Someone will probably ask you what computer operating system and version you are using. It may save you time to add that before someone with Songwriter experience checks in.

You are right : you asked it.

Whatever.

It's in your user manual.

Whatever.

Thank you, I have searched the user manual for "margin", "first", "top" and I do not remember what else.

I can for instance move the Title and Composer locations but the first stave stays fixed.

What, exactly, are you trying to do? Title, etc., are text inserts, and have nothing to do with the staff.

Yes, right.

The problem is that I have 10 staves on one page and only one on the second page, I'm trying to win some space at the top, I can push the title upward but not the staves.

Staff tool, drag the first staff up by the handle. You may need the Page Layout Tool to adjust the first system top margin.

Before you post again, read this:

https://makemusic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/215729367-General-Discussion-House-Rules

Thanks for trying to help but here are all the tools I can find, no Staff tool nor Page Layout Tool

They are both shown in the help for SW2010, which is the earliest manual on the Finale Website. If they aren't in 2007, you're stuck. Sorry for the confusion, but I guess that's what happens with a 15 year-old product.

It might not matter to you, but you're using slurs where you should be using ties.

Good morning,

Mike : new version is too expensive just to be able to adjust top margin.

Jeffrey : I don't find the tie tool either, what is the difference with slur ?

… I don't find the tie tool either, what is the difference with slur ? …

A tie connects two adjacent notes of the same pitch, so that you instead hearing two (shorter) tones, only hear one (longer) tone.

To enter a tie, use the Simple Entry Tool.

A slur connects a sequence (phrase) of two or more notes (which do not have to be of the same pitch).

To enter a slur, use the Smart Shape Tool.

If the full Finale is too expensive, consider upgrading to PrintMusic 2014 (the last version, still available.) There are still limitations, but you will be able to do much more than with SongWriter.

@Peter : thanks a lot for the explanation.

How did you saw the difference on my score between tie and slur, I don't see any on the screen nor when printed.

The only difference is when you play it with songWriter it plays 2 "slured" notes, only one when they are tied.

@Mike : what are the differences between SongWriter and PrintMusic ?

What I want to do is

• capture notes via Midi interface while playing or manually on the staves
• print the music sheet

… How did you saw the difference on my score between tie and slur, I don't see any on the screen nor when printed …

By default ties are vertically closer (to the notehead) than slurs.

In print they are all black, but on the screen there is a display color difference:

By default Smart Shapes (e. g. slurs) display in red on the screen.

Indeed, I didn't noticed that they are red.

What about PrintMusic versus SongWriter ?

What about it?

PM has fewer limitations than SW. However, there were many changes between 2007 and 2014, that you will need to get up to speed on. That's where you will see a difference. 

You will be able to adjust those margins in PM.

Link to the PrintMusic manual : https://makemusic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115010573347-User-Manuals-PrintMusic-2014-PrintMusic-2009 

Re: ties vs slurs-to be perfectly honest, when I started using Finale in the early 90’s (version 3.2 as I recall), I didn’t have a MIDI keyboard hooked up, playback was rudimentary at best and there was no export to AIFF etc. So I was only using Finale at that time for notation and display, and didn’t know about how to tie notes in Speedy Entry (I’ve never used Simple Entry and 30 years later I’m still fine with that) so I did exactly what Rudy here did; I used slurs because even though I very well knew the difference between a tie and a slur, it was just more obvious how to make a slur and in print it served the same purpose. Bottom line: I completely understand why Rudy did what he did, having done the same thing as a novice user way back when, and when I realized there was a true way to tie notes, it changed everything. I don’t think I’ve even used slurs for over two decades at this point; probably longer. Anyway, this brought back memories of doing it wrong, and it’s interesting that Finale still wasn’t intuitive enough for a new user in 2021 to use ties rather than slurs to tie notes. 

@Mike : If the full Finale is too expensive, consider upgrading to PrintMusic 2014

PrintMusic 2014 costs 120 USD, I don't find a way to upgrade from SongWriter to PrintMusic.

I guess you're stuck then.

Doubtless there are free notation programs out there somewhere if free is what you can afford.

I find it normal to have to pay for software, althought I bought Song Writer 2007, don't remember how much.

It's still working fine so I find a little expensive to pay 120 USD for some gadgets.

Why not download the demo, and see what you think? If you're still happy with the limitations of SW, stick with it.