Jeffrey, how did you get them there in the first place?

The easiest way to make the little musica ficta accidentals is to create a new articulation of a sharp, flat or natural, reducing the font size, and use that. As far as search and replace, I don't know. As far as why they aren't moving, they could be set to be always outside the staff. If they're articulations, double-click on one using the Articulation tool and change the positioning (lower left of dialog box IIRC). The options include outside staff, note side, stem side, etc.

What are you trying to do?

Oh, right. Because they're not really notes. If you want the notes to play back correctly with the musica ficta alterations, you have to use the "Accidental Mover" under the Special Tools menu, but articulations look better. You can also alter the pitches but hide the accidentals . . . but that opens a whole nother can of worms.

I can say "whole nother" on here, can't I? Just because it is ungrammatical doesn't make it unintelligent or uncivil, I suppose.

Whole nother is excellent English anywhere I've lived.

Ok but I'm not interested in playback, just a good edition. I need to change # to natural. You can tell probably that I know little of finale. If it takes more than i know, I can just send it to an expert. Write me if you are interested in being that expert. jatucker@mindspring.com

Well, the expert solved the problem! mysteries abound.

oops, that last post was incomplete! arg, let me try again:

I don't know if this helps, but you can change an accidental form a shart to a flat by putting th cursor on the note and tapping 9 on the keyboard.
Also, to change all the accidentals in a document:
1.under options: enharmonic spelling, select flats or sharps.
2.click the mass mover tool on the menu,
3. use crtl/A to slect the whole document,
4. go to "mass edit" form the menu, scroll down to "utlilites" and select "repsell notes"
This will respell all the accidentals in the document to flatward or sharpward.

I hope this was an intelligent or civil comment
GH

Musica ficta are accidentals added above notes to suggest that a particular note should be sharped or flatted (or made natural). To do this in Finale:

0. Enter the note with the desired accidental (in front of the note).
1. Click the Special Tools icon (hammer).
2. Click the Accidental Mover Tool icon (a flat with arrows pointing left and right).
3. Click the measure with the note with an accidental in front of it.
4. Click on the accidental handle; this will open up an Accidental Settings box for that accidental.
5. Check Allow Vertical Positioning box.
6. (Recommended) Enter something like 85% in the Resize To box (you want the ficta a bit smaller than normal).
7. Click OK.
8. Drag the accidental up over the note.

This method has the advantage that, if you should transpose (for instance, by changing the key signature), the resulting ficta will change accordingly (if it should change, say, from a sharp to a natural).

It helps to consult the online User Manual when questions such as these arise.

I hope this helps.

JQ, you *can* do more for early music . . . . for a small fee.

The Medieval add-on for Finale from Klemm Musik of Germany will do the trick, but it's 300 Euros. I've been coveting it for some time. Maybe next year . . . but Medieval will do a wide variety of older notation, even chant notation.

Note that Medieval may not be compatible with recent versions of MAC...it required Rosetta.

It's not cool to own a MAC, it's just more expensive!