< Return to Video

MuseScore in Minutes: Using MIDI Keyboards

  • 0:04 - 0:05
    If you have a MIDI keyboard,
  • 0:05 - 0:09
    you can use it to enter notes in
    MuseScore 4 quickly and intuitively
  • 0:09 - 0:13
    First, you’ll need to check that MuseScore
    recognises your MIDI keyboard.
  • 0:13 - 0:18
    Go to Preferences, and select “I/O”
    (short for input/output).
  • 0:18 - 0:24
    Then in the MIDI section, open the dropdown
    menus next to “MIDI input” and “MIDI output”,
  • 0:24 - 0:27
    and select your device.
    Then click OK.
  • 0:27 - 0:30
    MuseScore 4 should recognise
    your device straight away,
  • 0:30 - 0:33
    so you shouldn’t need to restart
    the program before using it.
  • 0:33 - 0:37
    Next, go over to this settings icon
    in the playback toolbar,
  • 0:37 - 0:40
    and ensure that
    “Enable MIDI input” is checked.
  • 0:40 - 0:44
    Now you’re ready to enter notes
    using your MIDI keyboard.
  • 0:44 - 0:48
    First, enter note input mode by clicking
    on the note input mode button,
  • 0:48 - 0:51
    or by using the keyboard shortcut “N”.
  • 0:51 - 0:54
    It’s important to remember to set
    the note duration you wish to use
  • 0:54 - 0:57
    before you play a note
    on your MIDI keyboard.
  • 0:57 - 1:00
    To enter one note at a time,
    press and release each key completely
  • 1:00 - 1:03
    before pressing down the key
    for the next note.
  • 1:03 - 1:06
    If you press and hold multiple
    keys at the same time,
  • 1:06 - 1:09
    MuseScore will enter all these notes
    together as a chord.
  • 1:09 - 1:13
    It’s worth mentioning that the on-screen
    piano keyboard will visually reflect the keys
  • 1:13 - 1:16
    you press on your own MIDI keyboard.
  • 1:16 - 1:18
    You can also use it to enter
    notes into your score,
  • 1:18 - 1:21
    by clicking on the piano keys
    with your mouse.
  • 1:21 - 1:23
    You can show or hide the piano keyboard
  • 1:23 - 1:26
    by going to "View" and
    selecting "Piano Keyboard",
  • 1:26 - 1:29
    or by using the shortcut P.
  • 1:29 - 1:31
    Depending on the model of your MIDI keyboard,
  • 1:31 - 1:35
    you may be able to assign some of its controls
    to a range of actions for entering notes
  • 1:35 - 1:37
    and playing back scores.
  • 1:37 - 1:41
    For example, I can assign some of these playback
    controls to switches on my keyboard.
  • 1:41 - 1:45
    Go to Preferences, and select
    “MIDI device mapping”.
  • 1:45 - 1:49
    I’ll select the play action and then click
    “Assign MIDI mapping…”.
  • 1:49 - 1:52
    Now when I press an assignable control on
    my MIDI keyboard,
  • 1:52 - 1:56
    MuseScore will recognise it and
    assign it to the play control.
  • 1:56 - 2:00
    You can also assign actions to actual keys
    on your MIDI keyboard.
  • 2:00 - 2:05
    For example, I might assign these note durations
    to the lowest note on my keyboard.
  • 2:05 - 2:08
    This will allow me to set durations
    with my left hand
  • 2:08 - 2:10
    while entering notes
    with my right hand,
  • 2:10 - 2:14
    meaning my hands never have to leave
    the keys while I’m entering music.
  • 2:15 - 2:18
    If you liked this tutorial and want to learn
    more about MuseScore,
  • 2:18 - 2:21
    check out some of our later chapters
    on our YouTube channel
  • 2:21 - 2:22
    or look through our online handbook,
  • 2:22 - 2:25
    which is linked in the description below.
Title:
MuseScore in Minutes: Using MIDI Keyboards
Description:

In this MuseScore 4 tutorial, we show you how to use your MIDI keyboard to enter notes into MuseScore. We also look at assigning keyboard controls to various functions, and we show you how to access the on-screen piano keyboard too.

Links:

Our notation software site:
https://musescore.org

Our online score sharing catalogue:
https://musescore.com

Tantacrul links
https://www.youtube.com/c/tantacrul
https://twitter.com/Tantacrul

more » « less
Video Language:
English
Duration:
02:27

English subtitles

Revisions