Connect and separate notes and beams

📝 Beam Groups in ScanScore: How to Fix Rhythm and Visual Clarity

In music notation, beam groups are essential for both rhythmic accuracy and readability. In ScanScore, you can quickly correct beaming issues by manually grouping or separating notes. This ensures a clean score layout, better understanding of meter, and flawless export to MusicXML.

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🔍 What Are Beam Groups?

Beam groups refer to the horizontal lines connecting multiple short notes – typically eighths (quavers) or sixteenths (semiquavers). Common groupings include:

• 2 or 4 eighth notes per beat

• 4 sixteenth notes in one pulse

• 3+3 groupings in 6/8 or 12/8 time signatures

🎯 Incorrect beaming often causes confusion in rhythm – especially when notes are beamed across beats or between voices.

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🔧 How to Group or Split Beams in ScanScore

🔗 Group Notes (Join Beams)

1. Enter Selection Mode (Shortcut: D)

2. Select the notes you want to group

3. Press Ctrl + G
   → The notes will be joined with a single beam

✂️ Split Notes (Separate Beams)

1. Select the beamed group you want to break

2. Press Ctrl + S
   → Notes will revert to flags, separated visually

💡 Tip: You can combine these actions repeatedly to create custom groupings, like 2+2 eighth notes in 4/4 time or 3+3 in 6/8.

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🛠 Common Beaming Problems & How to Fix Them

Problem	Likely Cause	Fix
Eighth notes appear ungrouped	Scan/import issue	Use Ctrl + G to group
Beams connect notes across multiple voices	Voice misdetection	Use Ctrl + S to split
Wrong beam grouping in 6/8 or compound meter	Time signature misread	Manually group to match meter
Too many flags (e.g. sixteenths not grouped)	Poor scan input	Group manually using Ctrl + G

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📺 Webinar Demonstration: Beam Grouping in Action

In our official ScanScore webinar, we demonstrate how to fix beam groups and rhythm clusters step by step.

🎥 Watch now

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✅ Export Tips for MusicXML

Before exporting your score:

• ✅ Do the beams reflect the rhythmic structure of the time signature?

• ✅ Are beams broken between different voices (as needed)?

• ✅ Are irregular meters (like 7/8 or 6/8) grouped clearly?

Clean beaming leads to clean exports – and ensures your file is notation-ready for MuseScore, Dorico, Sibelius or Finale.

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📌 Quick Summary

Action	Result
Ctrl + G	Join notes with beams
Ctrl + S	Break apart beamed groups
Review time signature	Adjust groupings for clarity
Watch the webinar	Learn the visual logic behind beaming