Use expressions to change the tempo as often as you want. In the Expression Tool dialogue box > Tempo, click “Create Tempo Mark” and in the next box, choose the note value and follow it with =(desired BPM). So, (quarter note) = 95, (half note) = 83, whatever.

thanks Mike...you're an expert that's for sure

mike

(from Australia)

Glad I could help!

thanks again Mike...I followed your clear instructions but found that during playback the bpm did not change...I had wanted the verse of my new song to be played back at around 95bpm but the chorus of the song at around 90bpm.  However, when played back the speed stayed a constant with no change of bpm between verse and chorus...I must be doing something wrong?  Of course a musician can see clearly the change in bpm but I wonder if the playback function of Finale only has capacity to play a whole piece of music at the one speed?

mike

(from Australia)

Mike O'Donoghue,

You are using Finale v25, right?

Tempo in Finale is controlled at 3 levels, and they work in a hierarchical way.

At the top of the hierarchy (which will override the other two levels) Finale will look at the recorded tempo changes.

This is probably what is going on in your Finale document.

You should clear the Tempo Changes from the MIDI data:

Selection Tool.

Select All.

Edit menu > Clear Selected Items…

In the dialog box Clear Selected Items, de-select everything except Tempo Changes.

At the “middle level” are the expressions.

If your tempo expressions still do not work (after clearing Tempo Changes), then examine the expressions, and make sure that they have a correctly defined playback effect.

At the bottom of the tempo hierarchy is the Playback Controls window.

The window Playback Controls will control the tempo, (only) if Tempo Changes and Expressions do not interfere.