Chordmap Tab

The Chordmap tab of the Chordmap Properties window is shown in the following figure.

The tab contains the following settings:

• Name

  Name that appears in the project tree next to the internal icon of the file.

• Length

  Button that you click to set the number of measures in the chordmap. This value should be equal to the length of the longest chord path you expect to create.

• Description

  Internal description of the chordmap. Unlike the descriptive information on the Info Tab, this is not saved with the run-time file.

• Edit Mode

  Flexibility in the duration of chords. When the Fixed option is used, each chord plays for a specific number of beats, according to its position in the map relative to the timeline. When the Variable option is selected, chords play over a range of beats. For more information, see Fixed and Variable Connection Lengths.

• Time Signature

  Beats per measure, and the value of a note given a beat.

• Key

  Key used when composing the chordmap.

  It is recommended that you leave the chordmap key at the default setting of 2C. Choosing a key other than 2C causes chords in the Chordmap Designer Window or Signpost List to move accordingly. The roots of all chords in the chordmap and Signpost list are transposed, which also transposes the scale and chord structure settings in the Chord Properties of each chord.

  For example, if you create a chordmap in the key of 2C, placing a G major chord in the chordmap, and change the chordmap key to Eb, the G major chord is transposed to Bb major, including its scale and chord structure.

  Changing the key of a chordmap also affects its use with segments. When you use a segment's Compose Chords command to draw chord paths from a chordmap, the key of the chordmap is noted and chords are inserted in the segment with the same root values they have in the chordmap. Thus, the Bb major chord in the transposed version of the chordmap is copied into the segment as a Bb chord.

Note If you change the key of a segment—for example, from C to D—chords in the segment are moved, but the chordmap ignores the segment's key. The next use of the Compose Chords command inserts chords from the chordmap using their current root values.

Changing the key of a chordmap also transposes the underlying scale for the chordmap. The pitches of the underlying scale are altered so the original scale structure is retained relative to the new key. For example, if a chordmap has a key of C and an underlying scale of C harmonic minor, changing the key to Eb results in the underlying scale transposing to Eb harmonic minor. In addition, such a change can affect the chord palette.