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Depending on country, instrument and music-style, different chord notation systems are in use.

 

Chord symbols are in heavy use in popular music (guitar-chords, keyboard).

How to play chords on your instrument is - of course - instrument dependant (fingering, chord diagrams).

 

MusiCAD uses the anglo-american system by default.

 

Below you'll find a few often used chord-notation-systems:

System

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Anglo-American

C

C#

D

Eb

E

F

F#

G

G#

A

Bb

B

NL

C

Cis

D

Es

E

F

Fis

G

Gis

A

Bes

B

DE

C

C#

D

Eb

E

F

F

G

G#

A

B

H

Accordion

c

c#

d

eb

e

f

f#

g

g#

a

bb

b

BE / FR / ES / RU / GR / RO / HU

Do

Do#

Re

Mib

Mi

Fa

Fa#

Sol

Sol#

La

Sib

Si

Accordion FR

do

do#

re

mib

mi

fa

fa#

sol

sol#

la

sib

si

Music theory

I

I#

II

IIIb

III

IV

IV#

V

V#

VI

VIIb

VII

Different - often conflicting - conventions are in use to denote minor, major, augmented, diminished, half-diminished, major seventh:

    use of upper case for major, lower case for minor;

    mi may denote minor as well as french mi-chord (E);

    upper case for bass notes, lower case for chords (accordion);

    maj can stand for major as well as major-seventh;

    a minus sign - can denote minor or diminished;

    an add sign + can be major as well as augmented.

    a delta.jpgmay be used for major as well as major 7th.

 

 

To select the preferred notation system go to the text attributes of the chord symbols in the text dialog and use the display button.

chord_symbols.jpg

 

You will be shown a dialog like:

chord_notation_system.jpg

Choose the main display style and select how to display alterations:

    diminished

    half diminished

    augmented

    major seventh

    suspended chords

    minor

    major

 

 

See also:

     chord symbols

     how to find chords

     lead sheet

Chord notation systems
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