Quick Reference Guide

Finale for Windows

®
 QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE FOR WINDOWS
Authorization Information 4 Playing in Music: HyperScribe 14
A. To set the smallest note value. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Getting Started 5
B. To record a performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A. To create a new document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
C. To change the recording tempo and countoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
B. To open files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
C. To import files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Selecting Music 16
A. To select a portion of music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Finale Screen View 7
B. To expand the selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Navigating Your Music 8
Copying, Pasting, and Inserting 18
A. To choose a view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
A. To drag-copy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
B. To zoom in and zoom out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
B. To copy using the clipboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
C. To drag the visible score region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
C. To insert music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
D. To switch pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
D. To copy specific items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Entering the Music: Simple Entry 10
Transposing 21
A. To enter notes with your mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
B. To enter notes with your mouse Working with Measures 22
and computer keyboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
A. To add measures at the end of the score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
C. To type notes into the score with
B. To insert empty measures in the score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
your computer keyboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
C. To fit a certain number of measures per system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
D. To play notes into the score with a MIDI keyboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
D. To adjust the measure layout manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Multiple Voices: Layers 13

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Working with Staves and Instruments 24 Playback 32
A. To add instruments to the score. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 A. Playback Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
B. To delete instruments from the score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 B. To change the playback tempo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
C. To move staves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 C. Human Playback®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
D. To hide an empty staff in a system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Page Layout 34
Adding Markings 26
Exporting Your Music 35
A. To add expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
A. To print your score. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
B. To add articulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
B. To export an audio file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
C. To add slurs and hairpins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
C. To export a MusicXML file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Adding Text 28
Sharing Music 36
Key Signatures, Time Signatures, and Clefs 29 A. To share your music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
A. To set a key signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Keyboard Shortcuts 37
B. To set a time signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
A. Articulations and expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
C. To set a clef change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
B. Smart Shapes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
D. To set a mid-measure clef change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
C. Common metatools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Lyrics, Chords, and Repeats 30 D. More keyboard shortcuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
A. To type in lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Using Contextual Menus 39
B. To type in chord symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
C. To create repeats with 1st and 2nd endings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 More Finale Help Resources 40

Getting Support 41

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 AUTHORIZATION INFORMATION
The Finale End User License Agreement allows the registered user to install Finale® on a
maximum of two operating systems for that user only (Site Licenses excluded).

To use Finale after installing it on a computer, you’ll need to authorize each installation.

To authorize, you’ll need to use your license’s unique serial number. If you upgraded from an
earlier version of Finale, your serial number stays the same each time you upgrade.

You can find your serial number…

• On a sticker inside the Finale DVD, CD, or USB case of the earliest version purchased.

• If you’ve authorized any version of Finale on a different computer, you can find your serial
number in the About Finale screen in the Help menu on that computer.

• If you’ve registered your serial number previously, you can find your serial number in your
online account at www.finalemusic.com.

Once you’ve installed Finale and have your serial number ready, follow the on-screen
instructions to authorize when you start the program. You must authorize within 30 days after
installation, or printing, saving and sharing will temporarily be disabled until you do so.

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GETTING STARTED
A. To create a new document
Finale’s Document Setup Wizard is the fastest way to begin a new score. The pages in this
wizard allow you to quickly specify all the basic score elements.

1 Choose File > New > Document with Setup Wizard.

2 Choose the Ensemble and Document Style and click

Next.

3 Select your instruments and click Next.

4 Choose and add the desired score elements. Click

Finish.

Pages 3 and 4 allow you to specify the:

• Title • Tempo indication
• Credits and copyright • Pickup measure
• Time signature • Number of measures
• Key signature Document Styles include fonts and markings designed
for particular types of documents—in this case, a choral
arrangement using the Engraver font.

See “Setup Wizard” in the User Manual for details.

F I N A L E M U S I C .C O M / S U P P O R T WINDOWS 5
 B. To open files
To open a Finale file, choose Open from the File menu. Finale can open all Finale Notation Files saved in
Finale 2014 or earlier, as well as those saved in other Finale-family notation products and MIDI files.

Finale’s native file format is the Finale Notation File (*.MUSX). These files are cross-platform, which means
the same file can be opened on both Mac® and Windows® computers.

Finale 2012 or
MusicXML
Finale 2012 Finale
When you open a file created in
Finale 2012 or earlier (the .MUS file
format), or import a MusicXML file,
your document is converted to the
Finale MUSX format.
C. To import files
MusicXML is an open format technology supported by Finale and other third-party notation and audio
applications. It is also the format that Finale’s Share feature uses to upload to SmartMusic for use in the
Practice and Compose apps.

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 FINALE SCREEN VIEW
When you open a new score, the following menus, palettes, and controls appear. These
elements form a framework for all of Finale’s features and functions.

Menu bar Playback controls

These menus contain Use these to start and
every Finale command stop playback and set
and operation. a tempo.

Main tool palette Document window

This contains all of Your document
Finale’s main tools. appears here.

Simple Entry and Simple Page controls

Entry Rests palettes Use these buttons and
Use the Simple Entry counter to navigate the
palette for durations and document’s pages.
accidentals and use the
Simple Entry Rests palette
to enter rest durations in
Simple Entry. Status bar
This bar identifies
the selected tool.
Layer selection
Use these buttons to
select a layer.

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 NAVIGATING YOUR MUSIC
Getting the best view of your score is crucial to working with Finale efficiently.

A. To choose a view
The two main views in Finale are Page View and Scroll View. From the View menu,
choose Scroll View or Page View.

Page View Scroll View

displays your music exactly as it will appear on displays your music in a single continuous
the printed page. Use this view for system and horizontal system, free from the constraints
page layout. of the layout of the page.

Press
ctrl + E to
switch between
Page View and
Scroll View

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B. To zoom in and zoom out
You can find zoom commands under the View menu, but to save time, use keyboard shortcuts.

+ _
ctrl = ctrl -
Press + Press +
to zoom in to zoom out

C. To drag the visible score region

Use Finale’s Hand Grabber tool to move your view of the score, or with any tool selected,
right-click and drag to move the score.

D. To switch pages
In Page View, use the arrow buttons in the lower left corner of your screen to navigate
between pages.
Page Page
ctrl Up ctrl Down
Or, press + or + to view the previous or next page.

See “Views” in the User Manual for more details..

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 ENTERING MUSIC: SIMPLE ENTRY
Use the Simple menu (a) at the top your screen to a.
change settings and refer to keyboard shortcuts.
Use the Simple Entry palette (b) to specify note b.
durations and other note properties.
Double-click one of these tools to cancel all other tools in Search for “Palettes” in the
User Manual to learn how to
the Simple Entry palette.
resize and relocate palettes.

A. To enter notes with your mouse

1 Choose the Simple Entry tool .

2 Click the note duration in the Simple Entry palette, as

well as the accidental, tie, tuplet, or grace note.

3 Position your mouse cursor where you would like to

enter the note.

4 Click to enter the note. Finale flips the stem direction

when appropriate.

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B. To enter notes with your mouse and computer keyboard
Use your numeric keypad (c) to choose note durations before you click c.
them in. Use the image to the right as a guide. To remove extra items,
double-press rapidly as shown below.
To change the selected duration: To remove the dot and flat:

(press once) (press twice)

Notebook users, use the “Laptop Shortcut Table” to improve the efficiency of your smaller
keyboard. Choose Simple > Simple Entry Options and click Edit Keyboard Shortcuts.
Shortcuts Under
Keyboard Shortcut Set, click the Name menu and choose Laptop Shortcut Table.
Table

Change the
duration of
Press 9 the note you
after entering a just entered
note to create by pressing
a triplet. Alt+[1-8]. alt
4

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 C. To type notes into the score with your computer keyboard
Using your computer keyboard to enter notes is faster than clicking. After typing the duration:

1 Press Enter to activate the Simple Entry Caret, which is

Finale’s entry cursor.

2 Use the up and down arrows to choose the pitch. enter enter

3 Press Enter to enter the note.

4 Or, type the letter of the desired pitch or 0 (zero) for a

rest. Use left and right arrows to move the selection. A B 0 C shift 3 ctrl
(press
5 twice)
Press Shift + down arrow to move down an octave (and press Enter).
Common ways to modify a selected note:
6 Type a number on the number row to add an interval.

7 Press Ctrl + down arrow to select a lower note in a chord.

+ _
See “Simple Entry” in the User Manual for more information. = - N T L \ / /
Sharp Flat Natural Add tie Flip stem Flip Break/join beam
enharmonic

D. To play notes into the score with a MIDI keyboard

You can use your MIDI keyboard (or other MIDI device) to quickly
enter notes. With the caret active, play a note or chord to add it to
the score.

Check Simple > Use MIDI Device for Input to use a MIDI keyboard for note entry.
See “Speedy Entry” and “HyperScribe” in the User Manual for other ways to enter music using a MIDI keyboard.

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MULTIPLE VOICES: LAYERS
When a second voice with a different rhythm is
required within a measure, like the quarter notes
shown at right, enter the notes in a new layer. Each
layer is a rhythmically independent voice. Simply
choose the new layer and begin entering notes.

Layers are chosen from the View menu or via the layer buttons at the
bottom of the screen ( ).

Layers are identified by note color:

Layer 1 Layer 2 Layer 3 Layer 4

Always use layers 1 and 2 first when notating multiple voices. Use layer 1
for the higher voice. If there are three or four voices in a single staff,
then use layers 3 and 4 as needed.

To work with a single layer independently,

choose Document > Show Active Layer Only.
This allows you to edit or clear individual
layers without affecting the hidden layers.
Be sure to deselect Show Active Layer Only
before printing your document.

See “Multiple Voices” in the User Manual for more details..

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 PLAYING IN MUSIC: HYPERSCRIBE
With HyperScribe®, you can record directly from your MIDI keyboard or device into the score. To
configure your MIDI keyboard (or other external MIDI device) for use with Finale, see “Setting
up your MIDI system” in the Getting Started section of the User Manual.

A. To set the smallest note value

Since a live performance is never perfect, Finale approximates note durations based on settings
you choose. For example, if your piece does not include any notes shorter than an eighth note,
you can specify the eighth note as the shortest duration for the transcription by choosing MIDI/
Audio > Quantization Settings.

B. To record a performance
1 Choose the HyperScribe tool . 3 After two measures, begin to
play.
2 Click a measure to start a countoff.
4 Click the score to stop
recording.

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C. To change the recording tempo and countoff
If you are transcribing a complex passage, you may want to record at a slower tempo for
greater accuracy. You can also change the metronome sound and specify a start signal.

1 Choose the HyperScribe tool .

2 From the HyperScribe menu, choose Beat Source >

Playback and/or Click.

3 Select Use This Tempo, and enter the desired recording

tempo in the adjacent text box. Be sure the correct beat
duration is selected below.

4 Click Click and Countoff.

5 After Measures, enter the desired number of countoff

measures.

6 Click OK twice to return to the score.

See “HyperScribe” in the User Manual for more on configuring transcription sessions.

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 SELECTING MUSIC
The Selection tool is Finale’s universal editing tool. It can be used to select, move, delete,
copy, paste, or otherwise edit any region of measures and any individual item in the score.

A. To select a portion of music

To select one full measure, click To select a measure region (either To select a measure stack (a
once on the staff lines (without partial or whole measures), click region of full measures in all
clicking on a note). outside and above the staff and staves), double-click a measure.
drag diagonally across the region. Copying measure-specific items
or deleting full measures requires
a stack selection.

Measure stacks are indicated by

highlighting that extends from the
top to the bottom staff, including
See “Selecting Music” in the User Manual for more details. the area between staves.

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B. To expand the selection
Use keyboard shortcuts to expand or contract the
selected region on a single staff…

To next beat shift +

To end of measure ctrl + shift +

To end of score shift + end

To beginning of score shift + home

…or on multiple staves. shift shift (press

+ + twice)

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 COPYING, PASTING, AND INSERTING
Finale offers a great deal of control over copying, inserting, and pasting (replacing).

A. To drag-copy
If the source and target regions are both visible on your
screen, quickly copy music by dragging the selected region.

1 Select the measure region you want to copy.

2 Click and drag the selection to the target measure(s).

B. To copy using the clipboard

If the source and target regions are not both visible on your
screen, you can copy music to the clipboard and then paste
to the target region. Existing music is replaced.

1 Select what you want to copy and press ctrl + C .

2 Select the target measure(s) and press ctrl + V .

See “Copying Music” in the User Manual for more details.

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C. To insert music
When you copy and paste, Finale overwrites the content in the target region. However, when you insert, all
subsequent music is pushed toward the end of the score, usually increasing the total number of measures.

1 Select the measure region you want to copy.

2 While pressing alt , click and drag the selection to the target measure(s).

A red insertion bar

indicates that the
inserted music will
nudge existing music
toward the end of the
score. Music in other
staves is not affected.

A green insertion
bar appears when
inserting measure
stacks. It indicates
that inserted music
will nudge subsequent
measures toward the
end of the score in all
staves.

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 D. To copy specific items
You can copy particular
score elements using the
Edit Filter dialog box.

1 From the Edit menu, choose

Edit Filter.

2 In the Edit Filter dialog box,

check the items you want
to copy. (Click None to clear
all).

3 Click OK.

4 Copy the music as you would normally.

Finale uses the filter while
copying whenever Use
Filter is checked under
the Edit menu.

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TRANSPOSING
A. To transpose
1 With the Selection tool , select a region of music.

2 From the Utilities menu, choose Transpose.

3 Select the interval from the Interval dropdown menu.

4 Click OK.

B. To transpose using your keyboard

1 Choose the Selection tool . 6 to transpose down a step.
2 Select a region of music.
7 to transpose up a step.
3 Press...

8 to transpose down an octave.

This method transposes the music diatonically within the
key signature. To change the key, use the Selection tool
context menu or the Key Signature tool. To configure a 9 to transpose up an octave.
transposing staff, use the ScoreManager.

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 WORKING WITH MEASURES
A. To add and delete measures
1 From the Edit menu, choose Add Measures.

2 Type the number of measures you would like to add.

3 Click OK. The measures appear at the end of the score.

4 With the Selection tool , select a measure stack and press delete .

B. To insert empty measures in the score

1 With the Selection tool , select a measure (empty
measures will be inserted before the selected measure.)

2 From the Edit menu, choose Insert Measure Stack.

3 Type the number of measures you would like to insert.

4 Click OK.

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C. To fit a certain number of measures per system
1 With the Selection
tool, select the
measures that you
want to fit.

2 From the Utilities

menu, choose
Fit Measures.

3 Type the number

of measures you
want per system.

4 Click OK.

D. To adjust the measure layout

manually
You can move individual measures from one system
to the next, or to the previous.

1 With the Selection tool , select the measure(s)

you want to move between systems.

2 Use the down or up arrow to move to the next or

previous system, respectively.

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 WORKING WITH STAVES AND INSTRUMENTS
Use the ScoreManager to insert, delete, or change instrument staves.

A. To add instruments to the score

1 Choose Window > ScoreManager.

2 Click and select the

instrument you would like to insert.

Finale adds the staff

in the selected Score
Order, grouped by
instrument type.

B. To delete instruments from the score

In ScoreManager,
click the X on an
instrument line.

Finale removes the

staff and repositions
adjacent staves.

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C. To move staves
To move a staff in one system only, choose the Staff Tool ,
click a staff handle and drag it vertically. To move a staff in all
systems, double-click and drag the handle.
See “To move staves” in the User Manual for more details.

D. To hide an empty staff in a system

1 Select a region that includes
the empty staff or staves.

2 From the Staff menu, choose

Hide Empty Staves. A dashed
line appears where the staves
have been hidden.

3 To show hidden staves,

control-click the handle of
the hidden staff or staves
and choose Show All or
Show [staff name].

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 ADDING MARKINGS
Most markings are added with the Expression tool, Articulation tool, or Smart Shape tool.

A. To add expressions

ff p
Six types of markings are added as expressions, organized into the following categories:
• Dynamics ( , subito ) • Expressive Text (dim., legato)
• Tempo Marks (Allegro, q = 108) • Technique Text (pizz., Mute)
• Tempo Alterations (rit., a tempo) • Rehearsal Marks ( A , 1 )

To add a single expression To add an expression to multiple staves

1 Choose the 1 Choose the
Expression tool . Expression tool .

2 Double-click a 2 Drag-select a
note or measure. region in more
than one staff.
3 Choose an
expression 3 Choose an
category. expression
category.
4 Double-click an
expression. 4 Double-click an
expression.

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B. To add articulations C. To add slurs and hairpins
Articulations are markings attached to a single Markings such as lines and curves are created

-
note with the Articulation tool , including: using the Smart Shape tool , including:

>
Staccato (.) Ornament (M, T)
• Accent ( ) • Tenuto ( ) • Slurs ( ) • Trills ( )
• • • Hairpins ( ) • Ottava ( )

To add an articulation to a note To add a Smart Shape

1 Choose the 1 Choose the Smart Shape tool .
Articulation tool .
2 Choose the desired tool from the
2 Click the note. Smart Shape palette.

3 Double-click an 3 Double-click and drag to add the

articulation. Smart Shape.

To add an articulation to multiple notes 4 Click and drag the diamond-shaped

handles to adjust shape contours.
1 Choose the Articulation tool .

2 Drag-select a region of notes.

3 Click Select.

4 Double-click an articulation.
See “Expressions”, “Articulations”, and “Smart Shapes” in the User Manual for
5 Click OK. information on creating custom expressions, articulations, and Smart Shapes.

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 ADDING TEXT
Use the Text tool to add titles, subtitles, composer, arranger, lyricist, and other text that does
not need to reposition with the music.

A. To set or edit a document’s title page text

1 From the Window menu, choose ScoreManager and click
the File Info tab.

2 Enter the page text information.

3 Click OK.

You can also edit much of this information directly in the score.
Choose the Text tool and click on an existing text box in your
document. You can directly edit any text with a gray background.

B. To add other text on a page

1 With the Text tool , double-click to create a text box.

2 Type the desired text, or, choose an insert from the Text
menu.

Inserts are placeholders for standard text such as accidentals,

titles, composer, page number, filename, current date, and symbols.

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KEY/TIME SIGNATURES AND CLEFS
A. To set a key signature C. To set a clef change
1 Choose the Key Signature tool . 1 Choose the Clef tool .

2 Double-click a measure. 2 Double-click a measure.

3 Use the slider and dropdown 3 Double-click the

menu next to the key signature desired clef.
preview to specify the key.

4 Click OK.

B. To set a time signature D. To set a mid-measure clef

change
1 Choose the Time Signature tool .
1 Choose the Clef tool .
2 Double-click a measure.
2 Select a partial measure by clicking outside
3 Use the sliders to set and above the staff and dragging diagonally
the beats per measure across the measure.
and beat duration.
3 Double-click the selected partial measure.
4 Click OK.
4 Double-click the desired clef.

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 LYRICS, CHORDS, AND REPEATS
A. To type in lyrics
1 After the notes are entered, choose the Lyrics tool .

2 From the Lyrics menu, check Type Into Score.

3 Click a note to display a blinking cursor beneath the staff.

4 Type a syllable and then press the spacebar to advance. Use - (dash) to
add hyphens between syllables.

The Lyrics window

allows you to easily
edit syllables, paste
Type “Should
Should [spacebar] auld
text from external
[spacebar] ac [-] quaint [-] ance”
ance
programs, and to
click-assign lyrics.

See “Lyrics window” in the User Manual for more details.

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B. To type in chord symbols
1 Choose the Chord tool .

2 From the Chord menu, choose Manual Input.

3 Click above a staff to display the cursor.

4 Type the chord root and suffix. For example, “Am7”.

When typing chord symbols, use “b
b” for flat and “#
#” for sharp.

5 Press the spacebar. Finale converts your text to a chord symbol.

For guitar fretboards, from the Chord menu, choose Show Fretboards.
Fretboards

C. To create repeats with 1st and 2nd

endings
1 Choose the Repeat tool .

2 Select the measures for the first ending.

3 From the Repeat menu, choose Create First and Second Endings.

4 Select the first measure of the repeated section.

5 From the Repeat menu, choose Create Forward Repeat Bar.

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 PLAYBACK
A. Playback Controls
The Playback Controls give you standard buttons for controlling the playback of your score.

• Click to start playback.

• Click to open the Playback Settings

dialog box. Choose Leftmost Measure to
begin playback at the leftmost visible measure.

• Press ctrl + spacebar + click and drag to spot-check.

• Press ctrl + shift + spacebar + click to spot-check a single staff.

B. To change the playback tempo

1 In the Playback Controls, click the Tempo drop-down menu
and choose the desired note duration.

2 Enter the number of beats per minute in the text box .

Tempo markings in the score (created with the Expression tool) always
override the tempo indicated in the Playback Controls.
See “ScoreManager” in the User Manual to control instrument sounds.

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C. Human Playback®
The proper performance of any piece of music depends on the genre and style. For example,
you wouldn’t expect a jazz piece to be performed the same way as a classical sonata. You
can tell Finale how you want your piece performed using Human Playback. Human Playback
performs the music in the style specified, and also interprets the markings you’ve added.
To choose a Human Playback style, from the MIDI/Audio menu, choose Human Playback,
and then select the desired style.

To enable or disable Human Playback

1 From the MIDI/Audio menu, choose Human Playback
and select the desired style.

2 To turn off Human Playback, from the MIDI/Audio menu,

choose Human Playback > None.

To enable the Swing option in the Playback Settings dialog box,

choose either Jazz or None in the Human Playback submenu.

See “Human Playback” in the User Manual for custom style configurations.

F I N A L E M U S I C .C O M / S U P P O R T WINDOWS 33
 PAGE LAYOUT
Adjusting the position of systems and page margins should be the final step before printing
your score. Use these techniques with the Page Layout tool to finalize the page layout:

Click and drag these handles Click and drag a system

to adjust the position of the to adjust the position of the
top and left page margins system, which also adjusts
for this page only. all subsequent systems.

Click and drag these handles ctrl + click and drag

to adjust the top margin of to move a system
each system. independently.

To adjust the vertical These icons appear when

position of staves within measure layout is locked in
systems, choose the Staff a system (see Tutorial 7 in
tool and drag staff handles. the User Manual for details).

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EXPORTING YOUR MUSIC
A. To print your score
To print, press ctrl + P and click OK.

To create a PDF, choose File > Export > PDF.

PDF

B. To export an audio file

1 From the File menu, choose Export > Audio File.

2 Choose a location and file name.

3 Click the Save as type dropdown menu and

select WAV or MP3.

MP3 format is only available when Finale is set to play

through MIDI.

4 Click Save.

C. To export a MusicXML file

From the File menu, choose Export > MusicXML

F I N A L E M U S I C .C O M / S U P P O R T WINDOWS 35
 SHARING MUSIC
To share your music, you must have a SmartMusic account, which you can create for free. The first time
you use Share you will be prompted to log in to this account. After this first login, Finale will remember
your credentials until you logout.

A. To share your music

1 From the File menu, choose Share...

2 In the Share dialog box, click the Share option that best suits
the way you want to share your music.

You can choose one of three options to Share your music with
others. Note that both the Private and Public options allow you to
choose if you want your music downloadable as a PDF.

• Privately - This allows you to send an invite to others to view

your music by entering in their email addresses.
• Publicly - Share will create a link that you can send to users.
Anyone with the link can open this music.
• Upload Only - Sends a copy of your music to the Content
Manager App in your SmartMusic account.
3 Confirm the instrument parts are correct for you music.

4 Share!

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KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Finale provides keyboard shortcuts called Metatools that you can use to quickly add markings
to your score. You can also customize metatools by assigning one to a particular marking.
A. Articulations and expressions
1 Choose the Articulation or Expression tool .

2 Hold down the metatool key. 4

3 Click a single note or measure.

Use the same method to quickly enter key signatures, time signatures,
A
and clefs (with their respective tool chosen).

4 Or, hold the key and click and drag to add the marking to multiple notes.

B. Smart Shapes
1 Choose the Smart Shape tool .
S
2 Hold down the metatool key.

3 For note-attached markings like slurs and tab slides, double-click a note.
<
4 For beat-attached markings like hairpins and trills, double-click a note,
hold the second click, and drag to the destination note.

F I N A L E M U S I C .C O M / S U P P O R T WINDOWS 37
 C. Common metatools

S X A Z V E W Q F K J 7 Articulation and expression

metatools are listed in blue in
the Articulation Selection and
Expression Selection dialog
boxes. Look to the upper right
of each item for the metatool
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 F G H S
currently assigned to that
marking.

S T 8 F

> P <

D. More keyboard shortcuts

The Finale User Manual contains a complete
listing of every preset keyboard shortcut in
the “How do I...” section. The User Manual
also lists all metatools for each main tool, and
contains information on how to program
custom metatools.

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USING CONTEXTUAL MENUS
You can right-click on many score elements to display menus which allow you to quickly…

Transpose, insert Edit or delete text,

measures, add and adjust text
repeats, and make frame alignment
other changes and positioning

Change the time Change the key

signature signature

These contextual menus allow you to perform many additional tasks on a region of music:
• Edit measure attributes • Add, insert, or delete measures
• Change the barline style • Change the key, meter, or clef
• Create or break multimeasure rests • Apply alternate notation
• Cut, copy, or paste • Add repeats
• Transpose • Apply staff attributes

F I N A L E M U S I C .C O M / S U P P O R T WINDOWS 39
 DIDN’T FIND WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR?

For our new users, we have Find Keyboard shortcuts,

several help resources like the Metatools, the Visual Index, and
Getting Started Guide, Finale watch demonstrations to learn
Tutorials, and QuickStart Videos. essential tips and techniques
with our QuickStart Videos
under How do I.

Experienced Finale users can

find step-by-step instructions
for common tutorial based Click Index to find a list of
questions and also see what’s how-to instructions and the
new to Finale. Excyclopedia.

If Finale doesn’t seem to be Use the interactive Finale

working properly, visit resources Tutorials to be guided through
like Finale’s Knowledge Base a sample project from start
and the MakeMusic Customer to finish with accompanying
Success Team. videos.

From the Help menu, choose User Manual, or click any help button

40 WINDOWS FINALE
GETTING SUPPORT
Tutorial Support
User manuals, tutorials, QuickStart Videos, the Finale community, and step-by-step solutions
to common Finale questions are available online at www.finalemusic.com/support/learning-
center.

Technical Support
Troubleshooting for technical problems and direct access to our Customer Success Team
is available online at www.finalemusic.com/support. MakeMusic offers support for current
versions of its Notation programs.

Other Inquiries
MakeMusic can be reached by mail at 285 Century Place, Louisville, CO 80027. Visit us online
at finalemusic.com.

F I N A L E M U S I C .C O M / S U P P O R T WINDOWS 41
 © 2021 MakeMusic, Inc. All rights reserved. MakeMusic, Finale, Finale NotePad, MusicXML, HyperScribe, ScoreManager, and Human Playback are
registered trademarks and trademarks of MakeMusic, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Inc.,
registered in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other
trademarks, products or name brands are the property of their respective owners.

42 WINDOWS FINALE