Finale Forum

Hi,
Another problem for which I didn’t find any solution. By the way, is there a written user’s manual for finale ? I only found tutorials on the finale site under the title « user’s manual ».

How do you create a group of eighth notes connected together ? I need to write 5, 6 notes like that, and a group of 25 notes (in this last case, the rhythmic can’t be right, you just play on the piano a scale on two beats, a tempo)

There are two ways. One is to set the time signature to something that behaves as you want it to do (and display the nominal time signature). I often write with 4/4 displayed but with 8/8 as the "real" signature to get the eighth notes connected.

Another method is to use the backslash key to connect two notes (eighth or smaller) with beams. It's a bit piecemeal but sometimes one can copy a measure and edit it. Some of the JW downloads (search for these and use them) help. JW has got lots of Finale scripts which do nice things.

while in Finale, press F1... this will give you the online manual.

Problem not solved.

When I press F1 (macbook pro), nothing happens except the screen light settings. I really need a complete user manual, my problems are really basic and I’m already lost…

I can’t find the backslash on my keyboard.

The manual is accessible from the Help menu.

Rachmaninov wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 24, 2020 3:55 am

… When I press F1 (macbook pro), nothing happens except the screen light settings. I really need a complete user manual, my problems are really basic and I’m already lost …

Try this (assuming that you are using Finale v26):
Help menu > User Manual

Rachmaninov wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 24, 2020 3:55 am

… I can’t find the backslash on my keyboard.

On an American computer keyboard you have the backslash painted on one of the keys.
I use a Danish keyboard which does not have the backslash painted on the “backslash key”.

No matter what computer keyboard you have, you can use the menu hierarchy instead:

Speedy Entry Tool.
Speedy menu > Speedy Edit Commands > Break/Join Beam

Simple Entry Tool.
Simple menu > Simple Edit Commands > Modify Entry > Break/Join Beam

ttw wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 24, 2020 1:01 am

There are two ways. One is to set the time signature to something that behaves as you want it to do (and display the nominal time signature). I often write with 4/4 displayed but with 8/8 as the "real" signature to get the eighth notes connected.

this doesn't seem logical.
using 8/8 as a time signature will give you 8 unbeamed 8th notes.
if you want all 8 notes beamed together then you have to make the time signature 1/1.

I just tried it, and 8/8 definitely gives unbeamed 8ths, while 1/1 beams ALL 8th notes in the measure together.

Simply using the default 4/4 gives you 8th notes beamed in groups of 4, as is usual.

Michel R E wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 24, 2020 6:23 am

… Simply using the default 4/4 gives you 8th notes beamed in groups of 4, as is usual …

The document will Beam Four Eighths Together Common Time if - and only if - the option is selected in
Document Options - Beams

P.S. : besides the on-line manual, there is a downloadable manual https://makemusic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ ... Finale-v26.

I have still a problem with the writing of measures which do not respect the metrics. Here is an example of a Rachmaninov concerto. How can I write in finale a group of 5 notes like that :

The time signature is 3/4 - right?

But then the “group of 5 notes” is just a quintuplet:
5 Sixteenths in the space of 4 Sixteenths

A such ‘-tuplet’ can be done in the Speedy Entry Tool as well as in the Simple Entry Tool - since both entry tools have a Tuplet (sub-)Tool, so that you can enter a tuplet without leaving the entry tool.


a) in the Speedy Entry Tool:
Option-5 (a 5:4 quintuplet …)
3 (… enters the first sixteenth, and defines the quintuplet as a quintuplet of sixteenths …)
3 (… enters the second sixteenth …)
3 (… enters the third sixteenth …)
3 (… enters the fourth sixteenth …)
3 (… enters the last sixteenth …)


b) in the Simple Entry Tool:
enter the first sixteenth
Option-9 (… opens the Simple Entry Tuplet Definition where you can specify the tuplet - click OK when you are done…)
enter the second sixteenth
enter the third sixteenth
enter the fourth sixteenth
enter the last sixteenth

I would suggest that you start with simpler pieces. Although what you have shown is not difficult for an experienced user, it's not a good one to learn with!

Everything works perfectly ! Thanks so much !

You're right, my music is not simple so I need advanced tools. Maybe I should train with simple existing scores, writting them in finale as an exercise.