Tie Endpoints: Vertically Offset if Pitch Changes

[jerrykrinock]

When two tied notes are of a different pitch, I think the tie should be ramped (tilted) up or down to follow the change in pitch. I've seen ties in professionally engraved scores like this, and it helps my reading when I perform. But when I place a tie between two such notes in Finale, the two endpoints of the tie are always at the same height on the staff, so the tie is "flat", not ramped.

So, before publishing I manually offset the endpoints using the Tie Tool. But this is quite tedious, and it seems like something a computer could do. Is there a setting in Finale or a Plug-In which would insert the appropriate vertical offset automatically? I can't find any. Thank you.

[zuill]

Tied notes are of the same pitch, not different pitches. Slurs are for different pitches. Choose a slur instead, and then there won't be a need for any adjustments.

Zuill

[jerrykrinock]

Thank you, Zuill. Amazing how much I still do not know at my age..

[jerrykrinock]

After using the slur instead of tie for a while, I've found myself switching back to tie.

Reasons:

1. When assigning many syllables of a lyric, as I often do, using the option-click assignment, Finale skips over tied notes as desired, but not over slurred notes. So the choice of tie vs. slur becomes six of one (need to go back and adjust the ties) or a half dozen of the other (need to go back and adjust the lyric assignments)

2. When using Speedy Entry, there is a keyboard shortcut (t) for entering a tie.

[miker]

That same shortcut (T) is also in Simple.

Option-click your lyrics in. Then, in the lyric tool, choose Shift Lyrics, and go through the score moving the syllables ahead. It really doesn’t take much time.

Here’s a link to a short tutorial I wrote, explaining the difference between ties and slurs.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gn5sadj3flmvl ... s.pdf?dl=0

[Michel R E]

the problem isn't the ties/slur issue.

TIES are for the same note. the 2nd iteration of that note will NOT attack, it will simply hold the 1st note longer by that value. this is the function of a tie. a half note, tied to a quarter note has the duration of the combined notes: a dotted half note.

a SLUR shows phrasing.

The issue here is that you are probably misusing the lyrics entry tool.
To have lyrics skip over a note (called a melisma, generally) you press the spacebar, and it will skip to the next note after. if you have multiple notes to skip over (for example: "I love ap-------------------ples") just keep hitting the spacebar until you get to the intended note for the next syllable.

THEN you use a slur over the melismatic passage to indicate that this is one syllable covering multiple notes.

[miker]

Michel,

What you describe is Type into Score, and your instructions are entirely correct. The OP is using Opt-click, which flows in lyrics from those already entered into the lyric window. And he is correct; the lyrics honor ties, but not slurs. They need to be dealt with differently, as I described above.

[motet]

There's a difference in appearance between slurs and ties. If you substitute one for the other in Finale for the expedience of entering lyrics, your music will look unprofessional.