GNU LilyPond

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Chords mode

Chord mode is a mode where you can input sets of pitches using common names. It is introduced by the keyword \chords. It is similar to note mode, but words are also looked up in a chord modifier table (containing maj, dim, etc). Dashes and carets are used to indicate chord additions and subtractions, so articulation scripts can not be entered in Chord mode.

Throughout these examples, chords have been shifted around the staff using \transpose.

     \transpose c'' {
       \chords {
         c1  c:3-       c:7     c:8
         c:9 c:9-.5+.7+ c:3-.5-
       }
     }
     

The second type of modifier that may appear after the : is a named modifier. Named modifiers are listed in the file chord-modifiers.ly. The available modifiers are m and min which lower the 3rd half a step, `aug' which raises the 5th, `dim' which lowers the 5th, `maj' which adds a raised 7th, and `sus' which replaces the 5th with a 4th.

     \transpose c'' {
       \chords {
         c1:m c:min7 c:maj c:aug c:dim c:sus
       }
     }
     

Chord subtractions are used to eliminate notes from a chord. The notes to be subtracted are listed after a ^ character, separated by dots.

       \transpose c'' {
         \chords {
           c1^3 c:7^5.3 c:8^7
         }
       }
     

Chord inversions can be specified by appending `/' and the name of a single note to a chord. In a chord inversion, the inverted note is transposed down until it is the lowest note in the chord. If the note is not in the chord, a warning will be printed.

       \transpose c''' {
         \chords {
           c1 c/e c/g c:7/e
         }
       }
     
     

Bass notes can be added by `/+' and the name of a single note to a chord. This has the effect of adding the specified note to the chord, lowered by an octave, so it becomes the lowest note in the chord.

       \transpose c''' {
         \chords {
           c1 c/+c c/+g c:7/+b
         }
       }
     
     

The formal syntax for named chords is as follows:

       tonic[duration][-modifiers][^subtractions][/inversion][/+bass].
     

tonic should be the tonic note of the chord, and duration is the chord duration in the usual notation. There are two kinds of modifiers. One type is formed by chord additions. Additions are obtained by listing intervals separated by dots. An interval is written by its number with an optional + or - to indicate raising or lowering by half a step. Chord additions have two effects: they adds the specified interval and all lower odd numbered intervals to the chord, and they may lower or raise the specified interval.

BUGS

Implementation details are gory. For example c:4 not only adds a fourth, but also removes the third.

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Copyright (c) 1997--2002 Han-Wen Nienhuys and Jan Nieuwenhuizen.

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