Measure rests

Updated 10 years ago
This page shows old instructions for MuseScore 1.
For MuseScore 4 users, see Measure rests.

Full-measure rest

A full-measure rest looks like a whole-note (semi-breve) rest except it is centered in the middle of a measure

When an entire measure is devoid of notes, a full-measure (full-bar) rest is used.

To create a one-bar rest select a measure and press Del. All notes and rests on this measure are then replaced by a one-bar rest.

Multi-measure rest

Multi-measure rests have a number above the staff indicating the duration of the rest by the number of measures

Multi-measure (multi-bar) rests indicate a long duration of silence for an instrument and are frequently used in ensemble sheet music.

Instructions

  1. From the menu choose Style → Edit General Style (in versions 0.9.5 and earlier it is called Style → Edit Style)
  2. Click on the "Score" tab if it is not already selected
  3. Add a check mark next to "Create Multi Measure Rests"

Limitations

The style option automatically creates multi-measure rests throughout the score. Therefore it is recommended that you enter all your notes first and then turn on multi-measure rests afterward.

Versions 0.9.5 and earlier do not automatically break multi-measure rests at important points such as double bar lines, key signatures, rehearsal marks. This is fixed for the latest versions of MuseScore. As a workaround for earlier versions see the "Break multi-measure rests" heading of measure operations .