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Topic: Chords in the song (Read 2605 times) previous topic - next topic

Chords in the song

If someone has already asked this or it has been covered then please delete this. Just couldn't find anything specifically about this.


I figured out a few ways of writing the chord names. One was the staff layering technique, the other the 'insert text' method. Thanks for those tips, whoever you were (can't remember)!
I was wondering, that if you wanna hear the chord played in the file (instead of just having the name of the chord there), if there was a way around actually writing down the notes on a staff. It would save a lot of time. Is there such an feature? I'm just lazy, that's all.

Re: Chords in the song

Reply #1 –
Short answer - no.  Ya just gotta key 'em in...

However, it's not unreasonable to have a "stock" of pre constructed chords you could copy into place.

Personally, I find I can key 'em in quicker'n I can find the right one to copy and then put it where I want, although it is true that in any given song you are likely to have many of the same chords repeated so you would be able to copy from previous bars once you have a few in place.

I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Chords in the song

Reply #2 –
I'm in agreement with Lawrie on this.  However, you could create a matrix on a template which might make it a bit easier.  Use a separate staff for each root (Ab, A, Bb, B, C, C#, Db, D, etc.) and then spell each chord within each root in the same sequence.  If you make them all half notes in 2/4 time, you could separate them with bars, and make the staff property style orchestral to get connecting lines.  Use staff labels to name the roots, and use text entries to name the various structures (maj, min, dim, dim7 etc.)

You'd simply open this file and move back and forth between it and the working song file.  If you wanted a Gmaj7, you'd scroll across the top staff to the maj7 column, then page down to G staff, copy the chord and paste it into your working song file.   

I suggest seeing if it would work to zoom this file to a small size to make it easier to navigate while you have it open.

One limitation you will face is having open versus closed voicings, but I guess you could make the template as complicated as you like.

You should be able to save a quite a bit of work by spelling all the chords on the first staff of your template, copying them to the other staffs and using the transpose tool.