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Chord name output


From: Maestraccio
Subject: Chord name output
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 13:13:07 +0000 (UTC)
User-agent: Loom/3.14 (http://gmane.org/)

As a jazz musician I read chord symbols from lead sheets all the time. 
Since these must be clear and comprehensive, too much information 
(even though correct) slows down speedy reading and improvising. 
There are some harmonic rules known and used by every improvising musician 
not needed mentioning in the chord symbol itself (such as not using a 
fourth over a major third*, and thus using an augmented fourth instead), 
to provide greater freedom for the musician and facilitating easy reading. 
Please keep in mind that an improvisor is a "player" and not a "reader", 
and though beautiful and correct notation is most of the times a good 
thing (thank you, developers, for lilypond), "correct" is not always as 
clear and legible as "short and to-the-point" and thus higher appreciated 
by many jazz musicians.

I suggest some improvements:

1: Leave out the "/" in the numbers and replace them by blank space.
2: Leave out all "7", "9" and/or "#11" when any higher number is present.
3: Leave out the "add".
4: When only minuses (9- 10- 13-) present, use "alt" (for "altered").
5: Print the triangle in "maj7" smaller.

So "C 7/b9/add13" will be "C b9 13" ({c:7 9- 13})
and "C 7/b9/b13" will be "C alt" ({c:7 9- 13-} or {c:7 10- 13-})


* Clare Fischer does this frequently and with great taste, however.




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