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General Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Donna D on September 14, 2010, 08:39:13 AM

Title: Where to find chord picker software (for Mac)?
Post by: Donna D on September 14, 2010, 08:39:13 AM
Can anyone suggest a piece of Mac-friendly software - preferably free, but at least reliable and not overly expensive - that will give me names of chords?
For instance, if someone asks me for the chords to a melody I provide, I want to be able to feed the mp3 file (with my vocal guide) into the software, and end up with the appropriate chord structure.

I've seen Chord Pickout (at $39.95) but it appears only suitable for a Windows system.

Any tips appreciated. Thanks!  :)

Donna
Title: Re: Where to find chord picker software (for Mac)?
Post by: launched on September 14, 2010, 09:05:04 AM
Hi Donna

Guitar Chords 5(Free) (http://www.macshareware.com/software/chord_pickout)

Is this what you are looking for?

Mark
Title: Re: Where to find chord picker software (for Mac)?
Post by: Donna D on September 14, 2010, 09:12:32 AM
Thanks, Mark. ;)

I saw that page, but Chord Picker isn't included in the list. It doesn't come up in Search either.
It sounds like exactly what I need, but Mac-friendly.

Donna
Title: Re: Where to find chord picker software (for Mac)?
Post by: launched on September 14, 2010, 09:20:45 AM
Ha, ok - I guess you're stuck with a tuner and a pad of paper like the rest of us!  ;D

Mark
Title: Re: Where to find chord picker software (for Mac)?
Post by: Donna D on September 14, 2010, 09:26:38 AM
It may well come to that!  :P ;D
(But I'm in trouble if a tuner can only be used with an instrument.  :D )

Donna
Title: Re: Where to find chord picker software (for Mac)?
Post by: launched on September 14, 2010, 09:39:37 AM
Actually, you would be surprised - It will display chords when placed in front of a speaker. I do that with my Micro BR and a little Korg tuner I have sometimes. I also hum a root note from the song and that works too. Your local music store may even have a used tuner they will sell you for five bucks.

But I was partially kidding around. I'm sure the software you are looking for is much easier to use!  8)
Title: Re: Where to find chord picker software (for Mac)?
Post by: Donna D on September 14, 2010, 12:57:32 PM
I'm such a music dork! ::)

It's dawned on me that you can't tell the chords from single melody notes anyway. The exact same vocal melody could be accompanied by completely different harmonies, so a programme could only
make a couple of more or less valid suggestions.

A guitar or piano player should be able to pretty much "hear" the right
harmonies that make sense and support the feel of the melody.

End of search for chord picker.  ;D 

Donna
Title: Re: Where to find chord picker software (for Mac)?
Post by: cuthbert on September 14, 2010, 01:44:34 PM
Quote from: Donna D on September 14, 2010, 12:57:32 PMThe exact same vocal melody could be accompanied by completely different harmonies, so a programme could only make a couple of more or less valid suggestions.

A guitar or piano player should be able to pretty much "hear" the right
harmonies that make sense and support the feel of the melody.

I was going to reply pretty much the same myself, Donna - but I got pulled away with some work and only just now got back to this subject.

Anyway, you expressed it more eloquently than I could have. :)
Title: Re: Where to find chord picker software (for Mac)?
Post by: henwrench on September 14, 2010, 02:30:31 PM
Yeah, it's so easy to get bogged down by all that theory stuff.... best just forget it all and go for what feels right. Thats what we do in the henhouse anyway...

                                                    henwrench
Title: Re: Where to find chord picker software (for Mac)?
Post by: Facemask93 on September 14, 2010, 06:04:40 PM
Hi Donna , if you own an Apple iphone , there is a great app called guitar toolkit £5.99 , which has an amazing chromatic tuner , a library of over 500,000 chords , a metronome with visible flash and 13 time signatures , support for6 - 12 string guitar , 4- 5- and 6- string banjo , standard and altered tunings for each instrument , a chord finder , simply touch the notes onthe vitual fretboard that make up a chord , and toolkit will tell you the name of that chord , scale references , interactive fretboard ,touch notes to hear what it  sounds like , even supports lefty mode
The best six bills you'll ever spend

Rob
Title: Re: Where to find chord picker software (for Mac)?
Post by: launched on September 15, 2010, 05:11:26 AM
Quote from: facemask93 on September 14, 2010, 06:04:40 PMHi Donna , if you own an Apple iphone , there is a great app called guitar toolkit £5.99 , which has an amazing chromatic tuner , a library of over 500,000 chords , a metronome with visible flash and 13 time signatures , support for6 - 12 string guitar , 4- 5- and 6- string banjo , standard and altered tunings for each instrument , a chord finder , simply touch the notes onthe vitual fretboard that make up a chord , and toolkit will tell you the name of that chord , scale references , interactive fretboard ,touch notes to hear what it  sounds like , even supports lefty mode
The best six bills you'll ever spend

Rob


That sounds great, Rob. Those iPhones have lots of cool apps. Between the recording sofware and that, it's almost worth getting one. And I've noticed the programs are not really that expensive.

Another cool app that a buddy of mine showed me was a "Name that tune" program that can identify almost any commercial song - That one is free.

Mark