It can be done with the Staff Tool.

Use the dialog box Note Shapes.

It can be done in the Staff Attributes (= “globally” for all the measures in the entire document), or with a Staff Style (= “locally” applied to selected measures).

To see how it is done, examine the Shape Note Hymnal template - or examine the default document Maestro Font Default which comes with a ready made Note Shapes staff style.

Thanks Peter. I tried the dialog box Note Shapes and checked the box next to it for Use Note Shapes - nothing happened.

I also tried Apply Staff Style and there is no Shape Notes showing up in the dialog box. I tried changing the default font to Maestro to no avail.

In the Shape Note Hymnal template it doesn't have the check box for Use Note Shapes  in the Staff attributes, so I'm not sure how it's working

So can you explain more clearly how to do this. Sorry for this

No matter which one of the 3 following solutions you choose, you have to tell Finale what note shape to display on each of the 7 scale steps.

(= It is NOT done simply with a single mouse click - it is WORK)

1) The template Shape Note Hymnal uses a document setting that affects ALL staves and ALL measures - “globally”.

Look in

Document menu > Document Options > Notes & Rests

2) If you choose to use the Staff Attributes, you have the option of displaying shape noteheads in some staves (perhaps vocal staves) while the same document displays standard noteheads in other staves (perhaps instrument staves).

Look in

Staff Attributes > Use Note Shapes > Settings…

3) If you instead of Staff Attributes use a Shape Note staff style, you can apply that staff style to selected measures.

This is basically the same as 2), but “locally”.

Look in the default document named Maestro Font Default.

NB:

Maestro Font Default is a specific template (= a document, a file), with some ready made staff styles saved in the document (including a Note Shapes staff style).

To get the Note Shapes staff style in an already existing document, load a library with the staff style, or create the staff style yourself, “manually”, in the document.

I hope that this is clear?

If not, ask again.

(Are you an experienced Finale user?)

Very experienced with Finale, yet I've never done this before. I'll try what you asked

thanks,

Excellent advise!

I chose load a library from Maestro Font Default. This time when I used the Staff tool and chose "Apply staff style to" Note Shapes showed up in the list,  I selected all staves and applied it - Perfect! 

Actually I could have only selected the top staff for note shapes and left the rest unaffected. This is a very versatile way of working, very quick and easy, once you know what to do.

thanks

Is it possible to compose shape note compositions in the "lesser" versions such as smart music or notepad?  Randy Travis

Randy Travis,

It is not “easily” possible.

You have “a lot of trouble” ahead of you.

The display of shape notes is document specific, not program specific.

If you can get a Finale .mus document with shape notes, then you can open that document - and you will have the shape notes.

You can then make a copy of the document, and edit the copy (keeping the first document as a “template”).

However, with the “lesser” versions you can not create a such document “from scratch”.

Only the “full Finale” can do that.

If you have read the thread above, then you know that Finale comes with some ready made solutions.

You could download the Finale Demo, and try the Church Template called Shape Note Hymnal.

There is also the issue with older file format versus newer file format:

Unfortunately the 2012 version uses the older “legacy” .mus file format - and the Demo uses the new .musx file format - which the 2012 version can not open.

A workaround (I can not promise that it will work):

Open the .musx file Shape Note Hymnal, and Export it to the 2012 .mus file format.

I have the 2012 full version  v2012.v3.  Will it install and run properly on a Windows 10 system?  If not, would I be eligible for the full finale newest version at the upgrade price?  Randy Travis 

You should contact tech support for a question like that. Use the Submit a Request tab at the top of the page.

Or, just go to the store page and try. See if you get the upgrade price.

The easiest fix today is to open a new file using the Shape Note Church Hymnal Template and then, using the measure tool, select all in the original composition and then reselect all in the new template and then paste. This worked beautifully for me in v. 27.