banned and seriously condemned.
I haven't seen ANY reactions in that direction so far.

Finally: After having read so many threads on this forum and finding far too many "answers" of that nature (one would be enough), without any consequences, I am refraining myself of making any questions or contributions in this forum until I am fairly confident that I am not going to be mocked, ridiculed or in any way disrespected by anyone, especially if linked to MuseScore either by money or by "fun", at least not without a swift reaction from people concerned with the quality of MuseScore support.

The very minimum we all should expect to see, is a sincere apology, really, with no buts, no howevers, no excuses, no conditions, no explanations. Pure, sincere apologies. Otherwise, please do not even think of replying to this: there's been enough embarrassment already. Bad attitude is NON negotiable, NON washable.

Please do not bully and do NOT accept bullying of any kind from anybody.

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• Mar 3, 2024 - 04:14

In case you forgot, MuseScore is open source. That means there are no paid employees on this forum. We are users trying to help. Anyone can download the code and fix it. Anyone can suggest changes to the manual. Speaking of the manual, the hours you spent (wasted) trying to understand this thread could have been spent in the manual. Why people think they can just open software they know nothing about and expect to be able to use it, is beyond me. Let me help you. https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/playback-controls#play-position-and…
This deals with tempo changes and how to undock and redock the tempo bar. Had you gone to the manual first you could have saved yourself a lot of time. And not wasted others time.
The forum is not the place to go to find information that is easily found in the manual. Do not bully goes for you, too. Your post is borderline. You don't get to decide who is on or off the forum. You don't get to decide who responds to you. You don't get to threaten anyone. If you don't like someone's post, try being the adult and ignore it.

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• Mar 3, 2024 - 05:12

Your reprimanding response has somehow come into my personal email (addressed to me) yet I have had nothing to do with the posts you refer to, so please be careful before you go accusing uninvolved bystanders (if even that as I had not seen any relevant posts) of bullying. I am not sure how there has been this glitch and am sure you did not intend to be rude to me as we have had nothing to do with each other. I have posted something today about "score invalid" notifications but nothing about tempo.

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• Mar 3, 2024 - 20:04

@ musongo

And what case would that be? This was your first post and all you could do was present a list of grievances. You complained about the software. You complained about other posters. You demanded unconditional apologies. You made incredible and unfounded accusations.
Please ask yourself if your post helped answer the original question. Did your post offer any insight regarding any resolution of the topic in general? Did your post adhere to your own guidelines?
My post offered a link to the part of the manual that deals with the topic at hand. Aside from that, I did wonder at the veracity of your post, in general.

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• Apr 28, 2024 - 03:06

Thanks for your step-by-step response - I wholeheartedly feel you on #6 above. Undocking a panel just to change a tempo makes NO SENSE AT ALL TO ME, nor does changing tempo by putting in a percentage of what the original tempo was unless you started at 1/4 = 100. Mathematically, you are gonna run into problems, and you can't put in percentages with a decimal to compensate. And I am a musician AND a programmer. A classical musician, I might add - not all of us lack empathy, so honestly that remark by "rebeckajohnst" wasn't really much more kind (sniff) than that made by the person she was reprimanding (though I 1000% agree with the other sentiments expressed, especially the fact that we don't have to make people feel silly for having a question).

But sometimes software is a bit over-engineered. I mean, the solution you offered could make perfect sense if you understood that somehow what looks like nothing more than a musical tempo notation actually controls the tempo. Last thing I suspected, insomuch that I skipped over that suggestion when it pulled up in my search results since I thought it was just an answer as to how to add a tempo marking. I still just can't believe that is the real solution, even though it magically works. Everything else in the playback dock is clickable or changeable, so it really was frustrating to not be able to just click on that and change the number. Like after my first few attempts to click on it and change it, I clicked on it like 1000 times hoping I could force it to just be like, "Okay, you win! I'll open up a tempo change window for you."

Not the first thing in Musescore that didn't make sense to me (I have to google every other thing I want to do), but it is free and seemingly quite powerful, so I just have to play by their rules and spend excessive time looking for ways to do things that should be super simple but somehow defy my logic. This is one of those pieces of software that you really do need to read the manual in order to fully understand it, but that is often a characteristic of software that is more powerful than what the average user needs.

Again, THANK YOU!!

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• Apr 28, 2024 - 03:43

To be clear, you don’t need to undock a panel to change the actual tempo of a piece - that is done very simply by just adding a tempo marking. You only need the undocked panel for the special purpose of temporarily listening to the playback at something other than the tempo specified by the actual tempo markings. It’s not a common operation for most people, which is why it isn’t more prominent.

And of course something that looks like a tempo marking controls the tempo. Just list something that looks like a dynamic marking controls the dynamics, something that looks like a note controls the note, etc.

But indeed, it’s been requested to make that special-purpose temporary tempo override easier to get to, and I have no doubt that this will happen in the not-too-distant future.

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• Apr 28, 2024 - 05:41

Well, "to be clear"...your "of course" statement isn't an obvious "of course" for many people, especially those who are not on the coding or plug-in side of the house (as you obviously are from your profile). Just by saying "of course", you are insinuating that "any fool can see this clearly" and kinda going the direction again of making people feel silly. And there actually are some things on the page that are purely graphical. Now let me purposefully do what "rebeckajohnst" did with classical musicians and semi-lightheartedly lump all of us coders into the category of lacking emotional intelligence. In our quest to point out that the code is doing what it is supposed to be doing, we can steamroll over people who are having a challenge with our software to prove a point. However, there actually is a way to get a point across without causing potential offense. It starts by an acknowledgement of the concern instead of immediate defense.

Several people on the thread (users, not coders) are making it kinda clear that this operation is a bit more buried than it should be - especially if you simply compose a piece from scratch that doesn't have a graphical tempo marking on the music by default (which was my case, as well as the case of others). When that is your starting point, you start looking for something that shows tempo and the only thing that shows it is something that you can't change. That's where people are landing when they start the search. I literally did a fresh download of Musescore 4, threw down some notes for a quick tune I wanted to playback, realized it had defaulted at 120 instead of 110 like I needed (there was nothing in the default new song settings about tempo, just "family", instrument" and "Done") and had a crazy time trying to find out how to do it (before I googled). Users are just saying that this should be more intuitive, and (to your point in the last paragraph) it is hopefully going to soon be resolved.

I know you are being helpful and I truly appreciate it. We just all have to do better about offering help without sliding in any comments that make a user feel belittled. I know it is unintentional, but this kinda started pretty early with this thread (and unfortunately is kinda common in the wide world of user forums). Thanks much!

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• Apr 28, 2024 - 14:07

I apologize for any misunderstanding. I’m not trying to belittle anyone. I’m just pointing out that you don’t have to know one thing about coding to realize that tempo markings are how tempo is specified in standard music notation. You just need to know how to read music.

It is of course always possible for any of us to make mistakes and fail to realize things like this that are obvious in hindsight. And there is no shame in making mistakes; we’ve all made more than we can possibly count. It is part of what makes us human, and thus possible to create music in the first place! :-).

So anyhow, once again, the correct way to change the actual tempo is via a tempo mating. That is not a design defect in need of correction - it truly is the only logical way to change the actual tempo of a score. Especially when you realize it may change multiple times over the course of the piece.

The special-purpose temporary override may indeed someday be made more obvious, but it will never replace the normal tempo marking - again, it is purely a temporary override. It quite simply wont work to use this control for the actual tempo of the piece since it is only temporary and doesn’t allow changes mid-score. Again, it is for temporary overrides only. In fact, one danger of making the control easier to find is that people become more likely to make the additional mistake of trying to use this control instead of actually setting the tempo via a tempo marking.

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• Apr 28, 2024 - 19:33

Well, fortunately I think that most people using the software can read music - even us silly classically trained orchestral players can manage to do that. And amazingly (actually, at this point it is no longer amazing), there is yet another jab, "you just need to know how to read music". IN THE SAME SENTENCE AS YOUR APOLOGY.

I continue this conversation at this point only to amusingly explore how deep this mindset is that anyone who doesn't see it "your way" is simply an incoherent non-musician. OF COURSE A MUSICIAN KNOWS WHAT A TEMPO MARKING IS!!!!!!!!!!! The point made was that the actual part of the GUI that lends itself to making changes doesn't allow you to (at a glance) change the one thing that you can see that indicates a tempo marking. That is a fact. I'll explore how easy it is to create music without a tempo marking in my response to the other poster who acts like everyone is going to clearly see the gray "Next" button rather than the blue "Done" button.

And yet it continues: "the only logical way", basically saying that if you don't see it my way you are not logical. Another very amusing, uncontrollable stab. To me (and probably some others), a great logical way to change some setting for the music would be a right click - works in all kind of software and usually opens up some great contextual menus that would allow you to (among other basic things) change the tempo. Didn't work here.

So it's really obvious that the software is working as designed. And it's obvious to some users (who foolishly try to use the software without reading the manual, I stand accused) that the logical steps they would take to make a change aren't working (which apparently classifies them as being void of logic). The software isn't broken, it's a wonderful tool that has helped many people - including myself, though I am an infrequent user who wishes he had more time to dive deep. I love software like this.

I'm just asking that you play nice with the casual user and just somehow go against the tendency to have to put people down in the middle of giving help. I really don't think you are trying to do so (which is actually what makes this most amusing), but it JUST. KEEPS. COMING.

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• Apr 29, 2024 - 02:37

I would suggest refraining from using inflammatory terms like “jab”, “stab”, “put people down”, “accuse”, and “belittle”. I assure you, no one is doing any such thing. We are simply trying to help. I would recommend simply thanking us and moving on. There is no reason to resort to personal attacks. You seem genuinely concerned about the tone here, and I applaud that attitude, which I share. So please, unless you have additional questions here, I would encourage you to simply accept the assistance we have gladly and freely offered with no criticism implied whatsoever, and move on. As I said, we all make mistakes, and there is no shame in that, and no shame in others pointing them out.

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• Apr 29, 2024 - 13:35

My human brother, I am sorry. 4 posts into this thread, people started saying that the answers offered lacked empathy. I actually missed the opening statement of the person (stevestockmal@gmail.com) who actually gave me the answer when he did kinda do some actual name-calling. I kindly thanked him for the answer and was ready to "move on" as you suggested (and probably should have opted out of responses) but then I was somehow dragged into this thing. It's apparent things won't change in the world of forums, but I honestly thank you for your contributions and wish you the best.

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• Apr 28, 2024 - 16:54

> there was nothing in the default new song settings about tempo, just "family", instrument" and "Done"
That is not true! In New score dialog, click Next instead of Done. Additional things are queried: key signature, time signature, number of measures and also the tempo! Things that normally have to be set individually for each score. In every properly written score there is a tempo indication, either as a graphic, e.g. 80 bpm like this:
Tempo.png
or as one of the usual texts such as Largo, Allegro etc. This is what the tempo palette is for. Now you just have to learn that you can change the numerical value - just like any other text.
See https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/setting-your-score#additional-score…

And you don't need Google, you just need to read the basic chapters of the handbook ...

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• Apr 28, 2024 - 20:00

I stand accused as not reading the basic chapters of the handbook. As a casual user I try to use the software to quickly put some notes down and (in this case, not my usual use) play it back at a certain tempo. The dialog for a new score encourages you to click "Done" by its color and discourages you to explore deeper by making the other options a dull gray color. It is basically saying that all you need to do is chose an instrument and you are good to go. The fact that "Done" is an option on the first screen and colored brightly would lead a whole lot of people to...well, click the button, leaving them void of the many wonderful options presented upon clicking "Next". So maybe making either the tempo be something you can set on the first screen OR making next the only option for at least one more screen would eliminate this challenge of setting the tempo. I include a screenshot of the glowingly bright and tantalizing "Done" button and the "don't choose me" coloring of the "Next" button.

By encouraging users to click "Done" instead of "Next", it is making people create (in your words) not "properly written scores". I'm a music major, I know how to write scores pretty good and of course would include a tempo marking, but the quickest way to start writing music in MuseScore bypasses including a tempo marking. And lands the casual, non-handbook-reading user in trouble as they try to change something as basic as the tempo with what is before their eyes. Most people know you can change the numerical value of something that they can see - the issue is that THE ONLY TEMPO MARKING THAT YOU CAN SEE when you quickly create a piece of music using the first bright "Done" button that you see is a tempo marking in the upper right section of the interface THAT YOU CANNOT CHANGE.

This is why people (foolish casual users, such as myself) struggle with this. It doesn't make us dumb (you didn't say that), it doesn't make us in need of learning that you can change visible text values (you did say that), it just means that the value that you DO need to change is not present on pieces of music that the software allows us to create and (again) the value that you see that isn't correct CANNOT be changed by clicking on it, unlike all the other active buttons to the left of it. It doesn't matter that it was not designed to permanently change the tempo of the piece, it's just the only visible place that shows tempo for many users.

This thread actually wouldn't have been started (and continued) if this wasn't something that more than one person experienced. I got the answer from a frustrated user who shared the "secret" without directly demeaning anyone (intentionally or otherwise) and I am thankful for that very much.

Attachment Size
whatIsInBlueSayingPressMeNext.jpg 108.48 KB

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• Apr 29, 2024 - 09:49

Write a request on GitHub not to color the buttons in this way. This was not the case in MuS 3 and is also not shown in the MuS 4 manual. So they changed it recently.
Also write a request that in this case the tempo marker (quarter note = 120) is set visible on a new score.
I think both are sensible.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of software that does not behave intuitively.
In my (old) Outlook, for example, I can't copy selected text with Ctrl+C. I have to use the right mouse button and select 'Copy'.
And in the very early days of computers, Ctrl+C was there to hard exit the program ...

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• Apr 29, 2024 - 15:27

Agreed on all points. In MuseScore 3, "Finish" was available at the same point (after choosing instruments), but "Next" actually had a thin blue outline around it and was the default option if you hit the "Enter" key on your keyboard. I always selected "Next" in MS3 (just like I would when installing software to avoid silly defaults) and set my tempo, key signature and everything else. Since the tempo actually IS set in the background and is so foundational, making it visible by default would be great - especially since it isn't just there for looks.

And yeah, I hate it when software mandates a right click to copy (or do anything else that you could usually accomplish via a shortcut).

Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

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• Apr 29, 2024 - 22:10

So let's say I want to create a new score. I don't have MU3 installed anymore so I have no idea how it compares. I select New and there is a new score window. I get to choose an instrument. Good thing I don't want a cornet because it isn't under the Common instrument list. I choose Piano. Now what? I can Cancel, Next, or Done. Next what? Done with what? Am I done choosing instruments? Sure. So I choose Done. There is my new piano score. 4/4 in the key of C. In a while I discover the tempo is 120. Except I wanted a 6/8 meter and key of D. And a faster tempo. Now what do I do? The program doesn't work the way I think it should. I need to find someone to complain to. The program isn't intuitive.

So, tempo, meter and key need to be corrected. There are three paths to choose from.

  1. Ask on the forum, as did the OP in this thread. The very first answer was to the point and correct. And subject to uncalled for ridicule.

  2. Look it up in the manual. Extremely quick and easy. Go ahead and type Tempo into the search box. Armed with this knowledge. I move ahead. Google???

  3. I can also go directly to the palettes and select the first measure. In that measure I add and adjust the tempo I want. I add the meter and I add the key. No need to drag anything. Why would we expect to be able to click on the tempo in the upper right and change the tempo?

Or I could have chosen Next, and done it all there. Also in the manual.

But I forget. The program isn't intuitive. For who? We are all different. What make sense to someone else, may mean nothing to me. I need to learn how the program works. Not how I think it should work.

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• Apr 30, 2024 - 08:11

Hardly any program is totally intuitive, especially if it covers a lot of functions. This is hardly possible because everyone will have a different intuition.

As I already wrote, you can study the manual carefully or you know what is needed for a piece of music and will look for how to make these settings. Or you can create a few test scores at the beginning and find out by trial and error what is hidden behind the individual buttons. If I remember correctly, that was my approach: Aha, if I click 'Next', then other important things are queried. That's how I learned it.

Many functions in MuseScore can be accessed in different ways; you have shortcuts, you can use the menu, you can do some things by dragging, you can change things afterwards, and so on. If you are familiar with the program, this makes your work easier, but if you are a beginner, it may make it more difficult. But really, you're only a beginner for a short time, aren't you?

FYI: In MuS3 it is very similar. You can press "Finish" when you have selected an instrument or a template, or you can press "Next" to set the key, tempo, time signature, number of measures, and so on. You do this exactly once and then you know what's behind it.

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• Apr 29, 2024 - 22:38

I like the idea of adding the tempo automatically by default - seems to solve the visibility problem nicely. Could maybe even be made invisible so it’s easy to edit but doesn’t show in the score unless you take explicit action (including selecting it in the last page of the wizard).

FWIW, the “subtitle” is always added by default in MU4 and that was a conscious design choice made for the same reason - so people wouldn’t be wondering how to add a subtitle. But that almost never came up here in the forums, where tempo does from time to time. So if it was recognized as an issue for subtitle, it’s that much more so for the tempo, and the same solution could be considered. Personally, I’d just as soon see the automatic subtitle be done away with since it’s not so common to want to add as tempo markings are.

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• Jan 5, 2025 - 02:44

Hi,
I realize this is months old (happy 2025 :-) ) but I felt the need to chime in here. Please bear with a little background.

I've been a very sporadic user since version 2, and just cracked open MS4 due to a revived interest in composition. I am trying to settle on a workflow that makes sense; I find that composing from the keyboard is more conducive to idea flow than notating onto the score, so I am improvising into a midi file, then quantizing and editing it prior to bringing it into Musescore. I'm finding that Reaper is a useful tool for this kind of cleanup (especially since piano roll editing doesn't exist in MS4) but its notation is miles behind MS4. So I'm using Musescore as the last stage in the process so I can share with other musicians. The fact that VSTs are now supported means that playback is now an extremely useful tool in its own right.

My initial import results in a score with no tempo marking and a default of 120bpm. I, too, had no clue that undocking the play panel was needed in order to modify the playback tempo. And I attempted to add the tempo marker to the first measure of the score (as I recall doing in MS3 with success), but it had no effect on playback.

There has obviously been a huge amount of great work done to get MS to its current state, so in a sense the tempo showing cleanly in the upper right corner is almost a fake-out. Even a tool-tip to help a new user figure out that the panel needs to be undocked would be a great start. And I would think that there are plenty of instances where a single tempo for a piece would suffice, such that having it settable at the piece level via that panel, and down to the bpm as well as by percentage, would be very useful.

Thanks and respect,
David D.

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• Jun 11, 2024 - 00:03

Thanks so much for this clear and specific answer. I've been hunting all over for this solution, THANKS!.... I am beyond a beginner Musescore user and an advanced guitarist and this particular issue is one of those non-obvious or intuitive solutions. Maybe after years of Musescore it would be intuitive... Thanks for the patience and clarity.....

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• Sep 20, 2024 - 23:23

Gosh, why is changing the tempo so incredibly difficult in MuseScore? I tried to change the tempo of an existing piece using the above instructions, - thanks for those - but it simply added "1/4 = 80" above the existing "1/4 = 70". And I still couldn't change it! This piece starts at "1/4 = 70" and after 4 bars changes to "1/4 = 130". For our group I simply need the whole piece to go to "1/4 = 140". And I do not seem to be able to. Sigh.

This is the piece: https://musescore.com/user/155583/scores/2419081

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• Dec 5, 2023 - 15:12

It's not really clear what you mean here, but the usual way to change a tempo marking is to simply double-click it and edit the text. Or if there is no metronome marking within the text itself, use the Properties panel to set the desired BPM.

If you continue to have trouble, please attach your score and say which tempo marking you are having trouble with.

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• Jan 20, 2023 - 15:37

When I hit F11 it toggles full screen view. It should have nothing to do with tempo unless you have changed the default keyboard shortcuts.

If you can see the tempo marking in your score then you can change the tempo by clicking on it to select and then edit the tempo shown in it to be what you want.

Or after clicking on the tempo marking you can untick the "Follow written tempo" option in the playback section of the properties panel and write in the tempo you want in the box that then becomes enabled.

See https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/tempo-markings

Or you can undock the play panel in the top right hand corner of the screen by dragging on the 6 dots and use the slider to adjust the tempo temporarily.

See https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/playback-controls#play-position-and…

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• Mar 28, 2023 - 17:00

I use a Mac. I choose the measure where a tempo change is needed. Highlight it, go to the palettes, tempo and choose a tempo from the list. It appears above the measure.
Then, you can click on it to change its value.

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• Apr 8, 2023 - 14:25

M4, W10; I can change the tempo temporarily :) by undocking the play set, but not permanently, I have tried clicking on the tempo while docked (left and right buttons, tried ctrl, alt and shift) but it doesn't give me any way to change tempo. Undocked I can change it and it stays at that tempo when docked back...but it's just temporary, since if I undock it again, it still shows a %age.

BTW, my thanks and apologies to those with other mother tongues who suffer with the imperiality of English.

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• Apr 8, 2023 - 17:52

OK, wherein it says:
Tempo text

You can override the written tempo by unchecking "Follow written tempo" in the Tempo section of the Properties panel, and setting a new tempo in the "Override written tempo" box.

There is nothing for tempo under properties, see screenshot #1
Under palettes, there is Temp, but nothing about overide, see second screen shot

It would be more intuitive just to be about to click on the BPI in the playback menu, then having it buried elsewhere, som levels deep.

Wonderful program....and as with anything this powerful, a steep learning curve

Attachment Size
NOthingIn Properties.jpg 29.47 KB
NoOverideInPalletes.jpg 113.44 KB

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• Apr 8, 2023 - 19:20

The Properties tab will show you the properties of a selected score element. You first need to select (by clicking on) a tempo marking to view its properties.
See:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/tempo-markings#change-playback

But...
You can change an existing tempo by double clicking to directly edit its text, or to change the bpm number - without going into Properties.
If you wish to change the tempo somewhere else in the score, just add a new tempo marking at that point in the score.

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• Jul 29, 2023 - 00:31

For the tempo marking, you can go into view, make sure 'palettes' is enabled, click into it, find 'tempo' and click to add any of the premade tempo markings, then when it's on the page, you double click it to backspace the prewritten tempo marking and type in your own.

For the tempo the score itself plays at, make sure 'properties' is enabled, find 'tempo' and type in what tempo you want the score to play at, or click 'Follow Written Tempo' if you already have a tempo marking. Sometimes the 'Follow Written Tempo' checkbox doesn't work and (for me) sets it to 150BPM.

I hope this helped! (I had the same problem so when I figured it out by accidentally clicking 'Properties' I was happy)

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• Jun 4, 2024 - 02:51

Hi. I had to "enable editing" with the pencil and then click and drag the tempo palette thingy to the page. Then I double-clicked to edit that.

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• Jun 4, 2024 - 18:11

It is not necessary to enable editing to add a tempo marking to your score. Whether editing is turned on or not, you can select either the entire measure or an individual note/rest in the measure and then click on the tempo marking you want to use. It will be added to either the beginning of the measure or the specific note/rest you selected.

You can do the same thing with most (all?) palette items. IMO, this is much easier and more accurate than dragging from the palette to the score.

Oh, and the tempo marking (regardless of the note value that it is to be applied to) is always added with the default numerical value of 80. Double-click on 80 to change it in the text.

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• Jun 4, 2024 - 20:09

If by “the pencil” you mean the icon ast top left of the toolbar, that is for “note input mode” - to actually enter notes into your score. It has nothing to do with adding other elements like tempo. As TheHutch explains, palette items can be added at any time, but it’s usually easier to just select a destination the score then click the palette item than to fiddle with drag & drop.

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