Measure numbers
Measure numbers are defined as measure number regions in the Measure Number dialog box. Each measure number region can be defined to display measure numbers in one (or more) of three ways:
- At the beginning of each staff system (Show Measure Numbers at Start of Staff System)
- At a specific measure interval (Show Every __ Measures Beginning with Measure __)
- As a measure range for multimeasure rests (Show on Multimeasure Rests)
Each of these options are available for each region in the Measure Number dialog box. Each can be set to its own font and positioning settings, and are designed to automatically resolve any conflicts that can occur. For example, if a measure number is defined to appear on every fifth measure (Show Every _ Measures Beginning with Measure _), and the fifth measure happens to start a new staff system (and Show Measure Numbers at Start of Staff System is also checked), Finale defers to the "Start of Staff System" option and uses its font and positioning settings (which allow it to be positioned differently—to the left of the staff). Furthermore, if this is a linked part, a multimeasure rest happens to begin on the fifth measure, and Show on Multimeasure Rests is checked, Finale displays the font, positioning, and bracket settings for measure numbers on multimeasure rests. In this way, all three of the above cases can be selected and defined in the Measure Numbers dialog box, and Finale applies them properly to the score.
Measure number settings can only conflict with each other if an enclosure is defined for either Show Measure Numbers at Start of Staff System or Show Every _ Measures Beginning with Measure _, Show On Multimeasure Rests is checked, and the number is defined to appear on a measure beginning a multimeasure rest. In this case, Finale displays both the enclosed measure number and the multimeasure rest number/number range. To hide one or the other, right/CONTROL-click the measure number's handle and choose Always Hide Number.
Note that in addition to the options for a single region, you can also create different regions of measure numbers in your piece, each with its own font, positioning, and numbering scheme.
If you want measure numbers to occur only at specific places in the score to serve as rehearsal letters or numbers, see Rehearsal letters. For information regarding measure numbers in scores with linked parts, see Measure numbers in linked parts.
To create measure numbers
- Choose the Measure tool
and select Measure > Edit Measure Number Regions. The Measure Number dialog box appears.
- If there is no measure number region already defined, click Add.
- Enter the measures to include for this region.
The Include Measure and Through text boxes are the actual measures in the piece; they have nothing to do with what you’re going to call them. For example, if the piece begins with a pickup measure, you’ll probably want what is actually measure 2 to be numbered as measure 1; if so, type 2 into the first text box. If you simply want to number every measure sequentially (a single region), type 1 into the first text box and 1000 (or any number larger than your actual measure count) in the second text box. If you want to define a region to number only part of the piece, the Through measure is the last measure to be numbered.
- In the Starting Number text box, enter the number you want to start your region numbering with.
If you want to use letters, type in a number corresponding to its place in the alphabet.
- Select the style of measure numbers (numeric, alphabetic, etc.) from the Style popup menu.
- If you want each measure number to be prefixed, enter the Prefix number or letter.
If you entered the letter A in the Prefix text box for a region with numbered measures, for example, you’d create a sequence of measures labeled A15, A16, A17, and so on. On the other hand, if you entered the number 21 in the Prefix text box for a region with lettered measures, you’d create a sequence of measures labeled 21a, 21b, 21c, and so on.
- Click Set Font to choose a font and style for this region, and click OK (or press RETURN).
- Click Position. The Position Measure Number dialog box appears, displaying a symbolic measure number.
- If you want an enclosure around each measure number, select an enclosure from the popup menu.
If you don’t see one you like, click Edit Enclosure and the Enclosure Designer dialog box appears.
- Drag anywhere in the graphic box to position the measure number relative to the measure. Click OK (or press RETURN). You return to the Measure Number dialog box, where you can make various other settings.
- Specify the incidence of the numbers.
- Select Show Measure Number at Start of Staff System to display a measure number only at the beginning of a new system.
- Select Show on every __ measures beginning with measure __ to specify how often a number appears and where it should start from (with 1 being the first measure of the region). Multiple of 1 would number every measure in the region.
- Specify other options:
- If you want a range of measure numbers on multimeasure rests, select Show Measure Ranges on Multimeasure Rests.
- If you want the range to always appear, also select Show on Multimeasure Rests.
- If you want a bracket around the range, enter the bracket in the Left and Right boxes.
- To set up the parameters for another region, click Add. To remove a region, click Delete.
- Click OK (or press RETURN). The numbers appear in the specified staves on the specified measures. Each number has a handle.
To remove measure numbers from a single staff
Noteman says: You can also remove measure numbers with the Selection tool. Click a measure number handle and press DELETE (or right/CONTROL-click and choose Delete).
- Choose the Staff tool
, and double-click the staff whose numbers you want to “turn off.” The Staff Attributes dialog box appears.
- In the Items to Display section, click Measure Numbers to deselect it. Click OK (or press RETURN).
Note that the Always Show on Top/Bottom Staff option in the Measure Number dialog box will override this setting.
To move a single measure number
- Choose the Measure tool . A handle appears on each measure number in the score.
- Adjust the measure number:
- Drag a number by its handle to reposition it.
- Select a handle and press the arrow keys to nudge a measure number for fine positioning.
- To restore a measure number to its original positioning, click its handle and press CLEAR.
- To remove the measure number, press DELETE.
To add measure numbers to an existing region
- Choose the Measure tool . Select the region containing the measures where you want to add measure numbers.
-
OPTION+click a measure which is part of a region, but is not currently displaying a number. To add a measure number to the entire system, OPTION+SHIFT-click. To remove a forced measure number, click its handle and press DELETE.
To reshape or remove a measure number’s enclosure
The Measure Number dialog box offers two ways of creating enclosures around measure numbers. If you select an Enclosure and then click Every Number, Finale places an enclosure around every number in the region. If you select an Enclosure and then click Selected Numbers in the Measure Number dialog box, you add enclosures to one number at a time in the score, by double-clicking its handle and then clicking OK. You can both resize and remove an individual enclosure of this type.
- Choose the Measure tool . Double-click the handle of an enclosed measure number. The Enclosure Designer dialog box appears, letting you reshape the enclosure and reposition the number within it.
- If you want to remove the enclosure, select None for the enclosure shape and click OK. You return to the document (provided that the enclosure isn’t an Every Number type).
- If you want to modify the enclosure, drag the top and side handles to change its height and width. Drag the number’s handle to reposition the number within the enclosure.
- Change the line thickness, if desired.
The units are whatever you've selected under Finale 2014 > Measurement Units.
- Click OK.
