Musescore 3 Evolution Features

This page lists some features MuseScore 3 Evolution has, which Mu4 does not (yet) have.

Option to disable mouse-based note entry

To be found in the Advanced preferences. Also a keyboard shortcut to toggle.

Reading/importing Mu4 scores

NEW: As of today (30 May 2024) the Mu4 import includes all style settings (which have a counterpart in Mu3), special kudos to @workdwideweary!

Known restrictions:

• Anything new in Mu4 (and not yet backported to Mu3) basically just gets ignored (e.g. 2- and 4-measure repeats, new style settings, etc.) and so get lost, but also may cause other issues (report them!).
• Parts are ignored, you'd need to generate and format them again.
• You'll see an "error" message like this:
  
  This isn't really an error, so just hit "Ignore" (see also issue #173.
• Saving a score online should work (it does for me), but apparently it doesn't for everyone, see issue #261, as a workaround use MuseScore 3.6.2 to do the upload.

Using external SMuFL fonts

How to use custom Scorefonts^*)

• Create new directory 'ScoreFonts', on the same level as Scores, Plugins, SoundFont, etc.
• Check Edit > Preferences > Folders if path to ScoreFonts is correct (a space in the name causes problems in Linux)
• Get a SMuFL compatible font (e.g. Leipzig, Sebastian, Legato, etc.)
• Create a directory for each font with its name, e.g.:
  ├── legato
  │   ├── Legato.otf
  │   └── metadata.json
• You need the font (.otf or .ttf) and a .json file. Rename the .json file to "metadata.json".
• Restart MuseScore.
• You should be able to select the newly installed font via Format/Style/Score/Musical Symbols Font.
• If there is no txt font available, you can always choose the text font from another package
• If there are spaces in the font name (e.g; Golden Age), remove them as this does not work under Linux. e.g.:
  ├── goldenage
  │   ├── GoldenAge.otf
  │   └── metadata.json

Standard Music Font Layout (SMuFL) compatible Fonts.

• SIL Font Licence

  • Emmentaler (a.k.a. MScore), in a Pre-MuseScore 3.5 version (like for historical reasons): https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/tree/3.4.2/fonts/mscore
    (See issue #405)
  • Sebastian by Florian Kretlow: https://github.com/fkretlow/sebastian/releases
  • Leipzig (verovio): https://github.com/rism-digital/verovio/tree/develop/fonts
  • Finale Smufl Fonts: https://makemusic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500013053461-MakeMusic-Fonts-and-Licensing-Information
    • Finale Maestro
    • Finale Broadway
    • Finale Ash
    • Finale Engraver
    • Finale Jazz
    • Finale Legacy
    • Finale Maestro Text
    • Finale Broadway Legacy Text
    • Finale Broadway Text
    • Finale Ash Text
    • Finale Lyrics
    • Finale Jazz Text
  • GoldenAge: https://github.com/benwiggy/GoldenAge
  • eNote legato: https://github.com/eNote-GmbH/Legato
  • Ekmelos: http://www.ekmelic-music.org/en/extra/ekmelos.htm (should be smufl compliant, but does not work correctly on my system)

• Free (unknown licence)

  • Cap1800 remapped by Nor Eddine Bahha (Norfonts) download cap1800.zip from https://forums.steinberg.net/t/1800-style-font/763178/6

• Commercial Fonts

  • Norfonts: https://norfonts.ma/en/product-tag/dorico/
  • November 2: https://www.klemm-music.de/notation/november2/en/index.php
  • Music Type Foundry. Abraham Lee used to sell Smufl versions of his Lilypond fonts. Personal licences were available at $1.
    • MTF Arnold
    • MTF Beethoven
    • MTF Cadence
    • MTF Haydn
    • MTF Scorlatti
  • Also sold LS Iris by Luis Salgueiro. But the business closed down. It seems the fonts cannot be obtained anymore.

• Copyrighted

  • AloisenU and AloisenGrooveU Fonts used in Overture. No official support for other apps. You’ll have to download the app to get the font, and no .json file os provided. A .json file can be downloaded here: https://notat.io/viewtopic.php?t=259&start=10 => but it does not work.

  Try the attached ones:

  • aloisenu_json.zip
  • AloisenGrooveU_json.zip

Tab Layout improvements

• Allow fingering string text to affect which tablature string is attempted to apply on a linked staff/tab staff
• Make use of Capo Text in tab/linked tab scores. Still pending though, see #430 and its build artifacts.

Albums

Still pending though, see #79 and its build artifacts.

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^*) Instructions taken from here