Adding chord symbols

The Staff view lets you enter chord symbols above the staff. You can enter both ordinary chord names and guitar chord symbols, which display both the chord name and fingering. Cakewalk has a large number of predefined chords from which you can choose. You can also define and save your own chords.

If a track is split into treble/bass staves, chords are allowed only above the upper (treble) staff.

Cakewalk stores its library of chords in the file Chords.liw. The chords in the library are sorted into groups. You can add and remove chords from the library, create new groups (i.e., for alternative guitar tunings), and add chords from a different library file.

You edit chords in the Chord Properties dialog box. Chord properties are shown in the following table.

Property	Meaning
Time	The time of the chord, in measure, beat, and tick (MBT) format
Name	The name of the chord
Group	The chord group

The Chord Properties dialog box also lets you draw guitar chord grids and manage the chord library.

You can suppress the display of all guitar chord diagrams by deselecting the Show Chord Grids option in the Staff view's Layout dialog box. With this option disabled, only chord text appears.

To add a chord symbol

1.	Select the Draw Freehand tool in the Control Bar.

2.	Click the Chords button in the Staff view.

3.	Position the pointer above the staff (the pointer changes to a pencil when you are in a legal position).

4.	Click to place a chord symbol.

Cakewalk inserts a copy of the most recently added chord (by default, C). You can then edit the symbol to display the chord you want.

To move a chord symbol

1.	Select the Draw Freehand tool in the Control Bar.

2.	Drag the chord symbol to a new location.

To edit a chord symbol

1.	Right-click the symbol to open the Chord Properties dialog box.

2.	Edit information about the chord according to the table:

To do this	Do this
Move a chord in time	Change the Time property.
Give the chord a new name	Select a chord from the drop-down list, or type a new name. Use # for sharp and b for flat.
Add descriptive text to the chord name	Type the text in square brackets after the chord name. The text does not appear in the Staff view.
See a different set of chords	Select a group from the list. This option only applies if you have created a custom chord library.

3.	If desired, select a group from the list and/or create a guitar chord grid.

Figure 552. The Chord Properties dialog box.

4.

Click OK.

The Staff view displays the chord with the new properties, moving it to a new time if necessary.

To add a guitar chord grid

1.	Right-click the chord symbol to open the Chord Properties dialog box.

2.	Follow the instructions in the table:

 

To do this	Do this
Display a blank chord grid	Click New Grid
Place a dot on the grid	Select the finger number (1-4, or T for Thumb), then click the grid at the appropriate string and fret location
Assign an open string	Select O, then click on the string
Assign a muted string	Select X, then click on the string
Change the finger assigned to a dot	Click the dot repeatedly to cycle through the fingers
Insert a fret designation	Click to the right of the grid and enter the number of the index finger fret in the Chord Fret Number dialog box
Play the chord (Audition)	Click Play
Remove the chord grid	Click Remove Grid

3.

Click OK.

The Staff view displays the chord with the new guitar chord grid.

To manage the chord library

1.	Right-click the chord symbol to open the Chord Properties dialog box.

2.	Follow the instructions in the table:

 

To do this	Do this
Add a chord to the library	Select a group, enter a name in the Name box, enter a guitar grid (if desired), and click Save.
Delete a chord from the current group	Select the chord from the list and click Delete.
Add a new group	Type a name for the group in the Group textbox and click Save.
Delete a group	Select a group from the list and click Delete.
Merge chords from an external chord library	Click the Import button and select a file. Chord libraries have the extension .liw.

3.

Click OK.

Cakewalk saves the chord library with the changes you made.