FrettyCharts Help Manual

Getting Started

Introduction

Sample Gallery

Using the Application

Managing Projects

Product Registration

Editing

Adding a Chord

Adding a Scale

Adding a Group

Editing Chords

Editing Scales

Setting the Tuning

Rendering

Render Project

Render Item

Printing

Styles

Managing Styles

General Settings

Preview

Colors

Text and Fonts

Sizing

Spacing

Fret Layout

Markers

Barre Chords

Display Items

Project Settings

HTML Rendering

MIDI Audio

Chord Naming Rules

Editing Tuning and Naming Properties

This editor allows you to set some tuning and naming properties for a chord, scale or a group. When you edit these properties for a group, all of the items inside that group will share the properties.

This allows you to set a tuning once for a collection of chords or scales. Now let's say there is one chord inside that group that is a special case, for example it is a seven string chord in DADGAD tuning. Then for that particular chord you can go in and edit these settings, and the values will apply just to that chord.

Tuning Editor

The tuning editor allows you to specify the number of strings and their pitches for your charts. The pitch values are used for chords in order to name them automatically, and also for MIDI audio playback.

FrettyCharts allows you to have any where between 4 and 8 strings for your charts, which you can specify by clicking the "Insert String" and "Remove String" buttons as shown in the figure below.

For each string, the up and down arrows allow you to change the pitch in semi-tone steps, and the note value is displayed with its octave included. For example, the low E string in standard tuning is represented as E1. The next octave up is E2, and the top treble string in standard tuning is E3.

Each string has a sound icon which allows you to hear the pitch of the note. The round dot for each string is given as a guide to which strings are the thick bass strings, and which are the thin treble strings.

Naming Properties

This screen also allows you to specify some chord naming rules.

Bass Inversion Notation

When automatically naming chords, you can elect to use an alternative bass notation. For example C/E is a C chord with an E bass note, instead of a C. If the chord is named using an E bass note, it will have an awkward name: Emin #5. When this item is checked, you can then select the desired bass string from the list adjacent. The following figure shows this:

Pitch Descriptions

This option allows you to select whether to use sharps or flats when automatically naming chords. For example, D# or Eb.