Stem direction tips in V1/V2 notation?

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DAVID GLASGOW Posted June 23, 2019 19:19

Hi folks—

Have any of you come up with a smart way to handle stem direction when using V1/V2 to enter multiple voices? I generally use layers because they're so much more intuitive, but sometimes splitting a layer into two voices seems like the most intuitive way to get what I need—EXCEPT that there seems to be absolutely no logic to the way Finale wants to handle stem direction (up/down).

Even if I flip the V1 stem to the correct direction before entering a V2 note, Finale will sometimes (but not always) flip the V1 stem back to the "wrong" direction as soon as I enter the V2 note. This of course means I have to flip back and forth between voices to correct the correction, rather than just moving forward with my music entry. Most frustrating.

Has anyone discovered the actual logic behind what direction the stem flips? Or better yet, a way to get Finale NOT to change the stem direction when I enter notes in the other voice?

Thanks!

David

4 comments

Date Votes

PETER THOMSEN Posted June 23, 2019 20:53

David Glasgow,

Unfortunately I am unable to duplicate your problem.

I do not have to spend time flipping stems - Finale automatically flips the stems as I complete the measure.

I always enter the bigger note value first, and then launch V2 on the bigger value.

Example 1, lower voice half note - upper voice two quarters:

Enter the half note. This will be the V1 note.

Launch V2, and enter the two quarters above the half note.

Finale automatically flips the stems so that I get {downstem} in the lower voice (= V1), and {upstem} in the upper voice (= V2).

Example 2, lower voice two quarters - upper voice half note:

Enter the half note. This will be the V1 note.

Launch V2, and enter the two quarters below the half note.

Finale automatically flips the stems so that I get {downstem} in the lower voice (= V2), and {upstem} in the upper voice (= V1).

DAVID GLASGOW Posted June 23, 2019 20:59

Yeah, that works fine as long as there are no alternate layers involved. Here's what I get, though, when there's a note in Layer 2:

Obviously it's easier to read if the 8th note and dotted half stems are down—which I can achieve manually, but which Finale doesn't want to do, even if I flip them down before entering voice 2....

J ADRIAN VERKOUTEREN Posted June 23, 2019 21:27

If that's what you want, you really want three layers.

DAVID GLASGOW Posted June 23, 2019 23:14

Well, what I really want is for the various features of the software to work intuitively, rather than providing helpful instructions like "You may notice that the note stems don’t always flip in the proper directions" in the User Manual. But I guess you take what you can get.

Honestly, I've been using Finale for 30 years and this is the first time I've considered using V1/V2—seemed like it might be an easier thing in this instance. Apparently not.

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