Time Signature

 

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How to get there

Click the Time Signature Tool  image\Time_Signature_Tool.gif, and double-click a measure.

What it does

In this dialog box you can specify a new meter for the measure you clicked (and following measures), including composite meters (3+2+2/8, for example). You can also create one time signature that controls beaming of eighth notes, and a separate one that appears in the score.

The Time Signature dialog box contains an Options button which, when clicked, makes the dialog box expand so that it reveals some additional options.

Finale will default to a time signature of 4/4 in the few cases where Finale needs a default setting.

The way that you define your meter is very important, because it also governs beaming in the affected region. In the case of cut time, for example, you should set the scroll bars so that the display shows two half notes. This way, the eighth notes will be beamed together in groups of four.

Even if you want Finale to display a completely different time signature in the score (by using the options described below), you still need to create an appropriate time signature using these primary scroll bars to govern the beaming of your piece.

Using the primary time signature scroll bars (described above), create a meter that will produce the beaming pattern you want. For example, suppose you want a time signature of 3/4, but you want eighth notes beamed together automatically in groups of three. In such a case, you could use the primary scroll bars to create a 6/8 time signature. But since you want 3/4 to appear in the printed score, click Use a Different Time Signature for Display, and set up the lower pair of scroll bars to display 3/4 time. See Document Options-Time Signatures.

You can decide whether or not to use the symbols ( or ) each time a cut or common time signature appears in your music. This capability lets you easily mix and 4/4 (or and 2/2) in one piece. You use a simple option, the Abbreviate checkbox in the expanded Time Signature dialog box.

Here’s an example. Perhaps you normally use the symbols for common and cut time in a piece, but you occasionally need to use 4/4 or 2/2 in the same piece. First, make sure that you have chosen the Abbreviate cut time to and Abbreviate common time to options in the Time Signature Options dialog box. (These global settings control the appearance of the time signatures in your piece.) Next, edit the time signatures in the measure where you want to change their appearance, and choose the appropriate option in the expanded Time Signature dialog box.

See Document Options-Time Signatures for more information.

 

See Also:

Time signatures

Time Signature Tool

Composite Time Signature

 

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