I can't imagine what that would look like. Can you post a drawing?

What program are you using? You could have two staves with different key signatures, but only in the full Finale.

As a professional French Horn Player there are times when one will come across a hymn or tune that has 2 different key signatures in the music.  What this does is this, if one is a string player you will like playing in sharp keys and brass players or band players may prefer a flat key.  So it is very possible and used to used all the time where music could have 2 key signatures in the staff.  All the individual books will be the same way.  You may not see this as much today but it was common thing to see in a instrumental book.  Anyway, I would have to scan the music but what it is A flat and in parenthesis they will also have A so you have a flat key and sharp key in the same staff.  It is not complicated at all.  Takes a little getting used to. But it works.  Hope this helps.  If you need for me to scan a piece with this in it, I can do it later tomorrow.  Easy way to transpose down a 1/2 step like playing Horn in E.

Thanks for getting back,

John

John Guthans,

I would add the extra key signature as a shape expression - with parenthesis included in the shape.

This is done in the Shape Designer.

You will have to make space before the time signature.

As long as there are no note accidentals (= only key signature accidentals), you will be fine.

If there are note accidentals, I would add “parenthesized” accidentals above the notes.

I suppose that playback is not an issue?

Many thanks for getting back and will see if I can make this happen,  I am not sure if this is done as much as it used to be but I had a need to do this and so I appreciate your feed back

many thanks

John

I was never able to make mine looks as good as the above example.   I guess there are some tricks to all of this.  I find the online manual is written that I will spend a lot of time trying to find something and I never really find what I am looking for.   I know it is there but the wording is not what I use.   Example moving the time signature to the right or left, one can search a long time to find the answer.   It would be so much better if the manual was redone.   I still pull out a paper manual that I saved from the really early days as it is still useful.  Getting back on topic is there a video on doing this and making it look really good?   I never got it to look very good.   So ended up doing the thing 2x.   I do like the example as this is just what I wanted to do. 

I finally figured out how to do it and I think I might just move the time signature over to the right and write it in.  Anyway, I am hoping I won't need to do that again for a while.   thank you all for the feed back.  It was helpful.

John

… I finally figured out how to do it and I think I might just move the time signature over to the right and write it in …

I am not sure, what problems you had, so here are a few “shots in the dark”:

1) For easier layout calculations, set Finale’s Measurement Units to something small, like EVPUs or Points.

2) To make a “false” key signature shape look right, position it right “in front of” a real key signature.

In that way you can get the right horizontal distance between the accidentals.

3) The height of a staff is 24 Points.

Hence the distance between the staff lines is 6 Points.

And the height of a scale step is 3 Points.

I tried it and it was very helpful info.  I think at this point we can close this thread.  I really appreciate the info and for a short tune probably better just to do it 2x but in some cases, having this kind of key signature, makes it easier for those using a tablet and not having to scroll via a bluetooth foot switch.  So this might be something that Finale may want to make easier to do.  Again, play back is not an issue.