How do I flip triplets upside down?

[bj nick]

Simple triplet figure, 3 eighth notes, rest of the bar is just two quarter notes. Just want to flip it over so the "3" in this case is above rather than below. So I guess that means flip the stems.....Hope I'm explaining it clearly. Looked online, manual, everywhere, tried Utilities_Change_Tuplets, but it won't allow me to select just the triplet....winds up grabbing other notes too. How do I do this?

[Peter Thomsen]

The following works for me:

Simple Entry Tool.

Select the first triplet note.

Hit the letter L key.
This step is a “stem-flip”, but the triplet number flips too.

I do no think that you are trying to do the following - this is just FYI:
You can also keep the stem direction, and only move the triplet from stem side to notehead side.
But then you must include a triplet bracket.

[bj nick]

Thanks, Peter; I don't think I'm explaining it well....that worked, and it's good to know for the future, but I realize my actual issue is different, as you'll see from the attached: what I really need is to figure out how to fit everything in when there's too much information at once....changing the tuplet won't help, I don't think. This is an issue that comes up a fair amount, so I'd appreciate your advice.

[Peter Thomsen]

I am sorry, but I do not see any issue in your attached document.

There are triplets in the Flute 1 staff. Are there any issues there?

There are triplets in the Bass Flute 1 staff. Are there any issues there?

There are triplets in the Bass Flute 2 staff. Are there any issues there?

I have been looking at the score.
Should I look at the linked parts instead?

* Or did you perhaps attach the wrong Finale sample document?

[ebiggs1]

I do not see an issue either but I must say it looks like it's going to be an interesting piece.

[motet]

I don't understand, either (your piece doesn't look crowded), but if you mean the 3's getting in the way of the hairpins, what you'd done in moving the hairpin down is the standard way of handling it.

To flip a triplet above or below, in the Selection tool, simply click once or twice on the "3" until it's highlighted, then right-click and pick "Flip."

[bj nick]

Thanks all. I guess the version I sent was the score....I intended just the flute 1 part, which is attached here; I obliterated all the other parts but it always defaults to showing the score. Please just look at Flute 1: that's where the obvious issue is. If you guys think it's ok, I'll let it go.

There's a bunch of info in that one spot, so I was trying to figure out how to fit it all in while keeping it clear. Flipping the triplets was not the answer, I realized right away, but it might be other places. Like I say, it's a general issue I have to deal with a lot, so suggestions are always welcome. It's often a case of having an expression, while at the same time there's, say, a time/key signature, tempo indication, dynamics, hairpin, articulations, etc, etc., all in the same bar. I'm quite sure this is common, and I need to learn to handle it effectively.

Motet, thanks for the tip. Peter, thank you.

(ebiggs: thank you, it's Lush Life for flute choir, just had its first official performance at a college.)

[Peter Thomsen]

bj nick,

Now I think I get it.

As I see it, the problem is the slur on the first beat of Measure 3.

Try this:
While viewing the score, flip the slur up, and flip it down again.

If you want to do more, move the triplet ‘3’ number down in the staff-lines - so that there is more room above the staff.

If I misunderstand you, then I apologize.

[bj nick]

Peter, thank you. I know how to flip the slur or the triplet, but not the number "3" for the triplet. Flipping the 3 to the bottom of the triplet would be helpful.

[Peter Thomsen]

Oops! sorry!

I forgot one step.

Here are the steps for the slur:
While viewing the score, flip the slur up, and flip it down again.
Next, view the Flute 1 part.
While being in the Smart Shape Tool, context-click the slur handle.
In the context menu, choose Relink to Score.
Now the slur goes below, both in score and part, leaving more room above the staff.
See the attached Finale document.

crowdedFixed.musx

(131.03 KiB) Downloaded 39 times

To position the triplet below:
Tuplet Tool (= the primary Tuplet Tool, on the Main Tool Palette, not the note entry sub-tool).
Click the first tuplet note. a tuplet handle appears.
Drag-select the handle, and hit Return. The Tuplet Definition appears.
In the pop up menu Placement, choose Below.

[bj nick]

Thank you, Peter! Useful to understand this process.

[oldmkvi]

I just click on the Triplet and press"F".
Same for Slurs.

[motet]

To position the triplet below:
Tuplet Tool (= the primary Tuplet Tool, on the Main Tool Palette, not the note entry sub-tool).
Click the first tuplet note. a tuplet handle appears.
Drag-select the handle, and hit Return. The Tuplet Definition appears.
In the pop up menu Placement, choose Below.

If the triplet is already entered, is there any advantage to that over right-clicking on the number in the Selection tool and picking Flip?

[Peter Thomsen]

… If the triplet is already entered, is there any advantage to that over right-clicking on the number in the Selection tool and picking Flip?

That depends.

What I described, changes the tuplet setting to ‘Below’.

Picking Flip from the context menu will change the setting to ‘Note Side’.

In this particular case it may not matter whether you change to ‘Below’ or to ‘Note Side’.

[motet]

Is there any case where "Flip" applied to a number above will not flip it below? Whether it winds up "Below," "Note side," or "Stem/Beam side" as the case may be, as long as it's below as desired, isn't it all the same, as long as you don't subsequently repitch it?

[Peter Thomsen]

From the same staff you can create multiple linked parts, with different clefs or staff transpositions.

In that case it may matter what tuplet setting is being used.

Choosing ‘Below’ will make sure that the tuplet will always stay below, in all the linked parts created from that staff.

As we have seen in bj nick’s example, you sometimes need room above the staff.

[motet]

Got it--thanks.