Finale Forum

Finale v.26
Windows 10

Finale has many instruments for its various staves. One of them is "Horn in F". It automatically sets up a staff for that instrument when it's called for, puts in the correct key signature (different from Trumpet in Bb or Violin in concert pitch etc.).

Can I create a new instrument called "Horn in E"? A different pitch from the "Horn in F", but otherwise virtually identical. Its key signature will be different, of course.

Is it possible to take the "Horn in F" instrument, create an exact duplicate, and change the duplicate's pitch (and the staff name) so that it's now a "Horn in E"? I'd like to wind up with two independent instruments, "Horn in F" and Horn in E".

Does Finale v.26 (Windows) provide a way to do this?

Thanks all!

You can choose the F horn and then change the name and transposition. However, you can't create an E horn. If you need to make a change from F to E in the middle of a staff, you can choose the Eb horn, and then do the same changes to the name and transposition.

Zuill

Horn in E's transposition settings are Interval = 5, KeyAlter = -4, by the way.

You can also create a Horn in E staff style, which can specify not only the transposition but the staff name, and apply it to Horn in F.

Thank you, zuill and motet!

It sounds like I can't make a "new" Horn in E, but can only change the existing Horn in F. Then I wouldn't have the old Horn in F any more, it would be in E. Correct?

I might take an instrument I never use (maybe alto clarinet or something), apply the transposition, and use that temporarily as something-or-other in E. That will be sufficient for what I need, which is type in an E part and then copy/paste it to the real Horn in F, which will cause Finale to automatically transpose it to the key of F.

Sound like a plan?

If it doesn't work, I can always change Alto Clarinet back to its original key...... (I hope)

If you're using 2 staves, make them both Horn in F, then change one to Horn in E. Otherwise, Finale will not play the correct sound.

Zuill

Little-Acorn wrote:Thank you, zuill and motet!
It sounds like I can't make a "new" Horn in E, but can only change the existing Horn in F. Then I wouldn't have the old Horn in F any more, it would be in E. Correct?

The staff style I suggested can be applied to only one of the two horn staves, so you'd have one in E and one in F.

You might alsoconsider just putting both in F. The horn players (I'm one) would probably thank you.

motet wrote:

Little-Acorn wrote:Thank you, zuill and motet!
It sounds like I can't make a "new" Horn in E, but can only change the existing Horn in F. Then I wouldn't have the old Horn in F any more, it would be in E. Correct?

The staff style I suggested can be applied to only one of the two horn staves, so you'd have one in E and one in F.

You might alsoconsider just putting both in F. The horn players (I'm one) would probably thank you.

That's the idea.

But right now I have a long piece with the horn part in E. I could sight-transpose it as I copy it, but am pretty much guaranteed to make mistakes. If I copy it to (any instrument) in E, I can visually check it for mistakes against the printed part in E. Then just copy/paste it to Horn in F (really in F) and it will automatically transpose. I've had good success with this method, transposing horn parts in E-flat to F. Just enter them note by note into the Alto Sax staff exactly as written, then copy/paste to Horn in F and bingo.

But I can find no instrument in E.

Yet. Until I do what you and motet said.

- from fellow horn player Little-Acorn

Make sure to look at my file. I did it without Staff Styles. Just another way.

Zuill

I see, Little-Acorn. Seems like a good way to accurately transpose the part from E to F.

But instead of having an E and and F staff, you could change the F horn's transposition temporarily to E (using the numbers I gave you above), enter your E part, and then change the transposition back to F, and voila!, the part will be transposed for F horn. No need to copy it anywhere.

I revised my file to include the Staff Style. However, it seems just changing the staff after input is what is needed. So, apply the Style, enter the notes, then delete the style.

Zuill