Ties

Graphically, there isn't a large difference between ties and slurs, but musically and functionally in Finale there is. A tie connects two notes to hold a pitch for the duration of both notes, while a slur phrases two notes together (sometimes on different pitches, but always re-struck).

Finale uses three available tie spans—short, medium, and long—whose lengths you can separately define to best suit your document. Other global settings for each tie span allow you to tailor their overall appearance and placement in the score. You can further position and shape ties in the score individually.

Adding and deleting ties

To add or remove a tie (Simple Entry)

Choose the Simple Entry tool . The Simple Entry Palette appears.
Double-click the Tie Tool on the Simple Entry Palette and click the first note to be tied (or, if the first note is selected, press T; if the second note is selected, press SHIFT+T). A tie appears.
If you click the stem of a chord, a tie appears on every note in the chord; if you click a single notehead, only that note receives the tie.
Remove a tie by clicking the note or chord again.

To add or remove a tie (Speedy Entry)

Choose the Speedy Entry tool and click a measure. The editing frame appears.
Click to position the cursor on the first note of the tied pair, or press the arrow keys to move the cursor.
If you are adding a tie to a single note of a chord, use the UP or DOWN ARROW to position the crossbar squarely on the notehead; to tie every note in a chord, position the crossbar on any line or space not containing a notehead.
Press = or T to add a tie. A tie appears.
If the insertion point bar was on a line or space not containing a notehead, a tie appears on every note in the chord; if the crossbar was on a single notehead, only that note receives the tie.
Remove the tie by pressing = or T again.

To add a tie to the previous note (Speedy Entry)

Choose the Speedy Entry tool and click a measure. The editing frame appears.
Click the note where the tie end will appear. You can also press the arrow keys to position the cursor.
If only a single note of a chord is to be tied, use the UP or DOWN ARROW to position the crossbar squarely on its notehead; to add a tie end to every note in the chord, position the crossbar on any line or space not containing a notehead.
Press CTRL+= or SHIFT+T. A tie going to the previous note or chord appears.
If the insertion point bar was on a chord stem, a tie appears on every note in the chord; if the crossbar was on a single notehead, only that note receives the tie.
Remove a tie by pressing the CTRL+= sign key again.

Changing tie direction

To change the direction of a tie (Simple Entry)

Choose the Simple Entry tool and CTRL-click on the first note of the tie.
Press CTRL+F to reverse the direction of the tie, or press CTRL+SHIFT+F to have Finale automatically set the tie’s direction based on the position of the tied notes on the staff.

To change the direction of a tie (Speedy Entry)

Choose the Speedy Entry tool and click the measure containing the tie. Click on the first note of the tie.
Choose the behavior for the tie's direction in the Speedy Entry > Tie Direction submenu:
- Choose Flip (or press CTRL+F) to reverse the direction of the tie.
- Choose Automatic (or press CTRL+SHIFT+F) to have Finale automatically set the tie’s direction based on the position of the tied notes on the staff.
- Choose Over to always place the tie above the notes.
- Choose Under to always place the tie below the notes.

To change the direction of a tie (Special Tools)

Choose Window > Advanced Tools Palette. Choose the Special Tools tool and click the measure containing a tie to adjust.
Choose the Tie Tool . Three handles appear on each tie in the measure.
Select a handle of the tie whose direction you are changing.
Choose the behavior for the tie's direction in the Special Tools > Tie Direction submenu:
- Choose Flip (or press CTRL+F) to reverse the direction of the tie.
- Choose Automatic (or press CTRL+SHIFT+F) to have Finale automatically set the tie’s direction based on the position of the tied notes on the staff.
- Choose Over to always place the tie above the notes.
- Choose Under to always place the tie below the notes.

To adjust the direction of ties on chords globally

Choose Document > Document Options and select Ties. The Document Options - Ties dialog box appears.
Choose an option from the Chords dropdown menu to set the direction of ties on the inside notes of chords (the top and bottom ties always curve in opposite directions):
- Choose Stem Reversal to set tie direction based on the position of the tied notes above or below the stem reversal point (set in the Staff Setup dialog box).
- Choose Split Evenly to divide ties evenly over and under the notes.
Outside-Inside (Finale 3.7) is provided only to display the setting in a document saved in a previous version of Finale.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

To adjust the direction of ties on opposing seconds globally

This setting is mainly for chords which have more than 3 notes. If there are only 2 notes which are an interval of a second apart (and no other layers are present) ties on seconds will still be opposing.

Choose Document > Document Options and select Ties. The Document Options - Ties dialog box appears.
Select Opposing Seconds to allow ties to flip in opposite directions for opposing seconds, or deselect it to ignore opposing seconds for tie direction.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

To adjust the direction of ties with mixed stems globally

Choose Document > Document Options and select Ties. The Document Options - Ties dialog box appears.
Choose an option from the Mixed Stems dropdown menu to set the direction of ties on the inside notes of chords:
- Choose Over to curve the tie above the notes.
- Choose Under to curve the tie below the notes.
- Choose Opposite First Stem to set the tie over or under depending on the direction of the stem of the first note in the tie.
The outermost ties always curve in opposite directions.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

To adjust the direction of ties in a region

Choose the Selection tool and select a region of music. See Selecting music for more details.
Choose Utilities > Change > Ties. The Change Ties dialog box appears.
Select Tie Direction and choose the option you wish to change for the selected region:
- Choose Automatic to have Finale automatically set the tie’s direction.
- Choose Over to keep the tie above the tied notes.
- Choose Under to keep the tie below the tied notes.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

Adjusting tie shape and placement

To change an individual tie’s shape and placement by dragging it on the score

Choose Window > Advanced Tools Palette. Choose the Special Tools tool and click the measure containing a tie to adjust.
Choose the Tie Tool . Three handles appear on each tie in the measure.
Use the mouse to drag any of the handles, adjusting the tie’s start and end position, height and inset until it is positioned to your liking. Double-click the middle handle and two handles appear allowing you to change the inset for the left and right side of the tie arc.
To remove any positioning, select a handle and type BACKSPACE or SHIFT+DELETE.

To adjust placement of ties globally

Choose Document > Document Options and select Ties. The Document Options - Ties dialog box appears.

Noteman says: The units used for all values in this dialog box are whatever you've selected under Edit > Measurement Units.

Under Placement, select the type of tie for which you would like to adjust the placement settings from the dropdown menu:
When you are adjusting these settings remember that the notes tied together may not use the same choice from the dropdown menu. For example, ties with mixed stems may use different outer placement settings. To have "outer" placement settings take effect, Use Outer Placement must be selected.
Under Start, set the horizontal and vertical starting position for the selected type of tie in the text boxes:
- Next to Horizontal, enter a number into the text box to specify the tie’s starting position horizontally from the inside edge of the first tied note. A larger number moves the tie to the right; a smaller number (including negative numbers) moves it to the left.
- Next to Vertical, enter a number into the text box to specify the tie’s starting position vertically from the inside edge of the first tied note. Type a larger number to move the tie up, a smaller number (including negative numbers) to move it down.
Under End, set the horizontal and vertical ending position for the selected type of tie in the text boxes:
- Next to Horizontal, enter a number into the text box to specify the tie’s ending position horizontally from the inside edge of the second tied note. A larger number moves the tie to the right; a smaller number (including negative numbers) moves it to the left.
- Next to Vertical, enter a number into the text box to specify the tie’s ending position vertically from the inside edge of the second tied note. Type a larger number to move the tie up, a smaller number (including negative numbers) to move it down.
Under Tie System Breaks, set the distances for ties that occur at the beginning or end of a system:
- Next to System Start Adjustment, enter a number into the text box to specify the tie’s distance from the start of the new system. Type a larger number to move the tie to the right; type a smaller number (including negative numbers) to move the tie to the left.
- Next to System End Adjustment , enter a number into the text box to specify the tie’s distance from the end of the system. Type a larger number to move the tie to the right; type a smaller number (including negative numbers) to move the tie to the left.
As needed, repeat steps 2-5 for other types of ties.
Click OK to save all of your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box and discard any changes.

To adjust the placement of an individual tie

Choose Window > Advanced Tools Palette. Choose the Special Tools tool and click the measure containing a tie to adjust.
Choose the Tie Tool . Three handles appear on each tie in the measure.
Double-click the left or right handle of the tie. The Tie Alterations dialog box appears, providing options for adjusting the tie under Tie Placement.

Noteman says: The units used for all values in this dialog box are whatever you've selected under Edit > Measurement Units.

Under Start, set the horizontal and vertical starting position for the selected type of tie in the text boxes:
- Next to H, enter a number into the text box to specify the tie’s starting position horizontally from the inside edge of the first tied note. A larger number moves the tie to the right; a smaller number (including negative numbers) moves it to the left.
- Next to V, enter a number into the text box to specify the tie’s starting position vertically from the inside edge of the first tied note. Type a larger number to move the tie up, a smaller number (including negative numbers) to move it down.
Under End, set the horizontal and vertical ending position for the selected type of tie in the text boxes:
- Next to H, enter a number into the text box to specify the tie’s ending position horizontally from the inside edge of the second tied note. A larger number moves the tie to the right; a smaller number (including negative numbers) moves it to the left.
- Next to V, enter a number into the text box to specify the tie’s ending position vertically from the inside edge of the second tied note. Type a larger number to move the tie up, a smaller number (including negative numbers) to move it down.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

To adjust the shape and thickness of ties globally

Choose Document > Document Options and select Ties. The Document Options - Ties dialog box appears.
Click the Tie Contour button. The Tie Contour dialog box appears.

Noteman says: The units used for all values in this dialog box other than Inset Percent are whatever you've selected under Edit > Measurement Units.

Under Span, enter a number into the Short, Medium, or Long text boxes.
Choose an Inset Style:
- Select Percent to specify Inset as a percentage of the tie’s length.
- Select Fixed to specify Inset as an unchanging amount for all tie spans, regardless of a tie’s length. This has been provided for compatibility.
Under Tie Thickness, set the thickness of the Left and Right sides of the arc for all ties.
The larger the number, the thicker the arc.
Select the tie length style whose settings you want to adjust from the Style dropdown menu.
To change the height of the left and right sides of the arc of the selected tie style, enter values into the Height text boxes under Left and Right, respectively. A larger number increases the height of the arc; a smaller number decreases it.
The Height setting is actually the height of a control point, an imaginary point that Finale uses to calculate the arc’s curve. Finale draws the actual height of the arc a little less than the value you specify for Height.
Specify the rounded shape of the left and right endpoints of the selected tie style by entering values in Left and Right text boxes next to Inset Percent or Inset Fixed.
- If you selected Percent as the Inset Style in step 4, enter values next to Inset Percent as percentages of the tie length for each span. Increase the percentage to flatten the tie ends; use a smaller percentage to make the ends more hooked.
- If you selected Fixed as the Inset Style in step 4, enter values next to Inset Fixed that appears for all spans. A larger number flattens to tie ends; a smaller number hooks the ends.
Repeat steps 6-8 for other tie length styles.
Under Contour Options, tell Finale how to determine the height of ties that fall between the specified short and medium, or medium and long spans:
- Choose Interpolate height between short and long span to automatically calculate a proportional height based on the defined Span and Height settings.
- Choose Use medium height between short and long span to always use the Medium Height setting for ties whose lengths fall between the specified spans.
To avoid staff lines, select Avoid Staff Lines By. Enter a different number if you want to change the default of 8 EVPUs.
12 EVPUs is equivalent to centering the tie between staff lines. The only viable range for this text box is 2-12 EVPUs.
Click OK to save your changes and return to the Tie Options. Click Cancel to return to the Tie Options without making any changes.

To adjust the shape of an individual tie

Choose Window > Advanced Tools Palette. Choose the Special Tools tool and click the measure containing a tie to adjust.
Choose the Tie Tool . Three handles appear on each tie in the measure.
Double-click the starting or ending handle of the tie. The Tie Alterations dialog box appears.
To change the height of the left and right sides of the arc of the selected tie, enter values into the Height text boxes under Left and Right, respectively. A larger number increases the height of the arc; a smaller number decreases it.
The Height setting is actually the height of a control point, an imaginary point that Finale uses to calculate the arc’s curve. Finale draws the actual height of the arc a little less than the value you specify for Height.
Specify the rounded shape of the left and right endpoints of the selected tie by entering values in Left and Right text boxes next to Inset.
Enter values as percentages of the tie length for each span. Increase the percentage to flatten the tie ends; use a smaller percentage to make the ends more hooked.
To avoid staff lines, select Avoid Staff Lines. Finale uses the corresponding global setting in the Document Options - Ties dialog box to position the arcs of ties in the region.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

To use outer placement setting for outer ties on chords and single tied notes globally

Choose Document > Document Options and select Ties. The Document Options - Ties dialog box appears.
Under Placement, select Use Outer Placement.
Click OK.

To change the outer placement setting for an individual tie

Choose Window > Advanced Tools Palette. Choose the Special Tools tool and click the measure containing the tied chord.
Choose the Tie Tool . Three handles appear on each tie in the measure.
Double-click the starting or ending tie handle. The Tie Alterations dialog box appears.
Select an option from the Outer Placement dropdown menu.
Click OK.

To avoid staff lines with ties over a region

Choose the Selection tool and select a region of music. See Selecting music for more details.
Choose Utilities > Change > Ties. The Change Ties dialog box appears.
Select Avoid Staff Lines. Finale uses the corresponding global setting in the Document Options - Ties dialog box to position the arcs of ties in the region.
Click OK.

To adjust ties for augmentation dots

Choose Document > Document Options and select Ties. The Document Options - Ties dialog box appears.
Select Start After Single Dot to start ties after notes with a single dot.
Select Start After Multiple Dots to start ties after notes with more than one dot.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

To shift ties for intervals of a second

Choose Document > Document Options and select Ties. The Document Options - Ties dialog box appears.
Select Shift For Seconds to have all the ties on chords shift in for the interval of a second.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

To avoid accidentals for single ties

Choose Document > Document Options and select Ties. The Document Options - Ties dialog box appears.
Click End Before Single Accidental to have single ties avoid accidentals.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

To remove manual positioning of ties over a region

Choose the Selection tool and select a region of music. See Selecting music for more details.
Choose Utilities > Change > Ties. The Change Ties dialog box appears.
Select Remove Manual Positioning. This will remove any individual position of ties in the selected region and return the settings to match the global settings in the Document Options - Ties dialog box.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

To set a minimum space between tied notes

Choose Document > Document Options and select Music Spacing. The Document Options - Music Spacing dialog box appears.
Enter a value into the Minimum Distance Between Notes With Ties text box to set a minimum distance to leave between tied notes. Enter zero if you do not want any minimum spacing limit applied.
The units are whatever you've selected under Edit > Measurement Units.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

Breaking ties at time and key signatures

To break ties at time and key signature changes globally

Choose Document > Document Options and select Ties. The Document Options - Ties dialog box appears.
Under Break for Signatures, enter values next to Time and Key to change distances from time signatures and key signatures, respectively:
- Enter numbers under Left Gap to specify the tie’s distance from the appropriate signature. Type a smaller number to move the tie to the left, away from the signature; type a larger number to move the tie to the right, closer to the signature.
- Enter numbers under Right Gap to specify the tie’s distance forward from the appropriate signature. Type a larger number to move the tie to the right, away from the signature; type a smaller number to move the tie to the left, closer to the signature.
The units are whatever you've selected under Edit > Measurement Units.
Click OK to confirm your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

To break ties at time or key signature changes in a region

Choose the Selection tool and select a region of music. See Selecting music for more details.
Choose Utilities > Change > Ties. The Change Ties dialog box appears.
Select an option from the Break for Time Signature or Break for Key Signature dropdown menus:
- Choose On to always break ties in the region at a time or key signature change, regardless of the corresponding global setting in the Document Options - Ties dialog box.
- Choose Off to never break at key or time signatures.
- Choose Default to use the global setting in the Tie options.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.

To break an individual tie at a time or key signature change

Choose Window > Advanced Tools Palette. Choose the Special Tools tool and click the measure containing a tie you want to edit.
Choose the Tie Tool . Three handles appear on each tie in the measure.
Double-click the starting or ending handle of the tie you want to edit. The Tie Alterations dialog box appears.
Select an option from the Break for Time Signature or Break for Key Signature dropdown menus:
- Choose On to break the tie at a time or key signature change, regardless of the corresponding global setting in the Document Options - Ties dialog box.
- Choose Off to never break at key or time signatures.
- Choose Default to use the global setting in the Tie options.
Click OK to save your changes. Click Cancel to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes.