music-score/docs/musicxml-spec/elements/attributes.md

---

source: https://www.w3.org/2021/06/musicxml40/musicxml-reference/elements/attributes/

downloaded: 2026-01-30T08:39:37.826Z

The element | MusicXML 4.0

MusicXML 4.0 >

MusicXML reference >
Elements >
attributes

The element

Parent elements:

    <measure> (partwise), 

    <part> (timewise)

The element contains musical information that typically changes on measure boundaries. This includes key and time signatures, clefs, transpositions, and staving. When attributes are changed mid-measure, it affects the music in score order, not in MusicXML document order.

Content

In this order

• In this order

          <footnote> (Optional)
  
  
  
  
  
          <level> (Optional)
  

• (Optional)

• (Optional)

• (Optional)

• (Zero or more times)

• (Zero or more times)

• (Optional)

• (Optional)

• (Optional)

• (Zero or more times)

• (Zero or more times)

• Exactly one of the following

          <transpose> (Zero or more times)
  
  
  
  
  
          <for-part> (Zero or more times)
  

• (Zero or more times)

• (Zero or more times)

• (Zero or more times)

• (Zero or more times)

Attributes

None.

Examples

This element is used in the following examples:

and , , , , , and , and , , , , , , , , , (Lines), , , , , , , Tutorial: Après un rêve, Tutorial: Chopin Prelude, Tutorial: Chord Symbols, Tutorial: Hello, World, Tutorial: Percussion, Tutorial: Tablature