In a recent blog post, Tom Johnson described how to use Finale’s Chord Analysis plug-in to automate the creation of solfège syllables. I thought this was ingenious. I always enjoy learning new ways to use Finale’s many features, but it’s especially fun when they differ from their intended uses. Today I’d like to offer one of my own.

Ever had to condense an SATB score from four staves to two, or had to combine two flute parts into one? Typically this involves using Show Active Layers Only, moving layers, and a lot of Copy and Pasting. What if there was a better way? Try this:

1. Choose the Selection Tool and indicate the entire staff you wish to copy.
2. From the Plug-Ins menu choose Scoring and Arranging > Add Cue Notes:

   

3. Set the “Write the Cue In” dropdown to indicate in which layer you’d like this part to appear, set “Reduce Cue Noteheads” to 100%, and clear out any text in “Name the Cue.”
4. Finally, indicate to which staff you’d like to copy this part, then press OK.

You may need to re-name the staff via Staff Attributes or adjust some markings, but for quick doubling or part condensing, this can be a great time-saver.

We’d love to hear of the creative ways you’re using Finale. Please share them with us by clicking on “Comments” below.