I'm having difficulty figuring out how to enter a fusion with the marching cymbal sectionin Finale. I don't have the program here at work to reference, but I know that there is something like sizzle/chokeA and sizzle/chokeB on C# and Eb. They sound like what I want - they sustain until released, and cut off with a click.

But, I don't here it like that played back in Finale. The way I usually notate them is to put an 8th note (the sizzle) tied to another 8th (the cutoff). Am I supposed to use two different keys to get this effect?

How do I go about doing this in Finale so it plays back correctly and notates it in a way that makes sense?

VDL:2 is programmed in such a way that if you enter the start of your fusion with an 8th note, if you do not put another 8th note, it will release on that rest. What I've done is had to reteach my students how to read those. They now know that the first note is the fusion and the rest is the release.

This may or may not help, I am not a Finale user anymore. Instead of a tie try inputting a slur. Even though the notes are on the same line, they are two different pitches. Does that help? This was an issue for me using Sibelius and VD1.

Gabe Cobas

Bill, am I using the correct keys?
If so, what's the difference between the C# and Eb? Also, if I tried what Gabe suggested using the hi-hat click sound, would that also work?