Insert notes (Speedy Entry Tool is horrible to use)

[dstraigh]

I've been using Finale on and off for the past four years. Today I've come to the conclusion that it's unrealistic to insert or replace notes within a measure containing notes (without disturbing the other notes). As an example, today I wanted to replace a quarter note rest with an eighth rest and an eighth note on beat one. Online searches seemed to indicate use of the Speedy Tool would be the method of choice. I find the Speedy Tool pretty much horrible for insertion of notes.

After fumbling for an hour on ONE measure - I came to the conclusion it's just easier to delete the entire measure and start over. Even though I must re-enter all notes, flip stems back to the way they where, and reposition stuff - it's faster (a lot faster) to do that than mess around endlessly with The Speedy Entry Tool - which is anything but Speedy.

Yeah, sorry, I'm really frustrated with Finale right now. Generally, I've really appreciated Finale - but Finale seriously falls short with something that ought to be quite easy to do.

[Peter Thomsen]

… Today I've come to the conclusion that it's unrealistic to insert or replace notes within a measure containing notes (without disturbing the other notes). As an example, today I wanted to replace a quarter note rest with an eighth rest and an eighth note on beat one …

Your example (= replace 4tr rest with 8th rest + 8th note) is probably not the best example of “it's unrealistic to insert or replace notes within a measure containing notes (without disturbing the other notes)”.

I often do a replacement like the one you describe.
My steps (in the Speedy Entry Tool):
Position the crosshair on the 4tr rest, on the scale step for the desired 8th note.
4 (changes the 4tr rest to an 8th rest),
⇧4 (inserts the 8th note on the crosshair’s scale step).

When I have done so, all the other notes are on the correct beats (= un-disturbed = playing back correctly).

It may be necessary to Apply Music Spacing, or Update Layout.

Do you have Automatic Update Layout toggled on or off?
And what about Automatic Music Spacing?

[motet]

Right, there's an Insert/Replace mode in Speedy Entry. There are of course many ways to do it, but I would put it in Insert mode, delete the quarter rest, then enter the two eighths.

NEVER turn off Automatic Update Layout. That option dates from long ago when displays were slow. Update Layout is really like "Refresh."

[HaraldS]

Speedy Entry is not horrible to use, but you have to learn some hotkeys and input tactics to benefit from its power. I can strongly recommend to use it with a MIDI keyboard and set up a hotkey for slurs - then speedy is by far the fastest and most accurate entering method in Finale.

To replace a quarter rest by an eighth rest and an eighth note with a MIDI keyboard:
- set the speedy cursor on the quarter rest
- hit "4" to change the rest to an eigth rest
- hold down the MIDI key and hit shift-4 to insert the desired pitch as an eighth note

This takes only some seconds, if you know the hotkeys by heart and can anticipate what action to take to achieve a goal. Yes, it requires quite some learning, but that's true for every device/instrument/software used in a professional way.

[heinzfan]

I believe that only pressing the shift + a num-lock key will not insert a note as it would by pressing shift + qwerty key, unless the "insert" key is activated. When the "insert" key has been pressed the speedy cross-hair displays little triangles at top and bottom.