Accidentals

Let’s add some blues to our melody line to illustrate how to add accidentals. If using the mouse or the Caret, you can specify an accidental by choosing both a duration tool and an accidental tool prior to entering the note. You can also specify accidentals as you enter notes by using keystrokes to apply a sharp (+= key) or flat (- key) to the note you just entered. By selecting an accidental tool exclusively, you can click to add accidentals to any note in the score. The Sharp Tool    and the Flat Tool    add a sharp or flat to the note, if needed by the key signature. If you use the Half Step Up Tool    or the Half Step Down Tool  , you’ll raise or lower the note. If the note is already sharp, raising the note will add a double-sharp.

1. Click the Selection Tool  . First, we’ll clear a measure to show how to enter accidentals while entering notes.
2. Click measure 9 in the top staff so it is highlighted, and then press (Mac: ). This method clears all entries in the selected region.
3. Click the Simple Entry Tool  .   
4. Click the Eighth Note Tool  , or press numeric keypad 4, and then enter a second line G at the beginning of measure 9. An eighth note appears in measure nine.
5. Press + (plus) on the numeric keypad. Finale adds a sharp to the note.
6. Press - (minus) on the numeric keypad twice. The note is now flat. Finale alters the pitch of the note chromatically with each keystroke. You can also use the Sharp   and Flat   Tools in the Simple Entry Palette to specify an accidental before entering a note.
7. Click the Flat Tool   in the Simple Entry Palette. Now both the eighth note and the flat are selected in the Simple Entry Palette.
8. Press the right arrow key to activate the caret.  

9. Type F. Finale places an F flat on the staff. Notice an F flat is actually a whole step down from the diatonic because we are in the key of G. In this way, the Flat Tool is said to be ‘absolute’—not relative to the key signature.
10. Double-click the eighth Note Tool   (or press numeric keypad 4 twice) to deselect all other tools.
11. Finish entering the measure by typing G, and then A. Notice Finale does not add a natural on the G. That’s because Simple Entry’s accidentals are ‘smart.’ In other words, they apply through the remainder of the measure. Of course, you can always add or remove accidentals manually where needed to override a smart accidental.  You can delete accidentals with the Eraser Tool. Now, let’s use the mouse to edit existing notes.
12. Double-click on the Flat Tool  . Only the Flat Tool is selected.
13. On the last note of measure 9 in the top staff, click on the A. An A flat appears next to the quarter note.
14. Click on the Half Step Down Tool  . Click the A again. A double-flat appears next to the A. The Half Step Up/Down Tools are ‘relative’ - they increment the pitch up or down a half step with each click. When you selected the Half Step Down Tool, the Flat Tool is automatically deselected. You can only have one accidental tool selected at one time. Let’s try a sharp now..
15. Click on the Sharp Tool  . Click the first note of measure 9 (G flat). A sharp appears next to the note. Also notice Finale automatically places a flat on the second G flat because it is no longer implied by the first. Because this melody probably wouldn’t sound too great, we’ll remove the sharp and the double-flat.

16. Click on the Eraser Tool .
17. Click the Sharp and the double-flat to remove them. These items disappear as you click.

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