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CHORDMASTER - Unregistered Version 2.0
Chord Chemistry Program for Guitar
Copyright (c) 1991,1992,1993 Robert Watson
All Rights Reserved
This software and the disks on which it contained is licensed to
you, for your own use. This is copyrighted software. You are not
obtaining title to the software or any copyright rights. You may
not sublicense, rent, lease, convey, modify, translate, convert to
another programming language, decompile, or disassemble the software
for any purpose.
You may make as many copies of this software as you need for
back-up purposes. You may use this software on more than one computer,
provided there is no chance that it will be used simultaneously on more
than one computer. If you need to use the software on more than one
computer simultaneously, please contact us for information about site
licenses.
DISCLAIMER
ROBERT WATSON DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES RELATING TO THIS SOFTWARE,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE,
AND ALL SUCH WARRANTIES ARE EXPRESSLY AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMED.
NEITHER ROBERT WATSON OR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE
CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF THIS SOFTWARE SHALL BE LIABLE
FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT
OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH SOFTWARE EVEN IF ROBERT WATSON
HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIMS. IN
NO EVENT SHALL ROBERT WATSON'S LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES EVER EXCEED
THE PRICE PAID FOR THE LICENSE TO USE THE SOFTWARE, REGARDLESS OF THE
FORM OF THE CLAIM. THE PERSON USING THE SOFTWARE BEARS ALL RISK AS TO
THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE.
Some states do not allow the exclusion of the limit of liability
for consequential or incidental damages, so the above limitation may
not apply to you.
This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
California and shall inure to the benefit of Robert Watson and
any successors, administrators, heirs and assigns. Any action or
proceeding brought by either party against the other arising out of
or related to this agreement shall be brought only in a STATE or
FEDERAL COURT of competent jurisdiction located in Los Angeles County,
California. The parties hereby consent to in personam jurisdiction of
said courts.
***
CHORDMASTER
Chord Chemistry Program for Guitar
USERS MANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ............................... 1
INSTALLATION ............................... 2
CHORD ENTRY ................................ 3
CHORD ENTRY METHODS ..................... 3
CHORD ENTRY TABLE ....................... 3
CHORD ENTRY TABLE OPTIONS ............... 4
COMMAND LINE ENTRY ...................... 4
IDENTIFIERS........................... 4
NOTE ENTRY .............................. 5
ERRORS .................................. 5
SCREEN FORMAT .............................. 6
FRETBOARD COMMANDS ......................... 7
TAB VIEW SEQUENCER ......................... 8
TIMING ROW .............................. 8
POSITION ROW ............................ 8
BUTTON ROW .............................. 9
SEQUENCE EDITING ........................ 9
ADDING NOTES ......................... 9
SETTING NOTE LENGTHS ................ 10
DELETING/ERASING NOTES .............. 10
BLOCK OPERATIONS .................... 10
HINTS ............................... 11
MAIN MENU ................................. 10
FILES .................................. 12
PRINTING ............................ 12
EXPORTING ........................... 12
SEQUENCER .............................. 13
SONG SETTINGS ....................... 13
MIDI ............................. 13
SOUND CARD ....................... 13
METER & TEMPO MAPS .................. 14
TIMINGS ............................. 14
CHORDINGS .............................. 15
DISPLAYING .......................... 15
TUNINGS ................................ 17
OPTIONS ................................ 18
***
INTRODUCTION
CHORDMASTER is state-of-the-art chord chemistry software designed
specifically for guitarists. CHORDMASTER PRO PLUS is not only a valuable
aid and reference, useful for a variety of educational purposes; but a
unique compositional tool that uses the guitar fretboard as a metaphor.
This unregistered version demonstrates some of capabilities of the
CHORDMASTER programs. See the README.DOC file for more details.
CHORDMASTER PRO PLUS VERSION 2.0 FEATURES -
NEW!!! - Tab View Sequencer plays songs in tablature while
fingerings are shown on the active fretboard.
NEW!!! - "Point and Shoot" Editor lets you create new songs
by using your mouse to select notes on the fretboard.
NEW!!! - The Guitarist's File Standard, the "AXE" file stores
fingering, timing, tuning and patch data. AXE2MIDI file export
utility lets your transfer your work to a MIDI file.
NEW!!! - Sequencer supports Tempo and Meter mapping, as well
as STEP mode.
NEW!!! - Rudimentary string by string transposition of pieces
into different tunings.
NEW!!! - Tablature can be output to printer or text files.
NEW!!! - Improved chord resolution capability enhances synonym
recognition, and identifying of obscure inputs.
NEW!!! - Integrated Guitar Tuner.
Support for MIDI, Sound Blaster and other sound cards.
Interactive Chord Entry Table for easy input of chord entries.
Chord entries can quickly be transposed to different keys.
Notes for two chords can be overlayed on one fretboard,
allowing analysis of similarities and differences.
Chords can be input by name or by specifying notes to be resolved
to a known chording. Chords can be resolved to up to five chord
synonyms. Obscure inputs can be resolved to proper chords.
Chords libraries are provided, allowing for the display of
thousands of individual chordings. User chord libraries can
be maintained for custom chord display capabilities.
Individual chord display can be limited to certain string
and fret ranges.
Context-sensitive HELP screens, mouse and printer support.
- 1 -
***
INSTALLATION
CHORDMASTER requires about 550 Kbytes of disk space, and can be run
from either a floppy or hard disk.
Unregistered versions of CHORDMASTER are distributed in ZIP format and
require PKUNZIP to install. Here's a sample hard drive installation that
assumes that the CHORDZ.ZIP file is in the current directory.
Example: MD \CHORDS <enter> (create chord directory)
PKUNZIP CHORDZ \CHORDS <enter> (unzip CHORDMASTER)
CD \CHORDS (log the chord directory)
SETUP (creates subdirectories)
CHORDS <enter> (executes the program)
WINDOWS USERS -
CHORDMASTER will run either full screen or windowed in WINDOWS 3.x. A
windows icon (CHORDS.ICO) and PIF file (CHORDS.PIF) are included. To
create your own PIF file for CHORDMASTER using the PIF editor, consider
the following. 384K of RAM is required. To run CHORDMASTER in its
own window, WINDOWS must be started in 386 enhanced mode. If using the
enhanced mode add a 'w' in the Optional Parameters box of the PIF screen.
This will disable CHORDMASTER's graphical startup screen and avoid a video
error in WINDOWS.
When CHORDMASTER is run in a window, mouse functions will only work if the
program is first started as a full screen application, and switched to a
window via ALT-SPACEBAR.
Because CHORDMASTER takes control of specific timing functions, chords and
songs may not play smoothly under windows.
- 2 -
***
CHORD ENTRY
After the opening screens the program will display a blank fretboard
and wait for commands from the the main menu. There are several ways
to enter chords.
CHORD ENTRY METHODS
Chord Entry Table - A quick interactive method for chord entry.
Command Line - Type in the name of a chord.
Note Entry - Specify the notes in a chord and let CHORDMASTER
identify it.
Each of these methods is discussed below:
CHORD ENTRY TABLE
CHORDMASTER's Chord Entry Table is a quick, convenient way to enter a
chord to be displayed. The table can be accessed by via the CHORDINGS
submenu.
The Chord Entry Table consists of four component sections: KEY, SUFFIX,
ADD, and ALTER. The first and second sections, KEY and SUFFIX, are
essential and one item from each is always selected. The ADD and ALTER
sections are not essential and selections in them are optional.
MAKING SELECTIONS
TAB to move from section to section.
ARROW keys to move around within a section.
SPACE BAR selects/deselects the highlighted item in the ADD/ALTER
section.
MOUSE USERS : Click on an item to select it, click again to deselect.
Note that at any given time certain ADD/ALTER selections are darkened and
not available. Which selections are available will depend on which SUFFIX
and other ADD/ALTER selections are made. The Chord Entry Table reacts
interactively, showing which combinations are musically permissible.
- 3 -
***
CHORD ENTRY TABLE - OPTIONS
FREE ARROW KEYS - Some keyboard users will find this option a
more convenient way to traverse the table.
Using this method the ARROW keys can traverse
the table, moving from section to section. The
TAB key need only be used to anchor selections
in the leftmost columns of the KEY or SUFFIX
areas. This method requires fewer keystrokes
to accomplish many of the same tasks.
REMEMBER LAST CHORD - This option makes the Chord Entry Table remember
the previous chording that was entered with the
table. This is useful when entering successive
chords that are similar in some respect.
COMMAND LINE CHORD ENTRY
Use the following format for entering a chord by name:
[A-G][#,b(optional)] [chord identifier options]
At the very least you must enter an uppercase letter in the range of
'A' through 'G'. Optionally, you may indicate that the note is to be
sharped or flatted by adding a '#' for a sharp or a lowercase 'b' for
a flat. Why the preoccupation with upper and lowercase? Consider a
B flat chord. It looks fine as 'Bb', but kind of silly as 'bb', 'BB',
or 'bB'.
So you must enter the key or root of the chord you want to work with.
If this is all you enter it is assumed that you are looking for a
major chord. To specify other chords you must add one or more chord
identifier options, separated by spaces.
The following are legitimate identifier options:
FIRST GROUP
maj maj6 maj7 maj9
maj11 maj13 minmaj7 minmaj9
min min6 min7 min9
min11 min13 dim dim7
5 6 7 9
11 13 aug aug9
aug11 noroot
SECOND GROUP
add or / sus + or - (followed by numbers 2 - 13)
- 4 -
***
Identifiers may be combined, separated by a space, in any combination that
is musically sensible. Now, what is musically sensible may vary according
to whose rules you are following. For the most part you will use one of
the identifier options in the first group, optionally followed by one or
more of the identifier combinations in the second group.
The identifiers in the first group are common in describing chords. See
a book on chord theory for an explanation of these identifiers.
The identifiers in the second group are less common and are often written
in different ways. Here is brief explanation of the second group:
add or / - Used to add a tone to tone to a chord. These
are useful in creating common and exotic chords
and scales. The catch is that the tone to be
added must not have been described in a previous
identifier or an error message will result.
sus - Generally used to add a 2nd or 4th tone to a
chord at the expense of the 3rd.
+ or - - used to add an altered tone, or alter an existing
tone, to an existing chord.
Here are some of the errors that can be encountered during chord entry.
Errors only occur when using the command-line input method.
ILLEGAL - What you typed is nonsensible.
STEP ALREADY EXISTS - Your trying to add (add or /) a tone
that has already been established.
TONE SPECIFIED IS > 13 - You've tried to add or alter a tone
that is greater than 13.
ILLEGAL TONE SPECIFIED - You've tried add or alter a
non-numeric entity.
NOTE ENTRY
Entry can also be accomplished by specifying the notes to be used in the
chord. CHORDMASTER then attempts to identify the chord. Note entry is
particularly easy with a mouse. Non-mouse users should use NOTE ENTRY
under the CHORDINGS submenu.
NOTE ENTRY with a mouse:
Enter a chord's notes by clicking on the desired fret positions on
the active fretboard. Clicking on a previously selected note will
de-select it. Once the desired notes have been selected, click on
the word PROCESS which will appear above the active fretboard. If
the notes can be identified as a chord, its name will be displayed.
The lowest note selected will be considered as the primary root for
the resulting chord.
- 5 -
***
Once a valid chord has been entered, all the notes in the chord are
displayed on a fretboard and the notes are sounded through the system
speaker. Additionally, a display appears above and to the right of the
fretboard showing the relationship of the notes in the chord to the tones
in a scale. This display is the chord formula header.
For instance, if 'A' is entered; the chord formula header will display
the following:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
A C# E
This indicates that the 'A' major chord that was entered has three tones
in it; a 1st or root, a 3rd and a 5th. Therefore, an 'A' major chord has
a formula of 1, 3, 5 . The established spacing of these notes is function
of established music theory and will not be discussed in this section. It
is not necessary to fully understand these mechanisms to begin using and
enjoying CHORDMASTER.
An additional line of text appears immediately below the fretboard, this
is called the RESOLVE line. If you entered 'A', as in the example above,
this line would simply read 'A MAJ'. This may seem kind of redundant at
this point, but as you will see as you read on, the RESOLVE line is one of
CHORDMASTER's most powerful features.
Let's look again at the fretboard. If you have entered the simple example
chord shown above, the fretboard shows all the notes in an 'A' major chord
scattered about the fretboard. This is a powerful visual tool. It allows
the user to visualize an entire section of fretboard. In this case, any
fingerable combination of notes that contains at least one 'A', one 'C#'
and one 'E', is a legitimate 'A' major chord. Don't worry, CHORDMASTER
can also display individual chord fingerings as we will see shortly.
- 6 -
***
FRETBOARD COMMANDS
There are several quick key combinations available after a chord is
entered, they are:
<- or -> - Shifts the fretboard view range left or right.
At any one time 16 frets are visible, over a range
of 25.
P - Repeats the playing of the tones in the chord.
- or + - Changes the timing of the playing of the tones
in the chord.
D - Displays individual fingerings for the entered chord.
UP or DOWN arrows - TRANSPOSE the most recent entry to a higher
or lower key.
T - Switch between like keys. For example 'C#' to 'Db'.
S - Brings up the Tab View Sequencer window.
MOUSE USERS : DISPLAY of individual chordings can be initiated by
clicking on the DISPLAY box which will appear above the
active fretboard.
Entries can be TRANSPOSED thru keys by clicking on the
appropriate side of the TRANSPOSE button. Clicking in
the middle of the button will switch between like keys.
For example 'C#' to 'Db'.
- 7 -
***
SEQUENCE CHART
The Tab View Sequencer window can be accessed in many ways, including:
opening an AXE file under the FILES menu, selecting SEQUENCE WINDOW from
the SEQUENCER menu, or by pressing 'S'. Most CHORDMASTER options, including
Chord Entry and Display, are still available when the Sequencer Window is
open.
TAB VIEW SEQUENCER
Tab View combines standard guitar tablature with timing information in a
way that makes it easy to visualize, play and edit songs, without having
to read music.
TIME SIGNATURE
| ┌────────────────────────────────────────
└--------» │ 4/4 001 - | - | - | - 002 - | «--- TIMING ROW
│ E
│ B
│ G STRING/NOTE
STRING ROWS │ D AREA
│ A
│ E
│ BPM« «--- POSITION ROW
│«120» INFO «ZOOM» ««≤≤ ≥≥»» STEP «--- BUTTON ROW
└────────────────────────────────────────
PARTS OF THE TAB VIEW WINDOW
STRING NOTE AREA - The fret numbers of fingered (and open) notes are
displayed on the row associated with a given guitar
string. The notes are spaced horizontally to indicate
their proper timing. Sustained notes are shown with
dashes following for the length of the note.
TIMING ROW - The top row of the Tab View Window is the Timing Row.
In the upper left, is the Time Signature of a song.
The numbers across the timing row serve as measure
markers, and the vertical bars reflect the beats as
described in the Time Signature. CHORDMASTER supports
Meter Mapping, allowing Time Signatures to change
throughout a song. To access the meter map press 'M'
or use the mouse to click on the Time Signature.
POSITION ROW - The triangular Position Marker moves as the song is
played, indicating the current position in the song.
When a song is not being played a mouse click on the
row moves the marker to that position. Click on the
left and right arrows at either end of the marker row
to single step the marker in that direction. Editing
functions affect data at the marker position.
- 8 -
***
BUTTON ROW - Provides quick access to the most commonly used
sequencing functions:
BPM Use mouse to click on the left and right segments of
this button to change the tempo of a piece. The keyboard
equivalents are CTRL+ and CTRL-.
INFO Brings up CHORDMASTER's integrated text editor. Use
this to add comments, explanations or other information
about a particular piece of music. This text becomes
part of the SONG file.
ZOOM Controls the density of notes pictured in the Tab View
window. The minimum zoom is dependent on the shortest
note in the piece. Use the mouse, or 'Z' and 'ALT Z' to
zoom in and out, respectively.
REWIND / FF These button segments imitate the associated tape
recorder functions. The outer button segments are the
full Rewind and full Fast Forward buttons. These move
the Position Marker to the beginning or end of the song,
respectively. The inner button segments are used to
step thru the song a screen at a time in the appropriate
direction. Keyboard: Use 'R','CTRL R', 'CTRL F', 'F'.
EXECUTE Starts and stops the playing of a song.
SHORTCUTS
Each of above functions can be accessed by clicking with the mouse or
by using the highlighted hot keys associated with each button.
METER MAPPING - Can be accessed by pressing 'M' or clicking on the
Time Signature symbol at the upper left corner of
the Tab View window.
TEMPO MAPPING - Can be accessed by pressing 'B' or clicking on the
BPM symbol at the lower left corner of the Tab View
window.
SEQUENCE EDITING
Sequence editing is not available in this unregistered version. The
following text shows how easy it is! See README.DOC for information
on ordering CHORDMASTER PRO PLUS. Sequence editing requires a mouse.
ADDING NOTES
Move the Position Marker to the desired point as described above.
Add notes by clicking on the active fretboard at the desired frets.
When the mouse cursor is over the fretboard, a left click adds a
note, while a right click moves the Position Marker to the right.
Whole chords can be added in while in DISPLAY mode by left clicking
on the Timing Row at the desired position.
- 9 -
***
SETTING NOTE LENGTHS
There are two ways to set the length of a note:
(1) Adjust the length of existing notes by left clicking at a
position to the right of the note. Dashes will appear,
indicating the new length.
(2) When adding a note by left clicking on the fretboard,
additional clicks will cycle the length of the note
from the shortest length to a whole note. When a note
length is established in this way, it becomes the default
note length for future entries.
Left clicking directly on an extended note truncates its length to
the shortest length (for a given resolution). Left clicking again
erases the note.
DELETING/ERASING NOTES
Single notes may be erased by clicking directly on the note.
All notes at a position may be erased by right clicking on the
Timing Row above the target position.
All notes at a position may be deleted by double right clicking on
the Position Row below the target position.
MANIPULATING A RANGE OF A SONG
A marked range of notes may be deleted, copied or moved.
Mark a range by positioning the mouse cursor over one end of the
range, depressing and holding the right mouse button, and dragging
the cursor. When the desired range is highlighted, release the
right button.
Once a range is marked it can be manipulated via the EDIT submenu.
Open the EDIT submenu from the main menu at the top of the screen.
If the main menu is not visible, left click at the top of the
screen to access it. The EDIT menu functions are analagous to those
of a typical word processor.
CUT - Deletes the marked section from the song, but preserves
it in the Clipboard, at least until the next CUT or COPY.
COPY - Copies the marked section to the clipboard, leaving the
song unaltered.
PASTE - Inserts the contents of the Clipboard at the current
marker position.
CLEAR - Deletes the marked section from the song. BE CAREFUL!!!
- 10 -
***
HINTS -
The shortest length for a note depends on the selected ZOOM setting.
For instance, in 4/4 time, if the ZOOM is set at 8 positions per
measure, the smallest note that can be entered is an 1/8 note.
When entering a new song, always start by setting the ZOOM at the
coarsest appropriate setting. For instance, if the shortest note
in a piece is a 1/4 note, and there are no dotted quarter notes,
set the ZOOM at four positions per measure. In this way only notes
longer than a 1/4 note will need to be extended.
The True Power of "AXE" Files . . .
Finally, a way for guitarists to exchange and store music! The "AXE" file
stores the fingering, timing, tuning, and patch information created in the
"Tab View" Sequencer/Editor.
Better yet, "AXE" files can be exported or converted to standard MIDI
(.MID) Type I files! Multiple tracks can be created in CHORDMASTER,
exported in the MIDI format, and merged into your favorite standard MIDI
sequencer! Why create guitar (or any other tracks!) in a keyboard-based
sequencer if your more comfortable with a guitar fretboard?
All new versions of CHORDMASTER come with AXE2MIDI.EXE, a standalone
AXE to MIDI file convertor that you can include with your compositions.
In this way you can share your compositions with others, whether they
have CHORDMASTER or not!
LIMITATIONS -
While CHORDMASTER is a powerful compositional tool, and can be used to
create songs in a variety of styles and instrument types; it has some
limitations. The sequencer does not support note lengths that are not
multiples of a 1/32 note. Triplets, quintuplets, and so on, are not
supported. Certain effects possible with stringed instruments can not
be duplicated; these include vibrato, tremolo, bending, harmonics, etc.
Many of these effects can be added in work-arounds when files are
exported to a MIDI sequencer.
The inclusion of most of the above features was precluded by the nature
of the interface used for this version. While DOS text mode, allows the
greatest number of PC users to enjoy CHORDMASTER, a graphical interface
(such as MS Windows) will allow for more capability. An MS Windows
version IS in the works.
- 11 -
***
MAIN MENU
Let's examine the various features in the main menu. We will work
through the drop-down menus left to right.
FILES MENU
OPEN - Use this selection to open an existing piece of music for
playing or printing.
PRINT - This menu selection accesses CHORDMASTERS print menu;
providing a means to print fretboards or sequences.
PRINT ACTIVE - Prints the active fretboard on the printer.
PRINT ALL - Prints the entire screen on the printer.
PRINT TOP - Prints the top fretboard on the printer.
PRINT BOTTOM - Prints the bottom fretboard on the printer.
PRINT SEQUENCE - Prints the currently loaded sequence.
PRINT TO FILE - Print to a file rather than the printer.
PRINT GRAPHICS - Use this selection to enable printing of graphics
characters on printers that support graphics. This
should work with most dot-matrix and laser printers.
PRINT PORT - Select the desired printer port. Valid selections
are LPT1, LPT2 or LPT3.
FILE EXPORT
The export utility saves the song currently in CHORDMASTER's sequencer
to a MIDI type 1 file.
Enter a valid filename. and press F7 to complete the conversion. Be sure
to save your work as a ".AXE" file for later use in CHORDMASTER.
Technical : The type 1 MIDI files created by this function consist of two
tracks. The first track contains tempo and meter data, while
the second contains the actual music. These files can be
played and combined in a standard MIDI sequencer application.
When creating pieces of music to be merged later; be sure to
use the same Tempo and Meter Map for each piece (duplicate
tempo and meter tracks can be eliminated from the merged file).
The export utility calls the AXE2MIDI.EXE program to perform
the conversion. This file must exist in the CHORDMASTER base
directory, or a system error will result. AXE2MIDI.EXE can
also be used at the DOS command-line.
- 12 -
***
SEQUENCER MENU
The Sequencer Menu provides access to many of the functions related
to the Tab View Sequencer. Some of these functions may be accessed
directly from the Tab View window.
SEQUENCE WINDOW
This selection accesses CHORDMASTER's Tab View Sequencer window. Once
visible, songs can be played, or printed. The window can be hidden by
pressing ESC.
SONG SETTINGS
This menu selection accesses MIDI and sound card selections that
determine how a song will be played thru these devices.
This information is stored in the CHORDMASTER song (.AXE)
file when it is saved to disk. This data is overwritten
when an existing file is loaded.
SEQUENCE STRUM FACTOR
Use this value to set the amount of stagger for the attack of
individual notes in a chord. A larger number results in a slow
stroke of a chord, while a smaller number gives a faster attack.
A zero value causes all notes to be sounded simultaneously.
MIDI SETTINGS
Various MIDI settings can be selected for playback of sequences,
and stored in a sequence (.AXE) file. These settings are the
same as those used for general PLAY SETTINGS under the OPTIONS
menu. See page 20 for an explanation of these settings. The PLAY
SETTINGS under the OPTIONS menu become the default settings for
this menu.
SOUND CARD INSTRUMENTS
This menu selects an instrument for the current piece of music. The
selection list appears with the currently selected instrument hi-lited.
NOTE : Sound Card output must have been enabled in the OPTIONS/PLAY
SETTINGS submenu before sound can be output during playback .
Instrument voices are stored in the CHORDS.IBK file. Other voices
can be read from other .IBK or .SBI files supplied by the user. In
the case of duplicate voice names, voices stored in .IBK files take
precedence.
The desired selection is stored in each sequence (.AXE) file when it
is saved.
- 14 -
***
METER MAP
This selection accesses the METER MAP, used to set one or more time
signatures for a piece of music in the Tab View sequencer. Meter
information is stored in the sequence(.AXE) file when it is saved
to disk. The Meter Map can also be accessed by clicking on the
Time Signature in the upper left hand corner of Sequence Window.
TEMPO MAP
This selection accesses the TEMPO MAP, used to set one or more tempos
for a piece of music in the Tab View sequencer. Tempo information is
stored in the sequence(.AXE) file when it is saved to disk. The Tempo
Map can also be accessed by clicking on the BPM symbol.
SEQUENCE TIMING SETTINGS
This menu selection accesses controls that affect the playing of
sequences in CHORDMASTER. Generally these settings will not need
adjustment on an AT or better class PC.
WARNING: Improper adjustment of these settings may degrade
sequencer performance!
DRAW COMPENSATION
On slower machines the timing of a sequence being played may be
affected as the screen is updated at the end of each frame. This
effect will be heard as a 'hunting' at the end of each frame and
is most obvious when rapidly playing a series of 1/16 notes.
The DrawComp value should reflect the number of milliseconds
required to update the screen. This value is subtracted from
the time allotted for the final step on each screen, in effect
forcing the screen redraw to become part of that delay.
Typical values are from 0 - 50 milliseconds. On faster machines no
or a little compensation is required. Too much compensation may have
a reversed effect, whereby the last element of each frame sounds
accelerated.
MILLISECONDS PER SECOND
This value is critical for the proper tempo of sequences. There
SHOULD be 1000 milliseconds in a second. However, for CHORDMASTER's
purposes this may appear to vary from machine to machine.
When the AutoCalc feature is engaged CHORDMASTER attempts to set
the ideal value for this settings. On faster machines this number
should be close to 1000. However, on slower machines and in multi-
tasking environments this value may have to be determined manually.
To determine this value manually, disengage the AutoCalc feature,
and load the TIMING.AXE sequence or some other piece with an easily
measurable tempo and time. Adjust this value until the proper tempo
is achieved. If this value is set manually, be sure to lock in the
changes for future sessions by choosing OPTIONS - SAVE CONFIGURATION
before exiting CHORDMASTER.
- 15 -
***
CHORDINGS MENU
Use these menu selections to enter and resolve chord entries.
CHORD ENTRY
Use this selection to enter chords at CHORDMASTER's command line.
This provides a wide variety of entry possibilities. See page 4
for a complete description of the Chord Entry syntax.
CHORD ENTRY TABLE
An interactive method of entering chords; the CHORD ENTRY TABLE
provides an error proof way of exploring chord chemistry. See
page 3 for more details.
OVERLAY
Allows entry of another chord, whose notes will appear in combination
with those already on the active fretboard. On a color monitor, the
results may be particularly revealing.
SWITCH
Opens a fretboard on the opposite half of the display.
CLEAR
Clears the active fretboard.
DISPLAY
Once a valid chord is entered on fretboard, individual chordings can
be displayed. This can be accomplished by pressing a 'D' on the
keyboard or selecting DISPLAY from the CHORDINGS submenu.
During DISPLAY the following keys are active:
<- and -> previous and next chords
+ and - to change play timing
P repeat chord play
ESC to quit DISPLAY
MOUSE USERS : If mouse hardware is detected, buttons for some of the
functions listed above will appear above the active
fretboard. Simply click on the desired button to
display chords.
Use basic chord entries to test the DISPLAY system. If all attempts
to DISPLAY result in file errors it is likely that CHORDMASTER is
improperly installed. Be sure that the chord files (.CFD) in the
CHORDS directory.
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RESOLVE
Analyzes the most recent chord entry; figuring synonyms, etc.
Resolve is performed automatically when a chord is entered, so
generally you would only use this selection to re-resolve a
chord entry when the RESOLVE SETTINGS have been changed. See
the discussion of RESOLVE on page 21.
NOTE ENTRY
Use note entry to identify an unknown chord. Enter the names of
the notes, separated by a space. CHORDMASTER then attempts to
identify the chord. Note entry is particularly easy with a mouse.
Non-mouse users should use NOTE ENTRY under the CHORDINGS submenu.
NOTE ENTRY with a mouse:
Enter a chord's notes by clicking on the desired fret positions
on the active fretboard. Clicking on a previously selected note
will de-select it. Once the desired notes have been selected,
click on the word PROCESS which will appear above the active
fretboard. If the notes can be identified as a chord, its name
will be displayed. The lowest note selected will be considered
as the primary root for the resulting chord.
INTERVALS
This menu selection offers a choice between displaying notes on the
fretboard by their musical names (i.e. A, F#, D, etc.), or by the
number of the scale step that they represent in the selected chord.
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TUNINGS MENU
The TUNINGS menu allows for a quick change to STANDARD, OPEN A, OPEN C,
OPEN D, OPEN E or OPEN G tunings; as well as CUSTOM TUNINGS, in which
any string can be altered from the standard tuning up to four half steps
in either direction.
NOTE : Individual chord DISPLAY is only available for standard tuning.
When a sequence is loaded and a tuning change is attempted, CHORDMASTER
attempts to transpose the sequence into the desired tuning. If this is
not possible, the existing sequence must be cleared or the sequence
window must be closed.
When a newly loaded sequence does not match the current fretboard
tuning, the user may be given a choice to either retune the fretboard
OR transpose the sequence.
NOTE: Attempted transpositions are of the rudimentary "string by string"
method, and may make the piece more difficult to finger.
AUDIO TRANSPOSE
Use this transpose setting to affect the pitch of tones sounded
in CHORDMASTER. This does not change the key of the song or the
notes displayed by CHORDMASTER; only the pitch of notes played.
Normally this setting is '0', indicating normal pitch (A=440).
The available range for this setting is -14 thru +14. This provides
enough range to accommodate bass lines as well as the '-1' step
tuning used in many rock tunes (Hendrix, Van Halen, etc.).
This setting is stored in CHORDMASTER's '.AXE' files, and is
therefore implimented when these files are exported to the standard
MIDI format.
TUNER
This menu selection accesses CHORDMASTER's guitar tuner.
Start with the string you wish to tune and select SOUND to enable
the tones. Select each tone (using arrow keys or mouse) and tones
will sound.
CYCLE will cause the tones to be repeated every few seconds.
Tones will depend on the currently selected tuning and audio
transpose settings.
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OPTIONS MENU
DISPLAY SETUP
This menu selection brings up the DISPLAY SETUP menu. The DISPLAY
SETUP menu allows the user to specify the fret range, strings, and
number of notes allowed for the chords to be displayed.
Move from from field to field by pressing the up or down arrow keys,
TAB or ENTER. When the setup is as desired press F7 to save. Press
ESC to exit and ignore changes.
For each STRING use the SPACEBAR to indicate whether it should be used
for DISPLAY. If too many strings are disabled an error message will
appear. The number of strings required will vary according to the
formula of the most recently entered chord.
Specify the fret range over which chords should be displayed by
adjusting the LOW FRET and HIGH FRET entries. Remember, not more than
16 frets can be diplayed at one time. However, individual chordings
may be displayed over a smaller range of frets.
Select the MINIMUM and MAXIMUM number of notes in chords to be
displayed. The MAXIMUM number of notes depends on how many strings
are used, the MINIMUM limit is determined by the formula of the chord.
Select which tone in the chord should be the BASS NOTE. Most commonly
'1' would be entered to select the root note as the bass. However, more
chords will be displayed if '0' is entered, indicating no preference.
The NOTE BLINK selection toggles the blinking of notes in a chord as
they are displayed.
MOUSE USERS : Click on a field to move cursor, click on a command
to execute it.
PLAY SETTINGS
The PLAY SETTINGS menu accesses options that affect when and how
sounds are played by CHORDMASTER.
By default CHORDMASTER plays tones through the systems internal
speaker when chords are entered or displayed. Optionally, chords
can be sounded through a MIDI device or sound card. Output from
CHORDMASTER's sequencer can onlly be played through a MIDI device
or sound card.
PLAY EVENTS
PLAY ON ENTRY - This selection allows the user to enable/disable
the sounding of notes when a chord is entered.
PLAY ON DISPLAY - This selection allows the user to enable/disable
the sounding of notes in DISPLAY mode.
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PLAY TIMINGS
STRUM - The separation between notes in a sounded chord.
LENGTH - The length of time the the chord sounds.
SOUND OUTPUT OPTIONS
Sounds can be played through a MIDI device and/or Sound Card, by
enabling these via the appropriate Check Boxes. If either of these
devices exist, additional menus will be available. Press 'F2' for
MIDI settings or 'F3' to set instruments for a Sound Card.
These settings become the default settings for songs created in
CHORDMASTER's Tab View Sequencer.
MIDI SETTINGS
SEND PATCH DATA - Use this check box to force the indicated patch
to be sent to your MIDI device.
LOWEST PATCH - Some midi devices use 'zero'-based patches, while
others use 'one'-based patches. Select the the
setting that best suits your needs.
PATCH DATA - Set the desired patch number to be transmitted
to the MIDI device prior to playing.
KEY VELOCITY - Set the MIDI key velocity as desired. The default
is 127.
LOWEST MIDI CH - While the MIDI specification describes numbers
'0 - 15' for MIDI channel numbers, most devices
use numbers '1 - 16'. Specify the desired scheme
here. The default is '1'.
MIDI CHANNEL - Specify which channel MIDI data should be sent on.
Use numbers '0 - 15' or '1 - 16' depending on the
setting of the LOWEST MIDI CHANNEL selection.
SOUND CARD INSTRUMENTS
Use this selection menu to tryout and/or select different instrument
sounds when using a Sound Card. The selection list appears with the
currently selected instrument hi-lited. If a new instrument can be
tested by selecting it from the list and using 'T' to play a test
chord.
NOTE : Sound Card output must have been enabled in the previous menu
for a chord to be played.
Once the desired selection has been made, it may be locked for future
sessions by using the SAVE CONFIGURATION item under the OPTIONS menu.
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RESOLVE SETTINGS
The RESOLVE drop-down menu consists of selections that control the way
chordings are resolved and displayed.
RESOLVE performs two important functions. First, RESOLVE can take an
awkward chord entry and show a more eloquent method of achieving the
same result.
For instance, if you entered 'A MIN /2 /7', RESOLVE would "correct" your
entry by responding with 'A MIN9'. This is a useful educational tool,
helping to reinforce the user's understanding of chord chemistry.
Secondly, RESOLVE's perform is critical to the DISPLAY of individual
chordings. This is very important, so it should be emphasized that
DISPLAY WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR A CHORD UNLESS IT IS RESOLVED TO A
CHORD WITH A ROOT, AND A CHORD FILE EXISTS FOR AT LEAST ONE RESOLUTION.
RESOLVE is capable of revealing chord synonyms. Factory settings limit
the RESOLVE line display to three resolutions, but by altering these
settings up to five synonyms or near matches can be displayed. These
synonyms may or may not include NOROOT chords depending on the settings.
This has implications in DISPLAY mode; if a chord is resolved to more
than one perfect match by RESOLVE, chord library files for both chords
would be combined and the resulting chordings DISPLAYed. While this
increase in DISPLAYed chordings is usually modest, it does provide a
means by which NOROOT chords can be DISPLAYed, despite the fact that no
chord library files exist for them. To see this mechanism in action
use the RESOLVE dropdown menu to set RESOLVE as follows DISPLAY ON, SET
COUNT=2, PERFECT ONLY ON and NO ROOT OFF. Obtain a clear fretboard for
entry and enter 'A MIN6'. The RESOLVE line now indicates 'A MIN6
F#MIN7 -5'. Upon DISPLAY files for both chords will be opened and
combined for more chordings.
Here's a description of the RESOLVE setup functions:
RESOLVE COUNT - Sets the number of resolutions RESOLVE will
attempt to achieve.
SHOW RESOLVE LINE - Enables or disables the display of the resolve
line. Either way RESOLVE still occurs and the
results affect DISPLAY.
RESOLVE NO ROOT - This setting decides whether NOROOT chords will
be resolved.
RESOLVE NO3RD/NO5TH - This menu selection allows chords (with 4 or
more notes in their formula) that are missing
a 3rd and/or 5th to be considered as chord
synonyms during resolution. This considerably
broadens the resolve count and helps in proper
resolution of unknown inputs, as complex chords
are typically missing a 3rd, 5th or root.
PERFECT ONLY - This setting decides whether or not non-perfect
chord synonyms will be resolved. On the resolve
line perfect synonyms are shown in reverse video.
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SAVE CONFIGURATION
The selection saves information about current program settings in a
file called CHORD.CFG. The settings saved in this file are restored
every time the program is started.
FACTORY SETTINGS
Restores program settings to the original settings distributed with
the program.
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