Getting Started with MuseScore

1. Getting Started with 2012 TI:ME / JEN National Conference @MarcSabatella

2. What Is MuseScore? <ul><li>90% of the power of Finale or Sibelius for 0% of the price! </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Create, playback, and print sheet music for free </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Open source </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Cross-platform: Windows, MacOS, Linux </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Multilingual: over 30 languages </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>WYSIWYG </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Unlimited staves, four voices per staff </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Part creation </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Dynamics, articulations, lyrics, chords, lead sheet notation </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Import/export of MusicXML and MIDI </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Export of PDF and WAV </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Online score sharing </li></ul></ul>

3. MuseScore Facts & Figures <ul><ul><li>Started in 2002 by Werner Schweer </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Launched in summer of 2008 </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Feb 2011: release of MuseScore 1.0 </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>So far 2.5 million downloads with >100,000 per month </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>More than 150 contributors </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>MuseScore 2.0 scheduled for second half of 2012 </li></ul></ul>

4. Applications <ul><ul><li>Lead Sheets </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Piano Music </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Vocal Arrangements </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Combo Arrangements </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Big Band Arrangements </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Orchestra Arrangements </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Musical Examples </li></ul></ul>

11. Installation <ul><li>Program </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Download: http://musescore.org </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Install: http://musescore.org/en/handbook/installation </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Plugins </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Download: http://musescore.org/en/plugins </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Install: http://musescore.org/en/handbook/plugins </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Recommendation: Slash, Add Staff, Explode/Implode </li></ul></ul><ul><li>SoundFonts </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Download: http://musescore.org/en/handbook/soundfont </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Install: same </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Recommendation: FluidR3 </li></ul></ul>

12. Initial Setup <ul><ul><li>Edit->Preferences </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>General->Working directory </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Score->Default paper size </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Score->Scaling </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Shortcuts </li></ul></ul></ul>

13. Migration from Finale or Sibelius <ul><li>MusicXML </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Sibelius </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>v7 has support built in </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>previous version: download Dolet plugin </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Finale </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>most versions have support built in </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>MIDI </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Might be useful in a pinch </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>May be more work to fix up than to re-enter </li></ul></ul>

14. Create New Jazz Lead Sheet <ul><ul><li>File->New </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Title, Composer, Lyricist (style), Copyright </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Create new score from template </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Jazz Lead Sheet </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Key signature </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Time Signature, Pickup Measure, Measures </li></ul></ul>

15. Score Setup <ul><li>Style->Edit General Style->Chordnames </li></ul><ul><ul><li>cchords_muse: ma7, mi7, mi7b5, o7 </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>cchords_nrb: ma7, mi7, mi7(b5), o7 </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>cchords_rb: maj7, -7, -7b5, o7 </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>cchords_sym: Δ, -7, ø, o7 </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>stdchords: Maj7, m7, m7b5, dim7 </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>jazzchords: ma7, mi7, mi7b5, dim7 </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Style->Edit Text Style </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Font, Offset </li></ul></ul>

16. Navigation <ul><li>To move score </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Drag blue rectangle in Navigator </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Click-drag an empty area </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Mouse wheel to scroll vertically </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Shift mouse wheel to scroll horizontally </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Zooming </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Ctrl-+, Ctrl-- </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Ctrl mouse wheel </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Playback </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Click to set cursor position </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Space or Play button to play </li></ul></ul>

17. Note Entry - Basics <ul><ul><li>Select starting position </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press "N" to enter note entry mode </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press key for duration: 3=1/16, 4=1/8, 5=1/4, 6=1/2, 7=1 </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press "." to toggle dot </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press key for note name: "A" - "G", "0" for rest </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Default is diatonic, closest octave </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press up/down to transpose one semitone </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press ctrl-up/down to transpose one octave </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Cursor automatically moves to next time position </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press "N" or "Esc" to leave note entry mode </li></ul></ul>

18. Note Entry - Additional Features <ul><ul><li>Pitches can also be specified using MIDI or via mouse </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press "R" to repeat previous note </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press "+" to extend current note with tie </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press "Shift" with note name to add to current chord </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Palette / shortcut to add courtesy accidentals </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Palette / shortcut to break and join beams </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press "Ctrl-3" to divide into triplets </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press "X" to flip stem </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press "Shift-X" to mirror note head </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Voice buttons to enter multiple voices </li></ul></ul>

19. Editing Individual Notes <ul><li>While in note entry mode </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Left/right to move cursor </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Newly entered notes always replace existing notes! </li></ul></ul><ul><li>While in standard mode with a single note selected </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Arrows transpose </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Numbers change duration </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Letters change pitch </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Delete replaces with rest </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Right click for properties menu </li></ul></ul><ul><li>While in edit mode (double click) </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Arrows nudge </li></ul></ul>

20. Editing Groups of Notes <ul><li>Selecting multiple notes </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Click to select a single note or rest </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Click empty area within a measure to select the measure </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Shift-drag or click/Shift-click to select a range </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Ctrl-click to add to selection </li></ul></ul><ul><li>While in standard mode with multiple notes selected </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Arrows transpose </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Delete replaces with rest </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Right click for properties menu </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Ctrl-C/Ctr-X/Ctrl-V for copy/cut/paste </li></ul></ul>

21. Chord Symbols <ul><ul><li>Select note </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press Ctrl-K to enter chord edit mode </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Type chord name normally </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Space to move to next beat, note, rest (shift for previous) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Tab to move to next measure (shift for previous) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Press Esc to leave chord edit mode </li></ul></ul>

22. Measures and Repeats <ul><li>Adding and deleting measures </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Create->Measures->Append Measures (Ctrl-Shift-B) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Edit->Delete Selected Measures (Ctrl-Delete) </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Double bars </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Barline palette </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Repeats </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Barlines palette for repeat signs </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Lines palette for endings </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Repeats palette for measure repeat sign </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Repeats palette for Segno, Coda, and Fine </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Double click to edit as text </li></ul></ul></ul>

23. Line Layout <ul><li>To decrease the number of measures on a line </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Line break: select barline and press Enter </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>"Break Every X Measures" plugin </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Layout->Add More Stretch ("}") </li></ul></ul><ul><li>To increase the number of measures on a line </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Layout->Add Less Stretch ("{") </li></ul></ul><ul><li>To add horizontal space </li></ul><ul><ul><li> Create->Measures->Insert/Append Horizontal Frame </li></ul></ul>

24. Page Layout <ul><li>To decrease the number of systems per page </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Page break: select barline and press Ctrl-Enter </li></ul></ul><ul><li>To increase the number of systems per page </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Layout->Page Settings->Space </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Style->Edit General Style->Page </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Staff distance, System distance, Page fill threshold </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>To add vertical space </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Breaks & Spacer palette - Staff spacer </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Create->Measures->Insert/Append Vertical Frame </li></ul></ul>

25. Transposition <ul><ul><li>Notes->Transpose </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Edit header, F2 for text symbols palette </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Cleanup </li></ul></ul>

26. Output <ul><li>Visual </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Print </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>File->Save As (PDF, PNG, ...) </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Audio </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Play </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>File->Save As (WAV, MIDI, ...) </li></ul></ul>

27. Other Topics <ul><li>Most of these will be covered in the next presentation </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Text </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Lyrics </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Grace notes </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Note markings </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Score markings </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Adding staves </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Clef changes </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Key signature changes </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Time signature changes </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Slash notation </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Drum notation </li></ul></ul>