Composition aid for helping chord inversions

[SWAN808]

Is there any chord composition tool with a palette where you can try out different inversions of a chord? Iversions seem to make all the difference and it seems so basic but I cant seem to find anything appropriate...On a mac...any suggestions?

Ive tried harmony navigator...there seem some interesting ipad tools but Ive not got one...

[Tricky-Loops]

You could try Tonespace 2.0, it's free and also available for Mac:

http://www.mucoder.net/en/tonespace

But isn't it easier to make the inversions in the MIDI editor and simply listen how they sound?

[SWAN808]

You could try Tonespace 2.0, it's free and also available for Mac:

http://www.mucoder.net/en/tonespace

But isn't it easier to make the inversions in the MIDI editor and simply listen how they sound?

The problem is moving the notes around I dont find very intuitive when trying to hear work out progressions...that way you have to settle on the chords first then change inversions - and it would be cool to choose the progression based upon the different inversions before settling on the chords...

Thanks! Ill look at tonespace...

[elnn]

Learning them isn't that difficult and way more useful than any app.

[GeckoYamori]

I've done inversions manually for as long as I can remember without feeling hindered at all. In FLStudio I can just select one or more notes in the chord, hold CTRL and press up/down to move them one octave. But then, I pretty much know how it's going to sound like before I do it.

[jancivil]

it would be cool to choose the progression based upon the different inversions before settling on the chords...

So, if you can, just do that, on your own two legs with no crutch handy.

I'm all for a way to hear it from the machine if you're a cripple. One of these guys pretended to be one in order to make me shut up about 'do it yourself' once. The flow you're looking for is available to you if you get to where you can control an instrument some, it's the most conducive path. I'm not sure why you need to avoid it.

[SWAN808]

ok I take your guys feedback - maybe I will try to learn again. keys seems quite complex when coming from guitar...so many options for chords and the often work so much better in the right form...I like the copy and paste lower octave - that a nice idea...

any other ways people like to work on this?

[jancivil]

well, you can work with the guitar too, but it also is a matter of a certain technique. for me, even though I don't have mastery of the keyboard, step entering is far slower.

the thing of using inversions is really about part-writing aka voice-leading, and holistic as opposed to what you found in that app. Maybe you could spend every bit of time looking for an app directly on practicing. I'm trying to remain open to anything that works for someone but at the end of the day having sussed how to get there for real is invaluable. I got it through being fed part-writing exercises, around the time I got involved with classical guitar as a way to do polyphonic music on my instrument.

[J.F.K.]

Ive tried harmony navigator...

Harmony Navigator should do what you want. There you can select different inversions of a chord with the number keys (1,2,3,4).

Well, you can also take a look at Rapid Composer (musicdevelopments.com). There you can develop your chord progression at a master track. Then you can use the chord generators to create the appropriate chords at the instrument tracks. And then you can drag these generated chords up and down, what will produce different inversions of them. BTW: Musicdevelopments has its forum here at KVR.

[jumpercable]

well, you can work with the guitar too, but it also is a matter of a certain technique. for me, even though I don't have mastery of the keyboard, step entering is far slower.

the thing of using inversions is really about part-writing aka voice-leading, and holistic as opposed to what you found in that app. Maybe you could spend every bit of time looking for an app directly on practicing. I'm trying to remain open to anything that works for someone but at the end of the day having sussed how to get there for real is invaluable. I got it through being fed part-writing exercises, around the time I got involved with classical guitar as a way to do polyphonic music on my instrument.

Do you happen to have, or remember any of the exercises that you found helped alot? Im able to understand it and write chords with good voice leading, but that's with a bit of effort. Harmonized Bach chorales in college for a class... Probably not well though. But it isn't that intuitive to me and definitely not readily accessible by memory for 'real world' musical applications. I'd have to get the pen out and labour through writing out the chords and rediscover how everything joins. The magic in music happens when you can depend on certain skills instantaneously. This is something I can't yet do.

Any excericises you had you think helped you most with fluidity of part writing/voicing?

[JumpingJackFlash]

Any excericises you had you think helped you most with fluidity of part writing/voicing?

Exercises are only likely to be fruitful if you have a competent teacher who can look over your work and offer constructive criticism.

Studying real music (including Bach Chorales) may help, and there are several books on this kind of thing; this one is particularly good (get it half price if you agree not to photocopy it).

[jancivil]

you can develop your chord progression at a master track. Then you can use the chord generators to create the appropriate chords at the instrument tracks. And then you can drag these generated chords up and down, what will produce different inversions of them.

The algorithm decides what is appropriate for your music. Removing the burden of thoughtful consideration in order to produce more quickly!

What a truly_awful_thing. How perfect for someone that doesn't want to be involved with the actual decisions - reducing the whole joy of composing music in favor of a product to show. Who has been cheated though?

[bharris22]

Any excericises you had you think helped you most with fluidity of part writing/voicing?

Exercises are only likely to be fruitful if you have a competent teacher who can look over your work and offer constructive criticism.

Studying real music (including Bach Chorales) may help, and there are several books on this kind of thing; this one is particularly good (get it half price if you agree not to photocopy it).

Hi - where do you see this for half price? Thanks!

[JumpingJackFlash]

Hi - where do you see this for half price? Thanks!

I think you have to contact the people there directly.

[bharris22]

Thanks!