Smaller notes needed

[stanaforthhopkins]

Finale 2012 for Windows:

In a measure in one staff there are lyrics and notes for one verse and others for the second verse. I wish to make the notes in the second verse smaller than the first verse and, of course, want them to play only I repeat to the second verse.

[michelp]

Enter the 2 lines in separate layers.
Select the layer for which you want reduced notes.
Show Active Layer Only.
Resize Tool -> Select the region -> Resize notes

Or use the JW Change plugin -> Note Entries -> Resize -> Select a Layer.

For playback, define expressions which affect volume playback (Key velocity = 0 to mute or 64 to play, or Controller -> Volume). Apply to Pass 1 or 2.
Finally, right-click on the handle of the expressions -> Edit Expression Assignment -> Select a Layer.

[stanaforthhopkins]

Thanks for the info.

I wasn't able to make the first help work for me exactly, but used the idea of "Show Active Layer Only" as follows:

Enter the 2 lines in separate layers.
Select the layer for which you want reduced notes.
Show active layer only.
Enter the notes in the selected layer.
Use the "Note, Beam and Rest Editing" Plugin->"Resize Noteheads".

I don't seems to have the JW Change plugin.

Still struggling with playback. To what notes (measures) do I assign the expressions? For each of the three parts in this madrigal, there are two notes in each of four measures that are different due to different lyrics in the second verse. I think I mistakenly said that the repeat (pass) was different.

[michelp]

Be aware that reducing noteheads doesn't reduce stems, beams, etc...
In the Active Layer only, you can use the Resize tool to resize complete note entries. Or use Utilities -> Change -> Note size.
JW Change can be downloaded at http://www.finaletips.nu/index.php/download.

[stanaforthhopkins]

Utilities -> Change -> Note size changes the size of the text too. I think I'll have to stick with changing the notehead sizes.

I take there is no way to playback different notes in successive verses that have slightly different lyrics (based perhaps on layers).

[Peter Thomsen]

I take there is no way to playback different notes in successive verses that have slightly different lyrics (based perhaps on layers).

Actually it is possible with layers.

The two layers must be on different channels.
Otherwise you can not mute one layer only.

Use expressions to mute/unmute the layers.
Define the expressions to have playback effect on different repeat passes.

I can not be more specific since I do not know, what playback device you are using (are you e. g. playing Finale through MIDI?)

[MikeHalloran]

JW Change can be downloaded at http://www.finaletips.nu/index.php/download.

You want the standard Windows plugins, not the 64 bit Windows plugins (those are for Finale 25)

[stanaforthhopkins]

Thanks Mike, I saw that.

Peter - I tried something I saw first. I put different versions on the measures on three different layers (One for the main piece with the same parts, one for version one of the variant, one for version two. Then used Document Options to playback 1&2, and then 1&3. Works except something's with layer 3. The first note of the first measure doesn't play. Not alone or with layer 1. Problem with Finale 2012c.r13?

Expressions still give me headaches.

[stanaforthhopkins]

Sorry, I've been at this too long. I'm using MIDI for playback.

[Peter Thomsen]

… I'm using MIDI for playback.

Since you are playing Finale through MIDI, I suggest that you mute layers by using the expression playback effect
“Controller 11: Expression”.