Hiding notes and rests

A hidden note or rest in Finale may still takes up horizontal space, but it doesn’t play back or print out. Hiding a rest is an excellent way to provide a placeholder in order for a second voice to enter in the middle of a measure. Hiding a note or rest will not hide lyrics and chords assigned to the entry. It will hide other items attached to a note or rest such as articulations or expressions. See Notes and Rests (Hide) Plug-in, Notes and Rests (Show) Plug-in. See also Document Options - Music Spacing for spacing hidden notes.

To hide a note or rest (Simple Entry)

  1. Choose the Simple Entry tool icon, and CTRL+ click the note you would like to hide. Or, simply make sure the note you would like to hide is selected (notes are automatically selected immediately after entry).
  2. Press the letter H key. To show the note or rest again, press H again.

To hide a note or rest (Speedy Entry)

  1. Choose the Speedy Entry tool icon, and click the measure in question. The editing frame appears.
  2. Click the desired note or rest. The pitch crossbar doesn’t have to be on the notehead.
  3. Press the letter O or H key. To show the note or rest again, press O or H again.

To toggle the display of hidden notes and rests

This method will show or hide entries hidden with Simple or Speedy Entry’s Show/Hide Entry command or hidden with the alternate notation style Blank Notation.

  • Choose View > Show > Hidden Notes and Rests. Any hidden notes and rests are either hidden from the score or shown in a shade of gray on the screen, with a different hue for each layer corresponding to each layer’s display color.