Downbeats and backbeats

Downbeats

You can control both aspects of Finale’s handling of downbeats: graphic and playback. For example, you might decide that one or all of the downbeats in your piece occur too close to the beginning of the measure. If you’re using Finale for playback, you can alter the velocity and durational values for some, or all, downbeats by using the MIDI tool.

To move a single downbeat graphically

See Beat positions—To move a beat.

To move all downbeats graphically

  1. Choose Document > Document Options and select Notes and Rests. The Document Options - Notes and Rests dialog box appears.
  2. Enter a new value in the Spacing Before Music field.

    The number you type here represents the distance between the measure header (clef, key, meter) and the first note or rest in the measure. By increasing the number, you can allow more space before every downbeat in the piece.

  3. Click OK.

To alter the key velocity of downbeats

  1. Choose the MIDI tool icon, and choose MIDI Tool > Edit Key Velocities.
  2. Select the region to be affected. Drag-enclose to select measures, click to the left of the staff to select the entire staff, or choose Edit > Select All.
  3. Choose MIDI Tool > Alter Feel. The Alter Feel dialog box appears.
  4. Enter the desired amount of key velocity alteration (a positive or negative number) in the Downbeats By text box.

    The range of MIDI key velocity is 0 to 127, so the number you enter here, when added to the existing velocity values of the notes, can’t exceed 127. (If you like, click Percent of Original, and type a percentage value into the Downbeats By text box.)

To alter the attack points of downbeats

  1. Choose the MIDI tool icon, and choose MIDI Tool > Edit Note Durations.
  2. Select the region you want to affect.
  3. Choose MIDI Tool > Alter Feel. The Alter Feel dialog box appears.
  4. Enter the desired amount of Start/Stop Time alteration (a positive or negative number) in the Downbeats By text box.

    The number you enter into the Downbeats By text box is the number of 1024ths of a quarter note by which Finale shifts the Start Time of each downbeat. In other words, Finale moves the audible location of each downbeat’s attack forward or backward in time, depending on the number you enter here.

Backbeats

example

In Finale, a backbeat is the second half of the beat (in duple meters); thus the second eighth note of every beat in 2/4 or 4/4 time (or the second quarter note in 2/2 time) is the backbeat. In triple meters, the last two thirds of the beat are the backbeats. In both cases, “beat” is determined by the durational value of the denominator in the Time Signature dialog box. The backbeats of a 3/4 meter could either be the second eighth note of each beat (if you represented the meter with three quarter notes in the Time Signature dialog box) or the second and third quarter notes of the measure (if you represented the meter as a dotted half note in the Time Signature dialog box). See Time signatures for more information on defining meters.

You can use the MIDI tool to affect only the backbeats of a piece. You might, for example, boost the velocity of the backbeats to give the music a rockier sound. If you’re preparing a Strauss waltz for playback, you could delay the attacks of the backbeats for a slightly more Viennese feeling.

A downbeat is the first beat of the measure. A backbeat is the second half of the beat (or, in a triple meter, the second and third of the beat). An Other beat is any other beat, where a “beat” is defined as the lower half of the time signature (a quarter note in the top example, a half note in the next, and a dotted half note in the bottom example).

To alter the key velocity of backbeats

  1. Choose the MIDI tool icon and select the region to be affected. Click to select one measure, SHIFT-click to select additional measures, drag-enclose to select several on-screen measures, click to the left of the staff to select the entire staff, or choose Edit > Select All.

    If you want to edit only one staff (and the desired region fits on one screen), double-click the highlighted region to enter the MIDI Tool dialog box.

  2. From the MIDI tool menu, choose Key Velocities
  3. From the MIDI tool menu , choose Alter Feel. The Alter Feel dialog box appears.
  4. Enter the desired amount of key velocity alteration (a positive or negative number) in the Backbeats By box. The range of MIDI key velocity is 0 to 127, so the number you enter here, when added to the existing velocity values of the notes, will not exceed 127. (If you prefer, you can click the Percent of Original button and type a percentage value into the Backbeats By box.)
  5. Click OK (or press RETURN).