Measure operations

Updated 2 days ago

This page shows old instructions for MuseScore 3.
For MuseScore 4 users, see Measure operations.

This chapter covers adding, removing, splitting and joining measures etc, in addition to the Measure properties dialog which is used to adjust individual measure—such as visibility, duration, numbering and width ("Stretch"). The Measure chapter outline related formattings.

Adding and removing measures in effect insert or remove segment of time, affecting all instruments and staffs. Score items associated with that segment are removed along with it, while rest symbols are added automatically whereever necessary. To ensure that inserted or appended measures display correctly, multimeasure rests should be set to off (toggle M).

Select

Single measure

To select a single measure, click on a space within the measure.

Range of measures

To select a continuous range of measures, see Shift + click selection and Shift selection.

Insert

Insert an empty measure into the score

Select a measure or a frame, then press Ins (Mac: Shift+I); or
Select a measure or a frame, then choose from the menu: Add→Measures→Insert Measure.

Insert multiple measures

Select a measure or a frame, then press Ctrl+Ins (Mac: Shift+Del+I); fill in the "Number of measures to insert" field and press OK; or
Select a measure or a frame, then choose from the menu: Add→Measures→Insert Measures...; fill in the "Number of measures to insert" field and press OK.

Append

Append an empty measure to the end of a score

Use one of the following options:

Press Ctrl+B (Mac: Cmd+B).
Select from the menu: Add→Measures→Append One Measure.

Append multiple measures to the end of a score

Use one of the following options:

Press Alt+Shift+B; fill in the "Number of measures to append" field and press OK.
Select from the menu: Add→Measures→Append Measures...; fill in the "Number of measures to append" field and press OK.

Remove

Remove a single measure

Select the measure
Press Ctrl+Del (Mac: Cmd+Del).

Remove a range of measures

Select a range of measures;
Press Ctrl+Del (Mac: Cmd+Del).

Remove empty trailing measures

To automatically remove any blank measures from the end of the score:

From the menu, select Tools→Remove empty trailing measures.

Delete measure contents

To delete only the measure contents (and not the measure itself):

Select one or more measures;
Press Del.

The "Measure Properties" window

Dialog: Measure Properties

To open this window, right-click an empty part of the measure and select Measure Properties.... Modification are not applied until the user presses the Apply button. Use the left and right arrow buttons at the bottom left to navigate to a neighbouring measure.

Under Staves,

Visible: Show staff lines.
Stemless: Hide all note stems.

Under Measure duration,

Nominal The Time signatures displayed when appropiate.
Actual The real timespan allowed to accomodate notes and rests.

Under Other,

Exclude from measure count: Exclude from counting. Used in e.g. a pickup measure.
Break multimeasure rests: Prevent a multimeasure rest at the start of the selected measure. Edit this property prior to turning on Format → Style → Score → Create multimeasure rests if needed.
Measure number mode: Whether and how measure numbers are displayed. See also the Layout and format : Measure Numbers chapter.
- Auto: Follows the setting in Format → Style → Measure Numbers.
- Always Show: Forces display of number.
- Always Hide: Hides number.
Layout stretch: Controls the amount of horizontal space between score elements (notes, rests, etc.): See Increase/Decrease Stretch ({ and }).
Add to measure number": Enter a positive or negative number to change the number of the selected measure, and subsequent meaures. A value of "-1" has the same effect as marking a measure to be excluded from measure count.
Play count: If a measure precedes an end repeat barline, this value controls the number of times that the entire repeat section plays back. See the Repeats and jumps chapter.

Creating a pickup measure or anacrusis

Adjust Nominal and Actual settings to create pickup measure (also known as anacrusis or upbeat), cadenza, ad lib section etc.

In the image below, the quarter note pickup measure has a nominal time signature of 4/4, but an actual time sig. of 1/4. The measures in the middle are in normal 4/4 time. The complementary measure at the end of the staff, with a dotted half note, has an actual time sig. of 3/4.

Incomplete measures

A small - or + sign above the measure indicates its duration is different than indicated by the time signature (see image below). They can be turned off with View menu &arr; Mark Irregular Measures. The markers do not appear in printed copies.

Irregular measures

Vertical alignment

See Barlines:Vertical alignment

Numbering

See the Layout and format : Measure Numbers chapter.

Split and join

Functions under Tools → Measure are disabled if the score contains Musescore Parts.

Split measures and join measures commands change Actual properties to adjust measure duration. They do not affect Time signature on the score, but beam grouping setting may be reset.

Join measures

Select measure(s) on the score;
Select Tools → Measure → Join Selected Measures.

Alternatively, join two neighbouring measures by selecting the barline in between and either (1) press Ctrl+Del (Mac: Cmd+Del) ; or (2) press V to make the barline invisible in printed copies (the barline still takes space).

Split a measure

Choose one of the following methods:

Select a note; then hold Ctrl and click a barline in a palette (double-click in versions prior to 3.4);
Hold Ctrl and drag a barline (from a palette) to the note that starts the next measure; or
Select a note and press Tools → Measure → Split Measure Before Selected Note/Rest.

External links

How to span a measure over multiple systems (MuseScore HowTo, 1.x)
How to split a measure (MuseScore HowTo, 1.x)
How to delete measures (MuseScore HowTo)
How to get scores without time signature (and clef) (MuseScore HowTo)