Michael Wihers writes:
Isn't it interesting how people's usage differs.
I use a system that is almost the opposite of Hal's for the opera scores I produce!
I use a different 'verse' for each voice, setting the baseline for each verse to be the same.
I type all the lyrics into Finale using the 'Edit Lyrics' function, having found that 'type into score' made it difficult for me to change things if I needed to in the 'Edit' box.
I then click assign into the voice part and use 'Shift Lyrics' left or right to make sure that the lyric positioning is correct in melismas, long phrases etc. Hal, what problems have you had with 'Shift lyrics'? It seems to work fine for me, and I certainly haven't had any problems shifting even very long lines left or right as required.
I suspect that problems with using the Edit box to change lyrics that have already been assigned probably results from having the lyrics for different voices in the same 'verse'. I haven't had problems when I keep all the voices in separate 'verses' - Finale usually redistribute the syllables correctly.
I wholeheartedly agree with Hal that you need to know the consequences of actions and not fight the quirks!
YMMV
Michael Withers
Dear Michael and others concerned with lyrics,
I have used different verses for different parts on occasion, especially when the music is as polyphonic as a 16th-century motet or mass movement. In the case of a Kyrie, I might enter the text once in the Edit box and then click-assign it for all the parts. However, for my own anthems that often have unison or homorhythmic sections, it's so much faster for me to enter the highest part in Type Into Score, then clone the text for the others.
Most of the time I don't need to shift lyrics, but when I do, I make sure I know in advance what will happen. I have managed it with melismatic sections without difficulty. I have a special reason to avoid much use of the Edit Lyrics box, however: It's very difficult for me to read (with my poor eyesight) because the text is so crowded and small. If the zoom tool could be used in the Edit Lyrics box, I would be very happy. You could still have control of font, style, and point size for selected text in the box.
If I want to include an alternate set of lyrics in another language, I have found that "chorus" and "section" allow for the alternate text to be set in italic, and the base lines can be adjusted independently. These settings are also very useful when a short divisi occurs in a single staff, requiring text above the upper part. The settings can come in handy when there is a figured bass part in a piece with lyrics.
I'm happy to see that the old problem of strings of hyphens for orphaned syllables has been solved in the current versions of Finale.
One more hint: For the sake of program speed, turn off automatic word extensions and use "Update Word Extensions" when all the lyrics are in place.
Hal
-- Harold Owen 2830 Emerald St., Eugene, OR 97403 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit my web site at: http://uoregon.edu/~hjowen FAX: (509) 461-3608 _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
