Overview

The Instruments panel is a new feature in MuseScore 4. It gives you control over your instruments and some basic staff properties without having to leave the score view. All of the instruments in your score will appear in this panel.

Adding and ordering instruments

Accessing the Instruments panel

Open the Instruments panel by clicking on the Instruments tab on the left side of the screen:

Adding instruments

Click Add. This will open the Instruments dialog (see Choose instruments for more information).

Deleting instruments

Select any instrument and click the trash can icon to delete it from your score.

Changing the order of instruments

Select any instrument and use the ↑ or ↓ buttons to change its position in the score. Alternatively, you can drag the instrument up/down using the mouse.

Instrument settings

Hiding/showing instruments

The visibility of entire instrument staves can be toggled by clicking the eye icon next to an instrument label.

Hidden instruments aren't ever deleted — they are simply hidden. This means they won't be printed, but you can still generate and export parts for them.

This feature might be useful if you have alternative instruments or alternative versions of a part that you'd like to toggle between (e.g. for different performers or instrumental configurations). You might also like to isolate different sections of a larger score (say, for orchestra) without actually deleting anything or generating any new project files.

Renaming instruments

Click the cog icon to expose settings for renaming your instruments. Leaving any of these fields blank will ensure that no label appears on the score or in the part for that instrument.

Replacing instruments

To replace an instrument in the Instruments panel:

1. Click the cog icon
2. In the popup that appears, click Replace instrument
3. Select your desired replacement instrument in the dialog that appears
4. Click OK

Adding and configuring staves

The Instruments panel can also be used to add staves to an existing instrument and configure some of their basic properties.

To add a staff to an existing instrument

1. If there are no staves visible under the instrument label, click the triangular "show more" icon next to the label
2. Click Add staff
3. Click the cog icon of the newly-added staff, and adjust "Staff type", if required.

Added staves share the same instrument but their notation can be edited independently. Amongst other things, they can be used to create staff/tablature for stringed-instrument players (e.g. guitar, banjo, ukulele etc.).

To add a linked staff to an existing instrument

Certain notational objects on one staff can be made to automatically appear on other staves if they are linked together. Linked staves can be used to create staff/tablature for stringed-instrument players (guitar, banjo, ukulele etc.).

To create a linked staff:

1. If there are no staves visible under the instrument label, click the triangular "show more" icon next to the label
2. Click the cog icon next to the staff label (E.g. "Treble clef")
3. Click Create a linked staff
4. Click the cog icon of the newly-added staff, and adjust "Staff type", if required.

Configuring a staff

Each stave contains some independently configurable properties. By clicking on the cog icon alongside a staff label (E.g. "Treble clef"), you can:

• Change its staff type (including the clef and number of staff lines)
• Reduce the size of the staff (Small staff)
• Hide any measures that do not contain notation

Learn more about staff customization in Staff/part properties.

By default, a score will show all measures of all staves on all pages throughout the score, whether they contain notes or not. However, you may wish to have certain staves appear only on systems where they are needed. You may even wish to have a staff appear or disappear mid-system. MuseScore provides a number of controls for this purpose.

Hiding empty staves

Ensemble scores often typically omit the staves for instruments that are not playing on any given system.

Hiding all empty staves

To automatically hide staves on systems where they are empty:

1. Ensure that nothing in your score is selected (press Esc if necessary).
2. Go to the Properties panel.
3. Click the icon next to Empty staves.

Alternatively, you can enable the Hide empty staves within systems option in Format→Style→Score.

MuseScore will normally continue to show all staves on the first system, in accordance with common convention. If you would like to force MuseScore to hide empty staves on the first system as well, disable the Don't hide empty staves in first system option in the dialog. You can also control whether or not brackets are shown if, for example, only a single instrument from a section is playing, via the Show brackets when spanning a single staff option.

Excluding specific staves from being hidden

You can specify that certain staves should not be hidden when empty:

1. Right-click a staff.
2. Click Staff/Part properties.
3. In the resulting dialog, set Hide when empty to Never.

For instruments that use two or more staves (like piano, organ, and harp), you may wish to specify that individual empty staves should be shown unless all staves for the instrument are empty. To do this, set the Hide when empty option to Instrument for each of the staves.

Temporary staves

In scores where some empty staves are not hidden in general, there may nonetheless be special staves that you wish to only show where needed. For example, this might be a solo part in an ensemble score, or a bass staff in a lead sheet. To set an individual staff to hide when empty without forcing all staves to be hidden when empty:

1. Right-click a staff.
2. Click Staff/Part properties.
3. In the resulting dialog, set Hide when empty to Always.

Cutaway staves

Film scores and other contemporary scores often use a style of notation where individual measures are hidden when empty. These are sometimes called cutaway scores.

To accomplish this in MuseScore:

1. Right-click a staff.
2. Select Staff/Part properties.
3. In the resulting dialog, set Hide when empty to Always.
4. Enable the Cutaway option.

If you wish all staves to be displayed in this manner, you can use the Properties panel or the Hide empty staves style setting to hide the staves. However, you will need to set the Cutaway option for each staff individually. You can speed up this process by using the arrow buttons in the Staff/Part Properties dialog:

1. Set the Cutaway option for the top staff.
2. Press the Apply button.
3. Press the ↓ button to move to the next staff.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you have gone through all staves.

Ossia

An ossia is a special type of cutaway staff in which a given musical passage is notated using a small staff above the normal staff, such as to show an alternate interpretation.

These can be created in MuseScore using a combination of features:

1. Add a staff as described in Adding and configuring staves.
2. Select and delete or otherwise adjust any automatically added bracket.
3. Enter the desired notation.
4. Right-click the staff.
5. Select Staff/Part properties.
6. In the resulting dialog, set Hide when empty to Always.
7. Enable the Cutaway and Small options.
8. Press OK.

If you wish to hear the ossia playback instead of the normal staff, select the corresponding measures on the normal staff and uncheck the Play setting on the Properties panel. Do the same for the ossia staff if you would rather hear the normal staff playback.

Depending on the look you desire, you might also want to hide the initial or final barline for the passage. To do this, select the barline and press V or uncheck the Visible option in the Properties panel.

You may also wish to decrease the distance between the ossia and the normal staff. To do this, use a Staff spacer fixed down from the Layout palette.

Other invisible measures

MuseScore also allows you to make individual measures invisible on any given staff, whether empty or not.

To set a measure to be invisible on a given staff:

1. Right-click the measure.
2. Select Measure properties.
3. Disable the Visible checkbox for the staff or staves in which you wish the measure to be set invisible.

Note: you cannot make a measure invisible on all staves—it must remain visible on at least one.

Implode

The Implode command allows you to do either of the following:

• Combine the notation of several voices in the same staff into one voice
• Combine notation from several staves into separate voices in one staff.

Combine notes from multiple voices in a single staff into one voice

1. Select a range of measures in a single staff.
2. From the menu bar, select Tools→Implode.

All selected notes in the staff are now displayed in voice 1.

Combine notes from multiple staves into multiple voices on a single staff

1. Ensure that there is only one voice in each staff to be imploded;
2. Select a range of measures in the top staff and extend this selection downwards to include up to 4 staffs.
3. From the menu bar, select Tools→Implode.

The notation initially in the upper staff will now be in voice 1, that from the staff below in voice 2, and so on.

Explode

Explode allows you to do either of the following:

• Copy a passage of single notes, in a single staff, into one or more staves below.
• Transform the chords of a selected passage of music, in a single staff, into their constituent notes on one or more staves below.

Copy passage of single notes to multiple staves

1. Ensure that the passage is in voice 1 (there should be no notes or rests in other voices).
2. Select the desired range of measures
3. Extend the selection downwards through as many staves as you wish to copy to.
4. From the menu bar, select Tools→Explode.

The passage in the top staff is copied to each of the selected staves below.

Separate a passage of chords into its constituent notes

In this case the chords in a selected passage of music are separated into their constituent notes as follows:

• If the passage is all in voice 1, the top note of the chord is retained on the top staff, while the lower notes are moved to subsequent staves.
• If the passage contains multiple voices, voice 1 notes are retained on the top staff, while other voices are moved to subsequent staves.
• All exploded notes end up in voice 1.

1. Ensure that there are enough staves underneath the source staff to receive the exploded notes. Create extra staves if necessary using the Instruments panel.
2. Choose one of two options:
   • Select a range of measures in the source staff: this allows all notes to be exploded if there are enough staves available.
   • Select a range of measures that includes both the source staff and also extends downwards to include one or more destination staves: This limits the number of exploded notes/voices to the number of selected staves.
3. From the menu bar, select Tools→Explode.

Notes: (1) If the selection is all in voice 1, MuseScore will discard the lowest note(s) of any chord that contains more notes than the number of staves in the selection. (2) If the selection is all in voice 1, and If a given chord has fewer notes than the number of destination staves, then notes will be duplicated as needed so that every staff receives a note. (3) Any existing music in the destination staves is overwritten. (4) If you select a partial measure, the explode command will automatically expand it to a full measure.

Adding an instrument change

When a musician is required to double on a different instrument for a section of a piece, the instruction to switch instruments is generally placed above the staff at the beginning of that section. A return to the primary instrument is handled in the same manner.

In MuseScore, the instruction to change to a different instrument is handled by the Change Instrument text element, which is found in the Text Palette. This text element is different from Staff and system text in that it is linked to playback, allowing for a change in sound to the new instrument.

To add an instrument change:

1. Click on a note or rest to select the start point for the change
2. Click on the Change instr. palette item in the Text Palette
3. Choose which instrument you wish to change to in the Select instrument dialog that appears
4. Click OK

The instruction to change to the new instrument will appear above the selected insertion point in the score.

Working with instrument changes

Removing an instrument change

To remove an instrument change, click once on a Change instrument text element to select it, and press either Del or Backspace.

Re-labelling an instrument change

You can re-label any Change instrument text element in the score by double-clicking on it and entering new text. This will not affect the playback sound of the new instrument.

Instrument changes in the mixer

Playback sounds for instrument changes are reflected in the Mixer as separate channel strips stacked to the right of the primary instrument channel strip. These instruments are labelled in parentheses. You can change the assigned playback library, apply effects, adjust the volume, and mute, solo, and pan these channel strips just as you would any other instrument channel strip. For more information, see the Mixer.

Changing staff type

Changing to a different instrument may necessitate the use of different key signatures, clefs, and even staff type. Learn more about changing staff type in Staff type change.

You can change the appearance of a staff mid-score by adding a "Staff type change" element to a measure, and adjusting its properties in the Properties panel. This can be used when changing between pitched and unpitched staves or for various experimental notation effects.

Adding a staff type change

1. Select a measure in the score and, in the Layout palette
2. Click the "Staff type change" symbol to add it to your score

Alternatively, you can drag the symbol from the palette to a measure in your score.

Setting staff properties

When you alter a "Staff type change" property in the Properties panel, the new value takes precedence over the value shown in the global Staff/Part properties dialog. Only those property values in Staff/Part properties that cannot be changed for the "Staff type change" will be valid throughout the score.

The properties that can be altered for the "Staff type change" in the Properties panel are:

Cue size
Use the Small staff size that is defined for the score

Offset
Displace the staff vertically

Scale
Change the size of the staff using a custom percentage

Number of lines
Change the number of lines making up the staff

Line distance
Change the distance between two staff lines

Step offset
Offset the notes on the staff relative

Invisible staff lines
Toggle visibility of the staff lines

Staff line color
Set the color of the staff lines

Notehead scheme
Specify alternate noteheads such as pitch names or shape note

Stemless
Toggle display of note stems

Show barlines
Toggle display of barlines

Show ledger lines
Toggle display of ledger lines

Generate clefs
Toggle display of clefs

Generate time signatures
Toggle display of time signatures

Generate key signatures
Toggle display of key signatures

Overview

The Staff / Part Properties dialog allows you to make changes to the display of a particular staff; and to adjust the name, tuning, transposition, and instrument of the corresponding instrument part.

To open the dialog:

• Right-click onto either an empty area in a staff, or the instrument name, and select Staff / Part Properties….

An instrument part often consists of only one staff (e.g. violin, trumpet, flute) but there are notable exceptions. For example, a piano requires two staves—treble and bass; a guitar may need both an 8vb treble staff and a tablature staff, and so on.

Staff properties

The top section of the dialog allows you to adjust many aspects of the appearance of an individual staff. The following options are common to all types of staves:

• Lines: The number of lines making up the staff.
• Line Distance: The distance between two staff lines—measured in spaces (sp.).
  Note: It is not recommended to change this value from the default. If you need to make the staff larger or smaller, use the Page Settings dialog instead.
• Extra distance above staff: Increases or decreases the distance between the selected staff and the one above in all systems.
  Note: (1) This setting does not apply to the top staff of a system, which is controlled by the minimum/maximum system distance (see Formatting). (2) To adjust the spacing above just one staff line in a particular system, see Fitting systems on a page: Spacers.
• Scale: Changes the size of the selected staff and all associated elements as a percentage (to adjust the overall score size, use "Scaling" (Format→Page Settings…).
• Hide when empty: Together with the “Hide empty staves” setting in Format→Style…→Score, this determines if the staff will be hidden when it is empty:
  • Auto (default): The staff will be hidden if it is empty and “Hide empty staves” is set.
  • Always: The staff will be hidden when empty, even if “Hide empty staves” is not set.
  • Never: The staff will never be hidden when empty.
  • Instrument: For instruments containing multiple staves, the staff is hidden only if all staves for that instrument are empty.
• Show clef: Whether the staff clef will be shown.
• Show time signature: Whether the staff time signature(s) will be shown or not.
• Show barlines: Whether the staff barlines will be shown.
• Hide system barline: Show/hide barline at left-hand edge of the staff.
• Merge matching rests: Check if you want matching rests in different voices to be merged rather than separate.
• Do not hide if system is empty: Never hide this staff, even if the entire system is empty. This overrules any “Hide empty staves” setting in Format→Style…→Score.
• Small staff: Create a reduced-size staff. You can set the default from the menu in Format→Style…→Sizes.
• Invisible staff lines: Make staff lines invisible.
• Staff line color: Use a color picker to change the color of the staff lines.
• Cutaway: Used to create a cutaway staff in which only measures containing notes are visible (e.g. Ossia (Wikipedia); or cutaway scores). This can be used independently of “Hide when empty” or “Hide empty staves”.
• Advanced style properties: (see below)

Advanced style properties

Clicking on Advanced Style Properties… opens a dialog giving access to advanced display options for the staff. These options will vary depending on the staff type chosen.

Template (all staves)

At the bottom of the Advanced Style Properties dialog there are a number of buttons which allow you to make changes to the staff display by selecting a different template.

Note: The options available here depend on the type of staff—whether standard, plucked-string staff/tab, or percussion.

To change the template:

1. Make a selection from the drop-down list labeled “Template”;
2. Press < Reset to Template;
3. Press OK to accept the changes and exit the dialog (or Cancel to cancel the operation).

Standard and Percussion staff options only

• Lines / Line distance:
• Show clef / time signature / barlines / key signature / ledger lines: Set to give the desired display on the staff.
• Stemless: If checked, staff notes will have no stem, hook or beam.
• Notehead scheme: See Notehead scheme.

Tablature options only

• Lines: This number usually matches the number of strings in the String Data dialog (exceptions being the Baroque Lute, Theorbo etc. which have more strings than lines).
  Line distance:
• Show clef / time signature / barlines: Set to give the desired display on the staff.
• Upside down: If not checked, the top tablature line will refer to the highest string, and the bottom tablature line to the lowest string (this is the most common option). If checked, the top tablature line refers to the lowest string, and the bottom tablature line to the highest line (e.g. Italian-style lute tablatures).
• Preview: Displays a short section of a specimen score as it would look with the current properties applied.

Fret Marks tab

Fret marks are the numbers or letters used to indicate the location of notes on the fingerboard. The following group of properties define the appearance of fret marks:

• Font: The font used to draw fret marks. A selection of eight fonts are provided supporting all the necessary symbols in 8 different styles—both modern and historic..
• Size: Font size of fret marks in typographic points. Built-in fonts usually look good at a size of 9-10pt.
• Vertical offset: MuseScore tries to place symbols in a sensible way and you do not usually need to alter this value (set to 0) for built-in fonts. If the font has symbols not aligned on the base line (or in some other way MuseScore does not expect), this property allows you to move fret-marks up (negative offsets) or down (positive offsets) for better vertical positioning. Values are in sp.
• Marks are: Select from using Numbers (“1”, “2”…) or Letters (“a”, “b”…) as fret marks. When letters are used, the letter “j” is skipped and “k” is used for the 9th fret.
• Marks are drawn: Choice of placing fretmarks On lines or Above lines.
• Lines are: Choice of Continuous (lines pass through fret marks) or Broken (a small space appears in the line where the fretmark is displayed).
• Show back-tied fret marks: If unchecked, only the first note in a series of tied notes is displayed. If ticked, all notes in the tied series are displayed.
• Show fingering in tablature: Check to allow the display of fingering symbols applied from a palette.

Note Values tab

This group of properties defines the appearance of the symbols indicating note values.

• Font: The font used to draw the value symbols. Currently 5 fonts are provided supporting all the necessary symbols in 5 different styles (modern, Italian tablature, French tablature, French baroque (headless), French baroque). Used only with the Note symbols option.
• Size: Font size, in typographic points. Built-in fonts usually look good at a size of 15pt. Used only with the Note symbols option.
• Vertical offset: Applies only when Note symbols is selected (see below). Use negative offset values to raise the note value symbols, positive values to lower them.
• Shown as:
  • None: No note value will be drawn (as in the examples above)
  • Note symbols: Symbols in the shape of notes will be drawn above the staff. When this option is selected, symbols are drawn only when the note value changes, without being repeated (by default) for a sequence of notes all of the same value.
  • Stems and beams: Note stems and beams (or hooks) will be drawn. Values are indicated for each note, using the same typographic mechanics as for a regular staff; all commands of the standard Beam Palette can be applied to these beams too.
• Repeat: If several notes in sequence have the same duration, you can specify if and where to repeat the same note symbol. i.e. Never / At new system / At new measure /Always.
  Note: This option is only available if “Shown as: Note symbols” is selected (see above).
• Stem style:
  • Beside staff: Stems are drawn as fixed height lines above/below the staff.
  • Through staff: Stems run through the staff to reach the fret marks.
    Note: This option is only available when “Shown as: Stems and Beams” is selected (see above).
• Stem position:
  • Above: Stems and beams are drawn above the staff.
  • Below: Stems and beams are drawn below the staff.
    Note: This option is only available when “Shown as: Stems and Beams” and “Stem style: Beside staff” is selected (see above).
• Half notes: None / As short stems / As slashed stems.
  Note: This option is only available when “Shown as: Stems and Beams and “Stem style: Beside staff” is selected (see above).
• Show rests; Whether note symbols should be used to indicate also the rests; when used for rests, note symbols are drawn at a slightly lower position. Used only with the Note symbols option.

Part properties

Instrument

The name of the instrument is shown here. To change the instrument,

• Click on Replace instrument and make a choice from the "Select Instrument" dialog.

Names

• Long instrument name: Name displayed to the left of the staff in the first system of the score or section.
• Short instrument name: Name displayed to the left of the staff in subsequent systems of the score.

Usable pitch range

• Amateur: Notes outside the amateur range are colored olive green / dark yellow in the score.
• Professional: Notes outside the professional range are colored red in the score.

Note: To disable out-of-range coloration of notes, from the menu, select Edit→Preferences… (Mac: MuseScore→Preferences…), click on the “Note Input” tab, and uncheck “Color notes outside of usable pitch range.”

Transposition

Set the octave, and up/down interval to ensure that transposing instruments are notated correctly. This is automatically done by the program for most instruments.

For transposing instruments an additional option is shown: "Prefer sharps or flats for transposed key signatures". There are three options:

• Default: Let MuseScore decide
• Flats: Prefer flats
• Sharps: Prefer sharps

Strings and frets

Staves of fretted, plucked-string instruments have a few extra options in addition to those listed above,

• Number of strings: Displays the number of instrument strings.
• Edit String Data…: This button opens a dialog box which allows you to set the number and tuning of strings. See Change tuning.

Various types of brackets and a curly brace are provided in the "Brackets" palette.

Brackets/braces are automatically applied when a score is created in the New Score dialog. You can easily change them if the default is not what you want (see below)

Adding brackets

To add a bracket or brace to all systems:

1. Click on the first measure of the staff where you want the bracket/brace to start, hold Shift and click on the measure where you want the bracket/brace to end.
2. Click the desired bracket icon in the "Brackets" palette.

Alternatively:

1. Select the start measure, and click the bracket into place from the "Brackets" palette.
2. Select the bracket, click on the adjustment handle and drag it down to the desired position. It will snap into place.

Nested brackets can also be applied using these methods, applying the innermost first and ending with the outermost. The order can be edited subsequently using the "Column" property (see below)

Editing brackets

If you select a bracket/brace, you can edit its properties in the Properties panel (sidebar).

• Column: Moves the bracket inwards/outwards.
• Span: Extends or retracts the end of the bracket/brace.

Changing bracket type

• Select the bracket/brace in the score to be changed, then click on a new bracket/brace from the "Brackets" palette.

Changing bracket span

Use one of the following methods:

• Select the bracket, click on the adjustment handle, and drag it to the desired position.
• Select the bracket, click on the adjustment handle, and press Shift+↑/↓ to move it from staff to staff.
• Alter "Span" in the Properties panel.

Deleting brackets

• To delete a bracket/brace, select it and press Del.

Customizing bracket appearance

Brackets/Braces also have a few global properties which can be adjusted from the Style menu:

• Adjust thickness and distance from the staff in Format→Style→System.
• Adjust distance above/below in Format→Style→Page→Enable vertical justification of staves.