You are here: What does this do... > Palettes, Tools, Menus, and Dialog Boxes > Tools > Simple Entry Tool

Simple Entry tool

Note: View the Simple note entry QuickStart Video for an overview of Simple Entry.

When you click this tool, Finale displays the Simple Entry Palette, containing an individual icon for each rhythmic value (quarter note, eighth note, and so on) and other tools for adding grace notes, sharps, tuplets and so on. (If the Simple Entry Palette doesn’t appear, choose its name from the Window menu.) Using the tools on this palette, you can enter music into your score by clicking one note at a time, typing in notes with your computer keyboard, or with aid from a MIDI keyboard. Each tool in the Simple Entry palette corresponds to a keyboard shortcut, which allows you to easily change tools in preparation for entering, and then additional keyboard shortcuts can be used to edit the note you just entered. You can use these keystrokes in tandem with the Simple Entry caret, which works much like the cursor in a word processing program, to enter all of your music with your computer keyboard.

In addition, you can use special keyboard shortcuts to add articulations and expressions, as well as clef, key, and time signature changes on the fly. The numeric keypad located on the right side of most desktop computer keyboards is used for many Simple Entry keyboard commands. To specify a keystroke is to be pressed on the numeric keypad, we’ll use the terminology “numpad-keystroke” (e.g. press numpad-5 to choose the Quarter Note Tool). Keystrokes that are not preceded by “numpad" are to be struck on the letter and number keys on the left side of a standard desktop keyboard (also known as the QWERTY keyboard).

For hands-on Simple Entry training, open EntryExercise.MUSX (also located in the Finale 2014/Tutorials folder). See also Simple Entry QuickStart Video.

Work faster with:

To use the key commands optimized for a laptop computer

If you are using a laptop computer, there may not be a numeric keypad available on your keyboard. If this is the case, you may find the default keyboard commands difficult to use. In response to this, we have provided an alternative set of Simple Entry keystrokes optimized for laptop computers.

Click the Simple Entry tool, then from the Simple menu, choose Simple Entry Options. The Simple Entry Options dialog box appears.
Click Edit Keyboard Shortcuts. The Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box appears.
In the Keyboard Shortcut Set section, click the Name drop-down menu and select “Laptop Shortcut Table”. Note the new key mappings in the window above.
Click OK. Your new keystrokes are available. To reference a keystroke, click the Simple menu and then Simple Edit Commands (and then the category). These lists of keystrokes have been updated to reflect the Laptop Shortcut Table.