Key Signature Accidental Octave Placement

General notation questions, including advanced notation, formatting, etc., go here.

Moderators: Peter Thomsen, miker

earcentred
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2022 7:22 am
Finale Version: 27.4.1.146
Operating System: Mac

Post by earcentred » Wed Jan 31, 2024 6:05 pm

Hello, I can't figure out how to lower the b flat in the bass part's (F5 clef) key signature to the third line (an 8ve lower). I've followed the steps described here http://usermanuals.finalemusic.com/Fina ... ?cshid=171, but the flat doesn't change its position no matter what I do. Any hints? Thank you!
Attachments
f5-clef.jpeg
f5-clef.jpeg (13.45 KiB) Viewed 706 times
Last edited by earcentred on Wed Jan 31, 2024 7:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.


User avatar
motet
Posts: 8293
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:33 pm
Finale Version: 2014.5,2011,2005,27
Operating System: Windows

Post by motet » Wed Jan 31, 2024 6:12 pm

.
Last edited by motet on Thu Feb 01, 2024 5:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

earcentred
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2022 7:22 am
Finale Version: 27.4.1.146
Operating System: Mac

Post by earcentred » Wed Jan 31, 2024 7:59 pm

My key signature is B flat. The placement of the flat on the first staff (C3 clef) is ok; it is the one belonging to the F5 bass clef that I'd like to place on the third line of the bass staff.

User avatar
Peter Thomsen
Posts: 6628
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:47 pm
Finale Version: Finale v27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by Peter Thomsen » Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:02 pm

earcentred,

If I understand you correctly, you need a key signature of 2 flats (= B♭ and E♭) - right?

But you need the second flat (= E♭) moved an octave down - right?

Take a look at the attached Finale document.
KeySignature.musx
(107.38 KiB) Downloaded 37 times
Is this what you need ?

By The Way:
I can see that you are using v27.2 (shown to the right of your posts).
There is a free maintenance update to v27.4 - could not hurt to try it.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

earcentred
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2022 7:22 am
Finale Version: 27.4.1.146
Operating System: Mac

Post by earcentred » Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:25 pm

Hi Peter, thanks for your reply. I need a key signature of only 1 flat (B ♭). I copied every parameter from your file in the Key signature dialogue box, but still no changes. I'm attaching a Finale file in case you could take a look. Thank you!
Attachments
testKeySignature.musx
(35.76 KiB) Downloaded 33 times
Last edited by earcentred on Wed Jan 31, 2024 10:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Peter Thomsen
Posts: 6628
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:47 pm
Finale Version: Finale v27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by Peter Thomsen » Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:55 pm

earcentred,

Take a look at the attached Finale document.
KeySignature.musx
(35.74 KiB) Downloaded 146 times
Is this what you need ?

For Clef 4 I changed Unit -1’s octave placement to -2.

Explanation:
Unit -1 means the first flat
Octave -2 is two octaves below Octave 0.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

User avatar
motet
Posts: 8293
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:33 pm
Finale Version: 2014.5,2011,2005,27
Operating System: Windows

Post by motet » Wed Jan 31, 2024 10:36 pm

The non-standard key signature stuff is pretty arcane.

Which octave to place the accidentals seems to be hardwired in to the clef slot, no matter how the clef is redefined. If you're not otherwise using the bass clef in this document, its slot will place the accidental where you want, and you won't need independent or non-standard key signatures.
Attachments
0590.png
Last edited by motet on Wed Jan 31, 2024 11:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

earcentred
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2022 7:22 am
Finale Version: 27.4.1.146
Operating System: Mac

Post by earcentred » Wed Jan 31, 2024 10:48 pm

Hi Peter,

That's exactly what I needed, thank you! I did my best to follow the instructions in Finale's help page but there are so many different parameters to combine that I somehow I never got it right. Besides following your explanation (Clef: 4, Unit: -1, Octave: -2), I noticed yet another parameter was different in your file: The Linear Key Format was set to 2. Anyway, you found the right combination, thank you for your help!
Attachments
Screenshot 2024-01-31 at 23.40.30.png
Screenshot 2024-01-31 at 23.37.38.png

User avatar
Peter Thomsen
Posts: 6628
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:47 pm
Finale Version: Finale v27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by Peter Thomsen » Thu Feb 01, 2024 5:15 am

earcentred wrote:
Wed Jan 31, 2024 10:48 pm
… I noticed yet another parameter was different in your file: The Linear Key Format was set to 2 …
The first two Linear Key Formats (= 0 and 1) are “hardwired”.

But the Linear Key Formats 2 and higher are fully customizable.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

Post Reply