MuseScore in Minutes: Guitar & Percussion

In this MuseScore 4 tutorial, we look at entering guitar notation in linked tablature staves, as well as using the percussion panel when writing percussion music.
Links:
Get MuseScore 4:
musescore.org
Our online score sharing catalogue:
musescore.com
The MuseScore 4 handbook:
musescore.org/en/handbook/4
Tantacrul links
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/ tantacrul

[@cartoonpower0]

Good stuff! Excited to see what that percussion update will bring.

[@bobdrums]

Excited for the revamped percussion notation down the line! For me flams need more attention, they should have their own selection under articulation. It was also be nice to add sticking to a flam to show which hand plays the flam and which plays the downstroke. Loving the new look and feel of Musescore 4!

[@JustLilGecko]

Completely agree, flams drags and whatnot are very underserved by all notation apps at the moment. Makes life hard for us prog drumming fans 😅

[@semyonboyk0]

Mindblowing update overall. The only thing I'm missing right now is changing the guitar tuning, since I'm tuning mine in 4th. I hope at some point it will be possible. Anyway, massive thanks to the team!

[@DOGroove]

You can do that in MuseScore 3. Right click the Tab and select "Staff/Part Properties." You can then select "Edit String Data" and change the tuning. Not sure if it is the same in MuseScore 4. I'm downloading it tonight.

[@DOGroove]

A lot of my playing is on a 5 String Bass tuned EADGC so I've had to "Edit String Data" a lot.

[@bradley-kunda]

@@DOGroove Yep, "Edit String Data" is still there in "Staff/Part Properties" and works the same as in MS3. But I have plans to make it easier to do this - and also change the capo settings - in future 🙂

[@DOGroove]

@@bradley-kunda -Awesome! I’m loving MuseScore 4 so far and I’m looking forward to any improvements in the future. Thank you!

[@arunkarthikma3121]

@@bradley-kunda You guys are so cool oh my gosh! My CS heroesss!

[@dorminxd]

Im excited for the new drumset notation! Woohoo

[@Jitsuman]

This is an incredible software thank you for making it free

[@ThePedestrianProjectKaraoke]

Incredible... Thank you very much.

[@lastcall9998]

Awesome guys!

[@debbiecollins9150]

Extremely helpful primer

[@adorethered]

I would absolutely love to see you guys implement custom tunings for guitar and bass as well as options for extended range guitars "ie 7 and 8 string guitars with custom tuning options) these things are becoming pretty standard in several genres and it would be very valuable for those of us that prefer to write and mockup parts before learning to perform them.

[@abacaxi1471]

Thank you my friend.

[@everardogarcia6047]

Is there a chance that there will be updated sounds for the Marching Percussion instruments? Since the MDL Drumline extension is not compatible with Musescore 4.

[@erinic04]

There will be, just not right now (also you can use sforzando to load the sfz files from MDL for use)

[@marcelroodt]

I've been waiting for so long to finally have a reason to move away from Guitar Pro. Not sure if I still will (since the muscle memory is so ingrained), but I'm really excited to try this out.

[@Gaven7r]

I didn't know Musescore had tabs! That's good to know

[@KevTCC]

Whaaaaat! Just found out about this software. Woot!

[@mc_nitzan]

Thanks so much

[@awem1236]

SEHR GUT! DANKE SCHON

[@reinoldg]

I am really looking forward for a better percussion notation. I downloaded Musescore 4 and tried to notate a drum set and was very frustrating.

[@felipekneip5413]

It would be nice to add also a 7 or 8 string guitar options, since the 7 string in brazil and russia are very popular and the 7-8 string electric are becoming more and more popular

[@MaestroKatProductions]

Well, they're not in the default menu but you can edit the number of strings in the 'edit instrument' menu

[@jt_jeetee]

7 and 12-string guitar are included as instruments, when adding instruments use the search filter and filtere on "guit" to have it filter across all available instruments

[@weristsam]

@@jt_jeetee i have a german keyboard and on my keyboard i can use "J" as 8.. "K" as 9

[@Jolgeable]

Select the tab, then the properties panel will show a button to change its properties. We can change the number of strings and the tuning for each string.

[@swinginonthespiral8765]

Hello. Can you please show us how to include a brushes soundfont?

[@paulysguitarjournal]

Can we get a classical guitar plugin that sounds as good as the other new plugins?

[@GianfrancoTorrisiguitar]

Thank you ;-)

[@officialitsaey-p]

i hope you added Singing voice synthesis (like Vocaloid, Utau, Cevio, Ace, Neutrino and Synthesizer V)

[@mavriv]

How do I get the rhytm notation for guitar to have a guitar sound instead of a keyboard in Musescore 4? Thank you.

[@candyman3537]

Is it able to change the background color of the sheet and color of the staff? Is it possible to set the background color to transparent?

[@AsGreyWolf]

In the previous version, when I opened a file, the tablature appeared in the per-instrument tab by default, now the behaviour is broken and i need to add tablature manually.

[@bcoughlin10]

Anyone know if Virtual Drumline can work with sforzando? I've always been interested in using VDL but will never switch over to Finale or Sibelius.

[@erik6737]

Is there any way to change the guitar's tuning, so that the corresponding notes in the standard staff still display correctly?

[@whitefang1657]

I know this is possible in musescore 3. Haven't tried this in MS4 but I'm sure it will be possible or will at least be added in the near future.

[@bradley-kunda]

@@whitefang1657 Yes, "Edit string data" is still available if you right click on a guitar stave, select "Stave/Part properties", and click "Edit String Data...". You can then specify the tuning for each string, and add additional strings too. Worth mentioning that I'm planning on completely redesigning this feature so it's easier to do this in future (including using capos as well 🙂)

[@GavinBarkum]

Will a drumset sound and a euphonium sound get added soon in musesounds?

[@LucasDellaporta]

How can I display the guitar tuning on the score when using tablature?

[@CamiloSoto]

Can I use the Tab for other non-string instruments? that could be cool...

[@alanhardwick9694]

I cant seem to edit the Bend from Full Bend. Also cant find the down stroke and upstroke for alternate picking. Anyone help?

[@rasyafahri1834]

I hope they're add some electric guitar sounds such as overdrive, funk, distortion, etc.

[@socodiloco9555]

I love the update so far. Are there plans to implement a feature to realize fretboard diagrams from chord symbols? Right now you have to manually drag them in and edit. That's literally the only good feature left in Sibelius.

[@musescore]

Yes, we do intend to do this, although it might take a few releases of V4 before we do.

[@socodiloco9555]

@@musescore Great to hear! It will be the perfect tool for guitarists after that. Cheers

[@ruthrvs]

How do we combine percussion like Marimba's Vibraphone, Triangles and others

[@jamesdegnan1677]

When I go to instruments->add, I can pick a plucked instrument as guitar with or without tab but don't see an option for linking the staves. What am I doing wrong? This is for version 4.1.

[@ThinhNguyen-dk3mh]

How to add another note at the same place in the tab form (plucking to string at the same time) without adding another voice?

[@jamesoester505]

Hi, quick question about tablatrure: I want my guitar on my score to be tuned down one half step on every string (E to D sharp, A to B sharp, etc.) is there any way I can do this?

[@Buri8128]

Does it support other guitar tuning eg DADGAD?

[@fredericgaufichon7373]

Hello is there a way to write tabs with midi pickups on musescore?

[@tomasmokry8214]

i dont know why but when i click on the tab and note appeats i cant chanche its fret position just only with the letters. even shift and up key dosent work

[@ofelixo1238]

guys help ,how to create a slide for guitar tab sheet .just like 5/7

[@theavocadoguitarist.1823]

Hello! Ive noticed that there's no discernible way to mark pick scratches or palm/finger muted notes and chords in TABLATURE, that makes it less intuitive for guitar players to understand what to play. There seems to be a parenthesis option made available, but that's meant usually to denote harmonic playing in tab notation. It may be I've simply missed it, but I would HIGHLY prefer an option to mark X's in tablature (and not just the noteheads in standard notation), which is UNIVERSAL Language to denote a string that's to be muted when strummed, but is apparently absent for Musescore, in every version to date.

[@autobotsNdecepticons]

Percussion is one of the biggest headaches of Guitar Pro. I have another program dedicated to it but it ain't very refined. I hope the upcoming system solves both of these problems. Keyboard shortcuts are generally preferable to having to use the mouse to choose a drum or duration.

[@dividedwords]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaSWoGBmZtWSa9E How can you get a cursor or cursor mode that only selects, rather than enters a new note or changes one?

[@Henrix1998]

1:40 I think alphabetical order is not the best choice and instead it should follow the keyboard layout, Q=0, W=1 and so on wrapping around from P to A and from L to Z

[@TheRadioAteMyTV]

Yikes! That's way too complicated. Hunt and peck people will riot.

[@davidpardy]

@@TheRadioAteMyTV That, and not everyone has the Qwerty layout - I'm sure there are some people out there still using Dvorak :) (This is coming from a long-time qwerty touch-typist)

If you play the lute (!) abc... is great because French lute tablature uses this (a=0, b=1, etc.). I'm pretty sure that's the reason for using alphabetical order.

[@ChristLenvoka]

Hello guys, the staff type is grey, can not choose any option

[@JewettMusic]

I'm trying to do drum notation on musescore 4 and it's far less functional than I remember Musescore 3 being, I might have to reinstall and do my drum parts in there. It won't do certain things outright (I'm not doing anything crazy, just eight notes on a second voice can't be placed, I have to copy and paste an eight note from on the beat) and I have to close the program constantly because it gets stuck. Definitely needs an overhaul.

[@Hoodiebud]

Please use a de-esser on the mic

[@Lochanvar]

How am I suppose to add a capo?

[@KyunghweeChoi]

In tablature notation, when "letters" option is selected in fret marks tab, the score shows keyboard input letters ("a" for open string, "b" for 1st fret, etc.) instead of actual pitch as shown in preview screen in the dialog box. This must be an error, no? In teaching students to learn note names on the fretboard, alpha TAB is a very useful tool I use. It would be nice if actual pitch can be displayed.

It's not input keyboard letters, it's French lute tablature (its use goes back to the Renaissance and Baroque).

[@KyunghweeChoi]

@ Ah, good to know. Those letters are also the same ones used for inputting notes in tablature. I see where they got the idea from. Still, it would be nice to have "alpha TAB" display feature since in standard staff views, we can have note heads to display letter name of each note...

[@liuzrikardo]

The "bend" is not working in my musescore 4

[@LeotheTiger1234]

I am waiting on Muse Sounds to add in the guitar sounds and the marching percussion sounds, but it hasn't happened. The whole concept is a work in progress.

[@daltonreedhentel]

Excuse me but how do you put the capo ???

[@jentrouvepasunseul]

IS THERE JAZZ DRUM BRUSHES ??? :') please someone, I've been searching for ages

[@frostyelkk]

Please prioritize fixes making the software actually usable on older devices. Even using the soundfont that came with it, it runs agonizingly slow. I am still using MS3... that is, for new songs, as MS4 reformats the files and makes them illegible to MS3. I never needed those symphonies anyways.

[@mistaowickkuh6249]

I don't mean to offend any galaxy brain sight reading guitarists but is there a tab only stemmed tablature too? I personally don't care about tabs at all but it comes in handy for several other reasons.

I couldn't find the half bend, 1.5 note bend effects and full bend does not effecting the note. it only shows there is a full bend, doesn't bend the note.

[@RSRFan_]

i think it should be easier to customize drumsets. for example, one-line input (with voices), being able to change the instrument a note is situated on, etc.

[@ShredAheadMusicAcademy]

How can there be no Guitar Slides in Musescore...Strange

[@hunterpikus6336]

cool, but how to roll?

[@Cubeinthesky]

Please add the good old ms3 piano sound The ms4 piano sounds so uprighty which makes it unusable its crappy. There should be option for ms3 piano too

[@TheRadioAteMyTV]

I sure hope the new sounds offer something that actually sounds like a guitar. Musecore1-3 sound nothing at all like a guitar.

[@musescore]

Guitar updates will be in one of the next minor releases. We have a whole new set of guitar sounds almost ready. Not in 4.0 unfortunately.

[@TheRadioAteMyTV]

@@musescore Here's to it sounding like a guitar this time! Thanks for the update.

[@luxinveritate3365]

And we get to see if there will be timbre difference between the open and non strings. Since fret changes the quality of sound.

[@luxinveritate3365]

And we get to see if there will be timbre difference between the open and non strings. Since fret changes the quality of sound.

[@luxinveritate3365]

Love the new sounds, but something will have to be done about some of the rhythmic variance in playback, had some issues there.

[@josephbacus9281]

As A Music Producer, I Only Knew Musescore Is Somewhat Difficult To Produce Than Other DAW's

[@leonardoborges1897]

Legends in portuguese pls

[@YouCrossedMyPath]

Where's musescore drumline? My disappointed was immeasurable when i found out it didn't carry over and there's no better version or anything. And the only way to get the sounds is from a super convoluted and non-intuitive method.

[@OrangeChair]

Notice me senpai

[@williamblack4369]

It is truly impressive how everything in this program works in the least intuitive way possible. Programmers should study it to learn how to design software for their enemies.

[@miguelmaia7222]

please please improve the classical guitar sample/sound, please it sounds so bad

[@kalebyoung4098]

This sucks! You can't open a simple drum midi file and set it up. It's always in a piano staff view no matter what instrument you call it!

[@briantxfazoli]

Please, for the love of god, fix the awful drum notation. First off, allow for more than just A-G for shortcuts, allow for greater control over velocity, and fix how tedious it is using the two voice system.

[@RaptorT1V]

You destroyed the ability to slap and pop bass in Musescore 4

[@DanielaTocan]

after years i will cancel my musescore paid account.... Sorry Version 4 is not compatible for Catalina so i am realy sorry to point Musescore negativ in their promotions until this is fixed. All my hardware is end of Live with Catalina and to buy new hardware is more expensive up to 20000 Euros than i invest in proprietary software. for example i use firewire interface. new interface is 3500 euros. This update Musescore have fone a bad job for a loz of people in zhe community. The Smartphone app does not run correct too.

[@davy6516]

this is frustrating