Chordmaps.com releases Music Theory For Songwriters Software

A new computer-based alternative music controller has just been released which enables the user to play basic 4-note chord progressions in any major key simply by moving a mouse around on a "map" and clicking. Intended for songwriters and aspiring songwriters who may not have developed the necessary guitar or piano skills, this program creates an environment where exploring chord progressions is as easy as moving and clicking a mouse.

"Chordmaps.com Yours To Play It!" is part of an ongoing music education project authored by Steve Mugglin. It began more than twenty years ago while teaching piano to young students. Wondering how to make the principles of songwriting and chord progression easier to understand, he began drawing maps with locations for the various chords. These maps eventually became the basis for the website "Music Theory for Songwriters" (Chordmaps.com.)

But there was one element missing — the maps were silent.

In February, 2008, Steve began looking for a programming language which was relatively easy to learn. Finding that Liberty Basic was intentionally designed to be a programming language for everyone, and that one of the demo programs showed how to play GM midi sounds on a Windows computer, Steve began the challenge of making the chordmaps playable.

The result is unique. The screen displays an array of blue boxes with arrows indicating suggestions for smooth-sounding progressions. Each blue box has multiple zones where various inversions of the selected chord can be played. Volume is determined by how high in the zone the mouse is clicked. The notes in the chord are displayed on a visual keyboard when the "Watch" option is selected. The name of the chord is also displayed in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

Individual notes in the chord can be played using the "arrow" keys. Up-arrow plays the bass note, and Left, Down and Right-arrow keys play the three notes in the chord. Bass notes for each chord can be played to the left of each blue box. Power chords (chords with a root and a fifth) have their own location in the middle of the map. Midi drum notes have also been assigned to the Qwerty keyboard with volume variations for the keyboard rows (Q is slightly louder than A which is slightly louder than Z).

Because the program accesses the GM midi soundset installed on the computer, 128 instruments are available for the chord and bass sounds. The three notes in the chord (which would normally be played by the right hand) can also be assigned a separate "layered" sound, enabling combinations like Piano and Strings or EPiano and Pad.

For more information, please visit www.chordmaps.com

This is a Press Release

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Back 23.04.2008