Enharmonic Spelling submenu

How to get there

From the Finale 2012 menu, choose Preferences > Enharmonic Spelling to display the Enharmonic Spelling submenu.

What it does

Four enharmonic spelling methods for notes let you choose to show accidentals in your music primarily as flats (lowered pitches), as sharps (raised pitches), according to Finale’s default spelling, or according to enharmonic spelling tables. Edit the enharmonic spelling tables to customize the spellings for major and minor keys, and for modal and chromatic spellings. The spelling method you choose will be used by entry and retranscription methods, such as Speedy Entry with MIDI, HyperScribe and Transcription Mode, Import MIDI File, Retranscribe commands, and other Utilities, including: Implode Music, Explode Music, and Respell Notes.

To determine how to spell diatonic notes (the unaltered pitches within the scale) entered in your music, Finale always uses the key signature. As an example, if the key signature is G major and you play F sharp, it will always be notated as F sharp automatically, not as G flat. When you chromatically alter a note, Finale will use the selected enharmonic spelling method to determine how to notate it. For instance, in the key of C, the half-step between C and D may be notated as C sharp or D flat depending on your enharmonic spelling selection.

 

Note: As you use Finale’s enharmonic spelling methods, remember that enharmonic spelling applies only to non-diatonic notes (notes that are outside of the scale). Finale uses the key signature to spell notes that are within a scale.

 

You should also note that Finale doesn’t use enharmonic spelling when you enter notes with Simple Entry or Speedy Entry without MIDI. These are the only two note entry methods where you can enter the exact pitch, including any alteration by raising or lowering the pitch).

Enharmonic Spelling is a program option. In other words, the option you choose applies to all open documents you work with until you change it. Finale saves you enharmonic spelling settings with your other preferences in your Finale Preferences file.

 

 

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