We study the electronic spectra of commensurate and incommensurate double-wall carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) of finite length. The coupling between nanotube shells is taken into account as an inter-shell electron tunneling. Selection rules for the inter-shell coupling are derived. Due to the finite size of the system, these rules do not represent exact conservation of the crystal momentum, but only an approximate one; therefore the coupling between longitudinal momentum states in incommensurate DWNTs becomes possible. The use of the selection rules allows a fast and efficient calculation of the electronic spectrum. In the presence of a magnetic field parallel to the DWNT axis, we find spectrum modulations that depend on the chiralities of the shells.