Finale Forum

Hi,

Thank you for your help earlier. Now, for the same piece, I need to write a simple drum set part, using one single staff. When I was writing my first draft, all of the instruments were available on the same staff. However, not knowing any better, I split the percussion into two separate parts, with each part using two or three percussion voices (instruments, I guess). Now for the second draft, I have to make this a single part on one staff.... but the program is only letting me chose between the two or three voices that have previously been used in the part. So, how do I get all of my percussion options back?

My first guess is that you should choose a Percussion Layout, that has all the percussion instruments you need.

ScoreManager > Instrument List

Select the percussion staff so that the staff is highlighted in the Instrument List.
Then, go to

Notation Style > Percussion > Settings

where you get to the dialog box Percussion Layout Selection.

I figured out how to edit the percussion voicing, and that has led me to choose from only the drum set voices in the percussion part, which is what I want for this piece. However, I still can't enter more than one simultaneous note, which is pretty useless for writing a drum set part. Please explain? (And be aware that as a beginner, I need to start from the broadest menu options, not two steps in.)

My first suggestion would be that you should study layers.

This is “basic Finale stuff”, and you need to understand it.

You have four layers in a staff: Layer 1, Layer 2, Layer 3, Layer 4.
You can switch layer in the lower left corner of the window.
Each layer can have any rhythm - independent of the other layers.

Normally you will only need two layers:
Enter the upper part in Layer 1, the lower part in Layer 2.


Next, learn to enter multiple noteheads on the same stem (also known as chords).
When noteheads share the same stem, they are all in the same layer (which means that you can enter other notes/rhythms in another layer).