Playback controls

    Overview

    Basic playback functions are accessed from the Play toolbar at the top right of the program window:

    Playback controls toolbar

    From left to right, the icons are:

    • Rewind to start position: Playback returns to the beginning of the score, or to the start of the loop (if one is set).
    • Start or stop playback: See Start/stop playback.
    • Toggle loop playback: See Loop playback.
    • Play metronome: Toggles metronome ON and OFF.
    • Playback settings: Opens the playback settings dialog (see below).

    To the right of the playback controls are counters showing

    • Time elapsed from the start of score to the cursor position.
    • Bar number and beat at the cursor position.
    • Tempo in 1/4 notes (crotchets) per min.

    This panel can also be undocked giving you access to additional controls—see play position and tempo, (below). To redock the Playback Panel: click and hold down the "6 dots", then drag the Playback Panel to the top right of the MuseScore screen and release.

    Playback commands

    Start/stop

    To play back all the instrument parts

    1. Click on a note or rest to establish the starting point.
    2. Press the Play button, or press Space.

    To play back selected instrument parts only

    1. Select a measure that you want to start from (by clicking on a blank space within that measure);
    2. To play back more than one instrument part, extend the selection up or down as required.
    3. Press the Play button, or press Space.

    Notes: (1) If no selection is made before activating Play, playback returns to the place it stopped at previously; or, if no previous playback, to the start of the score. (2) The Play button changes to a "stop" icon while music is playing.

    To stop playback

    • Press the Play button; or press Space.

    Rewind

    To rewind playback click on the Rewind icon on the Play toolbar. Rewind returns the playback to the beginning of the score or, if a loop is set, to the beginning of the loop.

    Loop

    To loop playback over a section of music:

    1. Stop playback (if it is on);
    2. Ensure that the loop playback button is "off" (i.e. not colored blue);
    3. Select a range in the score, encompassing the instrument staves you want to play back;
    4. Click on the loop playback button in the Play toolbar. Flags will appear around the selection and the button change color.
    5. Click on the Play button.

    In the example below, playback will cycle over the selected two bars of Violin 2 and Viola, the region marked by the blue flags. Use the "Loop playback" button to toggle the loop on or off.

    Playback controls looping

    Metronome

    If you want to hear a metronome tick during the performance, click on the metronome button. Click again to turn it off.

    Play position and tempo

    The current playback position is shown by counters to the right of the playback controls. One shows the position in terms of time elapsed, the other in measures and beats (see image in overview).

    The numbers in the time and measure counters can be edited after clicking on them; playback will be resumed from the edited position.

    When the Play toolbar is undocked from the toolbar area, it automatically expands to include two slider controls. By dragging the sliders you can adjust the playback position and tempo of playback. Note that tempo overrides are only temporary, and do not affect the actual written tempo(s); returning the slider to "100%" restores normal playback.

    In the following example the position of playback is about one third of the way through the score, and the playback tempo slider is set to 78 quarter note beats per minute (bpm); or 130% of the nominal metronome mark, 60 bpm, displayed in the score.

    playback_controls_undocked.png

    Other commands

    Click the settings button (cogged gear) on the Play toolbar to show the following controls:

    Playback settings dialog

    You can uncheck or check these options as desired.

    Enable MIDI input

    Enable MIDI input to write music to your score with a linked MIDI device (such as a keyboard or drum machine) during playback. See Working with Midi for details.

    Play repeats

    Uncheck this option if you want playback to ignore any repeat indications in the score.

    Play chord symbols

    Uncheck this option if you want playback to ignore chord symbols in the score.

    Pan score automatically

    When checked, this option pans the score during playback; uncheck if you want the view to remain stationary.