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The chord tool

Subjects covered:

• Adding, moving and erasing chords on the score
• Adjusting chords globally
• Converting chords into notes

Watch also the following video:

• Text, lyrics and chords (09'45) - Flash - Quicktime

Adding, moving and erasing chords on the score [Light] [Beginner] [Professional]

We have seen that Pizzicato offers a chord library. To add chords in the score, use the chord tool : .

Create a new document with Pizzicato and select this tool in the main palette. Place the mouse as follows:

Click. The chord selection dialog box appears:

You may entirely characterize the chord you want. Let us examine the various parts:

• The first line selects the note on which the chord will be built: C, D,… B. The flat or the sharp can be selected by clicking on the adequate icon.
• The table right below selects the type of chord. It contains each type of chord corresponding to the chords library as previously explained.
• The Bass check box activates what is called an alternate bass: it is the lower note which will be played by the bass. This note may or may not belong to the chord. To specify the bass, select a note to the right, with an optional sharp or flat.
• Progressively with your selection (note, chord, bass), the complete name of the chord appears in the text box entitled Chord name.
• The lower frame specifies the time position in the measure when the chord becomes effective. A menu selects the beat of the measure and a text box adds a fraction of a beat (in unit - a quarter note equals 480 units).

Click OK. The score becomes:

The chord was added in the score. Click to the right of this chord. We will add a Maj7 F chord with a C bass. In the dialog box, select the following:

Be sure that the starting beat is well the third beat (in the bottom of the dialog box) then click OK. The score becomes:

To modify a chord, double-click on it. The definition dialog box lets you modify it. By activating the reference marks (shortcut ":"), the chords are surrounded by a red rectangle used to visualize their sharp:

Using the chord tool, complete the score to have:

You can slightly move a chord in the measure, horizontally or vertically. The horizontal displacement is active for all chords, so that they all remain at the same height. If you move a chord by holding down the Control and/or SHIFT keys, you obtain the following behaviours:

• SHIFT: only the chords belonging to the same measure are moved
• Control: only the chords belonging to the same staff are moved
• SHIFT and Control: only the clicked chord is moved.

To erase a chord, place the mouse on it and use the erase key.

Adjusting chords globally [Light] [Beginner] [Professional]

Once all chords are placed, it can be interesting to adjust them globally. Activate the selection tool and select the first staff to have:

In the Edit menu, select Chords then Adjust chord symbols. The following dialog box appears:

You may select the type of adjustment. Click OK. In this example, no notes are present in the staff. When notes are present, this adjustment function aligns the chords with the notes.

Converting chords into notes [Light] [Beginner] [Professional]

When you have a series of chords on the staff, Pizzicato can transform them into notes in the measures.

Select the first staff as above. In the Edit menu, select Chords… then Convert chords into notes… The following dialog box appears:

The various options determine how Pizzicato will generate the notes:

• The range fixes the limits within which notes will be added. The two menus respectively give the highest and lowest note.
• Just below, select the notes which can be generated, among all the intervals of the chord. The All and None buttons allow to select or disable all notes at once.
• The frame entitled Generated rhythms determines the rhythmic values to use. The first choice keeps the same chord during its full duration. In other words, the chord is started only at the beginning of the chord and is hold until the next chord. The second choice specifies a regular duration. The chord will be repeated with that rhythm value. The last choice is accessible only when a rhythmic cell exists within the document. In this case, you may generate the chords with any rhythmic pattern you can determine with the contents of the rhythmic cell. For more information, see the lesson on composition libraries - rhythmic cells.
• The frame entitled Parameters regulates the duration of the notes. By default, it is 100%, each note is hold for its full duration. If you fix 50% and if the rhythmic duration of notes is the quarter note, then notes will be played as eighth notes alternated with eighth rests. Just below, you can select the maximum number of notes used to form the chords. The third parameter selects the minimal distance there will be between two notes of the same chord.

Click OK. The score becomes:

Now select the second staff to have:

Call the above dialog box again and select the various options as follows:

We want here a bass note generated for each beat. Click OK and listen to the result:

This function can be used to generate melodies which accompany a chord progression. You can combine all the options of the dialog box to generate accompaniments easily. We advise you to explore the multiple possibilities on yourself.

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Beginner

Professional