Accidental

[Hector Pascal]

Hi all,

In a score with no key sig, I have a melody that has in it a Bb above the treble staff. This Bb is then (in the same bar) repeated under an 8ve line. Finale doesn't repeat the accidental, but should I force it to?

Cheers,
Hector.

[motet]

I would.

[miker]

I would, as well. It seems to me that since you need to add the accidental in a different octave, you need to do it, whether it's on another line, or with the 8va. It's still a different octave.

[Graeme Gilmore]

If I read the description correctly, the two b-flats actually represent pitches an octave apart. If this is so, then in support of Motet's recommendation, here is what Gould says in Behind Bars (p. 76)

"An accidental holds good for the duration of a bar. It applies only to the pitch at which it is written: each additional octave requires a further accidental."

[MikeHalloran]

Cellists and bassists see this one a lot. New octave, new accidental.

[Hector Pascal]

Excellent! Thanks, everyone

On a separate but related point, I am also noticing that finale doesn't re-accidentalize a note when it appears in a different layer. I am, therefore, having to force it to do so.

Thanks again & best wishes,
Hector.

[motet]

Finale won't show an accidental on a different layer if both are visible, but if the layers are separated as shown below, the accidental is there.

I guess if the top staff here represents two instruments, you would want a flat to appear on the first downstem note; you would use a courtesy accidental to force that.

Or perhaps there's a setting for that? Someone will know.

[Peter Thomsen]

… On a separate but related point, I am also noticing that finale doesn't re-accidentalize a note when it appears in a different layer …

Actually it is a setting in the Staff Attributes (Staff Tool, double-click the staff):
“Redisplay Accidentals in Other Layers Within Measures”.

By default this option is de-selected when you add a new staff to the document.

You can create a template where the option is selected in some staves, and de-selected in other staves.