Glissandos

A glissando, or gliss, is represented in the score by a diagonal straight or wavy line.

To create a glissando

1. Click the Smart Shape Tool  . The Smart Shape Palette appears.
2. Click the Glissando Tool  . Move the cursor until the end points to the starting note.
3. Double-click where you want the glissando to begin; on the second click, hold the button down and drag diagonally. Release the mouse when the glissando has the length and angle you want. If the Smart Line Selection dialog box appears, you may need to create a glissando. Glissandos are predefined in your default file. See Custom Lines for directions. To create a glissando between two consecutive notes, just double-click the mouse on the first note. Finale places the glissando on the adjacent notes.

To move, reshape, or delete a Smart Shape glissando

1. Click the Smart Shape Tool  . The Smart Shape Palette appears.
2. Click the Glissando’s handle. The shape displays diamond editing handles.
3. Drag the left or right diamond editing handles to adjust the length and angle of the glissando. Drag the square handle to move the entire glissando.
4. Press delete to remove the selected glissando.

To define Glissando Placement settings

1. Click the Smart Shape Tool  . The Smart Shape Menu appears.
2. Choose Smart Shape Placement from the Smart Shape Menu. The Smart Shape Placement dialog box appears.
3. Choose Glissando from the Smart Shape type popup menu in the dialog box.
4. Drag the glissando end point vertically and horizontally until the glissando attaches to the notes the way you want it to attach to notes in the score. Instead of using the mouse, you can enter values into the text boxes using the measurement unit you’ve selected.
5. Drag the other end-point of the glissando to adjust it.
6. Click Reset at any time to return the glissando to Finale’s built-in settings.
7. Click OK (or press return) when you’re ready to save the new settings. Or click Cancel to discard any changes you made to the settings.

Note: All glissandos that you create from now on will use the Slur Placement settings. The settings also apply to glissando end points that haven't been manually adjusted in all existing glissandos.

To change which glissando is assigned to the palette icon

1. Click the Smart Shape Tool  .
2. From the Smart Shape Menu, choose Smart Shape Options. The Smart Shape Options dialog box appears. You could also simple optionl-click the Glissando Tool.
3. Select Glissando from the Smart Line Style popup menu.
4. Click Select next to the Smart Line Style popup menu. The Smart Line Selection dialog box appears.
5. Select the Smart Shape to be used when clicking the Glissando Tool. You can also type the number of the Smart Shape into the text box next to the Select button in the Smart Shape Options dialog box to change the selection.
6. Click OK.

To create a playback glissando

The best way to create a glissando effect, at least for keyboard sounds, is to actually write out a run and define the notes as grace notes; see Grace notes. To automate the task, use the plug-in Smart Playback Note Human Playback automatically interprets and performs glissandos.