Written by: Elizabeth A. Pineo
Last updated: January 26, 2025
This page is intended to function as a reference while creating Modified Stave Notation (MSN) scores in MuseScore 4.X.X. Other publicly available documentation (UK Association for Accessible Formats, 2019) provides general guidance for creating MSN scores. These documents generally do not provide specific guidelines because each MSN score user has different needs, and every music score application offers different levels of customization.
Likewise, this document does not provide specific guidelines that should be followed for every MSN score; rather, this document is designed to help create a baseline template that can help introduce individuals to creating MSN scores that can later be tailored to individual needs. This document is not comprehensive, and it is not definitive.
Navigate to the MuseScore Download page.
Select the appropriate download option for your computer and needs (Windows, Mac, AppImage, Linux, or BSD).
Follow the on-screen installation instructions.
Open MuseScore Studio.
On the MuseScore Studio Plugin tab, enable:
ColorNotes
NoteNames
If preferred, also enable:
Courtesy Accidentals
Open a new, blank MuseScore grand staff score.
Open the Format > Settings dialog. Under Page Size, you can choose to use landscape or portrait settings for your score. Landscape puts more measures in a system and is generally more stable on a music stand, while portrait is generally better for low-light performance settings because it is more easily illuminated. For this example, we will use portrait, but this is a matter of preference and intended use of the score.
In the same dialog box, under Odd page margins, decrease the top, bottom, left, and right margins to 0.5. Repeat for Even page margins. This increases the amount of music that can fit on each page. For this example, we are using 0.5, but the margins should be selected in conversation with the intended end user whenever possible.
In the same dialog box, under Scaling, select a staff size. Larger staff sizes will increase the size and spacing of your score. For this template, we’ll use 0.115, which will give us approximately three systems per page. The size of the staff should be selected in conversation with the intended user because their preferred size might be larger or smaller.
Navigate to the Format > Style dialog box. Under Size, set the following:
Small staff size: 90%
Small note size: 80%
Grace note size: 80%
Small clef size: 90%
In the same dialog box, under Barlines, set the following:
Thin barline thickness: 0.21 sp
Thick barline thickness: 0.58 sp
Thick barline distance: 0.40 sp
Double barline thickness: 0.21 sp
Double barline distance: 0.40 sp
Repeat barline to dots distance: 0.40 sp
In the same dialog box, under Notes, set the following:
Dot size: 200%
Stem thickness: 0.25 sp
Ledger line thickness: 0.19 sp
Ledger line length: 0.63 sp
In the same dialog box, under Measure, the distance between notes can be adjusted. For this example, we will use the default of 1.2, so no changes are needed.
In the same dialog box, under Slurs & Ties, set the following:
Slurs
Line thickness at end: 0.10 sp
Line thickness middle: 0.26 sp
Dotted line thickness: 0.15 sp
Ties
Line thickness at end: 0.10 sp
Line thickness middle: 0.26 sp
Dotted line thickness: 0.15 sp
In the same dialog box, under Articulations & ornaments, set Articulation size to 150%. Note in m 4 of the example score that some of the right hand articulation markings have been moved outside of the staff. This is to avoid their overlapping with the dynamic markings. This is common in MSN.
In the same dialog box, under Dynamics & Hairpins, set the following:
Scale: 125%
Hairpins > line thickness: 0.15 sp
Dynamics can also be set to a straight, non-italicized font here, which can be helpful for some users. Others prefer to keep the stylized font because it’s easier to recognize. For this example, we will keep the stylized font.
Measure number method 1:
Right click the number.
Hover over “select,” then choose “Similar.”
Under Properties, scroll down to Text and open the dropdown menu.
Under “size,” enter 18 pt. No text in the score should be smaller than 18 pts, but the exact sizes can be changed depending on the needs of the end user.
Measure number method 2:
Select a measure number.
Navigate to Properties, then scroll down to “Size.”
Set the “Size” to 18 pts.
Click the “...” menu, then select “Save as default style for this score.”
Page number method 1:
Right click the page number.
Hover over “select,” then choose “More…”
Check the box for “Same subtype,” then the radio button for “Add to selection.” Click “OK.”
Under Properties, scroll down to the bottom, then open the drop down menu for “Show more.”
Check the box for “Scale with staff size.”
Page number method 2:
Select a page number.
Navigate to Properties, then scroll down to “Size.”
Set the “Size” to 18 pts.
Click the “...” menu, then select “Save as default style for this score.”
Page number method 3:
Navigate to Properties, then scroll down to "Text style."
Select "Page number" from the dropdown menu.
Scroll up to "Size" (on the right side of the window).
Set the size to 18 pts. either by entering "18" or by clicking the up arrow enough times to reach 18.
Titles: Under Properties, set the font size to 24 pt.
Subtitles: Under Properties, set the font size to 20 pt.
Composer/arrangers: Under Properties, set the font size to 18 pt.
Note that, if there are appended lyrics (verses written after the music), you will need to edit the font size of that text element individually for each file you create.
To set the note heads’ and accidentals’ colors, navigate to: Plugins > Color Notes > Color Notes. Clicking the second “Color Notes” should automatically color the note heads and accidentals, but it may take a minute to load. If it does not, return to “Before You Start: Enabling Plugins” to ensure that the plugin is enabled.
To add note names to the score, navigate to: Plugins > Composing/arranging tools > Note Names. Note names will appear over the notes in the score and can be dragged as needed. For chords, the note names will be stacked in the same order the notes appear on the staff. Some users will find note names distracting or redundant, so they are not always needed, while others will find them utterly imperative.
To save your settings as a template, navigate to Format > Save style. Name your template whatever is convenient for you. Do not change the save location of the style.
To use your template, open a new score. Navigate to Format > Load style. Select your template. All Style and Page Layout settings should automatically load. Plugin-based settings (color notes and note names) will need to be manually applied for each score.
This page is not intended to serve as a rigid set of guidelines for creating all MSN scores. Instead, it provides a flexible template that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of individual users. By creating an adaptable template for both new and existing MuseScore scores, this document aims to enhance users’ understanding of MSN score creation and to improve access to them for users who benefit from them. Ultimately, the goal is for this document to foster increased awareness of MSN needs, how to create MSN scores, and the options available for customizing MSN scores.
UK Association for Accessible Formats. (2019). Modified stave notation: How to meet individual needs for large print music, document B016 (second edition). https://www.ukaaf.org/standards/#large-print
MuseScore. (2015). Creating modified stave notation in MuseScore. https://musescore.org/en/tutorials/modified-stave-notation
Royal National Institute of Blind People. (n.d.). Introduction: Modified stave notation. https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/education-and-learning/music-education/modified-stave-notation/