To create cross-staff notation manually

1. Enter the music in the usual way (all on one staff).
2. Click the Note Mover Tool  . The Note Mover menu appears.
3. Choose Note Mover > Cross Staff.
4. Click the measure containing the notes in question. A handle appears on each note.
5. Select the notes to be moved. You can select a single note by clicking its handle, additional notes by SHIFT-clicking their handles, and a group of notes by drag-enclosing them. When selected, the handles become highlighted.

6. Drag any selected handle to the desired target staff. As you drag the single handle, all selected handles move simultaneously. You don’t need to drag the handles to any particular pitch on the new staff—simply release the mouse button when the cursor is directly on the target staff, and you’ll find that the notes have now moved to the new staff. Their beams and stems, however, still originate in the source staff.

If you have a relatively simple cross-staff notation, you’re done. If you need the beam in the middle, continue with the instructions below.

7. Click the Special Tools Tool  , and click the measure in question.
8. Click the Reverse Stem Tool . A handle appears above and below each note or chord.
9. Click the upper handle (for an upstem note), or the lower handle (for a downstem note). Finale responds by attaching the stem to the opposite side of the notehead. For notes you want above the beam, click on the upper handle. For notes you want below the beam, click on the lower handle.

10. Click the Beam Angle Tool  . A handle appears at the beginning and the end of the beam.
11. Drag the left handle down to move it to the position you want.Drag the right handle up or down to change the beam angle. To restore the beam to its default angle and height, click the handle you used to change the position of the beam and press DELETE.

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