Leo
audio visual chord caculator tool
Posted on 7-Mar-07 01:28Viewed 1670 times
I am looking forward to testing out Songtrix.
Forgive my haste if the following has already been included or suggested for Songtrix.
Some things that frustrates me as an untrained composer:
1) Hearing chords in my head and not having a means to find them. Actually, hearing and finding the first chord, but not know how to find the next chords.
2) Sequencer software that provides auto accompaniment, harmonizing, etc., but fails to guide or explain how to use it.
3) Chord books that show chords in pictures; either in notation or showing a piano keyboard with notes on it. For myself this doesn’t help me, because I’m not hearing the picture of the chord in my head; rather I am hearing the SOUND of the chord.
Okay, I will do my best to explain my concept here. What I am envisioning, is a feature in a program (songtrix), which has an audio/visual chord book of all chords available on the piano (refer to http://www.completechords.com/PGS_Products_Charts/Complete_Keyboard_Chord_Poster.htm chord poster). I’ve included two other links of programs that show what I am referring to.
http://www.palette-mct.com/
The Palette actually is exactly what I would like to have. The problem here though is it stops at triads and 7ths. I would like to see sus. 9th, 11th, 13th, dim, aug, every chord, and option available, with all possible chord inversions, open/closed position, etc. Also the Palette lacks a real sequencer for adding other parts beyond harmony, melody, bass note. It also lacks a means to modulate a progression. In addition, no way to edit a chord, add to or subtract from it.
http://www.smartutils.com/fclite_info.html
Example image:
http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/programs/FastChordsLite/screenshot.shtml
Fast Chords also has what I am looking for in features for a sequencer; it has all chords available with a visual and audio example of the chord. This also provides all inversion in all octaves, open/closed position, etc. Allow for developing a chord progression with any key (modulation). Fast Chord provides a means to add/subtract notes from existing chords; however, it is only a chord calculator tool. It doesn’t have a sequencer or even a way to export to midi. This really disappointed me, because I really wanted to use the midi data from the chord progression in a sequencer.
I hope you will consider my suggestion as this could be useful and possibly take Songtrix beyond the major sequencer packages.
ChordWizard Support
Hi Leo, thanks for the detailed comments and links. I think you'll find Songtrix can already help you with many of the points you raise.
1) Songtrix offers several tools to help you narrow down your choice of chords. Most of these are under the Tools menu (Notes To Chords, Relations, Siblings). It also offers the full range of chords which you can browse and sample before entering them into a song. You can also use an overriding scale to help you choose compatible chords.
2) The implementation of auto-accompaniment styles in Songtrix is highly transparent. It uses the chords or scales that you have entered into your song to reharmonize the source events contained in the style. ChordWizard Styles themselves are simply a special type of ChordWizard Song. Open one (File-Open, Files of Type : ChordWizard Style) and you'll see.
3) Chord construction is very flexible when entering chords in Songtrix. You specify your default preferences in Setup Chords (target bass pitch, number of tones, inversion openness) and these apply to the inversions that Songtrix automatically generates from your chord selection. However you can override this easily for a particular chord, selecting a different bass pitch, or a completely different set of pitches. You get to see the inversion on staff and hear the sound everytime you change it.
In addition you can use the Guitar Chord tool to create an inversion which precisely mimic the inversion of a guitar chordshape for added realism when constructing guitar parts.
