If I understand you correctly, you want to hear the instrument before you input any notes, right?

If you use the Speedy Entry Tool and a MIDI keyboard, then you can play as much as you like on the MIDI keyboard, and hear the tones - without inputting any notes into the document.

yes that is correct hear midi key sounds, but nothing written.-speedy entry..ok how about scrolling from one staff to another?  all good.

… how about scrolling from one staff to another? …

I am sorry, but I do not understand.

I suppose that your document is a multi-staff document, like e. g. a wind band orchestra, right?

Are you saying that Finale only displays one staff on the entire computer screen - so that you have to scroll from one staff to another?

Is it the same in both Scroll View and Page View?

Please explain.

ok..let's say I am wking in the score and I am playing the piano part and want to go to the next staff up to vibraphone..i thought I could use the arrow keys, but clicking wks too.

thanks for the communications!

… let's say I am working in the score and I am playing the piano part and want to go to the next staff up to vibraphone …

If I understand you correctly, you are in the Speedy Entry Tool, right?

Hitting the Return key will move the Speedy Entry rectangle to the next staff down.

To go one staff up, hit Shift-Return.

This is wonderful, thank you Peter! I have hand and arm issues so any shortcut is a good shortcut :-) I appreciate your patience and communications :-)
I am finding a harder time with note entry with finale as my brain has been conditioned to simpler programs – but they don't have the power of text, fonts that finale has!