Chord Charts

Bell Green · Post by **Bell Green** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 5:14 pm

From what I have observed within these threads, knowledge of music theory seems to fall into three categories:
1) people who know it back to front
2) people who know bits and pieces (me)
3) people who are fairly clueless

I wonder if anyone could help me with harmonizing the chords of a key centre. Sorry, that's not what I mean at all. I mean, I need a chart or table with keys as column headings and rows with I, II, III etc, for major and minor keys. What I usually do is to write them out when I'm writing a song. Yeah I know, it's good practice, but very time consuming. Why don't I just creat the chart myself? Yes, why not with chord fingerings and nice formatting. Because I'm lazy, that's why. Someone has already done this and someone here might be able to point me to it. I've looked in my various guitar and bass tutor books and all the chords are listed under their letters, but not according to degrees of scale. Maybe there's some software that does just this. Maybe there's a text file or a .pdf file.

Ok, I'll have a google, but just thought someone might know of something.

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 11:19 am

This reminds me of an age old dilemna that frustrates the hell out of me. The story that explains it best is thus:
When I was 20, and in music school, I didn't have very good control of basic drum rudiments... I could do singles and doubles well, but that's about it. This guy, Todd, was a fantastically skilled drummer, and I used to sit in and watch him practice (he was cool like that) and I looked up to him immensely. I asked him one day,as he was noodling on rudiments "how do you do that?" He said, "there just rudiments." I said "yeah, but how do you know which ones to do when? How do you switich between them so fast". He said "practice".

No this was not a very sastifying answer, as it did not give me what I was asking for, or so I thought at the time... I have had many students ask me these types of questions, and I can say that I clearly remember, when I was 24, playing like Todd, and suddenly going "OH!! I get it... PRACTICE!!!"

That's right, there is NO wasy solution, system or method that gives instant results. Practice, time, practice and time is the key. AND IT STILL FRUSTRATES ME!!!! ...but I just slug along, practicing until I can do whatever it is I feel I "need" to be able to do...

I guess what I'm saying is...once you make that chart, can you pm it to me?

I actually have a chord chart sytem for a billion possible variations on a blues progression, with all the available subsititues, etc... but I couldn't find it, and I don't Have a scanner anyway...

Bell Green · Post by **Bell Green** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 11:45 am

Fuuuuuuuuck. Looks I'm going to have to do it then doesn't it. If you want something done . . .

Maybe I'll just start with an excel spreadsheet. I don't need any special keys really, just major and the three minors. That makes 48. I can use the filtering functions to use whichever key I'm using for that song. And what if I'm modulating? And what about the fingering diagrams? I'll figure it out. Maybe there are guitar chord fonts.

Oh, but what if I don't want to sit in front of the computer. Then I'll just have print a 12-page document. Degrees of scale along the top and key letter along the side. Yes, I'm getting the idea just as I'm writing now. So for example, the key of A has I - VII chords along the top, so they are the column headings and then you have the rows with A maj, min (nat, harm, mel). Mostly you only use one key per song, at most two.

Ok, well that's the easy part. How do I get the graphics in there? Just have to make a list of the ones that are required and put them in a folder ready for positioning.

You are not going to let me get away with being lazy are you?

Post by jb » Mon Nov 15, 2004 11:51 am

Bell Green wrote:Fuuuuuuuuck. Looks I'm going to have to do it then doesn't it. If you want something done . . .

Maybe I'll just start with an excel spreadsheet. I don't need any special keys really, just major and the three minors. That makes 48. I can use the filtering functions to use whichever key I'm using for that song. And what if I'm modulating? And what about the fingering diagrams? I'll figure it out. Maybe there are guitar chord fonts.

Oh, but what if I don't want to sit in front of the computer. Then I'll just have print a 12-page document. Degrees of scale along the top and key letter along the side. Yes, I'm getting the idea just as I'm writing now. So for example, the key of A has I - VII chords along the top, so they are the column headings and then you have the rows with A maj, min (nat, harm, mel). Mostly you only use one key per song, at most two.

Ok, well that's the easy part. How do I get the graphics in there? Just have to make a list of the ones that are required and put them in a folder ready for positioning.

You are not going to let me get away with being lazy are you?

What you should do is create this chord chart or whatever, since it seems like you think you're capable of doing so, and then share it on the msg board. People will give you help in improving it, and maybe some other people will find it useful.

slowRodeo · Post by **slowRodeo** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 12:23 pm

l ll lll lV V Vl bVll bVl blll llmaj lllmaj lVmin
c#maj- C#D#mE#mF# G# A#m B A E D# E# F#m

F#maj- F#G#mA#mB C# D#m E D A G# A# Bm

Bmaj- B C#mD#m E F# G#m A G D C# D# Em

Emaj- E F#mG#m A B C#m D C G F# G# Am

Amaj- A Bm C#m D E F#m G F C B C# Dm

Dmaj- D Em F#m G A Bm C Bb F E F# Gm

Gm- G Am Bm C D Em F Eb Bb A B Cm

Cmaj- C Dm Em F G Am Bb Ab Eb D E Fm

Ill do the rest later. i cant get the formatting right it gets rid of all my spaces. ill just edit this out and finish the major keys later .

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 12:29 pm

slowRodeo wrote:

Code: Select all

l    ll     lll   lV    V   Vl    bVll    bVl       blll    llmaj   lllmaj    lVmin
c#maj- C#D#mE#mF# G#  A#m B      A          E       D#      E#        F#m

F#maj-   F#G#mA#mB   C#  D#m E     D          A       G#      A#       Bm

Bmaj-    B  C#mD#m E    F# G#m A     G          D        C#     D#       Em

Emaj-    E   F#mG#m A    B   C#m D     C          G       F#      G#        Am

Amaj-   A   Bm C#m D    E   F#m  G     F           C       B        C#        Dm

Dmaj-  D    Em  F#m G    A   Bm   C      Bb        F        E         F#        Gm

Gm-     G    Am  Bm  C    D   Em    F     Eb         Bb      A         B         Cm

Cmaj-  C    Dm  Em  F     G   Am   Bb   Ab        Eb       D         E          Fm

use the "code" tags to have a monospaced font.
of course, all the spacing is completely hosed, but it should look the same on all systems using "code."
-bill

john m · Post by **john m** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 12:31 pm

I've had this on my computer for 5 years for some reason, and it looks like it might actually come in handy for once:

http://www.doctorworm.net/chordchart.pdf

Kamakura · Post by **Kamakura** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 1:39 pm

Thank you!

Bell Green · Post by **Bell Green** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:42 pm

Thank you john m. That's just what I need in order to create my chart. There is a handy little cropping tool in Adobe Reader that allows you to get just what you need. Thanks also to Bill and slowRodeo for the tables. Now I just need to put the two together. Perhaps I'll just start with major and natural minor.

I don't have any server space myself, so once I've done it, perhaps someone can offer some space where I can leave it. Well, better get on with it.

Cheers guys.

Kapitano · Post by **Kapitano** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:10 pm

This site might be useful. It taught me most of my chord theory.

http://www.chordwizard.com/

Bell Green · Post by **Bell Green** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 3:33 pm

Had a look at that chordwizard, that was good. I have now completed the sheet for the major keys for triads. Now the minors. I am learning things that I never saw before like most chords only appear three times. Do you need to learn all the keys? Well yes and no. There will be keys that you write in most of the time, because you can play those chords or your vocal range is in those keys, so you only really need to learn those ones. Plus, because of the relative minor if you learn C-major then you have learned all the chords in A-minor (natural). But if you are accompanying others then you will have to learn more keys, but still, not necessarily all of them. If there is a way to be lazy I will seek it out.

Why is this important for songwriters? Some of you know already, but I will do my utmost to explain in another post and doing so will help me to understand it better.

Bell Green · Post by **Bell Green** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:43 am

Hurrah. Many months later the charts are complete and I have some server space too. Nothing fancy, just the majors and the natural minors, good enough for my purposes.

http://www.yogarup.com/music/

Chord charts.xls

It's an excel spreadsheet which I haven't locked, so if you like you can do the harmonic and melodic minors as well. But I'll get to it at some point. But these two as I said do me just fine.

Hope this will be of use to someone.

Kamakura · Post by **Kamakura** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 2:35 am

Bell Green wrote:Hope this will be of use to someone.

Oh yes! And thanks very much.

Bell Green wrote:From what I have observed within these threads, knowledge of music theory seems to fall into three categories:
1) people who know it back to front
2) people who know bits and pieces (me)
3) people who are fairly clueless

I was a 3. Now I'm a 3 with some useful information that could, with work, make me a 2... Possibly. I fear I'll never be a 1.

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 1:57 am

Finally, I've found an online fakebook. I think this guy literally transcribed everything out of a legit fakebook into Finale or something.

http://www.songtrellis.com/changesPage

Los of great stuff on there. Now get to work.

fodroy · Post by **fodroy** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 2:31 pm

this is a pretty good book. i've used it on a number of occasions. it has chord charts for assloads of guitar chords.