Is the Guitar TAB Program of 2014 Buggy?

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Fulcanelli
Posts: 96
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:53 am
Finale Version: Finale 2009
Operating System: Windows

Post by Fulcanelli » Mon May 19, 2014 8:07 pm

Hi. I have to ask if anybody else is having problems when using the manuscript notation program in conjunction with guitar TAB. I am a guitar teacher and use both systems extensively. I always had issues with the earlier versions, 2007 and 2009 but when I saved it, closed the file and reopened, I could usually fix it then. However, this new version is driving me bonkers and I'm wondering if I am the only person having problems. Or perhaps I am doing everything wrong, not the intended way with Finale. I must find out. It is taking me three times longer to complete complex scores.

Sometimes the program will NOT ALLOW me to delete notes. When I have a score in rough form, I drag down the notation to create a TAB line, usually working in small chunks because the program asks me what the lowest fret is and some of my arrangements jump around the neck. However, once I have it set, if I go back and fix things, I have a dickens of a time getting what I want. Depending on what the issues are, I sometimes make corrections to the manuscript staff and drag it down to make TAB, or sometimes it is easier to make the corrections in TAB and drag it up to the manuscript (I ALWAYS get the right notation on the later method.) I have a nasty time of trying to edit individual notes in the correcting mode.

Want proof the TAB program is buggy? Create a dual staff, manuscript on top and TAB on bottom. In the manuscript staff, write out a G chord, the first one everyone learns. G-B-D-G-B-G. Now drag that down to TAB and you will see that the program screws up the open strings. I have been complaining about this problem for years! Another issue. Create a file for just TAB and you will see that the first bar line is missing on each line. Guitar TAB NEVER appears this way (except in Finale.)

Yesterday I copied a melody from a songbook. It was in the key of F#m. I then went to transpose it to Am. The first two chords in the song (in F#m) are F#m and A7. I accessed the utilities menu (after highlighting all the notation measures) and chose the key of Am. It changed the F#m to Am just fine but changed to A7 to C#7. Then I went into the Key Signature Tool, chose "other" and set the transposition to move up to Am and it changed the chords correctly, the A7 to C7.

The TAB program seems to have serious issues with sharps and flats and changing them.

I used to write to Finale and point out the TAB issues and thought after I came back to Finale (I bought Sibelius 7 and preferred using Finale, if only it worked properly that is) and thought for sure after a few years the TAB program would have gotten a facelift.

What I need to find out is if others are using both staves in conjunction and running into issues? And then, assuming I am not the only one in the Finale community with these issues, how do I get them fixed?

I'd really like to know when the guitar TAB got a real honest bare bones makeover.

Please help. I used to have a full head of hair but I'm going bald pulling it out trying to resolve all these issues.

PS - I've noticed small changes to things in the program. In old days when I used the Chord Tool, adding chord names over notes, the TAB button would take me to the next note in the song. Now it goes directly to the next measure. Was this an intended change?


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Peter Thomsen
Posts: 6601
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:47 pm
Finale Version: Finale v27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by Peter Thomsen » Mon May 19, 2014 8:21 pm

Fulcanelli wrote:…PS - I've noticed small changes to things in the program. In old days when I used the Chord Tool, adding chord names over notes, the TAB button would take me to the next note in the song. Now it goes directly to the next measure. Was this an intended change?
Yes, this is an intended change.
To proceed to the next note/beat, hit the Spacebar.

By The Way:
Chord symbols are now beat attached (not note attached).
If there is a whole note in a 4/4 measure you can now attach a chord symbol to each beat without any workarounds.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

Fulcanelli
Posts: 96
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:53 am
Finale Version: Finale 2009
Operating System: Windows

Post by Fulcanelli » Tue Dec 09, 2014 9:26 pm

Thanks!

Fulcanelli
Posts: 96
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:53 am
Finale Version: Finale 2009
Operating System: Windows

Post by Fulcanelli » Wed Feb 18, 2015 8:44 pm

Fulcanelli wrote:Thanks!
I am sorry that there are huge gaps of time between my posts. I have so much to do that when I hit a brick wall (and then begin searching for the answer) I leave the project and move on to the next. However, this is still a problem for me. I see that Finale pushed one of the chord names off between the pages. I can't figure out how to remove it.

I'll attach it to this msg and you can see it yourself. It's the "DMaj7" chord between the pages.

How do I remove it? Is there any way to prevent this? I've had this problem numerous times.

Regarding hitting the space bar...where? At the location where I want the chord name?

Thanks.
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User avatar
Peter Thomsen
Posts: 6601
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:47 pm
Finale Version: Finale v27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by Peter Thomsen » Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:31 pm

Fulcanelli wrote:…I see that Finale pushed one of the chord names off between the pages. I can't figure out how to remove it.

I'll attach it to this msg and you can see it yourself. It's the "DMaj7" chord between the pages.

How do I remove it? Is there any way to prevent this? I've had this problem numerous times…
1) As a first step I would try to figure out, to what page the chord symbol is attached.
- If you use the Page View Style “Looseleaf Style: Current Page Only”, then on what page do you have to be, in order to see the “off-page” chord symbol? (You may have to zoom out a little)

2) To remove/delete a chord symbol, switch to the Selection Tool, and double-click the chord symbol.
Finale will take you to the correct tool (probably the Chord Tool), with the chord symbol selected, so that you can delete it.

3) To prevent this from happening, you should probably change the way you work with chord symbols.
My guess is that you should be careful about

* attaching the chord symbol to the staff/measure where it is supposed to be (and not to anything else),

* moving chord symbols manually by dragging them:
A. If you drag a chord symbol, do you still need it to be attached to the same beat?
B. Or should it be attached to another beat, closer to where you dragged it?
No matter whether you prefer A or B, Finale can do it.
Take a look in Finale 2014’s Preferences - Edit (look in the pane Movable Items).

Fulcanelli wrote:…Regarding hitting the space bar...where? At the location where I want the chord name?…
I suspect that you are confusing the Space-bar with the pointing device (mouse).
The Space-bar is located on the computer keyboard. It is the (long) key used to enter a space between two words when typing text.

You can use the Space-bar when you enter chord symbol in the entry mode “Type Into Score”.
When using “Type Into Score” you have a blinker in the score.
To enter a chord symbol at the blinker’s location, type the chord symbol.
The chord symbol will be entered when you move the blinker to the next beat/measure.
To move the blinker to the next measure, hit the Tab key.
To move the blinker to the next beat, hit the Space-bar.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

Pythagoras
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2016 2:49 pm
Finale Version: 2014.5
Operating System: Windows

Post by Pythagoras » Mon Aug 01, 2016 3:28 pm

It is now year 2016 and I purchased Finale 2014.5 a few months ago, after successfully using Finale Guitar (now discontinued by MakeMusic) for 13 years. I rarely experienced "buggy" problems with Guitar and I could fly through producing treble staff notation and attached tab staff (not guitar, another instrument). Never had to contact tech support!

Now, my production is completely stopped. I can drag down a notation staff into the tab staff (like in the old "Mass Edit"/"Replace"), and most of the tab numbers will appear, but incorrect numbers are in the mix. If I try to change a number with the numeric keypad, I can only get a '0'. When I try to manually build chords or change the time value of notes (quarter into two eighths) for strumming pattern purposes, only 0's appear on every tab line. Once, AlphaNotes appeared on two measures of the tab staff - where did that come from?! Could not change to tab (going through every possible solution to 'trick the glitch' back to normal behavior). Sent the page to tech support, said they had no problem, sent it back and I got it to work once (enough to save it to PDF and print).

So, I am ending up with tab staves full of just '0's! Other tab glitches also, a new one with each new document. I cannot produce even one page of music. Any solutions ?
Thanks

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Peter Thomsen
Posts: 6601
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:47 pm
Finale Version: Finale v27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by Peter Thomsen » Mon Aug 01, 2016 4:44 pm

Welcome to the forum!

Your problems sound highly unusual.
I suspect that there is something specific going on with your particular Finale installation or documents.

Two ideas:

1) Please attach a (small) Finale .musx sample document so we can take a look at, what might be causing the problem.
Otherwise, we can only guess.
This forum does not accept attachments with the Finale file name extension.
Before you can attach a Finale document in this forum, you must compress it, e. g. as a .zip file.
And the file size must not be more than max. 100 KB.

2) You might get more help if you also post in the forum on MakeMusic’s web site (and attach a sample document there as well).
Some of the users there have a lot of experience with Windows Finale and TAB notation.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

Pythagoras
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2016 2:49 pm
Finale Version: 2014.5
Operating System: Windows

Post by Pythagoras » Tue Aug 02, 2016 9:53 pm

Thanks for your response, Peter, I appreciate your time. I figured out how to fix one of the problems by working between both the laptop and the desktop. On the desktop keyboard numeric pad, the 'Number Lock' key was on. That is why a '0' was the only number appearing for any tab. Hopefully, this might help someone else who experiences this problem.

Now, on to straighten out the other alien happenings!
Thanks again

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