In a message dated 02/28/2005 12:42:28 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Part of the problem is the notation you are dealing with; writing swing
rhythms as dotted-eighth/sixteenth is a very old notation, and you
almost never see it any more in modern works. Unless the arranger or
editor is adhering to a fifty-year-old convention, jazz rhythms are
written most clearly these days as ordinary eighths. When notated that
way, Finale can put any amount of swing you want on the eighths, just
in the Playback window controls, while playing back triplets as
written. I'm not sure how it deals with dotted-eighth/sixteenths in
that situation, but I assume that it is not acceptable to you. I would
not imagine that it plays them back as triplets.
I am far from being a fan of Human Playback, but this seems like it might work (not tested by me.)
First of all, try applying Human Playback in the Playback window. Use the "jazz" setting.
If this is no good (I suspect it only applies to eighths, not your dotted-eight/sixteenths) try this:
In Mass Edit, select all.
Under Plugins>New for 2005, select Apply Human Playback.
Click Apply Specific Elements.
Click More Settings: Select.
I think what you are looking for is Adjust 8th and Dotted 16th/Triplet.
This does not seem to be correctly named, but no matter. If the
default doesn't do what you want, try messing around with these
settings.
You will probably get a message at some point telling you to set Human
Playback to "none". Go ahead and click OK.
Hope this helps. Also read the manual - Chapter 39: Playback under Swing Playback.
If this doesn't work, you can export a MIDI file from Finale, import it
into a full-fledged sequencing program, apply one of the logical edits
(depends on the program how it is implemented) to only shift 4th
sixteenths a sixteenth earlier. Re-import the file into Finale, where
all those dotted-eight/sixteenths will now be even eighths, and apply
Swing from the playback window. All should be well, except that the
playback file will look hopeless. No matter, it is only for playback!
By the way, you didn't ask, but the swing feel might be more realistic
at a tempo faster than medium slow if you ask for a SMALLER percentage
swing than even the "light swing" setting gives you. You can experiment
with different values in the Playback control window. Pure triplets
tends to sound real hokey except at the slowest tempos.
Thanks, Christopher.
I have already tried the "Adjust dotted 8th/16th" option, but it seems the dotted 8th/16th figures continue to play back in a 3:1 rather than 2:1 ratio. As I initially posted, I am familiar with the swing playback feature, which of course works fine when the notation is in eighths rather than dotted 8th/16th format.
I always choose "Light" swing in playback mode. Is there an easy way to choose an even lighter form (other than through the MIDI tool)?
Yes, "light" is as swingy as I ever want it to be, too! In the Playback window, when you choose "light", there is a number that appears afterwards (75 on my Mac version). You can edit this number to be even smaller to make the swing even more even.
I don't have a sequencing program, so it appears I may be stuck manually converting those dotted 8th/16th figures into even eighths. I know that in Finale NoteMover mode you can do search and replace for certain pitches with certain rhythms. Is it possible to do a "global search and replace" in Finale 2005 for certain rhythmic figures (i.e., dotted 8th/16th) when those figures have different pitches throughout the piece?
Kathy
There very well may be a search and replace function somewhere in the plugins, but I am not familiar with those that I don't use. Maybe under Note, Beam and Rest Editing>Rhythmic Subdivisions? It looks likely.
Try tech support as well. They are very responsive (if a bit slow at times.)
Christopher
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