| name | bar-notation |
| description | Reference sheet for the notation format used by musescore-mcp tools, and for reading get_overview output. Use when calling musescore-mcp tools. |
Bar notation reference
Bars are separated by |. Just like in regular sheet music, all bars must have the correct number of beats in them. All pitches are written pitch.
| Syntax | Meaning |
|---|
C5:4 | Note: letter A-G, optional ♭/♯, octave, duration |
r:8 | Rest |
R | Full-measure rest, alone in the bar |
chord(C4 E4 G4):4 | Chord, one duration for the entire chord |
tuplet(3:2 C5:8 D5 E5) | Tuplet, ratio is actual:normal |
grace(D4:8) C4:4 | Grace note (acciaccatura) before the main note |
slur(C4:8 D4 E4) | Slur, may cross barlines: slur(G4:8 A4 | B4 C5) |
C5:4~ C5 | Tie |
C5:4' | Staccato |
C5:4> | Accent |
C5:4(tr) | Short trill |
C5:4(mord) | Mordent |
C5:4(scoop) | Scoop |
C5:4(gliss) | Glissando to the next note |
[C-7] C4:4 | Chord symbol, attached to the following event |
Durations: :1 :2 :4 :8 :16 :32 :64 :128, dotted :4., double-dotted :4... A duration carries over to following events until changed. It's mandatory on the first note/rest.
Each note or chord gets at most one suffix: a tie, an annotation, or a glissando. No stacking.
Chord symbols are written in square brackets before the event they attach to. The root is a note name (A-G with optional ♭/♯). Everything after the root is the suffix, passed through unchanged. Common suffixes: -7 (minor 7th), 7 (dominant), ^7 (major 7th), o7 (diminished), ø7 (half-diminished), - (minor), 6, -6. A chord symbol can attach to any event, including rests. A chord symbol before slur( or tuplet( attaches to the first note or rest inside the group; read_measures prints it in that inside position. A chord symbol should be either outside or inside a group.
Example:
[C-7] grace(B4:8) C5:4.' B4:8> [F7] slur(A4(tr) G4 r F4~) | [B♭^7] F4:2.(gliss) E4:4 | tuplet(3:2 C5:8 D5 E5) [E♭7] r:4 r:2 | R
Reading the overview
get_overview prints a summary line, a Form section, and a Chords section. Form and Chords are omitted when empty.
- Key signature shows the major and equivalent minor key in written pitch. A transposing instrument's concert key appears in parentheses next to its name on the Instruments line.
- Bar 1's key, time, and tempo are printed in the summary Subsequent
key:, time:, or tempo: entries always means a mid-score change.
- The Chords grid prints 4 bars per line, each line prefixed with its first bar number. Lines without chord symbols are omitted. Example: a jump from
1: to 9: means bars 5-8 don't have chords.
- Chord roots are written pitch, spelled the same as read_measures output.
