NUT CHORDS 1.3 - Chord and Scale Finder

USER MANUAL

CONTENTS                                                                                 


  1.  Introduction
  2.  Chord finder
  3.  Scale finder
  4.  Chord configuration
  5.  Requirements
  6.  Credits and stuff
  7.  License




INTRODUCTION                                                                           1.


  Thanks for downloading Nut Chords 1.3 - chord and scale finder.

  This program is able to show any chord in all variations that fit in a range of four
  frets plus free strings in a 20 frets area, using any tuning. It handles inversions,
  damped strings and can convert any known chord between keyboard and fretboard.
  It's possible it shows the chord in a funny way, but it's still a correct way.
  Idea is to show all possibilities, not to show how to play chords in general.
  The program is based on pure logic, making it an endless source of information.

  Nut Chords has also a scale finder. You can search for any scales, modes or arpeggios
  in any tuning. choose a scale or mode from the list or do your own on the keyboard.

  This new version has also some of the alternative tunings listed so you can fastly
  change the tuning. Notice that you can edit the configuration file to hold some of
  your own special chords, scales and tunings!




CHORD FINDER                                                                           2.

  Fretboard

    Turn a right-handed guitar 180 degrees so that you play the back.
    That's how you see the strings in the program.

    On fretboard you can seek for chords and do inversions.
    You can convert known inversions from here to keyboard.

    Mouse actions:

    Current notes

      left   - free string
      right  - damp string

    Fretboard

      left   - place finger
      middle - damp string
      right  - free string

    Tunings

      left   - tune up
      right  - tune down


  Keyboard

    On keyboard you can seek for chords and do inversions.
    You can convert known inversions from here to fretboard.

      left   - press key
      middle - clear all keys (left+right works but not well)
      right  - free key


  Chord view

    Here you'll see the current chord picked up from list, fretboard or keyboard.
    The conversions will be done by the chord in this window, if any.


  Key list

    From here you can choose a key. Lowest note will always be the same as the key
    after you've choosen. You can do inversions only on keyboard or fretboard.


  Chord list

    From here you can choose a chord. Scroll by your mouse, by the arrows or
    use shortkeys. Lowest note will always be the same as the key after you've choosen.


  Tuning list

    From here you can choose a tuning. Scroll by your mouse, by the arrows or
    use shortkeys. Current chord will be shown using the new tuning if possible.


  Keyboard layout

    left       - bass place left
    right      - bass place right
    up         - next variation of chord
    down       - previous variation of chord
    insert     - convert to fretboard
    delete     - convert to keyboard
    home       - keylist up
    end        - keylist down
    page up    - chordlist \ scalelist up
    page down  - chordlist \ scalelist down
    kpd ins    - toggle between chord and scale mode
    kpd del    - toggle additional notes ON/OFF
    kpd +      - tuninglist up
    kpd enter  - tuninglist down
    esc        - quit




SCALE FINDER                                                                           3.

  Fretboard

    On fretboard you'll see the notes that belong to the scale.
    The key is hightlighted.

    Tunings

      left   - tune up
      right  - tune down


  Keyboard

    On keyboard you can do your own scales or arpeggios, what ever.

      left   - press key
      middle - clear all keys (left+right works but not well)
      right  - free key


  Chord view

    Here you'll see the current key and scale picked up from list.
    There's no detection of known scales when you do your own scales.


  Key list

    From here you can choose a key.


  Scale list

    From here you can choose a scale.


  Tuning list

    From here you can choose a tuning.


  Keyboard layout

    home       - keylist up
    end        - keylist down
    page up    - chordlist \ scalelist up
    page down  - chordlist \ scalelist down
    kpd ins    - toggle between chord and scale mode
    kpd del    - toggle additional notes ON/OFF
    kpd +      - tuninglist up
    kpd enter  - tuninglist down
    esc        - quit




CHORD CONFIGURATION                                                                    4.


  Run a text-editor and load the chords.cfg file.
  There's information to change the settings, very simple.

  Program will tell you about incorrect values, feel free to mess around!

  DISTRIBUTING THE PROGRAM WITH YOUR ALTERED CONFIGURATION IS PROHIBITED!




REQUIREMENTS                                                                           5.


  The program does some heavy calculations of combinations in realtime.
  You need a fast machine. Speeding up the search is beyond my abilities.

  - PC 386+
  - VGA graphics
  - MOUSE (two or three buttons)
  - DOS or WINDOS
  - GUITAR recommended :)

  Nut Chords was designed for DOS. If you use Windows and experience
  some problems then quit to DOS and run it there.




CREDITS AND STUFF                                                                      6.


  Programming and design.............   Sami Saarnio

  SVGA256.bgi driver.................   Jordan Hargraphix

  Beta-testing, help, ideas..........   David Nespoli
                                        Matt A. Knapp
                                        Kari Saarilahti


  This software was developed using Turbo Pascal 7.0.

  This was a combined school and personal project that has taken ~200 hours of my time.

  After seeing lots of commercial crap from the internet I decided to do it better,
  because it was possible to do it much much better! I needed this program as much as
  you and give it to the world for free. I'd be glad if you greet me, whoever you are.

  I'd say...

  FREE WARES FOR FREE PEOPLE !

  You know the best things in life are free :)




About the author

  I'm an amateur composer and needed this software for my own use.

  I've composed since 1988, mainly with trackers. That means I do modules.
  I don't do crap techno, but many other styles with love to melody and harmony.
  I'm a known artist in the tiny field of demosceners around the globe. Means I'm
  known in the field, very underground to outsiders. I've received some rewards from
  different competitions. Half year ago I won a soundcard and sample editing software
  from a global magazine called 'Music and Computers'. They also covered my song.
  These days I'm more into guitar than to computer music... practising time to time.

  In case you're interested more:

    http://www.helsinki.fi/~saarnio     -  links to get my module music
    ftp://ftp.fm.org/pub/music/nutcase  -  this is my official distribution site

  I'm working in some demogroups, mainly in Kinetic PC.
  We've released some demos and a big musicdisk.

    http://www.hut.fi/~ksaarila         -  about Kinetic PC and our prods

  Our new musicdisk project is freezed for unknown amount of time, sorry.
  Go leach One Man Dog from above sites, my latest musicdisk.




LICENSE                                                                                7.


  Nut Chords is a FREEWARE program!

  1. You can not charge anything of the program itself when distributing it.
  2. I'm not responsible for any damages what so ever caused by this program.
  3. It is not allowed to distribute Nut Chords with an altered configuration.
  4. Send me greetings :)

saarnio@helsinki.fi

http://www.helsinki.fi/~saarnio/nutchords.html


Keep on rockin' in the free world! Support free software!