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<A NAME="CHILD_LINKS"><STRONG>Subsections</STRONG></A>
<UL>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html471"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001110000000000000000">Voicing</A>
<UL>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html472"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001111000000000000000">Voicing Mode</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html473"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001112000000000000000">Voicing Range</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html474"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001113000000000000000">Voicing Center</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html475"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001114000000000000000">Voicing Move</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html476"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001115000000000000000">Voicing Dir</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html477"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001116000000000000000">Voicing Rmove</A>
</UL>
<BR>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html478"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001120000000000000000">ChordAdjust</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html479"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001130000000000000000">Compress</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html480"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001140000000000000000">DupRoot</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html481"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001150000000000000000">Invert</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html482"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001160000000000000000">Limit</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html483"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001170000000000000000">NoteSpan</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html484"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001180000000000000000">Range</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html485"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION001190000000000000000">DefChord</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html486"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION0011100000000000000000">PrintChord</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html487"
HREF="node11.html#SECTION0011110000000000000000">Notes</A>
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<HR>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001100000000000000000"></A>
<A NAME="chord-voicing"></A>
<BR>
Chord Voicing
</H1>
<P>
In music, a chord is simply defined as two more notes played
simultaneously. Now, this doesn't mean that you can play just any two
or three notes and get a chord which sounds nice--but whatever you do
get will be a chord of some type. And, to further confuse the unwary,
different arrangements of the same notes sound better (or worse) in
different musical situations.
<P>
As a simple example, consider a C major chord. Built on the first,
third and fifth notes of a C major scale it can be manipulated into a
variety of sounds:
<P>
<DIV ALIGN="CENTER">
<IMG WIDTH="80%" SRC="mupex/cmajor.png" ALT="Lost Image">
</DIV>
<P>
These are all C major chords ...but they all have a different
sound or color. The different forms a chord can take are called
``voicings''. Again, this manual is not intended to be a primer on
musical theory--that's a subject for which lots of lessons with your
favorite music teacher is recommended. You'll need a bit of
basic music theory if you want to understand how and why
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> creates its tracks.
<P>
The different options in this chapter effect not only the way chords
are constructed, but also the way bass lines and other tracks are
formed.
<P>
There are generally two ways in
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> to take care of voicings.
<P>
<OL>
<LI>use
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> 's extensive V<SMALL>OICING</SMALL> options, most likely with
the <B>''Optimal''</B> voicing algorithm,
<P>
</LI>
<LI>do everything by yourself with the commands I<SMALL>NVERT</SMALL> and
C<SMALL>OMPRESS</SMALL>.
<P>
</LI>
</OL>
<P>
The commands L<SMALL>IMIT</SMALL> and D<SMALL>UP</SMALL>R<SMALL>OOT</SMALL> may be used independently
for both variants.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001110000000000000000">
Voicing</A>
</H1>
<P>
The V<SMALL>OICING</SMALL> command is used to set the voicing mode and several
other options relating to the selected mode. The command needs to have
a C<SMALL>HORD</SMALL> track specified and a series of Option=Value pairs. For
example:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Chord-Piano Voicing Mode=Optimal Rmove=10 Range=9 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
In the following sections all the options available will be covered.
<P>
<H2><A NAME="SECTION001111000000000000000">
Voicing Mode</A>
</H2>
<P>
The easiest way to deal with chord voicings is via the
V<SMALL>OICING </SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE=</SMALL>XX option.
<P>
When choosing the inversion of a chord to play an accompanist will
take into consideration the style of the piece and the chord
sequences. In a general sense, this is referred to as ``voicing''.
<P>
A large number of the library files have been written to take
advantage of the following voicing commands. However, not all styles
of music take well to the concept. And, don't forget about the other
commands since they are useful in manipulating bass lines, as well as
other chord tracks (e.g., sustained strings).
<P>
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> has a variety of sophisticated, intelligent
algorithms<A NAME="tex2html45"
HREF="#foot4965"><SUP>11.1</SUP></A> to deal with voicing.
<P>
As a general rule you should not use the I<SMALL>NVERT</SMALL> and
C<SMALL>OMPRESS</SMALL> commands in conjunction with the V<SMALL>OICING</SMALL>
command. If you do, you may create beautiful sounds. But, the results
are more likely to be less-than-pleasing. Use of voicing and other
combinations will display various warning messages.
<P>
The main command to enable voicings is:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Chord Voicing Mode=Type </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
As mentioned above, this command can only be applied to C<SMALL>HORD</SMALL>
tracks. Also note that this effects all bars in the sequence ...
you cannot have different voicings for different bars in the sequence
(attempting to do this would make no sense).
<P>
The following MODE types are available:
<P>
<DL>
<DT><STRONG>Optimal</STRONG></DT>
<DD>A basic algorithm which automatically chooses the best
sounding voicing depending on the voicing played before. Always try
this option before anything else. It might work just fine without
further work.
<P>
The idea behind this algorithm is to keep voicings in a sequence
close together. A pianist leaves his or her fingers where they are,
if they still fit the next chord. Then, the notes closest to the
fingers are selected for the next chord. This way characteristic
notes are emphasized.
<P>
</DD>
<DT><STRONG>Root</STRONG></DT>
<DD>This Option may for example be used to turn off
V<SMALL>OICING</SMALL> within a song. V<SMALL>OICING </SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE=</SMALL>R<SMALL>OOT</SMALL> means nothing
else than doing nothing, leaving all chords in root position.
<P>
</DD>
<DT><STRONG>None</STRONG></DT>
<DD>This is the same as the R<SMALL>OOT</SMALL> option.
<P>
</DD>
<DT><STRONG>Invert</STRONG></DT>
<DD>Rather than basing the inversion selection on an
analysis of past chords, this method quite stupidly tries to keep
chords around the base point of ``C'' by inverting ``G'' and ``A''
chords upward and ``D'', ``E'' and ``F'' downward. The chords are
also compressed. Certainly not an ideal algorithm, but it can be
used to add variety in a piece.
<P>
</DD>
<DT><STRONG>Compressed</STRONG></DT>
<DD>Does the same as the stand-alone C<SMALL>OMPRESS</SMALL>
command. Like R<SMALL>OOT</SMALL>, it is only added to be used in some parts
of a song where V<SMALL>OICING </SMALL>M<SMALL>ODE=</SMALL>O<SMALL>PTIMAL</SMALL> is used.
<P>
</DD>
</DL>
<P>
<H2><A NAME="SECTION001112000000000000000">
Voicing Range</A>
</H2>
<P>
To get wider or closer voicings, you may define a range for the
voicings. This can be adjusted with the R<SMALL>ANGE</SMALL> option:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Chord-Guitar Voicing Mode=Optimal Range=12 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
In most cases the default value of 12 should work just fine. But, you
may want to fine tune ...it's all up to you. This command only
effects chords created with M<SMALL>ODE=</SMALL>O<SMALL>PTIMAL</SMALL>.
<P>
<H2><A NAME="SECTION001113000000000000000">
Voicing Center</A>
</H2>
<P>
Just minimizing the Euclidean distance between chords doesn't do the
trick as there could be runaway progressions that let the voicings
drift up or down infinitely.
<P>
When a chord is ``voiced'' or moved to a new position, a ``center
point'' must be used as a base. By default, the fourth degree of the
scale corresponding to the chord is a reasonable choice. However, you
can change this with:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Chord-1 Voicing Center=&lt;value&gt; </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
The <B>value</B> in this command can be any number in the range 0 to
12. Try different values. The color of your whole song might change.
<P>
Note that the value is the note in the scale, not a chord-note position.
<P>
This command only effects chords created with M<SMALL>ODE=</SMALL>O<SMALL>PTIMAL</SMALL>.
<P>
<H2><A NAME="SECTION001114000000000000000">
Voicing Move</A>
</H2>
<P>
To intensify a chord progression you may want to have ascending or
descending movement of voicings. This option, in conjunction with the
D<SMALL>IR</SMALL> optional (see below) sets the number of bars over which a
movement is done.
<P>
For the M<SMALL>OVE</SMALL> option to have any effect you must also set the
direction to either -1 or 1. Be careful that you don't force the chord
too high or low on the scale. Use of this command in a R<SMALL>EPEAT</SMALL>
section can cause unexpected results. For this reason you should
include a S<SMALL>EQ</SMALL> command at the beginning of repeated sections of
your songs.
<P>
In most cases the use of this command is limited to a section of a
song, its use is not recommended in groove files. You might want to do
something like this in a song:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>..select groove with voicing
<BR>
chords..
<BR>
Chord-Piano Voicing Move=5 Dir=1
<BR>
more chords..
<BR>
Chord-Piano Voicing Move=5 Dir=-1
<BR>
more chords.. </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
<H2><A NAME="SECTION001115000000000000000">
Voicing Dir</A>
</H2>
<P>
This option is used in conjunction with the M<SMALL>OVE</SMALL> option to set
the direction (-1 or 1) of the movement.
<P>
<H2><A NAME="SECTION001116000000000000000">
Voicing Rmove</A>
</H2>
<P>
As an alternate to movement in a specified direction, random movement
can add some color and variety to your songs. The command option is
quite useful (and safe to use) in groove files. The argument for this
option is a percentage value specifying the frequency to apply a move
in a random direction.
<P>
For example:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Chord-3 Voicing Mode=Optimal Rmove=20 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
would cause a movement (randomly up or down) in 20% of the bars. As
noted earlier, using explicit movement instructions can move the chord
into an undesirable range or even ``off the keyboard''; however, the
algorithm used in RMOVE has a sanity check to ensure that the chord
center position remains, approximately, in a two octave range.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001120000000000000000"></A> <A NAME="sec-chordadjust"></A>
<BR>
ChordAdjust
</H1>
<P>
The actual notes used in a chord are derived from a table which
contains the notes for each variation of a ``C'' chord--this data is
converted to the desired chord by adding or subtracting a constant
value according to the following table:
<P>
<DIV ALIGN="CENTER">
<TABLE CELLSPACING=0 WIDTH="80%" Align="Center" CELLPADDING=10 BGCOLOR="#dddddd" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
</DIV><TABLE WIDTH="30%">
<TR><TD>
<TABLE CELLPADDING=3>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">G<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">-6</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">G</TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">-5</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">G<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
SRC="img5.png"
ALT="$\sharp$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">-4</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">A<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">-4</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">A</TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">-3</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">A<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
SRC="img5.png"
ALT="$\sharp$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">-2</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">B<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">-2</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE> </TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<DIV ALIGN="CENTER"> </DIV><TABLE WIDTH="30%">
<TR><TD> <TABLE CELLPADDING=3>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">B</TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">-1</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">C<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">-1</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">B<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
SRC="img5.png"
ALT="$\sharp$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">0</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">C</TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">0</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">C<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
SRC="img5.png"
ALT="$\sharp$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">1</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">D<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">1</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">D</TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">2</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE> </TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<DIV ALIGN="CENTER"> </DIV><TABLE WIDTH="30%">
<TR><TD> <TABLE CELLPADDING=3>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">D<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
SRC="img5.png"
ALT="$\sharp$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">3</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">E<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">3</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">E</TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">4</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">F<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">4</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">E<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
SRC="img5.png"
ALT="$\sharp$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">5</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">F</TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">5</TD>
</TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN="LEFT">F<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
SRC="img5.png"
ALT="$\sharp$"></TD>
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT">6</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE></TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<DIV ALIGN="CENTER">
</TD></TR></TABLE>
</DIV>
<P>
This means that when
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> encounters an ``Am'' chord it adjusts the
notes in the chord table down by 3 MIDI values; an ``F'' chord is
adjusted 5 MIDI values up. This also means that ``A'' chords will
sound lower than ``F'' chords.
<P>
In most cases this works just fine; but, there are times when the
``F'' chord might sound better <B>lower</B> than the ``A''. You can
force a single chord by prefacing it with a single ``-'' or ``+''
<A HREF="node26.html#octaveadjust">, details here</A>. But, if the
entire song needs adjustment you can use C<SMALL>HORD</SMALL>A<SMALL>DJUST</SMALL>
command to raise or lower selected chord pitches:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>ChordAdjust E=-1 F=-1 Bb=1 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
Each item in the command consists of a pitch (``B<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$">'', ``C'',
etc.) an ``='' and an octave specifier (-1, 0 or 1). The pitch values
are case sensitive and must be in upper case; there must <B>not</B> be
a space on either side of the ``=''.
<P>
To a large extent the need for octave adjustments depends on the chord
range of a song. For example, the supplied song ``A Day In The Life Of
A Fool'' needs all ``E'' and ``F'' chords to be adjusted down an
octave.
<P>
The value ``0'' will reset the adjustment to the original value;
setting a value a second time has no effect.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001130000000000000000"></A> <A NAME="compress"></A>
<BR>
Compress
</H1>
<P>
When
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> grabs the notes for a chord, the notes are spread out from
the root position. This means that if you specify a ``C13'' you will
have an ``A'' nearly 2 octaves above the root note as part of the
chord. Depending on your instrumentation, pattern, and the chord
structure of your piece, notes outside of the ``normal'' single octave
range for a chord <B>may</B> sound strange.
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Chord Compress 1 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
Forces
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> to put all chord notes in a single octave range.
<P>
This command is only effective in C<SMALL>HORD</SMALL> and A<SMALL>RPEGGIO</SMALL>
tracks. A warning message is printed if it is used in other contexts.
<P>
Notes: C<SMALL>OMPRESS</SMALL> takes any value between 1 and 5 as arguments
(however, some values will have no effect as detailed above). You can
specify a different C<SMALL>OMPRESS</SMALL> for each bar in a sequence.
Repeated values can be represented with a ``/'':
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Chord Compress 1 / 0 / </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
To restore to its default (off) setting, use a ``0'' as the argument.
<P>
For a similar command, with different results, see the L<SMALL>IMIT</SMALL>
command (<A HREF="#limit">here</A>).
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001140000000000000000"></A><A NAME="duproot"></A>
<BR>
DupRoot
</H1>
<P>
To add a bit of fullness to chords, it is quite common of keyboard
players to duplicate the root tone of a chord into a lower (or higher)
octave. This is accomplished in
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> with the command:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>DupRoot -1 1 -1 1 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
The command determines whether or not the root tone of a chord is
duplicated in another octave. By default notes are not added. A value
of -1 will add a note one octave lower than the root note, -2 will add
the tone 2 octaves lower, etc. Similarly, the value of 1 will add a
note one octave higher than the root tone, etc.
<P>
Only the values -9 to 9 are permitted.
<P>
The volume used for the generated note is an adjusted average of the
notes in the chord. This volume is always less than the chord
notes--which is probably what you want. If you want a loud bass note,
create a second track (probably a B<SMALL>ASS</SMALL> track) with the
appropriate pattern.
<P>
Different values can be used in each bar of the sequence.
<P>
The option is reset to 0 after all S<SMALL>EQUENCE</SMALL> or S<SMALL>EQ</SMALL>C<SMALL>LEAR</SMALL>
commands.
<P>
The D<SMALL>UP</SMALL>R<SMALL>OOT</SMALL> command is only valid in C<SMALL>HORD</SMALL> tracks.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001150000000000000000"></A> <A NAME="chord-invert"></A>
<BR>
Invert
</H1>
<P>
By default
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> uses chords in the root position. By example, the
notes of a C major chord are C, E and G. Chords can be inverted
(something musicians do all the time). Sticking with the C major
chord, the first inversion shifts the root note up an octave and the
chord becomes E, G and C. The second inversion is G, C and E.
<P>
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> extends the concept of inversion a bit by permitting the shift
to be to the left or right, and the number of shifts is not limited.
So, you could shift a chord up several octaves by using large invert
values.<A NAME="tex2html46"
HREF="#foot4967"><SUP>11.2</SUP></A>
<P>
Inversions apply to each bar of a sequence. So, the following is a good example:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>SeqSize 4
<BR>
Chord-1 Sequence STR1
<BR>
Chord-1 Invert 0 1 0 1 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
Here the sequence pattern size is set to 4 bars and the pattern
for each bar in the Chord-1 track is set to ``STR1''. Without the next line,
this would result in a rather boring, repeating pattern. But, the
Invert command forces the chord to be in the root position for the
first bar, the first inversion for the second, etc.
<P>
You can use a negative Invert value:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Chord-1 Invert -1 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
In this case the C major chord becomes G, C and E.
<P>
Note that using fewer Invert arguments than the current sequence size
is permitted.
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> simply expands the number of arguments to the
current sequence size. You may use a ``/'' for a repeated value.
<P>
A S<SMALL>EQUENCE</SMALL> or C<SMALL>LEAR</SMALL>S<SMALL>EQ</SMALL> command resets I<SMALL>NVERT</SMALL> to 0.
<P>
This command on has an effect in C<SMALL>HORD</SMALL> and A<SMALL>RPEGGIO</SMALL>
tracks. And, frankly, A<SMALL>RPEGGIO</SMALL>s sound a bit odd with
inversions.
<P>
If you use a large value for I<SMALL>NVERT</SMALL> you can force the notes out
of the normal MIDI range. In this case the lowest or highest possible
MIDI note value will be used.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001160000000000000000"></A> <A NAME="limit"></A>
<BR>
Limit
</H1>
<P>
If you use ``jazz'' chords in your piece, some people might not like
the results. To some folks, chords like 11th, 13th, and variations
have a dissonant sound. And, sometimes they are in a chart, but don't
really make sense. The L<SMALL>IMIT</SMALL> command can be used to set the
number of notes of a chord used.
<P>
For example:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Chord Limit 4 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
will limit any chords used in the C<SMALL>HORD</SMALL> track to the first 4
notes of a chord. So, if you have a C11 chord which is C, E, G,
B<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$">, D, and F, the chord will be truncated to C, E, G and
B<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$">.
<P>
This command only applies to C<SMALL>HORD</SMALL> and A<SMALL>RPEGGIO</SMALL> tracks.
It can be set for other tracks, but the setting will have no effect.
<P>
Notes: L<SMALL>IMIT</SMALL> takes any value between 0 and 8 as an argument.
The ``0'' argument will disable the command. This command applies to
all chords in the sequence--only one value can be given in the
command.
<P>
To restore to its default (off) setting, use a ``0'' as the argument.
<P>
For a similar command, with different results, see the C<SMALL>OMPRESS</SMALL>
command (<A HREF="#compress">here</A>).
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001170000000000000000"></A> <A NAME="sec-notespan"></A>
<BR>
NoteSpan
</H1>
<P>
Many instruments have a limited range. For example, the bass section
of an accordion is limited to a single octave<A NAME="tex2html47"
HREF="#foot4897"><SUP>11.3</SUP></A>To emulate these sounds it is a simple matter of limiting
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> 's
output to match the instrument. For example, in the ``frenchwaltz''
file you will find the directive:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Chord NoteSpan 48 59 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
which forces all C<SMALL>HORD</SMALL> tones to the single octave represented
by the MIDI values 48 though 59.
<P>
This command is applied over other voicing commands like O<SMALL>CTAVE</SMALL>
and R<SMALL>ANGE</SMALL> and even T<SMALL>RANSPOSE</SMALL>. Notes will still be
calculated with respect to these settings, but then they'll be forced
into the limited N<SMALL>OTE</SMALL>S<SMALL>PAN</SMALL>.
<P>
N<SMALL>OTE</SMALL>S<SMALL>PAN</SMALL> expects two arguments: The first is the range start, the
second the range end (first and last notes to use). The values are
MIDI tones and must be in the range 0 to 127. The first value must be
less than the second, and the range must represent at least one full
octave (12 notes). It can be applied to all tracks except D<SMALL>RUM</SMALL>.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001180000000000000000"></A> <A NAME="sec-range"></A>
<BR>
Range
</H1>
<P>
For A<SMALL>RPEGGIO</SMALL> and S<SMALL>CALE</SMALL> tracks you can specify the number
of octaves used. The effects of the R<SMALL>ANGE</SMALL> command is slightly
different between the two.
<P>
S<SMALL>CALE</SMALL>: Scale tracks, by default, create three octave scales.
The R<SMALL>ANGE</SMALL> value will modify this to the number of octaves
specified. For example:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Scale Range 1 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
will force the scales to one octave. A value of 4 would create 4
octave scales, etc.
<P>
You can use fractional values when specifying R<SMALL>ANGE</SMALL>. For example:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Scale Range .3 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
will create a scale of 2 notes.<A NAME="tex2html48"
HREF="#foot4918"><SUP>11.4</SUP></A> And,
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Scale Range 1.5 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
will create a scale of 10 notes. Now, this gets a bit more confusing for you if
you have set S<SMALL>CALE</SMALL>T<SMALL>YPE</SMALL> C<SMALL>HROMATIC</SMALL>. In this case a R<SMALL>ANGE 1</SMALL> would
generate 12 notes, and R<SMALL>ANGE 1.5</SMALL> 18.
<P>
Partial scales are useful in generating special effects.
<P>
A<SMALL>RPEGGIO</SMALL>: Normally, arpeggios use a single octave.<A NAME="tex2html49"
HREF="#foot4925"><SUP>11.5</SUP></A>The R<SMALL>ANGE</SMALL> command specifies the number of octaves<A NAME="tex2html50"
HREF="#foot4968"><SUP>11.6</SUP></A> to use. A fractional value can be used; the exact result
depends on the number of notes in the current chord.
<P>
In all cases the values of ``0'' and ''1'' have the same effect.
<P>
For both S<SMALL>CALE</SMALL> and A<SMALL>RPEGGIO</SMALL> there will always be a minimum of
two notes in the sequence.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION001190000000000000000"></A> <A NAME="defchord"></A>
<BR>
DefChord
</H1>
<P>
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> comes with a large number of chord types already defined. In
most cases, the supplied set (<A HREF="node26.html#sec-chordname">see this list</A>) is sufficient for all the ``modern'' or
``pop'' charts normally encountered. However, there are those times
when you want to do something else, or something different.
<P>
You can define additional chord types at any time, or redefine
existing chord types. The D<SMALL>EF</SMALL>C<SMALL>HORD</SMALL> command makes no distinction
between a new chord type or a redefinition, with the exception that a
warning message is printed for the later.
<P>
The syntax of the command is quite strict:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>DefChord NAME (NoteList) (ScaleList) </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
where:
<P>
<UL>
<LI><B>Name</B> can be any string, but cannot contain a ``/'', ``&gt;'' or
space. It is case sensitive. Examples of valid <B>name</B>s include
``dim'', ``NO3'' and ``foo-12-xx''.
<P>
</LI>
<LI><B>NoteList</B> is a comma separated list of note offsets
(actually MIDI note values), all of which are enclosed in a set of
``()''s. There must be at least 2 note offsets and no more than 8
and all values must be in the range 0 to 24. Using an existing chord
type, a ``7'' chord would be defined with (0, 4, 7, 10). In the case
of a C7 chord, this translates to the notes (c, e, g, b<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$">).
<P>
</LI>
<LI><B>ScaleList</B> is a list of note offsets (again, MIDI note
values), all of which are enclosed in a set of ``()''s. There must
be exactly 7 values in the list and all values must be in the range
0 to 24. Following on the C7 example above, the scale list would be
(0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10) or the notes (c, d, e, f, g, a, b<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$">).
<P>
</LI>
</UL>
<P>
Some examples might clarify. First, assume that you have a section of
your piece which has a major chord, but you only want the root and
fifth to sound for the chords and you want the arpeggios and bass
notes to <B>only</B> use the root. You could create new patterns, but
it's just as easy to create a new chord type.
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>DefChord 15 (0,4) (0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)
<BR>
15 C / G /
<BR>
16 C15 / G15 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
In this case a normal Major chords will be used in line 15. In line 16
the new ``15'' will be used. Note the trick in the scale: by setting
all the offsets to ``0'' only the root note is available to the
<SMALL>WALK</SMALL> and <SMALL>BASS</SMALL> tracks.
<P>
Sometimes you'll see a new chord type that
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> doesn't know. You
could write the author and ask him to add this new type, but if it is
something quite odd or rare, it might be easier to define it in your
song. Let's pretend that you've encountered a ``Cmaj12'' A reasonable
guess is that this is a major 7 with an added 12th (just the 5th up an
octave). You could change the ``maj12'' part of the chord to a ``M7''
or ``maj7'' and it should sound fine. But:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>DefChord maj12 (0, 4, 7, 11, 19) (0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11) </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
is much more fun. Note a few details:
<P>
<UL>
<LI>The name ``maj12'' can be used with any chord. You can have
``Cmaj12'' or G<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$">maj12''.
<P>
</LI>
<LI>``maj12'' a case sensitive name. The name ``Maj12'' is quite
different (and unknown).
<P>
</LI>
<LI>A better name might be ``maj(add12)''.
<P>
</LI>
<LI>The note and scale offsets are MIDI values. They are easy to
figure if you think of the chord as a ``C''. Just count off notes
from ``C'' on a keyboard (C is note 0).
<P>
</LI>
<LI><B>Do Not</B> include a chord name (ie: C or B<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$">) in the
definition. Just the <B>type</B>.
<P>
</LI>
</UL>
<P>
The final example handles a minor problem in
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> and ``diminished''
chords. In most of the music the author of
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> encounters, the
marking ``dim'' on a chord usually means a ``diminished 7th''. So,
when
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> initializes it creates a copy of the ``dim7'' and calls it
``dim''. But, some people think that ``dim'' should reference a
``diminished triad''. It's pretty easy to change this by creating a
new definition for ``dim'':
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>DefChord dim (0, 3, 6) (0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 ) </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
In this example the scale notes use the same notes as those in a
``dim7''. You might want to change the B<IMG
WIDTH="19" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img7.png"
ALT="$\flat{}\flat$"> (9) to B<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img1.png"
ALT="$\flat$">
(10) or B (11). If you really disagree with the choice to make a dim7
the default you could even put this in a <TT><B>mmarc</B></TT> file.
<P>
It is even easier to use the non-standard notation ``dim3'' to specify
a diminished triad.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION0011100000000000000000">
PrintChord</A>
</H1>
<P>
This command can be used to make the create of custom chords a bit
simpler. Simply pass one or more chord types after the command and
they will be displayed on your terminal. Example:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>PrintChord m M7 dim </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
in a file should display:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>m : (0, 3, 7) (0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) Minor triad.
<BR>
M7 : (0, 4, 7, 11) (0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11) Major 7th.
<BR>
dim : (0, 3, 6, 9) (0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9) Diminished.
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> assumes a
diminished 7th. </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
From this you can cut and paste, change the chord or scale and insert
the data into a D<SMALL>EF</SMALL>C<SMALL>HORD</SMALL> command.
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION0011110000000000000000">
Notes</A>
</H1>
<P>
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> makes other adjustments on-the-fly to your chords. This is done
to make the resulting sounds ``more musical'' ...to keep life
interesting, the definition of ``more musical'' is quite elusive. The
following notes will try to list some of the more common adjustments
made ``behind your back''.
<P>
<UL>
<LI>Just before the notes (MIDI events) for a chord are generated
the first and last notes in the chord are compared. If they are a
separated by a half-step (or 1 MIDI value) or an octave plus
half-step, the volume of the first note is halved. This happens in
chords such as a Major-7th or Flat-9th. If the adjustment is
not done the dissonance between the two tones overwhelms the ear.
<P>
</LI>
</UL>
<BR><HR><H4>Footnotes</H4>
<DL>
<DT><A NAME="foot4965">...
algorithms</A><A
HREF="node11.html#tex2html45"><SUP>11.1</SUP></A></DT>
<DD>Great thanks are due to Alain Brenzikofer who not
only pressured me into including the V<SMALL>OICING</SMALL> options, but
wrote a great deal of the actual code.
</DD>
<DT><A NAME="foot4967">...
values.</A><A
HREF="node11.html#tex2html46"><SUP>11.2</SUP></A></DT>
<DD>The term ``shift'' is used here, but that's not
quite what
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> does. The order of the notes in the internal buffer
stays the same, just the octave for the notes is changed. So, if the
chord notes are ``C E G'' with the MIDI values ``0, 4, 7'' an invert
of 1 would change the notes to ``C<IMG
WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"
SRC="img6.png"
ALT="$^{2}$"> E G'' and the MIDI values
to ``12, 4, 7''.
</DD>
<DT><A NAME="foot4897">... octave</A><A
HREF="node11.html#tex2html47"><SUP>11.3</SUP></A></DT>
<DD>Some accordions
have ``freebass'' switches which overcomes this, but that is the
exception.
</DD>
<DT><A NAME="foot4918">... notes.</A><A
HREF="node11.html#tex2html48"><SUP>11.4</SUP></A></DT>
<DD>Simple math here: take the number of notes in a scale (7) and
multiply by .3. Take the integer result as the number of notes.
</DD>
<DT><A NAME="foot4925">... octave.</A><A
HREF="node11.html#tex2html49"><SUP>11.5</SUP></A></DT>
<DD>Not quite true: they
use whatever notes are in the chord, which might exceed an octave span.
</DD>
<DT><A NAME="foot4968">... octaves</A><A
HREF="node11.html#tex2html50"><SUP>11.6</SUP></A></DT>
<DD>Again, not quite true: the
command just duplicates the arpeggio notes the number of times specified in the
R<SMALL>ANGE</SMALL> setting.
</DD>
</DL><HR>
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2006-10-15
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