The Repitch Tool is another of Finale’s fantastic time-savers. It allows you to use a MIDI device to quickly change the pitch of existing notes while retaining their rhythmic values. While it has been the subject of a previous Finale blog post, I thought I’d share a specific scenario where Repitch really shines – when dealing with instrument sections in scores.

Very often sections have many rhythmic similarities, but differ in pitch between chairs in the section. In this circumstance, the Repitch Tool can save a ridiculous amount of time.

To see this in action, open (or create) a score where there’s some notes entered for a first chair of a section, like first clarinet, that is rhythmically similar to the music you need to in a subsequent chair, like second clarinet. Copy this music from the first chair to the subsequent chair, then:

1. From the Window Menu, select “Simple Entry Pallet,” and from this pallet choose the Repitch tool (above it appears second from the left).
2. Click on the first note in the section you wish to change the pitches of.
3. Using your configured MIDI device, play your new pitches. You should see the caret automatically advance as you change pitches.
4. Use the left and right arrow keys on the computer keyboard to navigate past notes or passages you don’t wish to change.

Let us know how Repitch is working for you by clicking on “Comments” below, and learn more about blog post author Fred Flowerday by visiting this previous post.