Beaming

1. Choose a note entry tool:
   • Choose the Speedy Entry tool , and click the measure in question. The editing frame appears. Use the arrow keys to position the insertion bar on the note at the end of the desired beam.
   • Choose the Simple Entry tool , and CTRL+click the note at the end of the desired beam.
2. Press the / (slash key). If the note was beamed to the previous note, the beam breaks. If the note wasn’t beamed to the previous note, two notes are now beamed together. Press the slash key again to restore the beam to its previous form.

When you first enter music into Finale, the time signature determines how eighth notes (and smaller notes) are beamed together. In , Finale groups beamed notes in quarter note groupings with the exception of eighth notes which are beamed in groups of 4. See Document Options - Beams to change this setting. In , Finale groups beamed notes in half note groupings.

If you change the time signature after you’ve entered music, the beaming patterns changes unless you have deselected the Rebar music check box in the Time Signature dialog box. In such a case, it’s easy to rebeam the music to match the new time signature: select the region and choose Utilities > Rebeam > Rebeam Music.

However, if you want to give a region a beaming pattern that’s completely unrelated to the time signature—for example, to beam eighth notes in groups of 3, 3, and 2 in a meter, follow these steps:

1. Choose the Selection tool and select a region. See Selecting music for some region-selecting shortcuts.
2. Choose Utilities > Rebeam > Rebeam to Time Signature. The Rebeam to Time Signature dialog box appears.
3. Using the upper and lower scroll bars, adjust the upper and lower numbers of the “beaming signature” until you see the desired beaming patterns. In other words, if you want eighth notes in common time beamed in groups of four (rhythmic value equals a half note), adjust the display until it shows two half notes (two groups of four eighth notes). If you’re in and you want all six eighth notes beamed together in each measure, adjust the display until it shows a dotted half note (one group of six eighth notes).

   If you want an asymmetrical beaming pattern (such as three, three, and two eighth notes in common time), see To create custom beaming patterns below.

Normally, Finale beams 16th notes (and notes of smaller value) according to the time signature. In , they’re grouped in quarter-note units; in , they’re grouped in half-note units. Eighth notes are beamed in groups of 4 (see Document Options - Beams dialog box to change this setting for eighth notes). Occasionally, you may find it useful to break this rule. You may want to create a section of music in time, but whose eighth notes are grouped (for example) in patterns of 3, 3, and 2.

1. Choose the Time Signature tool and double-click the measure where you want the meter to change. The Time Signature dialog box appears.
2. Using the two scroll bars, specify the beaming pattern you want. If you want eighth notes beamed in groups of 3, 3, and 2, click Composite to display the Composite Time Signature dialog box, and enter “3+3+2” in the top box (and 8 in the bottom box).
3. Click More Options. The dialog box expands.
4. Select Use a Different Time Signature For Display. Using the lower set of scroll bars, specify the time signature you want to appear in the score. If you’ve specified a “beaming signature” using the upper scroll bars, you could enter as the display meter. Or if you’ve specified a beaming pattern of , you could set the lower scroll bars to or .
5. Using the Measure ___ Through ___ (or Through End of Piece) text boxes, specify the range of measures you want affected by the time signature/beaming patterns.
6. Click OK (or press ENTER).

Finale normally beams notes together according to the denominator of the time signature (quarter note groupings in , half note groupings in , and so on) when you’re entering notes in step time using the Speedy Entry tool. You can, if you wish, turn off this feature.

1. Choose the Speedy Entry tool . The Speedy menu appears.
2. Deselect Speedy > Check Beaming.

1. Choose Document > Document Options > Beams. The Document Options - Beams dialog box appears.
2. Deselect Beam 4 Eighth Notes Together in Common Time. This will only affect entries from this point forward.
3. Click OK (or press ENTER).

One convention used in opera or art song notation is beaming to lyrics. In this practice, eighth notes and sixteenth notes are never beamed together in the vocal line except when a syllable is sustained through more than one note (as in a melisma).

1. Choose the Selection tool and select a region. See Selecting music for some region-selecting shortcuts.
2. Choose Utilities > Rebeam > Rebeam to Lyrics. The Rebeam to Lyrics dialog box appears.
3. Specify the type of lyric you want rebeamed. You can specify an individual Verse, Chorus, or Section, if you wish, by selecting the lyric type, and entering the Verse, Chorus, or Section number.
4. If you want beams broken at each beat, select Also Break Beams at Each Beat in the Time Signature.

   Finale begins a new beam at each beat even if a lyric melisma is still continuing. If you don’t use this option, the melisma beam continues all the way through the measure—as long as the melisma lasts.

5. Click OK.