Finale Forum

I know this can be done globally, but I only want to create extended beams over rests on certain measures (and or selection). Can this be done?
Have looked at JW/TG tools/Finale plug ins and can't find anything

It is time consuming, but it can be done.

Are you talking about primary beams (= 8th beams)?
- or secondary beams?

Take a look at the two attached PDF files.

If you have questions, let me know.

Peter Thomsen wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 03, 2023 11:41 am

It is time consuming, but it can be done.

Are you talking about primary beams (= 8th beams)?
- or secondary beams?

Take a look at the two attached PDF files.

If you have questions, let me know.

Thanks Peter, for the comprehenseive instructions! Wil give it a go.
Would be nice to have this as a plug in for future.

Of course, I have no way of knowing the context in which you want to use this beaming. But as far as I know, beaming over rests is a style usually used throughout an engraving. I would be concerned that there might be some confusion introduced for players that get into "beam over rests mode" and suddenly find a different beaming style in place.

N Grossingink wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 03, 2023 2:04 pm

Of course, I have no way of knowing the context in which you want to use this beaming. But as far as I know, beaming over rests is a style usually used throughout an engraving. I would be concerned that there might be some confusion introduced for players that get into "beam over rests mode" and suddenly find a different beaming style in place.

Hi and thanks for the post. I want to use it for a couple of complicated rhythms where it will be clearer for the player. Not sure the rest of the piece would warrent such a treatment, but yes, a valid point.

It's unclear what you want to do--extend primary (eighth) beams over rests? Secondary (16th and smaller)? Do you want the beam hanging out over a trailing rest, or only rests between notes?

There is a discussion here that may or may not pertain:

viewtopic.php?t=15117

Be sure to read the second page as well.

motet wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 03, 2023 6:34 pm

It's unclear what you want to do--extend primary (eighth) beams over rests? Secondary (16th and smaller)? Do you want the beam hanging out over a trailing rest, or only rests between notes?

There is a discussion here that may or may not pertain:

viewtopic.php?t=15117

Be sure to read the second page as well.

Thanks for the link. I'd like to extend the primary beam over the rest. So for an example, if a tuplet where first two notes are written, I'd like the beam to extend over the rest as a hanging (I think that is correct term) beam as In Goulds book pg. 166 picture attached...

Found the special tools beam extension tool...this at least extends the beam. Don't get the little hook on the end, but, its a good workaround and not too time consuming

The "stemlet" can be done, but it's a whole lot of trouble. Here there's actually a blank notehead where the stemlet is (an E). The eighth rest is supplied in layer 2 with others hidden beneath the first two notes. Probably not worth it!

Here's another idea: use an eighth rest for the notehead. I don't know how to shorten the stem, though. The Stem Length tool shortens it from the wrong end!

motet wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 04, 2023 4:11 pm

Here's another idea: use an eighth rest for the notehead. I don't know how to shorten the stem, though. The Stem Length tool shortens it from the wrong end!

It can be done in this way:


Then, proceed as before, to get the layout without the notehead, but with the 8th rest.

That's what I did above, changing the notehead to a blank and putting the rest in another layer. But with a rest as the notehead, you're constrained where you want the rest to appear vertically.

motet wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 05, 2023 3:03 am

… with a rest as the notehead, you're constrained where you want the rest to appear vertically.

Not true.

In the dialog box Notehead Settings there is an option for for {Allow Vertical Positioning}.
By default this option is not selected.

When you use this option it is useful to know that
1 scale step = 3pt

The stem length will not change as you move the notehead vertically.

Ah, very good.

Peter Thomsen wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:28 am

When you use this option it is useful to know that
1 scale step = 3pt

Or you can use "s" (spaces) as a suffix.

I have found that a satisfactory work around is to create a time signature for those relevant bars so that the rhythmic grouping automatically beams notes across the rests. e.g. in 7/8 time, I needed to beam together the first 3, then the last 3 eighth-notes across a res. So I made a composite time signature of 1-1536 + 1-2048 [still showing a time signature of 7/8]. It's easy to unbeam anything in other part. Simple but effective!

rosflute wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 28, 2023 11:53 am

… in 7/8 time, I needed to beam together the first 3, then the last 3 eighth-notes across a res. So I made a composite time signature of 1-1536 + 1-2048 [still showing a time signature of 7/8] …

Indeed the Time Signature Tool is a very powerful tool.
You can also make the “real” time signature without using EDUs for Beat Duration: