Note Expression Assignment

Expression Assignment

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How to get there

Click the Expression Tool $image\Expression_Tool.gif$ , and Shift-double-click on an expression's handle (or press Shift-Return). Or control-click an expression's handle and choose Edit Expression Assignment.

What it does

After you’ve selected an expression to place in the score, you can access this dialog box for several additional options pertaining to the marking’s placement and playback definition.

Alignment Point. Enter a value and then select the desired increment in the adjacent popup menu to specify the point at which the expression will be attached.
Grace Note. Refer to the diagram to the right to specify the grace note positioning. Grace notes are numbered left to right.
Offset from Alignment Point: Horizontal • Vertical: These controls let you specify the precise vertical and horizontal position of the expression mark. Specify the marking’s distance from the attachment point by entering values in the Horizontal and Vertical number boxes. (A higher number moves the marking to the right or upward.) Of course, you can also simply drag the marking’s handle when you return to the score. The measurement unit is determined by the settings chosen for Measurement Units in the Finale 2009 > Preferences Menu.

Scale Expression with Attached Note. With this box checked, Finale resizes the expression to match the reduction of its corresponding note in the score. If the expression is reassigned to a note of a different size, it resizes respectively. Notes can be resized several different ways: with the Resize Tool using the Change Note Size command under the Utilities Menu, or by using one of the cue notes plug-ins such as the Smart Cue Notes Plug-in.
Show On: All Layers • Score and Parts. From these popup menus, you can assign the expression to an individual layer or to the score, part(s), or score & parts. Note that Expressions can be assigned to specific layers using the Favor Attachment to Active Layer command under the Expression Menu.

On Playback, Affect: Current Layer • Layer 1 • Layer 2 • Layer 3 • Layer 4 • Chord • Dynamic Layer. This popup menu allows you to specify which of these musical elements you want affected by a marking’s playback definition. For example, it’s possible to specify that a dynamic marking affect only the chord symbol above the music to which it’s attached, or to attach a patch change to only one of Finale’s four layers.

Begin Playback at Beginning of Measure • Position in Measure. If the expression you’re placing has been defined for playback, you can control where its playback effect will "kick in." See Horizontal Alignment Point in the Expression Designer. When Beginning of Measure is selected, you’ll hear its effect at the beginning of the measure. When Position in Measure is selected, you won’t hear the marking’s effect until Finale reaches the marking itself while playing back, no matter where it falls. Remember that your layers need to be assigned to unique channels in order to apply a playback effect to one independently. See Instrument List.
OK • Cancel. Click OK to confirm your settings and return to the score, where you’ll see the expression marking. Click Cancel to return to the score without adding or editing an expression marking.