symbol for Diminished with Expression Tool

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jose oscar
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Post by jose oscar » Wed Mar 12, 2014 6:40 pm

I'm writing the chord VIIdiminished with the Expression Tool.

In Finale 2011 I found it easily, but what is that symbol in Finale 2012?

All I find is "o", that looks too low.

Thank you in advance for your help

FINALE 2012/Windows 7


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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Wed Mar 12, 2014 9:45 pm

1) To enter the little circle symbol used for the chord symbol "diminished", use a music font (e. g. the Maestro font), and hit the letter O key.
This is the same in Finale 2011 and Finale 2012 - there is no difference.

2) I am not sure what you mean, when you tell, that the symbol looks too "low"?
Too small? (try a bigger font size)
Too thin? (try the font style Bold)

3) Normally you write chord symbols with the Chord Tool.
I wonder why you are using the Expression Tool instead?
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

jose oscar
Posts: 850
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:57 am
Finale Version: Finale 27 Windows
Operating System: Windows

Post by jose oscar » Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:53 am

Thank you for your answer, Peter,

1)In Finale 2011 I used to do it this way: Text/Inserts/Symbols.
In the list of symbols there are differents kinds of the letter "o".
If I hit the way you say, that "o" appears this way: VIIo , for the seventh degree, for instance.

2) The symbol looks "low". I mean it appears on the low half part besides "VII".
I would like it appear in the same position as the second inverted commas: VII"

3) For Chord symbols I use CHORD TOOL
But for harmonic analysis I prefer the Expression Tool: I, IMaj, V7, IVm...

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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:05 am

jose oscar wrote:…1)In Finale 2011 I used to do it this way: Text/Inserts/Symbols.
In the list of symbols there are differents kinds of the letter "o".
If I hit the way you say, that "o" appears this way: VIIo , for the seventh degree, for instance.

2) The symbol looks "low". I mean it appears on the low half part besides "VII".
I would like it appear in the same position as the second inverted commas: VII"…
1) Are you saying that when you do the same steps in Finale 2011 and Finale 2012, you get different results?
Please explain.
I am unable to reproduce a such difference between 2011 and 2012.

2) With the Chord Tool you can create a chord suffix where the 'o' circle is raised to a higher vertical position.
If you load the default chord suffix library, you will see that there is a ready made chord suffix with the 'o' circle in a high position.
Also, there is a library with Figured Bass chord suffixes.
Try it!

3) You can indeed create harmonic analysis symbols with the Expression Tool.
But you can also use the Chord Tool.
To get the chord root displayed as a Roman Numeral, choose
Chord menu > Chord Style > Roman
NB: you still must enter the root as its note name.
An example:
To enter - in the key of G - a VII chord in the chord style Roman, type the root as F#.
Finale will change the F# to VII when you move to the next chord symbol.

4) You can also raise the 'o' symbol when you are using the Expression Tool.
To raise a character in a text (= superscript), select the character, and go to
Text menu > Character Settings…
In the dialog box Character Settings, enter a positive value for Superscript.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

jose oscar
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Post by jose oscar » Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:09 pm

Thank you very much indeed, Peter.
I'm only writing in relation to your note number 1. I have to study the other possibilities you tlod me as well.

"1) Are you saying that when you do the same steps in Finale 2011 and Finale 2012, you get different results?
Please explain.
I am unable to reproduce a such difference between 2011 and 2012."

You are right. I went to Finale 2011 and wrote it, and then I did the same for Finale 2012.I wrote the same symbol through:

Expression Tool/Text/Inserts/Symbols/symbol n. 186

I think they are so many symblos that I couldn't find the proper one.

As I told you I'm going to try the other possibilities you told me.

jose oscar
Posts: 850
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:57 am
Finale Version: Finale 27 Windows
Operating System: Windows

Post by jose oscar » Sat Mar 15, 2014 11:43 pm

"2) With the Chord Tool you can create a chord suffix where the 'o' circle is raised to a higher vertical position.
If you load the default chord suffix library, you will see that there is a ready made chord suffix with the 'o' circle in a high position.
Also, there is a library with Figured Bass chord suffixes.
Try it!"

In Default Libraries I cannot see any Chord Library.
Maybe you mean one of the choices under Chord Suffixes, Peter?
I see Figured Bass as one of them.
Well, I go to:

File/Load Library/Chord Suffixes/Figured Bass/Open

And then what do I have to do?

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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Sun Mar 16, 2014 3:07 am

jose oscar wrote:…In Default Libraries I cannot see any Chord Library.
Maybe you mean one of the choices under Chord Suffixes, Peter?…
I am sorry.
I have expressed myself unclearly.

What I meant, was that the chord suffix library in the Default Document (= Maestro Font Default) contains the chord suffix with the 'o' circle raised to a higher vertical position.
If your document was created from Meastro Font Default - or via Document Setup Wizard with the
document style "Engraved Style (Maestro Font)" - then your document already contains the
chord suffix with the raised 'o'.

I could be wrong here, but I think that the chord suffix library in Maestro Font Default is the library "Chord Suffix (Times)".

jose oscar wrote:…Well, I go to:

File/Load Library/Chord Suffixes/Figured Bass/Open

And then what do I have to do?
When you have loaded the chord suffix library, it will be added to the bottom of the dialog box Chord Suffix Selection.

One way to use the Chord Tool is the entry method Type Into Score.
Type the root and the suffix.
Instead of typing the suffix you can type : (colon) and the suffix number - convenient for complex suffixes.
If you do not remember the chord suffix number, type :0 (colon zero), and hit the Return key.
Finale will display the Chord Suffix Selection.

To get the chord root displayed as a Roman Numeral, choose
Chord menu > Chord Style > Roman
NB: you still must enter the root as its note name.
An example:
To enter - in the key of G - a VII chord in the chord style Roman, type the root as F#.
Finale will change the F# to VII when you move to the next chord symbol.

In notation with Figured Bass you will often tell Finale to, not display the root:
'7' instead of 'III7' or 'E7'.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

jose oscar
Posts: 850
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:57 am
Finale Version: Finale 27 Windows
Operating System: Windows

Post by jose oscar » Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:45 pm

Thank you very much for your help, Peter

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