Word Extensions dialog box

How to get there

  1. Choose Document > Document Options and select Lyrics. The Document Options - Lyrics dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Word Extensions button.

What it does

Noteman says: If you find that your selected measurement unit is too large or small to work with, you can override your global choice by including the units or abbreviation when entering values. Or, you can set the default measurement units used in this dialog box by choosing Edit > Measurement Units and selecting the desired units.

In this dialog box, you can adjust the behavior of ClosedSmart Word ExtensionsA red underline that is used to indicate that a syllable is being sustained through more than one note. In Finale, word extensions expand and contract along with the music as you enter additional lyrics and modify the page layout. and well as their visual appearance.

  • Use Smart Word Extensions. Use this checkbox to enable extensions that appear as lyrics are entered in the score and can be modified using the options in this dialog box. When this option is unchecked, word extensions act as they did in Finale 2003 and earlier.
  • Only create on lyrics with underscores (_). Check this option to define word extensions on certain lyrics only and then enter an underscore (_) after typing a syllable to specify a word extension on that syllable. When this option is unchecked, Finale creates word extensions when appropriate as lyrics are being entered.
  • Minimum Length. Use this field to specify the minimum length for word extensions. Finale does not create a word extension in the score if there is not enough space between lyrics to accommodate the length entered here.
  • System Break Alignment: System Start • System End. Enter values in these fields to adjust the alignment of a word extension that extends over a system with its start and end.
  • Align to notehead: Plain Notehead • Dotted Notehead. Enter a value for Plain Notehead to specify the distance between a non-dotted note and the word extension’s endpoint. Enter a value for Dotted Notehead to specify the distance between a dotted note and the word extension’s endpoint.
  • Stretch to note duration • Offset. Choose this option to extend word extensions for the duration of the note. Enter a value for Offset to adjust the extension’s endpoint relative to the endpoint of the note duration.
  • Lyric Alignment: Vertical Offset from Baseline • Horizontal Offset from Syllable. Use these fields to adjust the vertical and horizontal distances between the baseline of the lyrics and the word extension.
  • Line Thickness. Use this option to set the line thickness for word extensions in your score.
  • OK • Cancel. Click OK (or press ENTER) to confirm, or Cancel to discard, the changes you’ve made and return to Document Options - Lyrics dialog box.

See also:

Lyrics

Figured bass

Harmonic analysis