[Dixielandjazz] Re: European chord symbols

[Graham Martin]

G'day guys,

This post item seems to have been returned to me by some obscure and uncooperative post master in foreign parts. I apologise if it now appears twice but so far I have not seen it on our list.

On the subject of European chord symbols: 

I am pleased that someone has now pointed out that a diagonal line connecting the bottom left hand and top right hand corners of the British ('European', if you like) bar box indicates a split bar, two beats on each right angle triangle, and not a slash chord. Besides of which, the note under the line is a bass note and it would not make much sense to have the notation C/C7 as appeared in the examples. Also note in the examples referenced the use of boxes to indicate chords that last for only one beat.

That aside, I am a Pom and have always preferred this method of displaying chords because you can take in an eight bar sequence at a glance, and it helps me to understand the structure of the tune and pick out the changing key centres. I seem not to be clever enough to do this with chords written in four bar lines.

I too have played with trying to reproduce this method of showing chords, using various software approaches. But the best I could come up with is a number of Microsoft Word templates where each box is a Text Box in its own right, to which you have to either type in the chords (takes a bloody age!) or hand write them, which is what I do. I can send these templates to anyone who is interested. Drop me an email. It took me many, many, hours to create the various forms of tunes, particularly multi thematic types that occur so often in OKOM.

The closest I can come with notation type software is by using Band-in-a-Box. At least with this I can produce eight bars per line presentation of the chords by selecting the correct print format. They are not exactly boxes, rather bar lines, but it's close. I can send anyone who is interested a sample print out and the settings for the 'Notation Window Options' and 'Print Options' windows.

And as an addendum to my original mailing, I have now seen the presentation and template on Excel by Bruce Strangeland and I am certainly going to have a play with that format. I confess I never thought of using Excel, perhaps because spread sheets are a bit of a mystery to me. 
 

Best,

Grah 

Graham Martin
Email: grahmartin at bigpond.com
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