Finale Forum

Somewhere along the line, the piano part on my 6-piece score got out of whack, and the LH and RH parts are way too far apart. If it was a simple song, two seconds and I'm done, but this is an involved work that is 500+ bars long, so it's not something I can do manually. What is the setting to adjust this? thanks.

Is this just on one page, or the entire score? Normally, I would use the staff tool, and drag the lower staff up.

The whole score......like I mentioned, if it was only a few bars, I'd just drag it. I'm sure I did something with the drag function.....I used this all the time to give this or that staff more room.....when something is crowded, articulations or hairpin jammed together or overlapping, etc.

Are all of the lower staves the same distance from the top staff? Or are they different distances?

If they are the same, with the staff tool, click outside of the lower staff in in the left margin of system one. This should highlight the entire lower staff. Now drag the handle in system one to the correct position. All of the subsequent staves should have moved too.

bj nick,

You could try
Staff menu > Respace Staves…

Thanks for these responses. Jetcopy, that was exactly what I needed: boom, done. I have a general, unrelated question while we're at it: should both LH and RH piano parts have dynamic markings/hairpins/etc.? I'm thinking most of the time just mark it in RH; only differentiate when there's a specific reason. Am I right?

For a grand staff, the dynamics would normally be placed between the staves.

Yes, between the staves, in other words just one dynamic marking. Not separate for LH/RH unless there's an obvious separation/need?

Yes, correct.

Thanks, Mike, and others.

Go to IMSLP and download a few piano scores from reputable publishers. You will learn a lot by studying them.

That is a great idea! Reading my mind.....I spent a bunch of time today trying to examine parts on the web, but didn't find a lot that would apply to me. I will do as you suggest right away. But is there any way to see a few Finale piano scores/compositions? Or any orchestral or ensemble scores using piano?

Piano notation will look the same whether solo or orchestral. Finale files stand a good chance of having been done by amateurs, so I wouldn't use those for a model. Look at some published music.

motet wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:28 pm

Piano notation will look the same whether solo or orchestral. Finale files stand a good chance of having been done by amateurs, so I wouldn't use those for a model. Look at some published music.

Good point re: amateurs. As far as "look the same whether solo or orchestral," not so sure. For example, in my piece, the piano may be soloing in one section, supporting a bass line in another section, playing with the strings on another, etc. These would demand different dynamics, articulations, etc. If I was just using piano as the sole accompanist, they would be serving a very different role. Point out where I'm wrong; here to learn.

Of course the music and dynamics may be different. We're talking about notation here--where the dynamics go, how far apart should the staves be, etc.--not the music itself.

Yes, but I'm suggesting there IS a big difference, if "the usual way" is for dynamics to be in the center of the space between the two staves. That seems to "look right." (again, not speaking as a professional engraver or classical composer) by any means. But if LH and RH are playing different dynamics (for example), they can't be in the same place. Am I wrong? I should check out some Chopin et al compositions for sure.....and I don't know why it hasn't occurred to me to ask my orchestration teacher. DOH!

In that case you would put the LH dynamic below the bottom staff.

Exactly! Every once in awhile the intuitive thing is actually the right thing. Lol.