MuseScore in Minutes: Using MIDI Keyboards

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

If you have a MIDI keyboard,

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

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

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

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

and select your device.
Then click OK.

MuseScore 4 should recognise
your device straight away,

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

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

and ensure that
“Enable MIDI input” is checked.

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

First, enter note input mode by clicking
on the note input mode button,

or by using the keyboard shortcut “N”.

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

before you play a note
on your MIDI keyboard.

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

before pressing down the key
for the next note.

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

MuseScore will enter all these notes
together as a chord.

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

you press on your own MIDI keyboard.

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

by clicking on the piano keys
with your mouse.

You can show or hide the piano keyboard

by going to "View" and
selecting "Piano Keyboard",

or by using the shortcut P.

Depending on the model of your MIDI keyboard,

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

and playing back scores.

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

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

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

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

MuseScore will recognise it and
assign it to the play control.

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

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

This will allow me to set durations
with my left hand

while entering notes
with my right hand,

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

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

check out some of our later chapters
on our YouTube channel

or look through our online handbook,

which is linked in the description below.