Primal signatures

Updated half-dozen months ago

Standard cardinal signatures are available in the Primal Signatures palette in the Bones or Advanced workspaces. Information technology is as well possible to create custom key signatures (beneath).

Key Signatures palette (Advanced workspace)

Annotation that key signatures are always defined relative to concert pitch. If you are adding a key signature to a staff for a transposing musical instrument you should add together the relevant concert pitch central signature. The correctly transposed key signature will show on the staff (unless you are viewing in concert pitch mode).

Add a new key signature

Add new cardinal signature to all staves

Use any of the following methods:

  • Select a measure out and click a key signature in the palette (double-click in versions prior to 3.4).
  • Select a note or rest and click a key signature in a palette (double-click in versions prior to 3.four).
  • Drag a fundamental signature from the palette onto an empty role of a measure or a note or rest.

Add new cardinal signature to one staff but

If you lot wish to change the fundamental signature of only one staff line, leaving others unchanged:

  • Printing Ctrl (Mac: Cmd ) and concur while yous drag a key signature from a palette onto a measure.

Replace an existing key signature

Supercede key signature for all staves

Use any of the following methods:

  • Select the fundamental signature to be replaced, and click a new key signature in a palette (double-click in versions prior to 3.iv).
  • Drag a key signature from the palette onto the primal signature to be replaced (or onto the mensurate containing the fundamental signature).

Supersede primal signature for one staff only

If you wish to replace the key signature of only i staff, leaving others unchanged:

  • Press Ctrl (Mac: Cmd ) and concur while yous drag a primal signature from a palette onto the fundamental signature to be replaced (or onto the measure containing the fundamental signature).

Remove a central signature

Use any of the following methods:

  • Click on an existing fundamental signature and press Del .
  • Elevate the empty key signature ("open/atonal") from the palette (in the advanced workspace) onto the measure.

Naturals on key signature changes

By default, MuseScore only shows cancelling naturals when the cardinal signature changes to that of C Major/A pocket-sized (no sharps or flats). In all other cases, it simply shows the new primal signature without cancellations:

Default key signature changes

Nevertheless, you can opt to display cancelling naturals for all key signature changes:

  1. From the carte, select FormatStyle...Accidentals. You'll run into the options:

    Dialog: Format / Style... / Accidentals

  2. Select one of the iii options.

  3. If you are in a role and want the new choice to utilise to all parts, click on Apply to all parts .
  4. Click OK to get out.

For example, selecting the option "Earlier primal signature if changing to fewer ♯ or ♭" gives:

Naturals before key signature

And the option "Afterward key signature if changing to fewer ♯ or ♭. Before if changing between ♯ and ♭" gives:

Naturals before and after key signature

Key signature changes and multimeasure rests

Multimeasure rests are interrupted if in that location is modify of key signature:

Example with multimeasure rests

Courtesy key signatures

To plough off the display of a particular courtesy primal signature:

  • Select the relevant central signature and untick "Show courtesy" in the "Central Signature" department of the Inspector.

To turn off the display of all courtesy fundamental signatures:

  • From the menu, select FormatManner...Folio, and untick "Create courtesy key signatures."

Note: Courtesy key signatures are non displayed at section breaks.

Custom key signatures

To create a custom cardinal signature:

  1. Press Shift+One thousand to display the Key signatures department of the Master palette.

    Master Palette: Key signatures

  2. In the Create Key signature panel, drag accidentals from the palette onto the staff above to create the desired key signature. Note: The treble clef is only decorative—custom key signatures for any type of staff can be created here.

  3. Use the Articulate button, if required, to remove all accidentals from the "staff."
  4. To move the new cardinal signature into the library (centre panel), printing Add . To delete a fundamental signature from the library, right-click it (Mac: Ctrl -click) and, in the drib-downward carte, select Delete.

Note: A limitation of custom key signatures is that they cannot exist transposed in the usual fashion. If a transposition is needed, or where at that place is a clef change, you lot volition need to create a new custom key signature.

To move a cardinal signature from the Main palette to a custom palette:

  • Drag and drop the key signature onto a palette.

To utilise a primal signature to the score directly from the Principal palette, use one of the following methods:

  • Select a measure and click a key signature in the Master palette (double-click in versions prior to iii.4).
  • Drag a key signature from the Principal palette onto a measure; alternatively, to apply to one staff only, hold Ctrl (Mac: Cmd ) while dragging.
  • How to change enharmonic cardinal signatures for transposing instruments (MuseScore HowTo, video)

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