All three methods of adding chord symbols automatically depend on Finale’s intelligence in recognizing patterns of notes. Occasionally, you may encounter a dialog box telling you that Finale doesn’t recognize the chord you just played (or the chord it just analyzed).

If you click the I’ll Do It button, Finale displays the Chord Definition dialog box; construct the chord as described in To define and enter a chord symbol manually. At that point, you will be building a learned chord; in other words, Finale will recognize the chord the next time. Read the introduction to this entry for details on learned chords.

If you click Let Finale Do It instead, Finale will construct the correct suffix automatically, displaying the chord symbol on the screen and adding its suffix to its current library of chord suffixes. If you don’t care for Finale’s labeling of a chord (for example, if it calls a chord “Gm7” but you prefer “G–7”), you can edit the chord suffix (see To edit a chord suffix).

If, however, you disagree with Finale’s analysis of a chord (for example, if it calls a chord Am7/C but you prefer C6), remove the chord symbol from the score. Then teach Finale how you’d like the chord to be recognized henceforth (as a learned chord), using the procedure described below in To teach Finale learned chords, and reenter the chord. 

To enter chord symbols automatically

1. Click the Chord tool . The Chord menu appears.
2. Ensure Manual Input is checked under the Chord menu.
3. If you want to add chord symbols to the score by playing them, one by one, on a MIDI keyboard, choose Chord >Allow MIDI Input, and then click a beat in the score. The blinking cursor appears. Play a chord, in any register, on your synthesizer; Finale places the chord symbol into the score, aligned with the baseline (controlled by the four triangles at the left side of the screen). If you don’t play the chord in root position, Finale writes it as a chord-slash-bass note, as in “Am/E.” (You can use this same blinking cursor to type chords into the score. See To type-in chord symbols.)

Note. Press a single note within an octave above Middle C to advance the cursor to the next note/beat. Press a single note within an octave below Middle C to move to the previous note. Play a single note above/below middle C to advance forward/backward by full measures. Play middle C when an existing chord is highlighted to move the cursor up.

4. If you want Finale to analyze a chord notated in the score, choose One-Staff Analysis, Two-Staff Analysis, or All-Staff Analysis from the Chord menu (depending on which notes you want to analyze), and then click the chord. Finale immediately analyzes the chord you clicked, and places the chord symbol into the score. Click again on each note or beat for which you want a chord symbol to appear.

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