Originally Posted By: Notes Norton

So my question is this: Is it very easy to create a head chart with MuseScore. One line, treble clef only, with melody and chord symbols.

Hi Bob,
Yes. When you start a new score you get offered some choices. In MuseScore 4 select the tab "Create From Template", then Jazz, then Jazz Lead Sheet.

In MuseScore 3 when you select a new score, fill in what you want of the title-etc., click [Next] and again select Jazz->Jazz Lead Sheet.

When I first started I bought Marc Sabatella's "Mastering MuseScore" book, but that seems to vanished and he now does on-line courses. at a rather higher price that I probably wouldn't now pay. It had some good tips and shortcuts, but whether there are enough to justify the cost is quite another matter.

Shortcut things I use most:
In the layout palette there are newline and new-page icons. Drag to bar or select a bar and click.
Barlines ditto.
Chords: select a note and Ctrl-K. tab advances a bar, space advances a beat or not in context.
Section marks: select a note and then Ctrl-M
Entering notes: 'n' to start or stop, digit selects length until changed, a thru g insert a note usually in contect Ctrl-Up or Ctrl-Down to move by octave, up or down to move by semitone. '0' inserts a rest, '+' adds a tied note, '.' makes the note dotted, Ctrl-3 converts the next note to a triplet.

Most or all things in the palettes can be dragged and dropped or select-and-clicked.

Theres a symbol like [<->] in the layout that inserts a spacer before a bar. I often use it to push my 2nd bars to the right.

Most of the rest is probably fairly intuitive/obvious.

Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.