Hairpins

[SamGroude1]

Are hairpins (adjacent crescendo/decrescendo markings - messa di voce) supposed to have the same opening height? If so, what's the best way to make that happen globally. My cresc./decresc. smart shapes are set to have different opening heights depending on their length, so they are often different heights where they meet in a hairpin.

Also, is there a way to keep hairpins from colliding with slurs? I use the TG Tools align/move dynamics plug-in, but it doesn't always keep the hairpins from colliding with the slurs when they are below the notes.

I am using Finale 25 on a Mac.

Many thanks!

[motet]

Did you make your own hairpins? Mine all have the same opening height (the angle changes according to length, of course).

I'm afraid you need to remove slur/hairpin collisions manually.

[SamGroude1]

Yes, I made my own hairpins by making a crescendo then a diminuendo. What’s the best way to make hairpins so the openings are the same size, and is there a way to fix (all at the same time) the hairpins I already created. Thanks a lot for your help!

[zuill]

Did you create hairpins as Shape Expressions? Why not use Smart Shapes?

Zuill

[SamGroude1]

I created the hairpins with smart shapes, creating a crescendo and then creating an adjacent decrescendo. The openings are different sizes depending on the lengths of the cresc.or decresc.

[zuill]

Okay. When you said you created hairpins, I thought you created your own. You merely placed hairpins.

There is a Window called Smart Shape Options. You'll see that the defined opening for short hairpins and long hairpins is different. You can change the global setting to be the same if you want.

Zuill

[SamGroude1]

Thanks Zuill. I really appreciate your help and expertise.

For my own understanding, I checked Elaine Gould’s “Behind Bars” and confirmed that: “The ends of complementary hairpins should match in width, and align horizontally. The intensity of a dynamic change is not reflected in the openness of a hairpin, which maintains the same width regardless of dynamic.”

I would like to have different opening widths for individual crescend or decrescendo hairpins based on their respective lengths. But I would also like to follow Gould’s rule that “The ends of complementary hairpins should match in width . . . “

Does Finale have a way of handling both of these situations automatically, or do I have to select one of them as a default and then make changes manually for the other?

It would be nice if there was a plug-in that allowed me to select complementary hairpins and click to make them match in width and align horizontally.

Thanks again.

[zuill]

The JW Pattern plugin does just what you want. At least, you should try it and see if it does what you want.

Zuill