Finale Forum

Hello! I'm editing an orchestra score for a friend. There's a system where the top staff is an ossia part. The ossia is a smaller staff that is hidden throughout the rest of the movement. The rehearsal letter on that system is too small. Is there a way to fix the size of the rehearsal letter?

I know I can make an expression to replace the rehearsal letter and bypass the letter in the sequence, but I'm just looking for a better solution.

If I make the font size fixed, then the box for the one problem rehearsal letter is too small.

There's a checkbox to make the font a fixed size.

The problem is that the box around the letter doesn't proportionately grow in relation to the increase in the font size (when Fixed is chosen). Finale has not handled this well, traditionally. I think, in order to keep the right size for all the linked parts, the workaround to fake the mark for those spots where the reduced staff is the top staff of the score is the best option.

Zuill

Dissonance wrote:I know I can make an expression to replace the rehearsal letter and bypass the letter in the sequence, but I'm just looking for a better solution.

I wouldn't bypass the letter in the sequence, as the linked parts will need it as is. I'm not sure what the ossia staff needs for a linked part, but the letter should be as-is for all the other staves. So, just hide the letter on the ossia staff in the score and use an extra expression (create it in the Misc. category so it won't have a Score List, as you don't want it on all the staves in the parts). Choose to only show that in the Score, but not show in the Ossia linked part.

Zuill

zuill wrote:

Dissonance wrote:I know I can make an expression to replace the rehearsal letter and bypass the letter in the sequence, but I'm just looking for a better solution.

I wouldn't bypass the letter in the sequence, as the linked parts will need it as is. I'm not sure what the ossia staff needs for a linked part, but the letter should be as-is for all the other staves. So, just hide the letter on the ossia staff in the score and use an extra expression (create it in the Misc. category so it won't have a Score List, as you don't want it on all the staves in the parts). Choose to only show that in the Score, but not show in the Ossia linked part.

Zuill

Zuill, you're right. I'll leave the rehearsal mark for the parts and hide it in the score. The letter in the score will be hidden in the parts. Thanks!

For the case described by the OP Zuill's solution is just brilliant. (Thanks.)

For those who are interested: A different but related situation is found in chamber music scores with piano, where the staves of the other instruments above the piano are reduced (but not the piano). There you could assign the rehearsal marks to the top staff of the piano in the score column of the staff list. Admittedly you will have to adjust the vertical position manually in the score (it's advisable to give/keep a position in the category options that is appropriate for the parts). On the other hand you don't have to create any "fake" rehearsal marks.

Might this help in your situation? As I understand its use, you can use it for a single instance. It is even availble when you right-click on an expression.

Scale Expression with Attached Note. With this box checked, Finale resizes the expression to match the reduction of its corresponding note in the score. If the expression is reassigned to a note of a different size, it resizes respectively. Notes can be resized several different ways: with the Resize tool using the Change Note Size command under the Utilities menu, or by using one of the cue notes plug-ins such as the Smart Cue Notes Plug-in.

You can find it by going here:

https://usermanuals.finalemusic.com/Fin ... assIgnment

Rehearsal Letters are not assigned to notes.

Zuill

Ah! Thanks for the notice!

Another possibility:

This Ossia staff will appear as the first staff in the Staff List for rehearsal marks. If you edit the Staff List to place the mark above the second stave, it will always appear at the top of the score (on most pages, they not having the Ossia). Where the Ossia stave appears, it will appear too low but can be dragged up into position. That should solve the sizing problem, unless I'm mistaken.

N.

That is clever. I think that works. The only problem I had was in the parts, even after unlinking the marks, they still moved up when moving the one in the score. Easily fixed, however.

Zuill