Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

cwkmacuser · Apr 8, 2009, 11:11 PM

Hi all. I recently downloaded a paid version of Finale Notepad 2009. I want to compose clarinet music, so I chose B Flat Clarinet and the key of C.

But then, the key signature comes up as D (2 sharps)

When I begin to write music, I get 7 flats!

Anybody know what I am doing wrong?

CharlesS · Apr 9, 2009, 12:12 AM

Paid version? I thought Finale Notepad was the free version of Finale.

Anyway, I have the full version of Finale, and it's an old version (Finale 2005), so yours might be different (although I doubt it), but in the version I have, you want to set the key signature to the key the instrument will actually sound in. So for your example, you would want to set the key signature to B♭ major, and then the key signature for the B♭ clarinet part will show up as C major.

cwkmacuser · Apr 9, 2009, 10:10 AM

I see. Weird. Would never have guessed.

Finale Notepad cost $10 for a download and $20 for a CD, however, you can get a free trial that expires 30 days later.

cwkmacuser · Apr 9, 2009, 10:22 AM

How do I change the key of the song?
It seems to not want to move from key of C.
Sorry, can't post attachments right now.

Spheric Harlot · Apr 9, 2009, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by cwkmacuser

Hi all. I recently downloaded a paid version of Finale Notepad 2009. I want to compose clarinet music, so I chose B Flat Clarinet and the key of C.

But then, the key signature comes up as D (2 sharps)

Okay, this much seems *fairly* obvious:

The Bb clarinet sounds a whole note lower than one would write, so if you want it to sound in C major, you'd be writing in D major.

cwkmacuser · Apr 9, 2009, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot

Okay, this much seems *fairly* obvious:

The Bb clarinet sounds a whole note lower than one would write, so if you want it to sound in C major, you'd be writing in D major.

No, that's backwards. The clarinet is a whole note higher than concert pitch. Changing it to B Flat would be right, I just don't know how to do it.

Spheric Harlot · Apr 9, 2009, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by cwkmacuser

No, that's backwards. The clarinet is a whole note higher than concert pitch.

Um…

AFAIK, the Bb clarinet is called a Bb clarinet because the written C played on the Bb clarinet sounds as a Bb.

cwkmacuser · Apr 9, 2009, 11:09 AM

Yeah, that's right. I guess I misunderstood your post before. So B Flat would=Clarinet key of C.
The question is, how do I change the key. I can't figure it out.

Spheric Harlot · Apr 9, 2009, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by cwkmacuser

I chose B Flat Clarinet and the key of C.

Well, how did you choose the key of C? (I don't use Finale)

cwkmacuser · Apr 9, 2009, 11:43 AM

I didn't choose key of C. The program does that by default. I want to go to the key of B Flat. Anyone know how to do that?

Cottontail · Apr 9, 2009, 01:46 PM

Earlier versions of Notepad could not change keys in the middle of a piece and I doubt that's changed in 2009. I think all you can do here is to start a new document and set the key appropriately in the Setup Wizard.

However, I'm still not exactly sure what's happening here. It sounds like Finale is doing the right thing in terms of key signature and I'm not sure why you're getting flats when you input notes.

cwkmacuser · Apr 9, 2009, 01:47 PM

I don't want to change keys in the middle of a tune. I want to change keys for a ne document, but don't know how!

CharlesS · Apr 9, 2009, 01:53 PM

Finale is not the easiest program in the world to use, and there are many things that are sort of difficult to figure out in it. However, this is not one of them. In my old copy of Finale 2005, there's a stage in the setup wizard that runs when you create a new document that asks you what key signature you want to use. I can't imagine that they've removed this. If you've already created the document and don't want to start over, all you have to do is click the Key Signature Tool and double-click the first measure of your score. Set the key signature to the concert pitch, not the written pitch, in order to get what you want (so in your case, B♭).

BTW, it's not weird at all for the Setup Wizard to expect you to enter the concert pitch, because in Finale, you can have multiple instruments in your score, and those instruments might have different transpositions. What if you had a horn in F, or an alto saxophone in E♭ or something? If the key in the setup wizard is supposed to select the written pitch, then which one would you expect it to choose? Or what if you just have a piano accompaniment? The only thing that makes sense is to select the key you want the music to sound in, and let Finale adjust the written pitches to match it.

cwkmacuser · Apr 9, 2009, 02:15 PM

OK, but HOW do I change the key from the wizard. It's not obvious at all. I can't post attachments so I can't show you. But, you can use this web address to see more information on my posts.
http://cwkmachelp.webs.com/

CharlesS · Apr 9, 2009, 02:20 PM

It's really simple. Do you see this stage in the setup wizard?

All you have to do is move the scroll bar up (to add sharps) or down (to add flats) until you get to the key you want. In your case, just go down twice to add two flats.

cwkmacuser · Apr 9, 2009, 02:55 PM

Thanks.
Didn't realize it could be that simple!

richwig83 · Apr 9, 2009, 04:21 PM

If your in the key of CMajor a Clarinet part (transposed) will be in DMajor 2 sharps!!