In a previous post, I discussed the difference between slurs and ties. This post focuses on entering slurs in Finale.

Entering Slurs

  1. Click the Smart Shape tool  imageSmart_Shape_Tool.gif. The Smart Shape menu appears.
  2. Choose Smart Shape > Smart Slur Options. The most common way to enter slurs is to have them set to attach to notes.
  3. Double-click to add a 2-note slur.
  4. To add an extended slur, double-click the mouse but hold down the second click and drag through the notes.

Slurs Over a System Break

To add an extended slur, double-click the mouse but hold down the second click and drag through the system to the place where you want the slur to end.

Slurs that encompass Ties

When a slur starts on a tied note, the slur should start at the first of the notes that are tied together. Similarly, if a slur ends on a
tied note, the slur should end on the last of the tied notes.

Slurs and Ties

The above is from “Standard Music Notation Practice”
http://icking-music-archive.org/lists/sottisier/notation.pdf

To make slurs more visible, the very ends and the highest or lowest point of the arch should avoid touching a staff line.

 Adding Slurs to Melismas with a Plug-in

If you have a  number of  slurs necessary over the word extensions (the melismas). To save time, you can add these automatically using the Auto Slur Melismas plug-in.

  1. Choose the Selection tool .
  2. Select the entire document or a select portion.
  3. Choose  (Plug-ins in Windows) > Lyrics > Auto Slur Melismas. Finale analyzes the score and adds the slurs automatically.

Dashed or Dotted Slurs in Vocal Music

Dotted slurs are also used to indicate an editor’s suggestion (as opposed to the composers original markings). And sometimes they are used to indicate singing through a spot without taking a breath.

Example 1: http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/8/86/Feroci_Dextera.pdf

dashed slurs 2

Dotted slurs are sometimes used in songs where the presence of a slur varies between stanzas.
Example 2: http://www0.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/My_God,_I_am_thine;_what_a_comfort_divine_%28Joel_Thorne%29

To enter dashed slurs, choose the SmartShape tool and then the Dashed Slur tool. Enter as you would a normal slur. imageSmart_Shape_Tool.gif

Dangling Slurs in First and Second Endings

There are times when you may not want the slurs to attach to the notes such as at first and second endings. See the example, below where the tie is leading to the second ending.

second ending.jpeg

To do this:

  1. Choose the SmartShape Tool.
  2. Select SmartShape > Attach to Measures.
  3. Enter the slur by double-clicking on the Db half note in the 2nd ending and dragging the mouse to the left.

Copying Just the Slurs

  1. Click the Selection tool  imageSelection_Tool.gif.
  2. Choose Edit > Edit Filter. The Edit Filter dialog box appears.
  3. Click Smart Shapes (Attached to Notes) and (Attached to Measures).
  4. Select the region containing the Smart Shapes you want to copy.
  5. Copy the selection: Edit > Copy.
  6. Go to the destination and right-click the mouse and choose Paste or Paste Multiple if you want to enter it in more than one bar.