Finale Forum

PrintMusic 2014 / Mac

How do I begin a quarter note triplet with a half note? PrintMusic will let me start with a quarter note followed by a half note, but won't let me construct it the other way around.

Welcome to the forum!

Go to Mike’s web site:

specialmillwork . com / finaletips

and read the mini-tutorial about tuplets.

I believe that the mini-tutorial will help you overcome all recent and future difficulties with tuplets.

Went to Michael Rosen's website and found the tutorial that deals with mixed tuplets. He suggested using the numeric pad to do this. Since my MacBook Pro doesn't have a numeric section on its keyboard, I bought one, plugged it in, and found that he was right; I was able to use his suggestion and method to enter a quarter-note triplet that started with a half note - HOWEVER, this method only seems to work when you install the triplet AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEASURE. I needed my mixed tuplets at the end of the measure. So what I wound up doing was putting the mixed tuplet in first, then inserting the notes or rests I needed IN FRONT OF the tuplet, causing it to move to the end of the measure where I wanted it to be. I am pleased that this seems to do the trick, and I am grateful to Michael for suggesting it, but perhaps Finale can find a less convoluted way to make this happen on their next update.

Actually there is a simple way to end a measure with a tuplet:

Either

* de-select “Check for Extra Notes”,

or

* Use another tuplet entry method.
There are several ways to enter a tuplet (Speedy Entry Tool, or MIDI keyboard, or computer keyboard).

Both the Simple Entry Tool and the Speedy Entry Tool have a Tuplet sub-Tool that can be activated via a shortcut.


I would not use the Tuplet Tool on the Main Tool Palette.
The (Main Tool Palette) Tuplet Tool is great for editing an already existing tuplet, and you can program tuplet metatools.

But for general tuplet entry is it usually smarter/faster/easier to use the Tuplet sub-Tools in the two Entry Tools.

And my method works perfectly well for inserting either a regular or a mixed tuplet on the last beat. You enter the first note, DEFINE THE TUPLET if it isn't already the default, and enter the rest of the notes.

If you are having a problem, please describe exactly what you are doing, and we'll try to see where the problem lies.

I recently purchased Finale 2014.5 for Mac, and have spent quite a bit of time with it already, scanning scores for our choir and creating practice material with all the voices in the Aah Choir voice except your own part in the trombone voice.

But for the life of me I can't get any of the number keys to do anything except with the command modifier, either the regular numbers or on the keypad of my apple wired keyboard. So I can't make a triplet with a quarter note followed by an eighth note. I can't find a way to change the duration on an existing note. Am I overlooking something?

Thanks,
Larry

Welcome to the forum!

Please specify the steps you've already taken, so that we can rule out things.
Have you e. g. tried trashing your Finale preferences file?
Tested a brand new user account?
Rebooted?

Go to the Simple Menu and make sure that the Default shortcut set is selected, NOT the Laptop Shortcut set.

Also, it's possible that your numberpad is turned off. Look here for some tips: http://osxdaily.com/2014/12/01/number-k ... board-fix/