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Rob Hunter
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2009
Total Posts : 20

Posted 11/4/2009 2:05 PM (GMT -6)

I'm having a hard time figuring something out, mainly because I don't know if I'm talking about "music spacing" or "justification" or something else.

Basically, here's my concern: If I enter four quarter notes into a bar, then use the eraser tool to delete the first note, the three remaining notes automatically shift to the left. I'd like to turn this off sometimes so that when I delete the first note, an open space is left where the note used to be. (I'd then add notes/rests into the blank space and then turn the autospacing back on.)

I'm sure there's a quick way to turn this functionality on/off, but I can't seem to find it. Suggestions?

Big-Band Bassist, Running Finale 2010a On Vista.

Flint
silly bear

Date Joined Oct 2006
Total Posts : 585

Posted 11/4/2009 2:11 PM (GMT -6)

If you're in Speedy Entry, if you hit BackSpace instead of Delete (with the speedy cursor on a note), Finale replaces the note with a rest of the same value.

woodwind specialist and doubler - Finale 2009b using Speedy Entry, GPO 2nd ed. Full version, Garritan Jazz & Big Band, Garritan Concert and Marching Band, Windows Vista 32-bit SP1, 4GB RAM, Soundblaster Audigy II zs

"It is the job of copyist/arranger/composer to not only make the music clear and readable, but to also make it impossible to play incorrectly." - paraphrased from Bill Duncan

Rob Hunter
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2009
Total Posts : 20

Posted 11/4/2009 2:14 PM (GMT -6)

Thanks, that works if I want to change a note to a rest, but what if I want to add a triplet of three eighth notes? Ideally, I'd like those three quarter notes to just stay put temporarily.

Big-Band Bassist, Running Finale 2010a On Vista.

Mike Rosen
himself

Date Joined Feb 2006
Total Posts : 5379

Posted 11/4/2009 2:15 PM (GMT -6)

Or in Simple, R will turn the selected note to a rest. Both methods give you a "placeholder."

Mike Rosen
www.specialmillwork.com

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Favorite reference: Essential Dictionary of Music Notation, Gerou & Lusk, 1996

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N. Grossingink
Registered Member

Date Joined Nov 2002
Total Posts : 1500

Posted 11/4/2009 2:15 PM (GMT -6)

You can overwrite the first note with another note(s) of your choice. The Speedy and Simple entry methods have edit commands that make this possible and keyboard shortcuts to speed things up. The help files detail this.

N.

Finale 2006c, 2007c, 2008b, 2010
TgTools, Patterson Plugins, QuicKeys X3
Mac Mini 1.25ghz PPC - OSX 10.4.11

“I may be a second-rate composer, but I am a first-class second-rate composer".

"Never look at the trombones - it only encourages them".
(advice to a young conductor)

Richard Strauss

Rob Hunter
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2009
Total Posts : 20

Posted 11/4/2009 2:22 PM (GMT -6)

Again, my thanks. If I may be more direct about this: Regardless of what I want to put there, how can I stop the three remaining notes from shifting left? I'm doing a lot of editing these days and I find myself constantly redoing entire bars of music when only the first or second note must be changed. At the moment, I just want the remaining notes to stay put, but I can't seem to find the "auto" feature that's causing this.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's not to difficult to accomplish this....

Big-Band Bassist, Running Finale 2010a On Vista.

Mike Rosen
himself

Date Joined Feb 2006
Total Posts : 5379

Posted 11/4/2009 2:24 PM (GMT -6)

Rob Hunter said...
Thanks, that works if I want to change a note to a rest, but what if I want to add a triplet of three eighth notes? Ideally, I'd like those three quarter notes to just stay put temporarily.

I don't think they will. Finale abhors a vacuum. In the case you mentioned, I would do the triplet in another measure, and drag it in to where you want it, replacing that quarter note.

(Edit) I just thought of another way. You can change the quarter to an eighth, either by ALT+4, or mousing an eighth note on top of it. Then, mouse in the remaining 2 eighth notes. (You have to have Check for Extra Notes turned off.) Then click the first of those eighth notes with the SIMPLE ENTRY triplet tool.

Post Edited (Mike Rosen) : 11/4/2009 1:34:13 PM (GMT-6)

Rob Hunter
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2009
Total Posts : 20

Posted 11/4/2009 2:34 PM (GMT -6)

I think you're right, Mike. I tried everything I could think of to get the notes to stay put and I got nowhere. Not fun.

Big-Band Bassist, Running Finale 2010a On Vista.

Flint
silly bear

Date Joined Oct 2006
Total Posts : 585

Posted 11/4/2009 2:34 PM (GMT -6)

Use the "Insert" method. The Insert key on your keyboard allows you to toggle between overwriting and inserting material within the Speedy Entry frame.

"It is the job of copyist/arranger/composer to not only make the music clear and readable, but to also make it impossible to play incorrectly." - paraphrased from Bill Duncan

Rob Hunter
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2009
Total Posts : 20

Posted 11/4/2009 2:39 PM (GMT -6)

I tried using "insert" in Speedy Entry, but it didn't stop any notes from moving to the left. (Maybe I'm missing something here.)

Big-Band Bassist, Running Finale 2010a On Vista.

Wiggy
Early music: modern methods

Date Joined Jun 2006
Total Posts : 3657

Posted 11/4/2009 2:42 PM (GMT -6)

Rob Hunter said...
I'm doing a lot of editing these days and I find myself constantly redoing entire bars of music when only the first or second note must be changed.

Then just change the first or second notes without deleting them!

Finale 2009c, 2Ghz iMac; 2Ghz MacBook, 10.6.1
Edirol FA-66; M-Audio Oxygen 61; Yamaha PSR-410
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Rob Hunter
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2009
Total Posts : 20

Posted 11/4/2009 2:43 PM (GMT -6)

Yup, that's what I've been doing. It's not how I want to do things but maybe that's the way it has to be.

Big-Band Bassist, Running Finale 2010a On Vista.

SAJ
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2004
Total Posts : 361

Posted 11/4/2009 3:25 PM (GMT -6)

Rob, remember that you can always use the mouse to insert a note at the beginning of a measure (unless it's already full).

Finale 2010, GPO 4, Alesis QS8
Windows XP SP2

Mike Rosen
himself

Date Joined Feb 2006
Total Posts : 5379

Posted 11/4/2009 3:44 PM (GMT -6)

SAJ said...
Rob, remember that you can always use the mouse to insert a note at the beginning of a measure (unless it's already full).

And you can do that, too, if Check For Extra Notes is turned off.

Flint
silly bear

Date Joined Oct 2006
Total Posts : 585

Posted 11/4/2009 4:16 PM (GMT -6)

Okay, reading through the thread again...

There is no way to do what you want. In a hypothetical bar of 4 quarter notes, you cannot delete the first quarter note and expect the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarter notes to remain on beats 2, 3, and 4. Finale will move them to beats 1, 2, and 3. You cannot have "open space" that takes up time.

This is why I suggested using the insert command to replace the first beat with what you want. Just place the cursor in front of where you want to insert the new notes and be sure you're in insert mode (the cursor changes shape).

"It is the job of copyist/arranger/composer to not only make the music clear and readable, but to also make it impossible to play incorrectly." - paraphrased from Bill Duncan

Rob Hunter
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2009
Total Posts : 20

Posted 11/4/2009 4:34 PM (GMT -6)

Thanks Flint - I came to the same conclusion. This isn't a big deal for me because, as above, there are many ways to get the right note in there. I'm in the process of learning Finale and this "problem" was more of a curiosity. And now I know!

Big-Band Bassist, Running Finale 2010a On Vista.

warrenbarnett
Registered Member

Date Joined May 2003
Total Posts : 73

Posted 11/4/2009 8:35 PM (GMT -6)

One way to make it appear that there is a blank space is to make the fist quarter a rest and then (in Speedy Entry) press H while over the rest to hide it. Depending upon how the program preferences are set, and what percentage of "Hidden" actually shows, if you take it down to 0%, you will have a blank space where once there was a note. It will print and play back with the appropriate gap.

Warren Barnett

Finale 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Garritan Personal Orchestra

Garritan Personal Orchestra 4.0,
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