The three ways to change tempo in MuseScore

MuseScore lets you change how fast a piece plays back in three separate ways: by editing the tempo marking itself (the number that says "120 BPM"), by using the playback slider at the bottom of the screen, or by selecting a section and explore a tempo change to just that part. Which one you use depends on whether you want to change what the score displays, what it sounds like when you play it back, or both.

The most common reason to change tempo is that you want the printed score to show a different speed than it currently does. This means editing the tempo marking directly in the score, which is what most musicians expect to see when they read the sheet music. The other two methods are useful when you want to hear something different without changing what's written down.

Key Takeaways

  • Double-click any tempo marking (the number with "BPM" or a note symbol) to edit it directly in the score, which changes both how it looks and how it plays back.
  • Use the playback tempo slider at the bottom of the window to change only what you hear, without altering the written tempo marking.
  • Select a range of measures and right-click to add a tempo change to just that section, useful for ritardando or accelerando effects.
  • MuseScore's default tempo is 120 BPM; if no tempo marking exists, the score will play at that speed regardless of what the time signature says.

Editing the tempo marking directly

The clearest way to change tempo is to edit the tempo marking that already exists in your score. Find the tempo marking — usually at the beginning of the piece, it looks like a note symbol followed by a number (♩ = 120) or just the word "Allegro" or "Andante". Double-click on it. A text editing box will appear.

Inside the box, you can change the number to whatever you want. If it says "120", you can change it to "140" or "90" or any other value. When you click outside the box, MuseScore updates both the display and the playback speed. The score now shows the new tempo, and when you press play, it will sound at that speed.

If your score has no tempo marking at all, you can add one. Go to the Tempo marking in the left panel (under "Text"), click it, then click on the staff where you want the marking to appear. MuseScore will insert a default tempo marking that you can then double-click and edit to the speed you want.

Using the playback slider to hear a different speed

Sometimes you want to hear a piece at a different tempo without changing what's written in the score. This is useful when you're learning a piece and want to slow it down to practice, or when you want to experiment with how a piece sounds at different speeds before deciding what tempo to write down.

At the bottom of the MuseScore window, next to the play button, you'll see a slider with a percentage next to it (usually showing "100%"). Drag this slider left to slow down playback, or right to speed it up. The tempo marking in the score stays exactly the same — only what you hear changes. When you close the file and reopen it, the slider resets to 100%, so this change is temporary.

Adding a tempo change to a specific section

If you want part of your piece to play at a different tempo than the rest, select the measures where the tempo should change. Click on the first measure you want to affect, then hold Shift and click on the last measure. The selected measures will highlight in blue.

Right-click on the selection and choose "Add Tempo Change" from the menu. A dialog box will open asking you what tempo you want. Enter the number and click OK. MuseScore will insert a tempo marking at the beginning of your selection, and the playback will speed up or slow down at that point. This is how you create ritardando (slowing down) or accelerando (speeding up) effects that are written into the score itself.

If you want a gradual tempo change rather than an when ready jump, you can use the "Gradual Tempo Change" option instead, which creates a line that shows the tempo shifting over several measures. This is useful for marking a "rit." or "accel." in the score.

Understanding BPM and note values

The number in a tempo marking always refers to a specific note value. When you see ♩ = 120, that means one quarter note equals 120 beats per minute. If the marking shows ♪ = 120, that means one eighth note equals 120 beats per minute — which would make the piece sound twice as fast, because eighth notes are half the length of quarter notes.

MuseScore assumes quarter note = the beat unless you specify otherwise. If you're editing a tempo marking and you want to change which note value the tempo refers to, you'll need to edit the marking itself. Double-click it, and you can change both the note symbol and the number. For most pieces, leaving it as quarter note is the standard choice.

When tempo changes don't sound right

If you've changed the tempo but the playback still sounds wrong, check whether you edited the tempo marking or just moved the playback slider. If you moved the slider, the score itself hasn't changed — close the file without saving and reopen it to reset. If you edited the marking and it still sounds off, make sure you double-clicked the marking itself and not just the number next to it. Sometimes clicking near the marking selects it without opening the edit box.

Another common issue: if your score has multiple tempo markings and you want to change only one, make sure you're double-clicking the exact marking you want to edit. MuseScore will only change the one you click on, not all of them at once. If you want to change the tempo for the entire piece, edit the first tempo marking (usually at the top of the first staff).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the tempo gradually speed up or slow down?

Yes. Select the measures where you want the gradual change, right-click, and choose "Gradual Tempo Change" instead of "Add Tempo Change". MuseScore will draw a line showing the tempo shifting over that range. You can also type "rit." or "accel." as text and let musicians interpret it, or use both the text and a gradual tempo marking together.

What if I want to hear the piece slower but keep the written tempo the same?

Use the playback slider at the bottom of the window. Drag it left to slow down what you hear without changing the score. This change is temporary — when you reopen the file, the slider resets to 100%.

Does changing the tempo affect how the notes look on the page?

No. Changing the tempo marking changes only the speed at which the piece plays back and what the tempo marking displays. It does not change note spacing, staff layout, or any other visual aspect of the score. The notes themselves stay in the same place.

What's the default tempo if I don't add a tempo marking?

MuseScore plays any score without a tempo marking at 120 BPM (quarter note = 120 beats per minute). If you want a different default, add a tempo marking at the beginning of the piece and set it to whatever speed you want.

Can I have different tempos in different parts at the same time?

MuseScore's playback uses a single tempo for the entire score, so all parts play at the same speed. You can write different tempo markings in different parts for musicians to read, but the playback will follow the tempo marking that appears first in the score. For complex pieces with independent tempos, you would need to export the score and edit it in a digital audio workstation.