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:
- Mary Had A Little Lamb [PDF] which introduces pitch and duration entry in the Simple Note Entry mode of Finale.
- Bach prelude in F minor [PDF] (BWV 881, Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II) which introduces chord note entry and other essential notational components.
- 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
Click on the show text in the table below to see the full table contents.
| 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
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.