Harmonic analysis

Finale allows you to easily enter harmonic analysis using the Lyrics tool with the Finale Numerics font. The Finale Numerics font was specifically designed to offer all the characters required to produce a thorough harmonic analysis, including zero-width, stackable characters, horizontal lines, musical characters, and more.

To add harmonic analysis:

1. Choose the Lyrics tool .
2. Choose Lyrics > Auto-Number and ensure Verse, Chorus, and Section are unchecked.
3. Choose Lyrics > Lyric Options and uncheck Use Smart Hyphens. Click OK.

Note: If there are already lyrics in the document, disregard step 3 above. Choose Lyrics > Specify Current Lyric, and select a verse other than any verses containing lyrics, then click OK. You will be able to use the positioning triangles on the left to adjust the horizontal positioning as needed. Also, as you add your harmonic analysis, you will need to delete automatic word extensions individually. To do so, choose Lyrics > Edit Word Extensions, then click the word extension handle and press DELETE.

4. Choose Lyrics > Type Into Score.
5. Select the layer that the numerals will be attached to (View > Select Layer > [desired layer]).
6. Click the first note to activate the cursor.
7. Choose Text > Font. Choose Finale Numerics and click OK. If your font selection displays the font characters, it will look like this: .

Note: The Expression tool also offers other options for entering figured bass. For example, you could define expressions using the Finale Numerics font and assign them to notes using Metatools. See To create an expression and To program an Expression Metatool.

8. Type the harmonic analysis (without clicking the score again). The basic figures are intuitive. For example, use v, i, V, I for the roman numerals. Type SHIFT-6 for a first inversion. ("6" is one of many zero-width characters designed to appear to the upper right of the roman numeral). To put a number beneath the 6, simply type the number (e.g. For , type "i, SHIFT+6, 4"). See below for details.

Non-zero-width (normal) characters

These characters can be typed normally:

Zero-width characters

Note: Some of the characters in this font have no equivalent keystrokes. In order to use some characters, you will need to copy them using your system's Character Map. See "Character Map" in your operating system's documentation for more information.

Harmonic analysis often requires stacked numbers to the right of the root to specify the intervals/inversion:

The Finale Numerics font offers zero-width number characters with convenient keystrokes. Simply type the numbers using the SHIFT (or ALT+####) modifier to specify its vertical position. For example, to enter the following entity, type "I, V, SHIFT+6, 5, ALT+0162".

Note: Be sure to type the ALT numbers on your computer keyboard's numeric keypad.

Dashes

To add dashes after the numbers, press ` (tilde) and then type SHIFT+Q, Q, or ALT+0156 for the top, middle, or bottom row, respectively. For example, to enter the following entity, type "V, SHIFT+8, 6, ` (tilde), SHIFT+Q, Q, ` (tilde), SHIFT+7, 5".

If you require a center line, type ALT+0140. You can extend the line by pressing ` (tilde) and entering another line character. For example, to enter the following entity (with two adjacent dash characters), type "V, SHIFT+7, X, ` (tilde), ALT+0140, ` (tilde), ALT+0140, ` (tilde), SHIFT+6, 5".

Slashes

A slash through a number indicates the note should be raised a half step (opposed to a sharp preceding the number, which indicates a sharp added to that specific pitch, which could mean more than a half step).

To add a slash to a number, type SHIFT+S, S, or ALT+0223 for the top, middle, or bottom row, respectively. For example, to enter the following entity, type "V, SHIFT+6, SHIFT+S, 5, ALT+0162".

The Finale Numerics font includes additional characters for each slashed numeral with the slashes positioned to best fit each character. These characters require less accessible keystrokes (see Finale Numerics Character Set), or can be added using your system's Character Map. In the following example, the character on the left is the slashed character (ALT+0224). The character on the right is the 6 character with slash added.

Plus, minus, diminished, and half-diminished symbols

These symbols are zero-width characters designed to appear to the right of numbers. Use the following diagram to identify the appropriate keystroke for the symbol and row.

For example, to enter the following entity, type "SHIFT+4, 2, ` (tilde), SHIFT+L".

Accidentals

Accidentals can be added next to the Roman numerals or next to the Arabic numbers.

For example, to enter the following entity, type "V, SHIFT+7, X".

To enter the following entity, type "SHIFT+6, 5, ALT+0153, ` (tilde), SHIFT+Y, Y".

Carets

Type " to add a caret above an upper number. Type ' to add a caret above a middle number.

Large Numbers

Type "SHIFT+OPTION+#" to add large numbers. To add a caret to a large number, type "SHIFT+OPTION+"".

Pivot chords

Use the | (vertical line), \ (backslash), and [, ], {, } (bracket) characters to indicate pivot chords.

For example, to enter the following entity, type "IV, | (SHIFT+\), V".

Full-size accidentals

Type >, <, n, ALT+0210, and ALT+0212 to add full-size accidentals.

Parentheses and brackets

To add parentheses or brackets around inversion numbers, enter the left bracket, press SPACEBAR, enter the number, press SPACEBAR, then enter the right bracket.

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