You are here: Reference > Dialog Boxes > D > Document Options-Time Signatures

Document Options-Time Signatures dialog box

How to get there

Choose Document > Document Options and select Time Signatures.

What it does

You can vertically adjust the abbreviated cut and common time symbols, and you can also separately adjust the top time signature symbol that shows the number of beats and the bottom symbol that shows the duration of the beat. You can easily create enlarged time signatures by choosing a larger point size for the time signature font (in the Select Default Fonts dialog box), then adjusting the placement of the top and bottom symbols within this dialog box. This dialog box also contains the settings for selecting the abbreviated cut and common time symbols, as well as spacing options. Since the appearance of time signatures sometimes differs between the part and score, separate settings are available - one for the score and one for parts.

Abbreviate Common Time to • Abbreviate Cut Time to; Select. These options allow you to select the symbol for Common or Cut Time signatures. Click the checkbox to use the symbols for Cut and Common Time. Click Score to choose a different symbol to use for the score (or just type the keyboard equivalent into the text box). Click Part to choose a different symbol to use for linked parts (or just type the keyboard equivalent into the text box).
Vertical Adjustment: Abbreviated Symbol • Top Symbol • Bottom Symbol. Enter values to change the vertical placement of the abbreviated time signature symbols used for cut and common time, the top symbol that shows the number of beats, and the bottom symbol that shows the duration of the beat. Enter a positive value to raise the symbol. Enter a negative value to lower the symbol. Use the Score column to apply these settings to the score. Use the Parts column to apply these settings to linked parts.
Display Courtesy Time Signature at End of Staff System. If a time signature change occurs at the end of a line (system) of music, it’s traditional to forewarn the musician by displaying the incoming time signature at the rightmost end of the preceding system. If you want this "courtesy" time signature to appear, select the appropriate checkbox here. If not, leave these checkbox unselected, and the new time signature will only appear at the beginning of the new line.
Space Before Time Signature • Space After Time Signature. These numbers determine the amount of space to the left and right of a time signature in the score, respectively. These numbers determine the amount of space to the left and right of a time signature in the document, respectively. Use the Score column to apply these settings to the score. Use the Parts column to apply these settings to linked parts.
Decimal Places for Composite Meters. When you create a composite meter (using the Time Signature tool) that includes a fraction in the upper number, it’s displayed in decimal notation when it appears in the score. This number specifies the maximum number of decimal places you want Finale to use when it expresses these fractional numerators. This number specifies the maximum number of decimal places you want Finale to use when it expresses these fractional numerators.
Composite Time Signature Plus Sign Character; Select. Click this button to open the Symbol Selection dialog box, where you can choose the character for the plus sign in composite time signatures. Choose the font for this character in Document Options-Fonts, under notation. Click Score to choose a different symbol to use for the score (or just type the keyboard equivalent into the text box). Click Part to choose a different symbol to use for linked parts (or just type the keyboard equivalent into the text box).