Articulation Selection dialog box

How to get there

  1. Choose the Articulation tool .
  2. Click on, above, or below any note. (If the note already has an articulation, you will need to double-click the note) Or, in Simple Entry, select a note, press OPTION+SHIFT+A.
  3. Click Select. Also, to program a Metatool, press a letter or number key while pressing SHIFT.

What it does

An articulation is a one-character marking that affects only a single note (an accent, staccato, or fermata, for example). You can select, edit, delete, or create articulations in this dialog box. The number in the top left corner of each item lists the slot number for the item. This can be handy if you have the option of typing in the slot number in a dialog box instead of scrolling through the selection dialog box. Occasionally, a character in parenthesis appears in the top right corner of an item in the selection dialog box. This character indicates the MetatoolA Finale keyboard shortcut that lets you enter markings very quickly. Up to 36 Metatools can be programmed for the following items: Articulations, Chord Symbols, Expressions, Key Signatures, Time Signatures, Selection, Repeats, and Tuplets. The name for these shortcuts gave rise to the old chestnut, "I never metatool I didn't like." assigned to the item.

  • Edit. After selecting an existing articulation by clicking it, click Edit to enter the Articulation Designer dialog box. You can change any aspect of the articulation selected, however, keep in mind that when you edit an articulation, your editing affects every occurrence of it in the score.
  • Create. Click Create to enter the Articulation Designer dialog box, where you can design a new articulation. See Articulation Designer dialog box.
  • Duplicate. Click Duplicate to create a copy of the selected shape to modify. You can select more than one item. Use SHIFT-click to select an additional item and include all the items in between. Use COMMAND-click to select only a specific additional item in the list.
  • Delete. After selecting an existing articulation by clicking it, click Delete to remove it from the Articulation Selection dialog box. You can select more than one item. Use SHIFT-click to select an additional item and include all the items in between. Use COMMAND-click to select only a specific additional item in the list. If the expression is used in the score, the Delete Element dialog box is displayed, where you can specify delete options. See Delete Element dialog box.
  • Move Up • Move Down. Click these buttons to move the selected item or items up or down in the list. You can select more than one item. Use SHIFT-click to select an additional item and include all the items in between. Use COMMAND-click to select only a specific additional item in the list.
  • [Magnifying glass icons]. Use the magnifying glass icons to zoom in and out. Click and drag the lower right corner of the dialog box and drag to resize it.
  • Select • Cancel. After clicking the symbol you want to apply to the note, click Select. You return to the score, and the marking is attached to the note. Click Cancel to return to the score without placing an articulation in the score.

    Instead of using the Select button, you can simply double-click the desired marking. (In fact, you can avoid this dialog box completely by using Articulation MetatoolsA Finale keyboard shortcut that lets you enter markings very quickly. Up to 36 Metatools can be programmed for the following items: Articulations, Chord Symbols, Expressions, Key Signatures, Time Signatures, Selection, Repeats, and Tuplets. The name for these shortcuts gave rise to the old chestnut, "I never metatool I didn't like.".

Tip: To attach the same articulation to many notes at once, use Apply Articulation

See also:

Articulations

Articulation Designer dialog box

Articulation Tool

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