Staff Transpositions dialog box

How to get there

In the score: Click the Staff Tool  . Click the staff handle you want to set as a transposing instrument, then choose Edit Staff Attributes from the Staff menu. In the Staff Attributes dialog box, click Transposition, then click Select.

Transcribing a MIDI file: Choose Open from the File menu, and choose MIDI File from the List Files of Type drop-down list. Double-click the name of a MIDI file you want transcribed. In the Import MIDI File dialog box, click the Set Track-to-Staff List radio button. In the Track/Channel Mapping for Staves dialog box, click the topmost unassigned row of track information. Click Transposition.

What it does

You can define any staff in Finale to have any instrument transposition; for example, a trumpet staff can be notated up a whole step, yet Finale will still play back the music at concert pitch. While you’re working on the score, you can view the instrumental staves in either their transposed or concert-pitch forms.

In this dialog box, you can specify one of several common transpositions, or you can create your own. You can also tell Finale that it should use a different clef for this instrument when the staff is displayed in its transposed form. (Finale will use the normal clef you’ve specified as the First Clef for the untransposed staff.)

You can set up a staff to transpose chromatically, moving notes on a staff without changing the key signature. You can also direct Finale not to transpose the staff at all by choosing None from either the Key Signature or Chromatic drop-down list. The Set to Clef option lets you simply click on a graphic display containing all the clef choices to select a clef.

• Key Signature. The Key Signature transposition drop-down list shows the most common transpositions that you might want to use. Make an appropriate selection from the choices. In this list, M = major, m = minor, P = Perfect, and the numbers represent intervals (for example, 6 = sixth). Choose None to deactivate all transposition settings in this dialog box, except Set to Clef. Choose Other if you prefer to make your own transposition settings for less common instruments. If you choose Other, be sure to enter values into the Interval and Key Alter text boxes (see below). Finale will use these and the Set to Clef settings when transposing the staff.

For this instrument…	Choose this transposition
None	Create Set to Clef transposition
A instrument (e.g. A clarinet)	(A) Up m3, Add 3 flats
B flat instrument (e.g. clarinet, trumpet)	(Bb) Up M2, Add 2 sharps
B flat instrument-treble (e.g. tenor sax, bass clarinet)	(Bb) Up M9, Add 2 sharps
D instrument (e.g. trumpet)	(D) Down M2, Add 2 flats
E flat instrument (e.g. E flat clarinet)	(Eb) Down m3, Add 3 sharps
E flat instrument (e.g. alto sax)	(Eb) Up M6, Add 3 sharps
E flat instrument-treble (e.g. baritone sax)	(Eb treble clef) Up M6+Octave, Add 3 sharps
F instrument (e.g. French Horn)	(F) Up P5, Add 1 sharp
G instrument (e.g. alto flute)	(G) Up P4, Add 1 flat
Instrument (e.g. contrabass)	Up Octave
Instrument (e.g. piccolo)	Down Octave
Other	Create your own transposition settings

• Simplify Key. If checked, Finale examines the key produced by a transposition and determines if an enharmonic spelling would result in fewer sharps or flats. For example, a passage in B Major for B flat trumpet, when unchecked, would be notated in C sharp Major (which has 7 sharps). When checked, the passage is notated in D flat Major instead (with 5 flats). This checkbox is checked by default, and can be changed for each staff.
• Interval. Enter a number for the desired degree of diatonic transposition. A positive number notates the part higher than the instrument’s sound, and a negative number makes it lower. A value of zero indicates that no transposition will take place, 1 raises the part one step (an interval of a second), 2 raises it a third, and so on. Negative numbers lower the part. To lower a part one octave, for example, you’d enter -7.
• Key Alter. Use the Key Alter text box to tell Finale how to modify the key signature. A positive number in this text box adds sharps to the key signature (or subtracts flats), and a negative number subtracts sharps (or adds flats).
• Chromatic. The Chromatic transposition drop-down list contains the same options as the Key Signature drop-down list, except for the key change settings. Instead, Finale will show the appropriate accidental on each transposed note without affecting the key signature. Choose None to deactivate all transposition settings in this dialog box, except Set to Clef. Choose Other if you prefer to make your own transposition settings for less common instruments. If you choose Other, the Interval dialog box appears. Finale will use the Interval settings and the Set to Clef settings when transposing the staff.

  For this instrument…	Choose this transposition
  None	Create Set to Clef transposition
  A instrument (e.g. A clarinet)	(A) Up m3
  B flat instrument (e.g. clarinet, trumpet)	(Bb) Up M2
  B flat instrument-treble (e.g. tenor sax, bass clarinet)	(Bb treble clef) Up M9
  D instrument (e.g. trumpet)	(D) Down M2
  E flat instrument (e.g. E flat clarinet)	(Eb) Down m3
  E flat instrument (e.g. alto sax)	(Eb) Up M6
  E flat instrument-treble (e.g. baritone sax)	(Eb treble clef) Up M6+Octave
  F instrument (e.g. French Horn)	(F) Up P5
  G instrument (e.g. alto flute)	(G) Up P4
  Instrument (e.g. piccolo)	Down Octave
  Instrument (e.g. contrabass)	Up Octave
  Other	Create your own transposition settings

• Set to Clef. To change the clef for a transposed staff (such as a treble clef baritone part), select this checkbox, then click the clef that you want displayed for the staff in its transposed form. If you don’t want Finale to use a different clef than the clef specified in the Staff Attributes dialog box, deselect Set to Clef.

Note: When Set to Clef is selected, Finale displays the selected clef regardless of any other clef changes in the staff (unless you have Display Score in Concert Pitch" selected in the Document menu). If you want all clef changes to appear for a staff, make sure that Set to Clef is not selected in this dialog box, then choose the proper clef in the Staff Attributes dialog box.

• OK • Cancel. Click Cancel to return to the Staff Attributes dialog box without changing the transposition settings. Click OK to confirm the transposition settings for the staff and return to the Staff Attributes dialog box. Finale selects the Transposition checkbox.

 

Note: When Set to Clef is selected for a staff, no clef changes will appear on the score. If you want clef changes to appear for the staff, deselect Set to Clef, then specify the Starting Clef in the Staff Attributes dialog box instead.

 

See Also:

Staff Tool

Staff Attributes

Track/Channel Mapping to Staves

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