Playback: Chord symbols / Nashville numbers

To laydown chord symbol as notes on score automatically, see Chord symbols: Realize Chord Symbols instead.

Chord symbols and Nashville numbers (but not Roman numerals) automatically play sound by default in scores created with MuseScore 3.5 or later. You can manually enable or disable it.

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.

Turn playback on/off

Note: These playback settings affects Audio and MIDI export.

Of Musescore software (requires Musescore 3.5.1 or later)

To enable or disable chord symbol playback of the Musescore software (
this setting overrides individual score's setting):

• Select Edit (Mac: MuseScore)→Preferences…→Advanced); then the following options, as required:
  • for scores created with Musescore 3.5 or later: Check/Uncheckscore/harmony/play/disableNew (default is unchecked, playback)
  • for others: Check/Uncheck score/harmony/play/disableCompatibility (default is checked—no playback)

For the current score

To turn playback of ALL chord symbols on/off, do either one of the followings:

• (requires Musescore 3.5.1 or later): Tick/Untick Format→Style…→Chord Symbols→Play, or
• Follow these steps:
  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), or
• Mute the playback track(s) in the Mixer—see below. If your file contains multiple Parts, you need to adjust this for each Part individually as required, as track settings are saved in a Part, but not shared among them.

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: If your file contains multiple Parts, you need to adjust this for each Part individually as required, as the "Play" settings are saved in a Part, but not shared among them.

Change playback sound

Chord symbols play "Grand Piano" sound by default regardless of instrument, except where a score created in Musescore 3.5.1 or later using the Guitar solo template, the "Nylon String Guitar" sound is used by default.

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 one in the Sound drop-down list.

This setting is saved in the score file, and shared among 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.

Note: If your file contains multiple Parts, you need to adjust this for each Part individually as required, as the track settings are saved in a Part, but not shared among them.

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.