In Finale Notation Software, when you are entering Lyrics via the Click in Score method or you are entering chord symbols by typing them into the score, you are presented with a series of triangles on the left of the screen. It is a good idea to know what they mean, as each has a distinct function. From the Finale manual:

Lyrics:

  1. Choose the Lyrics Tool.
  2. From the Lyrics menu, choose Click Assignment or Type Into Score.
  3. Move the Click Assignment box out of the way, if necessary. At the left edge of the screen is a row of four small triangles pointing to the right. They control the baseline for the lyrics. If necessary, click the staff whose lyrics need adjustment.

Chords:

  1. Choose the Chord Tool.
  2. From the Chord menu, choose Manual Input.
  3. Click to the left of the staff and a box with four small triangles will appear.

What Each Triangle Controls:

  1. Drag the leftmost triangle (1) up or down to set the baseline for the entire piece (for the selected lyric type and number). As you drag it, the other three triangles move with it.
  2. Drag the second triangle (2) up or down to set the baseline for the selected staff only, all the way through the piece (for the selected lyric). As you drag this triangle, the two triangles to its right move with it.
  3. Drag the third triangle (3) up or down to set the baseline for this staff, this system only (for the selected lyric). As you drag this triangle, the rightmost triangle moves with it. Use this third triangle only in Page View (so you can see the system you’re affecting).
  4. Drag the rightmost triangle (4) up or down to set the baseline for the next syllable, before it’s entered. This option is useful when you’re entering lyrics with the Type Into Score feature or by Click Assigning one syllable at a time.


Here are some examples of when to use these arrows for chords or lyrics:

  • Drag the leftmost triangle (1) to set the base line for all of the chords (or lyrics) in the piece.
  • Drag the second arrow (2)  for a specific staff – for example, perhaps the guitar has a lot of high notes and ledger lines and you want to move the chord symbols up so they do not collide with the notation, but you only want this in the guitar part, not the piano and bass parts who also have chord symbols. Select the guitar part and drag the second triangle from the left.
  • Same example as #2, above, but it only occurs in one specific system in the guitar part. In this case, just drag the third triangle (3) from the left.
  • Only use the fourth triangle from the left (4) if you have moved arrows 1, 2 or 3 and want the next lyric or chord to be entered at a different location.