To add notes to a percussion staff from the virtual Piano Keyboard:Įnsure that the Piano keyboard is displayed. Note: Refer to a GM2 drum map for details about which MIDI keyboard key corresponds to which percussion instrument. To add another note at the same position, keep the first key held down while pressing the second key. Press an instrument key to add a note to the score.For example, snares, sidesticks and all cymbals are normally added to voice 1 bass drum to voice 2. Note: If you click on the percussion staff in normal mode, you can 'preview' the sound of the percussion instruments from the MIDI keyboard.Ĭlick on the note or rest where you want to start. To add notes to a percussion staff from a MIDI keyboard:Įnsure that the MIDI keyboard is connected and functioning correctly. Shortcuts can be customized by using the Edit drumset feature. Alternatively, you can use a different input method-mouse entry, for example. Other instruments can be entered by entering a shortcut-enabled instrument and moving it up/down with the keyboard arrows. Tip: Shortcuts are useful for entering notes for common percussion instruments. Type the shortcut displayed above the desired instrument to enter a note. Enter Note Input mode by pressing the N key.Note: Alternatively you can skip step 3 above, and at step 5, double-click the note directly into the score at the cursor position. You don't need to worry about placing it on the correct line/space because it will automatically snap into position. Click the score where you would like to add the note.Select the desired note duration (using a duration shortcut, or a duration icon on the Note input toolbar).Click on the instrument you'd like to use in the Drum input palette.Clicking on one of the note previews displays the name of that instrument. The Drum input palette displays all of the percussion instruments in the currently selected staff. The Drum input palette appears at the bottom of the window. Select the percussion staff you'd like to add notes to.Its primary function is to facilitate note/rest entry with a mouse. The Drum input palette (DIP) automatically appears when you go into note input mode on a percussion staff. Entering notes and rests in percussion staves Mouse entry using the Drum input palette You can add a percussion staff to your score in the same way as other instruments. This can be changed by using the 'Staff type' column in the Instruments dialog. When a percussion instrument is added to a score via the New Score Wizard or the Instruments dialog, MuseScore automatically chooses the most appropriate staff type. Generally, percussion music is written on a 5-line, 3-line, or 1-line staff. For example, in a drumset, voice 1 (with stems upward) usually shows instruments played by the hands, such as drums and cymbals while voice 2 (stems downward) shows instruments played by the feet, such as the bass drum and hi-hat pedal (see image above). Multiple voices may be used to group different instruments that are playing at once. Noteheads of different shapes (such as crossheads) are also used in addition to the standard ones. On a percussion staff, each line or space is allocated to a different instrument (rather than a different note as is the case with melodic instruments).

Musescore percussion