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Document Options-Beams dialog box

How to get there

Choose Document > Document Options and select Beams.

What it does

This dialog box allows you to customize the beaming for your document. You can set the degree of flat beams by using the Beaming Style setting. Specify how you prefer your eighth notes beamed in common time. Improve the look of beams over rests, and disallow beams to cross the space in a staff. To select the default measurement units, click on the Edit menu, then Measurement Units, then select the desired units.

Beaming Style: Base Slant on End Notes Only. With this option, Finale will draw beams at the angle created between the first note in the beam group and the last not in the beam group. This is also the beam angle style used previous to Finale 2000.
Beaming Style: Flatten Beams Based On Standard Note. Using this option the beam angle will be determined by the note which is closest to the center staff line—the Standard Note. Where there are two notes equidistant from the center staff line, the note closest to the beam will be used as the Standard Note. If this note is on the outside of the beam group, the beam is angled, otherwise the beam is flattened. If there are two Standard Notes in the beam group the beam angle is flat.
Beaming Style: Flatten Beams Based On Extreme Note. Using this option the beam angle will be determined by the note which is closest to the beam—the Extreme Note. If this note is on the outside of the beam group, the beam is angled, otherwise the beam is flattened.
Beaming Style: Flatten All Beams. In standard notation, beams on eighth notes (and smaller values) slant at an angle corresponding to the melodic contour of the notes they connect. You may prefer nonslanting, horizontal beams—for example, to minimize the jaggedness of beams in lower resolution situations. Select this option if you want only horizontal beams.
Beam Four Eighth Notes Together in Common Time. Deselect this option to have eighth notes beamed in groups of 2 when in common time. Otherwise, Finale will beam eighth notes in groups of four when in common time.
Include Rests when Beaming in Group of Four. Select this option to include any rests between eighth notes when the above option is selected.
Beam Three Eighth Notes Together Before An Eighth Rest. Select this option to beam three eighth notes together as opposed to two when there is a rest in the first or last position of the group of 4 eighth notes.
Allow Primary Beam Within a Space. Select this option to allow beams to cross over spaces in the staff.
Allow Rests to Float. Select this option to allow rests to move away from beams.
Extend Beams Over Rests. Select this option if you want Finale to extend primary beams over rests on the outside of a beam group. Even when this option is off, you can use Speedy Entry to create single, broken beams; just press the slash key to extend the beam over the rest to the left of the flagged note.
Extend Secondary Beams Over Rests. Select this option to extend sixteenth and smaller beams over rests on the outside of a beam group.
Display Half-Stems for Beamed Rests. If you’ve turned on Extend Beams Over Edge Rests in Beaming Options, you may also wish to select this option, which places a half-stem, or stem stub, for each rest that’s bridged by a beam.

Beam Thickness. Change the thickness of beams globally using this text box.
Broken Beam Length. Enter a value for the length of all broken beams in the score. To change the direction of a broken beam use the Special Tools Broken Beam Tool.
Secondary Beam Separation. The number in this text box specifies the vertical distance between beams. For example, it sets the distance between the eighth and sixteenth note beams.
Max Slope. This number specifies the maximum vertical distance between the high and low ends of any beam, measured vertically in the currently selected measurement units.
Max Distance from Middle Staff Line. This setting pertains to the stem length of notes that are very far above or below the staff. In essence, the number in this text box specifies the maximum distance the endpoint of any beam may be from the middle staff line, based on its attachment to the note farthest from the middle staff line in the currently selected measurement units.

The Maximum Distance from Middle Staff Line setting specifies the maximum distance a beam may be from the middle line of the staff. It’s calculated based on the note that’s farthest from the middle line.

There are a number of variables governing the angle of beams and the length of stem lines (such as Max Slope). Therefore, if you change the default value for this parameter, you may not see any immediate changes in the score.