Finale Forum

I'm sure there's an easy answer to this, but I can't find it. I have 2 layers in the upper staff of a piano score. The top layer is a melody line with the stems going up to separate the line from chords, also played by the RH, on a different layer with stems going down.
There's a passage where both layers are 8th notes for a few beats. I cannot get the upper layer/melody to stay put when I move them in "speedy" mode to make them easier to read. Any ideas appreciated. Thanks.

Try using Tools/Advanced Tools/Special Tools/Note Position Tool.

Blacklab88 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 09, 2019 6:31 pm

… There's a passage where both layers are 8th notes for a few beats. I cannot get the upper layer/melody to stay put when I move them in "speedy" mode to make them easier to read. …

If I understand you correctly:
when you move notes horizontally (not vertically), the notes will not stay put; Finale moves them back, right?

Whenever Finale does something by itself, without asking you for permission, it is time to toggle off some automatic feature.
In this case it is my guess that you should de-select “Automatic Music Spacing”.

Thanks, all. Both of those posts were necessary to right the wrong.

There are two ways of correcting the horizontal placement of notes. With Special Tools' Note Position subtool, which applies to the current staff only, or with Measure Tool's Beat Chart, which affects the positioning in all staves occurring vertically. The latter needs you to have applied Music Spacing at first.

Generally it is a good idea to turn AMS off when starting to work on layout, and using Selection Tool + number 4 whenever you need Music Spacing applied.

I have a completely opposite approach. I have AMS on all the time. After all the notes are entered, I then begin to fine tune spacing. Usually, AMS does 99% of my work for me. I also have Incorporate Manual Positioning select in Music Spacing (in Document Options). This handles most manual spacing needs. I then have a few tricks for the hard to handle spots.

Zuill

I leave it on, too--big time saver over having to manually trigger it.

I leave AMS on as long as I am doing initial entry, in Scroll view. After I go to page view for layout, I turn it off.

I guess everybody has a method that works for them.

miker wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 2:57 pm

I leave AMS on as long as I am doing initial entry, in Scroll view. After I go to page view for layout, I turn it off.

I guess everybody has a method that works for them.

That's the way I roll, too.

Additionally, my preferred way to make manual spacing tweaks is with the Special Tools Note Position Tool, not with the "Beat Chart" handles. The Special Tools adjustments are permanent - the beat chart changes can be accidentally removed if music spacing is inadvertently applied (usually by the client receiving the completed files). The advantage to the beat chart method is that it moves beat positions up and down the measure stack, keeping everything aligned. Using the Special Tools requires adjustments to be manually copied to other staves. Robert Patterson's Mass Copy plugin makes this extra step quick and minimally painless.

N Grossingink wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:24 pm

… the beat chart changes can be accidentally removed if music spacing is inadvertently applied (usually by the client receiving the completed files) …

To each his own.

I make statements upfront that the Finale document(s) will stay with me - the client gets PDF.
This also prevents that others will use my special default settings - instead of coming up with their own.
Not giving anyone your Finale documents is the only way to guarantee control.

Peter Thomsen wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 5:14 pm

N Grossingink wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:24 pm

… the beat chart changes can be accidentally removed if music spacing is inadvertently applied (usually by the client receiving the completed files) …

To each his own.

I make statements upfront that the Finale document(s) will stay with me - the client gets PDF.
This also prevents that others will use my special default settings - instead of coming up with their own.
Not giving anyone your Finale documents is the only way to guarantee control.

In my case, the special default settings are the client's own. They prefer Finale files so that last minute tweaks can be made in-house without having to wait for the engraver to do them.

So far as my own personal default Finale settings, I'm more than willing to send them to anyone interested. The hallmarks of my work, for better or worse, are the intangibles. Measure layout, page layout, spacing adjustment, placing of text and symbols. It has taken me years to develop what I consider a good balance among all of the many facets of music engraving for my specialty area (educational concert band, orchestra, jazz ensemble).