Create Accompaniments

Options         Modern chord notation        Classical chord notation

This screen permits you to type in a sequence of chords to match the melody, and then choose from a large range of accompaniment patterns, to generate a new track with that accompaniment.

If you opened this screen without previously loading any tune, a message will appear to this effect, and you can click the 'Load New' button at bottom right of the screen in order to load a melody.

Options and buttons at the top of the screen.
The first track of the loaded tune will be shown in the staff at the top of the screen. If this is not the melody track, you can change tracks with the 'Track selector' drop-down box at the top of the screen. You can change the number of bars displayed across the screen (from 1 to 6 bars) using the spin box also at the top of the screen. It will initially use the most appropriate clef (bass or treble) depending on the range of pitches in the track, but you can change the clef with the bass and treble option buttons at the top of the screen.

There are two possible ways to enter chords, - modern or classical (Roman Numerals). The modern method uses the Absolute name of each chord, e.g. G, or Ab, or C minor. The classical method uses Relative chord  names, that is, relative to the key of the tune.  For example, if the tune is in Bb major, then roman numeral I (= Arabic 1) means the tonic chord for the key of Bb major, which is a Bb triad. Roman numeral II  (= Arabic 2) means the triad with its root on the second note of the scale of Bb, which is a C, resulting in a C minor triad. There are two option buttons at the top of the screen, one for inputting chord names using Modern notation, the other for using classical. If chords have been input using one of these methods, then clicking the other option button will show their equivalents in that other notation.

At top right of the screen there are three command buttons. The blue button Remove all chords  simply empties out all chord boxes, be they in modern or Roman notation, so you can start afresh. The pink button View all chords in a grid  displays a new screen with the chords arranged downwards, and their properties in columns across the screen. Once this screen is displayed, you may seek detailed help on it, by hitting the F1 help key. The green button Select accompaniment pattern brings up a new screen with a wide choice of accompaniment styles that can be automatically generated from the chord sequence, once this is complete. Again, once this screen is displayed, you may seek detailed help on it, by hitting the F1 help key.

Inputting Chords using Modern Notation
Underneath each bar displayed in the music staff at the top of the screen, you will see 4 rows of input boxes. 

The top row shows the beat number within the bar, so if the tune is in 3/4 time, these will show as 1, 2, 3 for each bar. This row is filled in automatically by the system, so you cannot type into these boxes. 

The second row is for the chord names. For example, for a simple G triad, just type G. For an Ab dominant seventh chord, type Ab7. For an F# diminished triad, type F#dim. For an F# diminished 7th chord, type F#dim7.  For a C augmented triad type either C+ or Caug. For an Eb major 7th chord, type Ebmaj7. If you type in a string of letters and numbers which the system cannot recognize as a valid chord name, an error message to this effect will be displayed.

The third row is left empty when you want the chord in root position, which will often be the case. Otherwise, it indicates the chord inversion by specifying the lowest note of the chord, labelled in this row as the 'Bass Note'.  For example, if you have typed G for a simple G triad in the row above, but you want it to be played in its first inversion, with a B as its lowest note, type a B in this box. For the second inversion, which has a D as its lowest note, type D in this box. If you type in a letter which is not a valid musical note, a message to this effect will appear. If the musical note you type in is not a note from the chord, it will be ignored, and the chord will be played in root position.

The fourth row is labelled 'Alternative Notation', and this displays the chord names in the equivalent classical notation, where applicable. This row is for information only, you cannot type into these boxes.

Inputting Chords using Classical Notation
There are five rows displayed under each bar of the staff, of which the first is the (read-only) bar number, the same as it is for modern chord notation. 

The second row is for a chord number. Classical notation uses numbers from 1 to 7 for the triad based on each note of the scale in the key of the tune. These numbers are traditionally written with Roman Numerals.. I means a triad based on the first note of the scale for the current key signature, II  for a triad with its root on the second note of the scale. The 7 roman numerals and their Arabic equivalents are listed in the table below.

Roman I II III IV V VI VII
Arabic 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Name tonic super-tonic mediant sub-dominant dominant sub-mediant leading-note

Each of the seven diatonic triads can have a seventh added, this is indicated by a space and a 7 following the roman numeral. You may select the chord numbers with or without the 7, from the drop-down list, or else type them in directly.

The third row indicates the inversion, where a = root position, b= first inversion, c = second inversion, and for 7th chords only, d = third inversion.. If the chord is in root position, this may be left blank, or you may type a. Instead of typing a, b, c, or d, you may select one of these from the drop-down list if you wish. If anything else is typed, an error message to this effect will be displayed.

The fourth row is for the key to which the chord belongs, if it has modulated to a key other than the starting key of the tune itself. You will normally leave this blank if the chord is a diatonic chord belonging to the scale of the tune's key. Otherwise,  you can use the drop-down list to select the key of the chord. The list is in alphabetic order, with both major and minor keys included.

The fourth row is labelled 'Alternative Notation', and this displays the chord names in the equivalent modern notation. This row is for information only, you cannot type into these boxes.

Top       Options           Modern chord notation        Classical chord notation


CreateAccomp.htm    Friday, 27 October 2006 13:21