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Simple Entry Tuplet Definition dialog box

How to get there

You can access the Simple Entry Tuplet Definition dialog box in two ways, depending on whether you are turning existing notes into tuplets or entering a new tuplet figure.

To turn existing notes into tuplets:

Click the Simple Entry tool .
On the Simple Entry Tool palette, select the Simple Tuplet tool.
SHIFT+click the first note to include in the tuplet group.

To enter a new tuplet figure:

Click the Simple Entry tool .
Select the Simple Tuplet tool.
Select a note duration.
SHIFT+click in a measure to define the tuplet as you enter the notes.

What it does

In this dialog box you can define the rhythmic aspects of a tuplet grouping—the number of eighth notes that are to be played in the time of a quarter note, for example. Use this dialog box to define any tuplet more complicated than a triplet in the current duration. For more complex adjustments to tuplets, see Tuplet Tool.

Note that you can predefine the default visual aspects of the tuplets in your score, so that every tuplet you create automatically appears with a neatly positioned bracket (for example). To do so, CTRL-click the Tuplet Tool (in the Main Tool Palette, not the Simple Entry Palette). Finale displays Document Options-Tuplets where you can specify these parameters. (See Document Options-Tuplets for a more complete discussion.)

__ ____ in the space of __ ____ • Half(s) • Dotted Quarter(s) • Quarter(s) (etc.). Define the rhythmic qualities (temporal definition) of the tuplet by entering numbers in these two text boxes (to specify how many) and selecting the rhythmic-value from the drop-down list (to specify "of what value").
Save as default Simple Entry tuplet definition. Check this box to always use the tuplet definition defined above. For example, you could set the Simple Entry Tuplet Definition to 3 Eighths in the space of 2 Eighths and check Save if you wanted to enter a long series of eighth note triplets. This is especially useful if the eighth note triplet sometimes starts with a quarter note.
OK • Cancel. Click OK to confirm, or Cancel to discard, the tuplet appearance you’ve created. You return to the score.