how do you input a trill-to note that is on a ledger line?

[dprice112]

i have a flute that is trilling on a B above the treble staff and i want to indicate that it is trilling to a C natural in parentheses.

is there a way to create a note without a stem in parentheses, on ledger lines?

any ideas would help
-Dylan

[Peter Thomsen]

The full version of the plug-in collection TG Tools (not the "Lite" version of TG Tools that comes for free with Finale) has a plug-in for it:
"Parenthesized Trill Notes"

You can see it here:
http://www.tgtools.de/overview.htm

However, the plug-in only does what you can do yourself.
If you have plenty of time (and not enough money to buy the full TG Tools), enter the trill-to note as a grace note, move the grace note into position, replace its stem with an empty shape, and add parentheses as expressions.

[dprice112]

how can i replace the stem with an empty shape?

[Peter Thomsen]

how can i replace the stem with an empty shape?

Special Tools Tool.
Use the sub-tool Custom Stem Tool.
Click inside the staff to make handles appear on all stems in the measure.
Double-click the handle on the stem you wish to replace with an empty shape.
In the Shape Selection, click the button "Create…", then click OK without doing anything in the Shape Designer.
You have now created an empty shape.
Click the button "Select" to use the empty shape.

You can use your new shape anywhere in the document, where you want to replace a stem with an empty shape.

[dprice112]

very cool

another approach i was using is to use the stem length tool in the special tools palette, use a quarter note grace note, and shrink the stem down to where it isn't noticeable

altho your way seems alittle cleaner

[dprice112]

now that i'm inputing trill notes by hand (making a grace note, replacing stem and moving it to the right of the note), the note always shifts back to the grace note position when i alter the page setup or copy the part to a different staff. i've had to reposition the same note several times now and it's very frustrating...
is there a way i can lock the note into place to the right of the primary note?
should i make a new thread?

[Peter Thomsen]

No need to start a new thread.

My guess is that you should dis-able the automatic function
- Automatic Music Spacing

You can find Automatic Music Spacing in the Program Options.


When the Automatic Music Spacing is dis-abled, you can still apply music spacing manually:
Select the region you want to space, and hit the metatool hotkey.

[dprice112]

brilliant
thanks for the tip

[bjustis]

Here's a nice solution I came up with.

1. After inputing the primary trill note switch to a subsidiary layer (e.g. layer 2)
2. Input rests in the subsidiary layer until just after the primary note (e.g. primary note on beat 3, rests in layer 2 until & of 3 using half rest and 8th rest)
3. Enter your trill-to note in the subsidiary layer, decrease size with the % tool, and add parentheses. You may wish to resize the parentheses or make a smaller set in the articulations menu.
4. Hide all rests in the subsidiary layer using the H key (or a plugin like JW change with layer filtering).
5. Add your trill symbol.

This way is copyable, transposable, and has very little noticeable playback issues. You can mute the trill-to note by muting the layer it's in (which will mute any note entries in that layer for that instrument) or by using playback muting for that layer for only that measure using JW change. It also maintains the desired spacing between primary and trill-to note. You can create trill-to notes wherever you wish in the staff and beyond.

I hope this is useful.

[Peter Thomsen]

Welcome to the forum!

- And thanks for the solution!

[michelp]

A few more ideas (I'm aware that they are not exactly what you asked for) :
• noteheads with parentheses, even with accidentals, exist in Engraver Font Extra.
I have added a few to my expressions library. They come in handy, but ledger lines are a problem. The lines can be added in a Shape expression, associated as a group and saved.
• Recently, in a Cinescore template, I saw this other approach using Smart Shapes. Fine for 1/2 step and whole tone.
I have recreated them myself, and have used them a few times since then. The musicians seemed to get used to it very quickly, as it is very logical.

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