staves, shorcuts

[califauna]

Hi,

I have three noob questions.

1) I would like to place some percussion notes on stave which is for the bass. Instead of making another separate stave for the percussion, in the few places the percussion notes occur, I would like to put percussion symbols right there on the bass stave, 'in amongst' the bass notes so to speak. How can I do this?

2) I am having trouble with 2 layers on one stave (tenor). The first layer has long notes (whole notes), and the second layer has shorter, different notes. The problem is that when I come to play the song, if one of the notes of the second layer is the same pitch/note as one of the long notes, it cuts the long note off, stopping it sounding for the rest of the measure. How can I make it so that the 1st layers long notes always sound for their whole duration, and are not cut off by the second layer notes?

3) Are there any shortcuts to select the simple entry tool, and the speedy entry tool?

Thanks,
Dale.

[Peter Thomsen]

Welcome to the forum!

In order to give you the best help we need a little more info from you:

What program are you using? - the "full Finale"? - PrintMusic? - SongWriter? - NotePad?
What version? - 2012? - 2011? - 2010? - 2009?
Windows or Mac OS?

For problems with playback it might also help to know, which playback device you are using:
- MIDI (e. g. SmartMusic SoftSynth)?
- Audio Units (e. g. Garritan)?

[califauna]

Sorry, I thought that stuff would come up automatically once I put it in my profile.

I`m using the trial version on the PC, 2012. Im using synthsoft midi, and a midi keyboard for entry.

Audio is through primary sound driver, I am also trying with the sound card of the keyboard as the driver.

[Peter Thomsen]

0) Your forum user Profile's text for Signature will only be added to the bottom of your post if you select that option, when you create your post:

OptionForSignature.jpg (21.82 KiB) Viewed 3780 times

1) If I understand you correctly, there is in the Bass part a region with rests measures, and the Bassist should be playing Percussion in those measure (instead of just being resting)?
And you are asking for a solution with both correct layout and correct playback?
This is quite easy to do in Finale 2012:
- Selection Tool. Select the region with rest measures.
- Utilities menu > Change Instrument…


2) The "cut-off" playback problem with layers is well known.
It happens because the layers share the same instrument/channel.
Open the ScoreManager.
In the line for the 2-layer staff, in the column "Name", click the little triangle to expand the view of the staff.
In the expanded view, choose a different channel for the other layer:

ScoreManagerExpanded.jpg (28.22 KiB) Viewed 3780 times

3) I suppose that you are asking for keyboard shortcuts?
By default Finale has keyboard shortcuts for the Selection Tool and for the Hand Grabber Tool.
You can add your own, custom shortcuts to any menu item in any menu, including items in the Tools menu (e. g. the Speedy Entry Tool).
In the Windows version of Finale it is done with a plug-in from the plug-in collection TG Tools (look in the Plug-In menu).

[califauna]

Wow, super easy. Thanks.