Did you set up the shortcuts in the App Shortcut window, and select Finale as the app? Are they set up as expressions? Articulations? Are you sure that no other expressions are using your shortcut?

I had not used the App Shortcut window.  I didn't succeed with this method, so I'm interested in your suggestion to enter them as articulations.

Since stickings are typically written below the staff, I had been entering them as lyrics.  Do you think entering them as expressions would be easier?  I see that I can set expressions to always appear below the note.  Perhaps this would make it possible to automate the placement of them a fixed distance below each note.

I'm having trouble creating these shapes as articulations.  Is there a way to add these shapes to the articulation creator?

In the character viewer on mac they are listed as 

●
BLACK CIRCLE
Unicode: U+25CF, UTF-8: E2 97 8F

￮
HALFWIDTH WHITE CIRCLE
Unicode: U+FFEE, UTF-8: EF BF AE

You are using Mac Finale v26 - right?

… I'm having trouble creating these shapes as articulations …

To do so, create the articulation as a shape articulation, not as a font character articulation:

In the Articulation Designer you must select the radio button “Shape” (not the radio button “Character”).

Then, click the button “Main…” (and similar for the Flipped Symbol - in case you need a Flipped Symbol, which you do not need in this particular case).

You get to the Shape Selection where you can select an already existing shape, or create a new shape, in the Shape Designer.

The advantage of using the Shape Designer is that you can get the circle exactly as you need it - with Line Thickness and size.

… Is there a way to add these shapes to the articulation creator? …

To create a font character articulation you must first, in the Articulation Designer, click on “Set Font…”, and choose the font you need.

Then, with the radio button Character selected, click on “Main…”.

You get to the Symbol Selection where you can select (or type) the font character, you need.

I hope that this is clear?

If not, ask again.

Hi Peter,

I am using v26, yes.  The Character designer worked beautifully!  Thank you!  I'm glad to add this to my arsenal of tools on Finale.

Joe