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If you have a MIDI keyboard,

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you can use it to enter notes in [br]MuseScore 4 quickly and intuitively

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First, you’ll need to check that MuseScore[br]recognises your MIDI keyboard.

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Go to Preferences, and select “I/O” [br](short for input/output).

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Then in the MIDI section, open the dropdown[br]menus next to “MIDI input” and “MIDI output”,

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and select your device. [br]Then click OK.

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MuseScore 4 should recognise [br]your device straight away,

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so you shouldn’t need to restart [br]the program before using it.

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Next, go over to this settings icon [br]in the playback toolbar,

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and ensure that [br]“Enable MIDI input” is checked.

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Now you’re ready to enter notes [br]using your MIDI keyboard.

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First, enter note input mode by clicking [br]on the note input mode button,

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or by using the keyboard shortcut “N”.

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It’s important to remember to set [br]the note duration you wish to use

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before you play a note [br]on your MIDI keyboard.

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To enter one note at a time, [br]press and release each key completely

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before pressing down the key [br]for the next note.

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If you press and hold multiple [br]keys at the same time,

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MuseScore will enter all these notes [br]together as a chord.

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It’s worth mentioning that the on-screen[br]piano keyboard will visually reflect the keys

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you press on your own MIDI keyboard.

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You can also use it to enter [br]notes into your score,

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by clicking on the piano keys [br]with your mouse.

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You can show or hide the piano keyboard

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by going to "View" and [br]selecting "Piano Keyboard",

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or by using the shortcut P.

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Depending on the model of your MIDI keyboard,

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you may be able to assign some of its controls[br]to a range of actions for entering notes

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and playing back scores.

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For example, I can assign some of these playback[br]controls to switches on my keyboard.

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Go to Preferences, and select [br]“MIDI device mapping”.

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I’ll select the play action and then click[br]“Assign MIDI mapping…”.

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Now when I press an assignable control on[br]my MIDI keyboard,

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MuseScore will recognise it and [br]assign it to the play control.

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You can also assign actions to actual keys[br]on your MIDI keyboard.

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For example, I might assign these note durations[br]to the lowest note on my keyboard.

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This will allow me to set durations [br]with my left hand

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while entering notes [br]with my right hand,

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meaning my hands never have to leave[br]the keys while I’m entering music.

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If you liked this tutorial and want to learn[br]more about MuseScore,

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check out some of our later chapters [br]on our YouTube channel

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or look through our online handbook,

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which is linked in the description below.