Chord Builder to score
 

Good morning. I recently purchased Notation Composer, and am quite impressed with it. However, I have what may be a somewhat unique problem... I play the accordion, which of course has "pre-defined" base chords. My question is: When I view, for example, C or Gm in Chord Builder, is there a way to automatically transfer that chord to the score? I've tried cut and paste with no success, and there doesn't appear to be an automatic function. What I would REALLY like is to be able to enter the chord name in the score in such a way that it would play when I am playing the score from the top. Many thanks for any help. TerryL

Re: Chord Builder to score
 

Hi, Terry:

The chord transcription options in Composer are intended to work the other way -- to go from notation to chord names, rather than from chord names to notation.

So, no, the Chord Builder won't put the chord into the score.

I can't think of any possible work-around, either.

Sorry.

David

Re: Chord Builder to score
 

Hi guys,

There's a technique that I use sometimes, where I use a "library" file of chord notes that I can quickly copy into a different file. The library file is in key of C. If I need the notes to be in a different key or chord (eg. G), it's easy enough to (1) click-drag to select the notes and (2) use "P + up/down arrow key" to shift the pitches to the proper chord.

Attachment 980

Please feel free to use it, or expand on it. These are only basic chords, and don't have any extensions or slash bass notes.

ttfn,
Sherry

Re: Chord Builder to score
 

Many thanks to both of you. Your reply, David, reoriented my thinking, so back to more playing. And thanks Sherry for your help on the forum as well as off.

Re: Chord Builder to score
 

Sherryl,
while your workaround (creating another score containing the chord notes) generates the desired result, the basic question was: Why can Notation Composer play one chord when you pick it, but why can't it play all the chords along with the melody when playing back a song.
So I second Terry's request: Let us listen to the chords during playback.
Susanne

Re: Chord Builder to score
 

Hi Susanne,

The short answer (as David said) is that this is not the way that Notation Software products work at present :) They are intended to take a .mid file (or a recording that you make) and analyze the chords.

That is a feature request that we do have on our "to do" list for a future release (and I would certainly use, too!).

There are actually a lot of questions that need answers for such a feature - how many notes for the chord? Which notes from a chord? Is it the "straight" chord or an inversion? Which inversion? Perhaps we could discuss what such a feature might look like, and how those options would be offered. It's always helpful to software designers to understand what users are looking for, and how best to present it. Please do let us know your thoughts!

For now, perhaps, we could share any "chord libraries" that we might have?

I'm attaching mine here.
Attachment 1160

You can use it to copy/paste the "foundational notes" of a chord into your score. Just select all the notes and shift them up or down so that the root note ("C" in my file) is the correct root note for the chord you want to enter.

ttfn,
Sherry

Re: Chord Builder to score
 

Sherry,
in my opinion there's not much to discuss as Notation Composer already has all the functionality needed:
Look at the 'Chord Builder' dialog (Text -> Add chord names -> Enter chord name using dialog box). Here every selection (e.g. C minor7) results in exactly one chord name and one combination of notes. And the dialog even plays the correct chord.
Also when selecting a chord name in the score, Composer plays the correct chord.
All it needs is that during playback of a tune, these chords are played as well. And maybe an option somewhere whether to include the chords during playback or not.
Convering chord names to notes (as a separate score) would be an option, but for those instruments you use chord names for such as guitar or accordeon you usually don't need that. You do need to be able to listen to the chord, though.

Susanne

Re: Chord Builder to score
 

Hi Susanne,

Thanks for your clarification.

As I understand it, you only want to hear the chords that are named as the file plays. You don't want the chord notes to actually be present in the score (which is what TerryL had original asked about), but just to hear the chords played along with the file, sort of like an auditioning listen?

This would be a different feature than what I alluded to previously. Where would you expect to see the "toggle on/off" for such a feature? I'm asking (and anyone else can please feel free to join the conversation) because there are a lot of folks that would not want to hear any additional chord notes that are not in the score itself as a file plays, and so there would need to be some sort of toggle switch somewhere.

Thanks for your input - suggestions like yours help us better serve our customers :)

ttfn,
Sherry

Re: Chord Builder to score
 

Sherry, if you re-read Terry's original post, he basically wanted the same, IMO: Playing accordeon by myself, I ran into the same problem as Terry did. And as Composer did not playback the chords, like him (and like you) I searched for a workaround which is placing the chords as notes (not names) into a second voice. I think that most who use chord names would prefer to hear the chords play. In fact these are notes that ARE in the score, only abreviated. Anyway, a toggle would not hurt. Put it into the Perform menu, into the Select play-along sound, or into the Staff options - wherever you like ;-) Susanne

Re: Chord Builder to score
 

Hi Susanne,

That's actually why many folks who use the software for composing do not want those extra "chord name" notes to sound when they play back the score - they only want to hear the abbreviated ones they've entered as they're reviewing how their composition sounds :) Extra notes might mask the sound they're looking for.

I know that it's very easy for me to assume that other people use the software exactly as I do (and my own usages are fairly varied - from simple melody notes/chord names Fake Sheets to backing tracks to big band arrangements). However, I also work the helpdesk for Notation Software (where we get a lot of questions and suggestions) as well as help design the software. We listen to feedback from lots of customers here in the forum, via the helpdesk, and via direct email. I continue to be amazed at the variety of ways that people use the software - many that I never would have thought of myself. That's the biggest reason that I ask a lot of questions when folks make a good suggestion (like yours and TerryL's) for new features. We want to make sure that we serve all our musicians in the best possible way with new features or changes to existing ones :)

Actually we often end up putting a number of commands in many different locations because the command is associated with different aspects of the score or different musicians think about them in different ways (eg. Page Text is in Text and Layout). Thanks for your suggestions for a few different places where you might think to look for such a "play the notes for the chord names" feature!

I've now added such a new feature to our "to do" list for a future release.

Thanks!
Sherry

Re: Chord Builder to score
 

Hi,

One other location that I've suggested putting such a toggle is on the Text/Chord Names tool palette.

Any others?

ttfn,
Sherry