Finale Libraries

Finale uses libraries that contain reusable sets of musical elements such as expression markings and chord-symbol suffixes. The Finale installation includes a basic set of libraries in the Finale installation directory (see Finale Installation Details). There are also additional libraries installed that can be used for any document you create. And finally, you can create your own library to save commonly used element sets, even copying all elements from one document to another (see Moving Document Options Across Documents).

You add a library’s contents to the active document by choosing Load Library from the File menu, or by clicking Load Library in the Document options dialog box. Feel free to modify these libraries, or to create new libraries containing your own sets of symbols. For more information on libraries, consult the appropriate entries, such as Expressions, Document Options-Music Spacing, Chord symbols, and so on. See also the Save Library dialog box for an explanation of the different types of libraries. You can include any combination of the available score elements in the same library file.

Articulation Shapes. This library contains shapes to be used for articulations. You can create shapes to be used as articulations using the Shape Designer.

Articulations (Maestro). This library contains a selection of single-character articulation marks that describe how a single note is to be played. You place them into the score with the Articulation tool.

Finale’s Articulation Designer dialog box lets you add intelligence to the markings you design. You can train them to jump into place on a note, a specific distance from the notehead. You can also designate a secondary, “upside-down” symbol (called the Flipped Symbol) for Finale to substitute if the note’s stem direction changes.

Default Finale articulations

Main Symbol	Flipped Symbol	Default Vert. Pos. (EVPUs)	Handle Pos. M(H,V)/F(H,V) (EVPUs)	Playback Effect	Auto-Positioning Options	Metatool
		16	0,–4/0,0	Duration 40%	Center, Note side, Avoid staff lines, Inside Slurs	S
		16	0,-8/0, -32	Duration 30%	Center, Note side, Outside Staff	X
		14	0,–4/0,–23	Velocity 125%	Center, Note side, Outside Staff	A
		19	0,0/0,–35	None	Center, Note side, Outside Staff	Z
		16	0,–8/0,–32	None	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff	V
		16	0,–8/0,–34	None	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff	G
		14	0,0/0,-16	Duration 105%	Center, Note side, Avoid staff lines, Inside Slurs	E
		16	0,–2/0,–21	Duration 75%	Center, Note side, Avoid staff lines, Inside Slurs	W
		None	0,0/0,-30	Duration 125%	Center, Note side, Outside Staff	Q
		23	None	None	Center, Note side, Outside Staff	F
		36	None	None	Above, Outside Staff	T
		24	None	None	Above, Outside Staff
		24	None	None	Above, Outside Staff
		24	None	None	Above, Outside Staff
		None	None	None	Copy(H), Manually, Outside Staff	Y
		36	0,-13/0,-13	None	Center, Note side, Outside Staff	M
		36	0,-13/0,-13	None	Center, Note side, Outside Staff	K
		48	0,10/0,0	None	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff	J
		12	None	None	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff	U
		12	None	None	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff	D
		14	None	None	Center, Note side, Avoid staff lines	O
		23	None	None	Center, Note side, Avoid staff lines	H
		23	None	None	Center, Note side, Avoid staff lines	I
		16	0,-4/0/0	None	Center, Above note, Avoid staff lines	1
		16	0,-4/0/0	None	Center, Above note, Avoid staff lines	2
		16	0,-4/0/0	None	Center, Above note, Avoid staff lines	3
		16	0,-4/0/0	None	Center, Above note, Avoid staff lines	4
		16	0,-4/0/0	None	Center, Above note, Avoid staff lines	5
		60	0,–48/0,0	None	Center, Below Note, Outside Staff	P
		60	0,-48/0,0	None	Center, Below Note, Outside Staff	L
		None	None	Attack (0/–256)	Copy Vertically, Manually	R
		–48	12,–12/–12,–16	None	Center, Stem side	6
		–48	12,–12/–12,–16	None	Center, Stem side	7
		–48	12,–12/–12,–16	None	Center, Stem side	8
		12	36,–36/0,0	None	Above, Outside Staff	C
		36	24,8/0,0	Duration 50%	Above note, Outside Staff	B
		None	None	None	Manually	N
		None	-26,-21/0,0	None	Center, Note side	9
		None	26,-21/0,0	None	Center, Note side	0 (zero)
		None	None	None	Center, Stem side
	NA (For TAB)	None	None	Duration 40%	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff
	NA (For TAB)	24	None	None	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff
	NA (For TAB)	24	None	None	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff
	NA (For TAB)	None	None	Velocity 125%	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff
		24	0,4/0,–4	None	Center, Above Note, Avoid Staff Lines, Outside Staff
		24	4,4/0,0	None	Center, Above Note, Avoid Staff Lines, Outside Staff
		16	8,0/8,0	None	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff
		16	8,0/8,0	None	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff
		16	8,0/8,0	None	Center, Above Note, Outside Staff
		18	20,10/20,-10	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
		18	18,0/10,-18	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
		24	18,0/10,-24	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
		12	10,0/10,-2	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
		14	8,4/8,-4	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
		14	8,4/8,-4	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
		8	2,0/2,0	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
			6,0/6,0	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
		10	-15,0/-15,0	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
		24	4,6/4,-24	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
		24	4,6/4,-24	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
		24	4,6/4,-24	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff
		24	4,6/4,-24	None	Center, Note Side, Outside Staff

See Staccato marks and Rolled Chords for more complete discussions of these markings and their playback definitions.

Chords & Fretboards: Chord Suffix (Arial).LIB, Chord Suffix (Times).LIB, Chord Suffix Expanded (Arial).LIB, Chord Suffix Expanded (Times).LIB, Chord Suffix (Jazz Text), Chord Suffix Expanded (Jazz Text), Chord Suffix (JazzCord), Figured Bass, Fretboard Styles, Slash Chords (Arial).LIB, Slash Chords (Times).LIB, Slash Chords (Jazz Text), Slash Chords (Jazz Cord). These sets of predefined chord symbols are used by the Chord Tool. Finale understands each chord symbol in a musical way, and plays the chord back intelligently. The Chord Suffix & Fretboard libraries consist of a set of libraries: one containing the most commonly used chord suffixes and fretboards; the second containing an expanded library with more suffixes and more fretboards per suffix; and a third library containing common slash chords. Each of these sets are duplicated three times, once for each of the following fonts: Arial, Times, and JazzText. The fourth set is a JazzCord font library which contains commonly used jazz suffixes accompanied by fretboards created with Jazz Font characters.

More information

Libraries of like font type and design can be loaded together to expand the number of available suffixes and fretboards. So, if you’re working in a file based on the Maestro Font Default (which contains the first type of library in Arial font) and you find you need more suffixes or fretboards, loading the Chord Suffix Expanded (Arial) library will provide you with more options in the same style and font.When you load a new chord suffix library, Finale compares the suffixes. If the suffixes are identical in position and font, Finale won’t duplicate the suffix, but will load the new fretboard.

Adding the Slash Chord libraries works similarly, with the exception that these libraries only add fretboards when loaded into libraries of like font type (they don’t add additional suffixes). After loading this library, you’ll find slash chord fretboards added to existing Maj, m, min, 7, m7, and min7 suffixes.

The list below identifies the chord symbols in these libraries. Remember that you can modify any of these symbols (for example, to change “min7” to “m7”), and that you can add as many new ones as you want.

Slot Number	Suffix	Slot Number	Suffix	Slot Number	Suffix	Slot Number	Suffix
1	Maj	22	min6	43	m11	64
2	min	23	6 9	44	m13	65
3	aug	24	6 min 9	45	m(maj7)	66	713
4	dim	25	m	46	m9(maj7)	67	79
5	7	26	M7	47	m7(add4)	68	79
6	min7	27	m7	48	m7(add11)	69	13 9
7	sus4	28	M6	49	7sus4	70	13 9
8	Maj6	29	m6	50	7(5)	71	13
9	m7(5)	30	(add9)	51	7(9)	72	711
10	aug7	31	(add2)	52	7(59)	73	7sus2
11		32	M7(5)	53	7(59)	74	13sus
12		33	7(5)	54	9sus4	75	9(5)
13	Maj7	34	M7(11)	55	9(5)	76
14	9	35	M9(5)	56	9(11)	77	7sus(9)
15	13	36	M9(11)	57	13sus4	78	13sus(9)
16	7(11)	37	M13	58	13(5)	79
17	7(9)	38	M13(5)	59	13(9)	80
18		39	M13(11)	60	13(9)	81
19	11	40	m(add2)	61	13(11)	82
20	m7(5)	41	m(add9)	62	6
21	dim7	42	m9	63	M9

Each library also stores a few additional learned chords that include an alternate bass note. In other words, Finale will correctly identify these chords, but they don’t necessarily appear in the Chord Suffix Selection dialog box. In the key of C, these learned chords are F/G, Dmin/G, and Dmin7/G; of course, Finale will recognize these chords regardless of the key you’re in, as long as they’re built on the same scale tones as these original learned chords.

Clefs. This library contains eighteen standard clefs.

Choral Dynamics. This library contains dynamic expressions set to Above Staff instead of Below Staff.

Default Fonts. This library contains the default font settings, as found in Document Options-Fonts.

Document Options. This library holds all the settings that are saved in with your document such as the settings in the Document Options dialog box and a number of other settings in the Document Settings submenu, and other settings as well, such as the Playback Controls settings.

Engraver Articulations. This library, similar to the Maestro Articulation Library, has a number of Engraver symbols to be used for articulations. They are already adjusted to take advantage of Finale’s positioning settings.

Engraver Text Expressions. This library contains text expressions using the Engraver Font. Expressions such as dynamics and tempo indications are included.

Executable Shapes. This library contains six predefined Executable Shapes, which can serve as the playback definitions for expressions. Each affects the specified playback parameter by 26 units. That is, if you construct an accel. marking based on one of these Executable Shapes, the marking will produce a tempo increase of 26 beats per minute. For full instructions, see To define an expression for playback. If you look at these shapes in the Executable Shape Selection dialog box, you’ll see three pairs of sloping lines. In each pair, the first shape produces an increase in the specified playback variable, and the second produces a corresponding decrease. The only difference between the three pairs is the amount of music affected by each: the change produced by the three pairs lasts for eight, four, and sixteen eighth notes, respectively.

Figured Bass. This library provides a simple starting place for entering figured bass into your document.

Fretboard Styles. This library contains four fretboard styles, which define how Finale draws custom fretboard elements. The first three fretboard styles are the classic (4, 5 & 6 frets) style; the last was created with Jazz Font characters for a hand-produced look.

Harp Diagram. This is a Shape Expression Library containing the two parts of a harp pedal diagram—the “skeleton” and the “pedals”—described in Harp pedal diagrams. See that entry for full instructions for placing and using this diagram.

Handwritten Default.This library includes all the markings in the Broadway Copyist font.

Jazz Articulations. This is the articulation library to be used with the Jazz Font. It contains items such as staccatos, accents, house tops, falls and glissandos.

Jazz Chords & Fretboards. Jazz Chords Suffixes and Fretboards.

Jazz Clefs.This library contains eighteen jazz clefs.

Jazz Default Fonts. This library contains the default font settings for the Jazz font, as found in the Document Options-Fonts.

Jazz Document Settings. This library changes items in your Document Settings that are appropriate for use in the Jazz font, especially the alignment of notes with their stems and flags.

Jazz Dynamics. This is a library containing text expressions (dynamic markings etc.) for the Jazz Font.

Jazz Measure Rests. This is a shape expression library which contains a multi-measure rest shape.

Jazz Page Format. This library contains default settings for the Page Format for Score and Page Format for Parts dialog boxes.

Jazz Rehearsal Letters. This library contains rehearsal letters from A-Z, all of which are enclosed in a box. This is also a text expression library.

Jazz Spacing. This library contains spacing widths for use with the Jazz Font.

Jazz Staff Styles. This library contains a basic selection of Jazz Staff Styles for use with the Staff tool. See Staff styles for more information.

Jazz Stem Connections. This library contains stem connection definitions for use with the Jazz font. See Stem Connections dialog box for more information.

Jazz Tempos. This library contains tempo indications in the Jazz font. This is also a text expression library.

Jazz Text Repeats. This is a text repeat library for the Jazz Font. It contains items such as D.S. al Coda, etc. These expressions also come with brackets.

Measure Rest. This library contains the default Multimeasure Rest symbol.

Page Format. This library contains default settings for the Page Format for Score and Page Format for Parts.

Percussion Layouts. This library contains all of the percussion layouts that you have created as well as default percussion layouts.

Pitch Bend. This is a single Text Expression in a library by itself. It consists of the words “pitch bend,” and has been defined to produce a single pitch bend. This pitch bend lasts for one whole note. It moves the pitch wheel from its “at rest” position all the way to the top of its range of movement, then back down to its “at rest” position. For a full description of pitch wheel usage in Finale—including instructions for the creation of this particular pitch bend expression—see Pitch wheel.

Quarter Tone. This Key Signature library contains a single key signature— namely, the key signature for a quarter-tone key system, where there are three chromatic steps between two diatonic steps (instead of the usual one). If you set your piece in this key signature, bear in mind that one key on your MIDI keyboard corresponds to one chromatic step in the music. In other words, you won’t be able to play normally and still get an accurate transcription of your playing, because—for example—the C# key on your MIDI keyboard will correspond to a C-quarter sharp on the screen. See Nonstandard key signatures for more information.

Shape Expressions. This library contains a selection of Shape Expressions for use with the Expression tool. While it does contain several phrase markings and hairpins (crescendo markings), remember that it’s far easier to create phrase markings and hairpins using the Smart Shape tools. The sole advantage to using these crescendo hairpins is that they have been defined for playback; they produce a volume change of 26 MIDI key velocity units in the time of a whole note. This library also contains a glissando line and tremolo marking, as described in Glissandos and Tremolos, respectively.

Smart Lines. This library contains Smart Shapes available in the Smart Line Selection dialog box including glissandos, pedal indications, trills extensions, guitar markings, and other line-type markings that can be adjusted in the score.

SMS Markers. This library contains a collection of Text Expressions that are predefined for SmartMusic Markers that can be added to the score to specify repeats, rehearsal marks, pauses, and other indications while creating a file intended to be saved as a SmartMusic Accompaniment. See SmartMusic® for details.

Staff Styles. This library contains a basic selection of Staff Styles for use with the Staff tool. See Staff styles for more information. The following Metatools appear in the Maestro Font Default file.

Staff Style	Metatool Assignment
Slash Notation	S
Rhythmic Notation	R
Blank Notation: Layer 1	B
Blank Notation: Layer 4	K
Blank Notation: All Layers	A
Normal Notation	M
One-Bar Repeat	O
Two-Bar Repeat	T
Standard 5-line staff	F
1-line Staff: Full Barline	N
1-line Staff: Short Barline	N
Hide Staff	H
Percussion: 1-line Staff	P
Percussion: 5-line Staff	C
Note Shapes	X
Flute Transposition	1
B Clarinet Transposition	2
E Alto Saxophone Transposition	3
B Tenor Saxophone Transposition	4

Spacing Widths libraries: Fibonacci Spacing • Fibonacci with Edited Dots • Tight Spacing • Medium Spacing • Loose Spacing. These libraries contain spacing width tables used for the spacing of notes and lyrics. Fibonacci Spacing is the default which spaces your music using a ratio of about 1 to 1.6. So a quarter note will take up 1.6 times the space of an eighth note. To find out how you use these libraries, see Document Options-Music Spacing. The library titles indicate the relative spacing of the entries in a measure; music that’s been spaced using the “medium” library will be more compact than music spaced with the “loose” library.

Text Expressions (Maestro). This library, for use with the Expression tool, includes a number of expression and dynamic markings, many of which have been defined for playback. Each has also been defined for positioning. see Expression Designer dialog box. The dynamics always appear in Maestro music font, and the other expression markings appear in the Times New Roman italic font; feel free to change these fonts to suit your system. (For the non-dynamic expressions, choose a PostScript font if you plan to print on a PostScript printer or a True Type font if you plan to print on a non-PostScript printer.)

This library also contains some sample rehearsal letters. The playback-defined expressions in this library are as follows:

Expression	Playback effect	Value
	Key velocity	10
	Key velocity	23
	Key velocity	36
	Key velocity	49
	Key velocity	62
	Key velocity	75
	Key velocity	88
	Key velocity	101
	Key velocity	114
	Key velocity	127
Adagio	Tempo	40
Moderato	Tempo	80
Allegro	Tempo	120
	Transposition	12
	Transposition	–12
accel.	Tempo	Increases 26 beats per minute over four beats
rit.	Tempo	Decreases 26 beats per minute over four beats

Text Repeats (Maestro). This library contains a selection of text repeats—textual repeat indications, such as “D.S. al Coda,” that are fully functional for playback. You create and edit repeats using the Repeat tool. (See Repeats (barlines and text indications)) for a more complete discussion.)

The text repeats in this library are as follows:

D.C. al Fine	To Coda #
D.C. al Coda	Fine
D.S. al Fine
D.S. al Coda
D.S. al #	Go to Measure #

The number sign (#), when it appears in a text repeat, represents a temporary “stand-in” for some variable. For example, if you place the “To Coda #” or the “D.S. al #” marking in the score, Finale will automatically substitute the text of the target (“Mark” type) text repeat for the number sign. (The result might be, for example, “To Coda .”) And if you place the “Go to Measure #” marking into the score, Finale will replace the number sign with the measure number to which you direct this marking’s playback. (The result might be, for example, “Go to Measure 44.”)

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