If you’re working with full scores, an occasion may arise where you’d need to create what I might call a mini score – a subset of the full score. You might do this to isolate just the choral parts, or in anticipation of a sectional rehearsal. In fact, when you see how quickly and easily this is accomplished in Finale, you’ll likely think of many new reasons to create a mini score.
Here’s how I’d do it:
- In your full score, go to the Document menu, choose Manage Parts, and specify New Part. To name the mini score click on Edit Part Name, type something like MINI SCORE, and click OK.
- To select which staves will appear in the mini score, go to the right column, select a desired staff, then click “Add to Part.” Repeat for each desired staff, then click OK.
- To view this new “score” go to Document > Edit Part > and select the name you created above.
Done. Pretty quick and easy, right?
Sometimes, however, you might want staff names to appear in this mini score. While it’s easy to globally add staff names to every part, I use a Staff Style to add them in the mini score and NOT simultaneously add them in the individual parts:
- In your mini score, select the staff tool, right-click on any staff [Control-click on one-button Macs], and select Define Staff Styles.
- Click the New button, name this style (I like “STAFF NAMES”), click “Staff name in parts” twice (so a check appears), and click OK. You’ve just created a new staff style.
- Select All in your mini score, right-click on a selected staff, choose Apply Staff Style to > Current Score and Parts, and specify your new STAFF NAMES staff style.
Done!
Want to check and make sure you haven’t added staff names to your other “parts?” One of my favorite shortcuts is Ctrl+Alt+[period] to cycle through all the parts in your score. (Substitute the comma for the period to cycle backwards through your parts).
Is this helpful? Do you have an alternate method that you prefer? Can you suggest a better name for I’ve called a “mini score”? Please let us know by clicking on “Comments” below.