Note values (durations)

You can enter notes of any rhythmic value (quarter note, eighth note, and so on) into the score with or without MIDI keyboard input. You can also change any existing note’s value (or region of notes) without having to re-enter them.

For instructions on adding and deleting notes, see Simple Entry and Speedy Entry.

To change the note values in a selected region

1. Click the Selection Tool   and select the region of music you want to change. See Selecting music for some region-selecting shortcuts.
2. From the Utilities Menu, choose Change, then Note Durations. The Change Note Durations dialog box appears.
3. Specify how you want to affect the notes in the selected region. If you want to affect every note equally, choose a percentage from the popup menu—200% to double each note’s value, 50% to make each note half its original value, and so on. Alternatively, you can change the durations of only a specific note value; click its existing value in the From palette, and the value you want it changed to in the To palette.

If you want Finale to re-bar the selected measures so that the proper number of beats appears in each measure, make sure Rebar Measures is selected. See Change Note Durations dialog box for details on these options.

4. Click OK (or press return). You can even double the values of the notes in one layer only (if Show Active Layer Only is selected in the View Menu).

Finally, note that this command does not affect empty measures. (A measure in which you’ve entered a “real” whole rest doesn’t count as empty in this context.) That is, it will double the values of all notes and rests you’ve entered, but it won’t create a second completely empty measure.