Main Tool Palette

How to get there

The Main Tool Palette is almost always open on the screen. If it’s not, choose Main Tool Palette from the Window Menu.

What it does

This palette contains all of Finale’s primary tools, which you can rearrange or hide. You can move, resize, reshape, or hide the palette itself. You hold the mouse over any of the tools to find out what the name of the tool is. Click on the name of the Tool in the picture below to view that section of the manual.

[Close box]. Click this small button at the upper-left corner of the palette to close the palette. Once it’s hidden, you make the palette reappear by choosing Main Tool Palette from the Window Menu.
[Title bar]. Drag the strip across the top (or left) edge of the palette to move the entire palette to a new screen location.
[Sizable frame]. Drag this small white square at the lower-right corner of the palette diagonally upward and to the right; you’ll reshape the entire palette. As you drag, the palette snaps into new configurations: tall and thin, short and stout, square, and so on. If your monitor is wider than it is tall, for example, you might consider rotating the palette so that it’s a short horizontal strip.

If you drag the resize box inward toward the upper-left corner, you hide tools. Drag the resize box outward again to bring them back into view.

[Tool icons]. See the individual tool for a complete discussion of each tool and what it does. In the meantime, note that you can rearrange the icons within the palette. To do so, press shift and drag an icon into a new position; it will trade places with the icon onto which you drop it. Keep in mind, too, that you can save these configurations of tools for quick access; see View Menu for instructions. See the .

Articulation Tool $image\Articulation_Tool.gif$

Click a note to attach a marking; click a handle to move or delete one.

Chord Tool $image\Chord_Tool.gif$

Choose an input method from the menu; click a note to add or edit chord symbols.

Clef Tool $image\Clef_Tool.gif$

Double-click a measure to insert a clef change.

Expression Tool $image\Expression_Tool.gif$

Double-click a measure, note or rest to attach text or a shape to one or more staves.

Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$

Use this tool to exchange PostScript and bitmapped graphics between programs.

Hand Grabber Tool $image\Hand_Grabber_Tool.gif$

When the Hand Grabber Tool is selected, you can drag the mouse across the music in any direction to shift its position on your screen, as though you’re sliding the score page across your desk.

HyperScribe Tool $image\HyperScribe_Tool.gif$

Set up menu, then click a measure and play, for an instant transcription.

Key Signature Tool $image\Key_Signature_Tool.gif$

Double-click a measure to insert a key change.

Lyrics Tool $image\Lyric_Tool.gif$

Use the menu to create or edit lyrics and position them in the score.

Measure Tool $image\Measure_Tool.gif$

Double-click a measure to set characteristics; drag to move a barline. Click or double-click the tool icon to add blank measures to the end of the score.

MIDI Tool $image\MIDI_Tool.gif$

This tool lets you edit the actual MIDI data that Finale stores with your music.

Mirror Tool $image\Mirror_Tool.gif$

With this tool you can create one-measure intelligent copies, or mirrors - groups of notes that are dynamically linked to other notes in the score (the source material).

Note Mover Tool $image\Note_Mover_Tool.gif$

This tool lets you move one note at a time (or several within a measure) to another measure, even on a different staff.

Ossia Tool $image\Ossia_Tool.gif$

Use this tool to create floating measures—one-bar alternative passages that you can place anywhere in the score.

Page Layout Tool $image\Page_Layout_Tool.gif$

Click the page to adjust margins or systems.

Repeat Tool $image\Repeat_Tool.gif$

Double-click a measure to create repeats, ending brackets or text such as 'To Coda'.

Resize Tool $image\Resize_Tool.gif$

Click a note, to the left of a system or top left page corner to change its size.

Selection Tool $image\Selection_Tool.gif$

Double-click an object to go to its editing tool. Click and drag to move an object.

Simple Entry Tool $image\Simple_Entry_Tool.gif$

Click or use keystrokes to select values from the palette, and then use your mouse, computer keyboard, or a MIDI keyboard to enter notes.

Smart Shape Tool $image\Smart_Shape_Tool.gif$

Click a shape on the palette; double-click and drag to draw it in the score.

Special Tools Tool $image\Special_Tools_Tool.gif$

This tool lets you create a number of special beaming, stemming, and note positioning changes in one measure at a time.

Speedy Entry Tool $image\Speedy_Entry_Tool.gif$

Click a measure to edit or insert music, with or without a MIDI keyboard.

Staff Tool $image\Staff_Tool.gif$

Use the menu to add or edit staves -- names, transpositions, groups, brackets, etc.

Tempo Tool $image\Tempo_Tool.gif$

The Tempo Tool lets you create or edit a stream of data describing tiny, moment-by-moment tempo fluctuations within the playback of your piece.

Text Tool $image\Text_Tool.gif$

Double-click to add text blocks. Use menus to change fonts, borders and so on.

Time Signature Tool $image\Time_Signature_Tool.gif$

Double-click a measure to insert a meter change.

Tuplet Tool $image\Tuplet_Tool.gif$

Click the first note of a group to create or edit a triplet.

Zoom Tool $image\Zoom_Tool.gif$

The Tempo Tool lets you create or edit a stream of data describing tiny, moment-by-moment tempo fluctuations within the playback of your piece.

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