Finale ships with Templates, Default Files, and Document Styles. We’ll explore them, learn how to modify and save them, and learn how to create a “House Style” that opens with every document you create.
Topics:
- Editing your Default File
- Some essential changesJazz shorthand for Chord Changes; the chord progression to make in the Default File
- Libraries, Export/Import, into the Default file
- Creating a House Style
- Using the House Style as a Document StyleA Document Style is a model document with settings that can be inherited by new scores created with the Setup Wizard. Document Styles differ from templates in that you still need to specify which instruments appear in your score; you can also associate a Document Style with a particular Setup Wizard ensemble so that it is always used for that ensemble. Like templates, Document Styles can use the Finale Template File extension, .FTMX, or they can be regular MUSX files.
- Inserting linked text shortcodesKnown as "Inserts" in Finale, Shortcodes represent data stored elsewhere, which in Finale is fields in the File Info tab of the Score Manager (part/score name, arranger name)
- The Page Layout Tool
- Finale Template Files
- Setting up Condensed Scores with Voiced PartsIndividual pieces of music, each designed to be performed by a single musician or section of an ensemble.
Finale Template Files
It’s worth having a look at Finale’s Templates if you’re working with large scores. Finale Templates offer a jump-start on professional-quality music preparation. There are over a hundred of them, sorted by general purpose (for band, orchestra, choir etc) with individual files for various ensemble configurations. You can customize these templates, which is something you might want to do if you use them a lot.
This Screenshot shows the view that opens when “New File from Template” is selected in the File menu’s “New” dialog.
Ensembles in the Setup Wizard
When using the Setup Wizard, you’ll see there are a variety of pre-configured Ensembles you can use as well, offering more configuration options as you set up your file than are available in Templates.
You can apply a Document Style to the selected Ensemble.
Descriptions show in the Setup Wizard describing the included features for each Ensemble.
Notea symbol used to represent a specific pitch and duration that Finale 26.2 contains a lot of updates to Default Files and Ensembles, including a lot of essential features previously missing, like part and scoreA written representation of a piece of music, including the notation for all parts of an ensemble. names.
Default Files
Finale uses your chosen Default File for things like importing XML and opening MIDIMIDI is a data protocol with information that enables computers and other sequencers to perform music according to the instructions it contains.. We have an article on the Finale Blog that describes the process of making changes to the Default File, and where to find and save it. Note that the article precedes the releaseFollowing the building of tension, arrival at a resolution. In England, is synonymous with "bridge" of Finale 26.2.
Libraries
Libraries in Finale store your customizations for things like ExpressionsMusical instructions in the score including dynamics, tempo, instrumentation, cast names, musical directions and other elements, or in Finale's case, a means to inject other MIDI data and instructions into the playback performance or MIDI stream, ArticulationsAlteration in sound dynamics, duration, or technique by the player, as suggested by markings in a musical score, Chords, Smart Shapes, Tabs, and font customizations. Libraries can be saved, exported and imported into any document in Finale, including into your Default DocumentA type of Finale file that can be used as a starting point for the creation of new documents or Templates. For example, if you’ve created a series of custom chordTwo or more notes played simultaneously; a group of three or more notes played or sung at the same time to create harmony. symbols, you can save the Chord librarySets of musical symbols, expression markings, and other important musical elements stored as independent files that can be exported and imported to Finale for the document used to create them, and import that Library anywhere.
Creating a House Style
You can save any document as a Document Style, including your customized Default Document, or any Template. Document Styles need to be in the Document Styles folder in order to be available in the Setup Wizard.
Condensed Scores with Voiced Parts
Some of Finale’s Large Ensemble Templates use a Condensed Score format, where voices are combined in the same staff for some instruments. Further investigation in the Parts Manager reveals that each instrumentIn terms of the Finale interface, an instrument refers to the collection of settings for each row listed under the Instrument column of the ScoreManager. These include staff properties (staff name, transposition, clef, etc.), playback sound, channel, and other settings. An instrument may include more than one staff (e.g a piano grand staff). has their own, singe-line part. You can see that the isolated parts take advantage of Finale’s “Specify VoicingThe distribution of musical notes between different parts in an ensemble; the intervallic structure of a harmonic array” feature.
It’s possible to modify a score you already created to use these features, but it’s a multi-step process. Using Finale’s Templates for these ensemble types saves a lot of editing.
Condensed Scores are not created by the Setup Wizard.
Jazz Styles
If you’re using Garritan’s Jazz and Big Band premium library, there are a lot of Jazz techniques available, triggered by Human PlaybackFinale's built-in algorithms designed to interpret score markings to create audible changes in dynamics, note durations, and instrument techniques. Human Playback generates useful MIDI controller and keyswitch data that can save time editing in a DAW. from special articulation symbols that are triggered by symbols only in the Jazz FontA font that looks like handwritten notation typically seen in Jazz and Studio music.. If you’re writing a Big Band score and want to include fall-offs, doits and shakes, use the Jazz font – it’ll save a lot of editing later.
An alternative is to create a multi-sample Bank, add all the articulation samples, and triggerIn Finale, the term "trigger" describes a keyboard shortcut that is used to display the Waiting for Input dialog box while entering music with the Simple Entry caret. Once displayed, a Metatool key can be used to enter certain markings, or the marking can be chosen from a selection dialog box. them with channelMIDI channels are used to transmit and receive MIDI information such as note on and note off messages as well as controller and patch information to your MIDI device(s). change messages instead. For more information, see our page on Using Custom Sound Libraries.