Software for writing chords?

[Robert]

I am looking for some inexpensive software that can do one thing good - help me create chords. I don't want those where you type in for example E7, and it creates it for you in several ways.

The reason I don't want that is because I want to print my own chord voicings, which often are different than these chord generators.

At this point, I'm about to do this in Photoshop or Illustrator, but there must be something out there that can do this!?

I am wanting this so I can write our chords for my students efficiently. Right now I write chords with pen and paper for my students, but I'd like to write the chord once and reuse it (I don't have a photocopier...)

Thanks dudes!

[SuperSwede]

Finale is probably the best app when it comes to scores, but I dont think it supports tabs. You can check out the (free?) entry level Finale Notepad, but I think that it is rather crippled, but it might be perfectly alright for your needs.

http://www.codamusic.com/notepad/


*edit*

The low cost (49.95usd) Finale Songwriter looks even better, you can email the score sheets and it creates mp3 files if you need it. It is available as a demo.

[aeolian]

I am not sure I understand what you are looking for, Robert. But several years ago I create an Excel spreadsheet where I color-coded the fretboard positions for a particular chord. For example, for a major chord I would color-code the root, 3rd and 5th. This becomes a quick reference for all the possible fingering positions for a certain chord. I did this for all major, minor, 7th chords, etc.

I cut and pasted a portion of the chart for major chords below:

[Robert]

I am looking for some software that lets me create chords so they look like this:
http://www.igdb.co.uk/pages/chords/images/e.gif

However, I want to be able put in the black dots (for fingering) by myself. I need that because my chord inversions are often not the same as the "standard chords". Make sense?

[aeolian]

Robert, that is close to what I was doing with the spreadsheet. In fact you can do exactly what you are talking about with it, except that it is a clumsy way to do it.

Why don't you just find a blank fretboard diagram (like the example you showed except without any dots) and just write in the dots yourself. I know a software program would be cleaner, but other than what I have improvised I don't know of one.

[Hogfullofblues]

Hey Robert
Some of these look promising, maybe Chord Writer or Fretboard Dots?

http://www.harmony-central.com/Software/Windows/guitar.html

[jack_GVR]

Hi Robert,
I have used MusEdit (musedit.com) for many years. It has its quirks, but it's a very guitar friendly program. It does great chord diagrams and you can customize them and export them as either low or high resolution .png files which any web browser will read. The .png file sometimes have extra wide margins, so typically I trim them using Gimp, a free photo editor (or use Photoshop if you have it.)

Jack

[daceymathers]

Try TabLEdit. It'll do Tab, Standard Notation as well as chord charts. Not to hard to learn, they have a trial version so you can see if you can catch on. I use it mostly for Tab and notation, and have been using it for a few years after comparing it to a number of similar products.

[Robert]

Thanks guys, I now use Guitar Pro 6, which does all I need + more. :)

[bcdon]

Thanks guys, I now use Guitar Pro 6, which does all I need + more. :)

I thought you had Guitar Pro so I was about to reply that it does that, then I saw the date of the original post.

By the way, welcome aboard Dacey Mathers! Head on over to the Players section and introduce yourself so everyone can say hello. :dude

[mark wein]

Thanks guys, I now use Guitar Pro 6, which does all I need + more. :)


I have Guitar Pro5 and they seem to limit some of the fingering choices...I didn't realize that 6 was out already....I'll have to look into an upgrade...

[Robert]

Guitar Pro 6 is great. The only problem downloading it seems to be slow... but it does provide a teacher with many good tools.

[mark wein]

I'll check it out today....hopefully they changed a few things that have been bugging me in GP5.

[Katastrophe]

Like this? Used a C Maj chord as an example:

http://jguitar.com/chord?root=C&chord=Major

There's also a function where you type in the chord name and it gives you a few inversions. I used an E min 7 b 5 chord as an example:

http://jguitar.com/chordsearch?chordsearch=eminor7b5

From this example you can click at the bottom of the first chord shapes to get 18 different shapes for the same chord.

I love this website... Lots of useful information. Found it from a member here!

[Robert]

Yeah, that site is very useful indeed. Great reference.