duplet in a 6/8 bar

[Alan Knapper]

This should be simple, but I'm not finding it anywhere.

6/8 march

I need a duplet for one of the groupings of 3 eighths. Tuplet tool doesn't give me anything, and if I go to Speedy, while I can get to the tuplet dialog, changing the variables there doesn't work because the system automatically fills in that last eighth note, so there's no space left in the measure to work with.

[Bill Stevens]

Not what you're looking for, but two dotted 8ths does the same thing as a duplet.

::: Bill

[David Ward]

I'm not sure of the equivalent Windows modifier key, but on a Mac after entering the first quaver (8th) I backspace to it and press Option 2, which then makes the note the first note of a duplet. Or, as Bill says, you can have dotted quavers (which is what I usually do).

Or you can turn off Fill with Rests in Speedy Options before using the Tuplet Tool.

[motet]

In Speedy, just type Ctrl+2, then enter the two eighth notes. Couldn't be simpler.

[David Ward]

In Speedy, just type Ctrl+2, then enter the two eighth notes. Couldn't be simpler.

You're right, it's that simple.

[Peter Thomsen]

… Tuplet Tool doesn't give me anything, and if I go to Speedy …

Are you saying that you are trying the Tuplet Tool and the Speedy Entry Tool because you can not do it with the Simple Entry Tool (assuming that the Simple Entry Tool is the entry tool you normally use for note entry)?

A duplet is also possible with the Simple Entry Tool:

Enter the first eighth.
Then (while the eighth is still selected), hold down the correct modifier key (perhaps the CTRL key?), and hit the number 9 key.
You get to the Simple Entry Tuplet Definition where you can define the tuplet as
2 Eighths in the space of 3 Eighths

[Alan Knapper]

Sorry for not responding sooner.

I did figure it out on my own eventually, but I do have a question:

So many of these things require some kind of keystroke(s) to get where you want to be. In one of the responses here, there was a ctrl+2, a "9" gets you a triplet (why that in particular?), and that kind of thing.

Where in heck is there any kind of documentation that gives all that information?

[Peter Thomsen]

It is all in the online manual.

But it is also in the Finale program:

1) In the menus and sub-menus there are keyboard shortcuts displayed at the menu commands.
Example:
Simple menu > Simple Edit Commands > Modify Entry > …
The sub-menu Modify Entry displays keyboard shortcuts for the menu commands.

2) Take a look in the Simple Entry Options:
Simple menu > Simple Entry Options > {Edit Keyboard Shortcuts…}

3) Finale comes with a Finale document which is a tutorial about the Simple Entry Tool.
The document is called “EntryExercises.musx”.
Highly recommended!
I am using Mac Finale, but my guess is that in Windows Finale the tutorial document’s path is something like this:
"C:\ProgramData\MakeMusic\Finale\Music Files\Tutorials\EntryExercises.musx"