chord name aligment/multi-select and change font size or type

Normally text properties can be reset by simply entering new ones, unfortunately that only works if the items in question are designed to work with text properties in the first place. So unfortunately, there just doesn't seem to be a good way of fixing this score. Feel free to experiment, but I played a little bit and came up blank. I'd get things to appear to work, but would still jump. So I think you're probably best off chalking this up to experience and then just not getting yourself into this situation in the future.

You *are* free to enter subs any time you want. I was merely observing that it will go easier if you do it the way I said. If you enter the main chords first, then the subs, it will be hard to select just the subs in order to move them. But you're welcome to try - it will just be harder to select only the subs, because they will overlap with the main chords. I suppose you could enter the main chords first, move them temporarily lower to get them out of the way, then enter the subs, then select the subs, move them up, then select the original chords and hit Ctrl+R to return them to their original positions. I just tried (feel free to download a nightly build to see for yourself) and it works. But it's definitely more work than the way I described first. One thing that will help in 2.0 - moving chords vertically can be done with the arrow keys. In 1.3, the only way to get manually positioned chords to align vertically is to drag them all at once. In 2.0, you can move them one at a time (or in small groups) and as long as you move them the same number of clicks of the arrow key, they will be aligned vertically.

Anyhow, *simple* alignment already does work quite well. What you are trying to do - entering multiple rows of chord symbols - is decidedly *non-simple*. And FWIW, it's hard to do in Finale as well, or at least was in the most recent version I used. In part because it is awkward to do, but probably mostly because it tends to make scores cluttered and hard to read, most people don't enter lots of subs. So you're kind of pushing the boundaries here.

Bottom line: *automatic* alignment of multiple sets of chord symbols is not currently possible and probably won't be any time soon (read: not planned for 2.0) because it isn't something most people do often enough to make simplifying the process a high enough priority. But I do think you'll find a number of features of 2.0 make all of this less bothersome.

As often occurs during real life performance of, say, a lead sheet, chord subs are often improvised and not fully notated.
How many times has a minor 7th chord been substituted in place of a standard minor chord to impart a 'cooler sound'?
Conversely, how many times has a 7th chord been substituted in place of a more complicated chord during performance (especially on first attempt by a beginner)?

Anyway,
@fkey: Suppose you had a lead sheet, already containing chordnames, to which you wanted to add sub chords - like maybe for a 2nd repeat. These subs you absolutely want notated for future reference.
First, ensure that the main chordnames display neatly - as if they sat on a 'violet' straight line.
Then:
1. To enter a sub chordname, click on a note (it can even be the same note as the main chordname) and then CTRL + K for chord name entry.
2. At the appearance of the cursor - and *before* typing anything - press Backspace (an equal number of times prior to each entry) to offset the sub chord name from entirely overlapping the main chord, so it will be easier to select later.
3. When done, the sub chords will not fully overlap the main chordnames and will be uniformly located.
4. Finally, CTRL click to highlight a group and then CTRL move to reposition any or all of them.

Please open the attachment and CTRL click on *all* the 'red' chords then CTRL move *all*.
Alternatively, try it separately for each system (i.e. line).

I sometimes find myself adding sub chords to old scores and found this to be effective.

P.S. Entering the subs first, then dragging them up, then adding the 'main' chords might not always work as there is the possibility of clashes with the 'main' chords by not having dragged the sub chords up high enough, so then you'd have to re-select all the sub chords to re-position them.

Regards.

There is a lead sheet template available when a score is created.
If you don't like all the defaults, it can be used as a starting point, then you can save your own settings, various fonts, chord description file, etc. as a template.
See:
http://musescore.org/en/handbook/create-new-score#newscore-templates

Also,
You can create a blank score from scratch and save it as a template.

I use MS mainly to condense music into 2 page lead sheets.
(I much prefer Times New Roman as a title font.)
Regards.

Overall best practice (in my opinion of course) is to check out my tutorial:

http://musescore.org/en/node/11723

As for chord styles, that's up to you, really doesn't matter as far as affecting workflow. And as I mentioned, for 2.0, it won't matter at all. All there will be is a choice between "standard" and "jazz" styles to choose the basic fonts, and beyond that, all chords will be recognized equally.