Finale Simple Note Entry

Finale's Simple Note Entry method can be used to enter notes onto a staff using computer keyboard letters for pitch names and the numeric keypad numbers for selecting rhythmic values (4=eighth note, 5=quarter note, 6=half note, etc.).

Here are several exercises to get you started entering music into the Finale music editor:

1. Mary Had A Little Lamb [PDF] which introduces pitch and duration entry in the Simple Note Entry mode of Finale.
2. Bach prelude in F minor [PDF] (BWV 881, Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II) which introduces chord note entry and other essential notational components.
3. A chorale [PDF] (Dir, dir, Jehovah, will ich singen) which introduces the concept of layers in Finale for multiple voices on a staff.

Simple Entry Keyboard Commands

Action	Key(s)	Laptop alternate
Chroma step up/down:	equal/dash
Accidental natural:	n
Accidental parenthsize:	p
Accidental courtesy:	pp
Accidental show/hide courtesy:	shift-control-minus
Sticky flats/sharps toggle:	alt-minus/equal
Add interval 2nd to 9th above:	2 to 8	F2 to F8
Add interval 2nd to 9th below:	shift-2 to shift-8	shift-F2 to shift-F8
Add nearest pitch to cursor:	shift-A through shift-G
Add articulation:	alt-a or backquote
accent:	a
breath:	b
cesura:	c
down bow:	d
tenuto:	e
fermata:	f
marcato-staccato:	g
square harmonic:	h
mute/plus:	i
turn:	j
inverted mordent:	k
ped. end (*):	l
mordent:	m
gracenote:	n
harmonic:	o
ped.:	p
tenuto accent:	q
grace rest:	r
staccato:	s
trill:	t
up bow:	u
marcato:	v
staccato-accent:	w
staccatissimo:	x
tilde:	y
staccato-accent:	z
fingering:	1-5
tremolo (1 beam):	6
tremolo (2 beams):	7
tremolo (3 beams):	8
parenthesis start:	9
parenthesis end:	0
other keys:	open Articulation Selection window
Sticky articulation toggle:	control-backquote
Change clef:	alt-c
treble clef	1
alto clef	2
tenor clef	3
bass clef	4
percussion clef	5
tenor treble clef	6
octave bass clef	7
baritone bass clef	8
French violin clef	9
baritone clef	a
mezzo-soprano clef	b
soprano clef	c
percussion clef 2	d
octave treble clef	e
upper octave bass clef	f
blank clef	g
tab clef	h
tab clef 2	i
other keys	open Change Clef window
Add expression under note:	x
ffff	1
fff	2
ff	3
f	4
mf	5
mp	6
p	7
pp	8
ppp	9
pppp	0
fp	f
fz	g
sf	h
sfz	s
sffz	z
Adagio	y
Moderato	u
Allegro	i
8va	q
8vb	w
loco	l
accel.	e
rit.	r
a tempo	t
arco	o
pizz.	p
A to D	a to d
other keys	open Expression Selection window
Add key signature:	alt-k
1 to 7 sharps	1 to 7
1 to 7 flats	q, w, e, r, t, y, u
1-7 sharps with cancel	a, s, d, f, g, h, j
1-7 flats with cancel	z, x, c, v, b, n, m
Add time signature:	alt-t
1/4 to 9/4	1 to 9
1/8 to 7/8	q, w, e, r, t, y, u
9/8	o
12/8	p
1/2 to 4/2	a, s, d, f
cut time	x
common time	c
3/4	v
other keys	open Time Signature window
Move pitch octave up/down:	alt-shift-up/down
Move pitch diatonic up/down:	alt-up/down
Change note/chord duration:	alt-0 to alt-8
Add augmentation dot:	.
Sticky aug. dot toggle:	shift-dot
Tuplet, (triplet) toggle:	9
Tuplet, user defined:	alt-9
Enter note:	A to G
Enter note at cursor position:	enter
Enter rest:	0 or tab or alt-enter or shift-enter
Break beam to previous note:	/
Flatten beam toggle:	alt-/
Default beam angle:	shift-/
Enharmonic spelling:	\ or alt-e
Delete:	delete or shift-backspace
Select eraser:	alt-backspace or alt-delete
Flip tie (on right):	control-f
Grace note:	alt-g
Show/Hide:	h
Flip stem:	l (lowercase L)
Default stem direction:	shift-L
Tie to next note:	t
Tie to previous note:	shift-T
Toggle note/rest:	r
Cursor/selection clear:	backspace
Cursor octave up/down:	shift-up/down
Cursor step up/down:	up/down
Move one entry left/right:	left/right
Move one meausre left/right:	control-left/right
Select duration 128th to breve:	0 to 7 or control-alt-shift-0/7
Change duration of note:	alt-0 to alt-7

Laptop configuration for Simple Note Entry

Laptop Shortcut Table setting in Finale 2009

For laptops without numeric keypads, after clicking on the "Simple Entry Tool", go to the Simple menu --> Simple Entry Options... --> click on "Edit Keyboard Shortcuts..." --> click "Name" drop-down menu and select "Laptop Shortcut Table".

Using the Laptop Shortcut Table, the laptop key commands shift the chord intervals keys from the alphanumeric digits to the function keys, and move the rhythm commands from the numpad to the aphanumeric numbers.