More complicated Jazz chords

• Jan 7, 2014 - 16:08

I find it very difficult to correctly more complicated jazz chords with Musescore 1.3.
I'm using the realbook notation (cchords_rb.xml) and I'm having problems with this chord:
F major with minor 7th, 9th, augmented 11th and 13th, with A as base note. I tried F(#11)13/A or F13(#11)/A, none of which want to render.


Comments

Yes, unfortunately, 1.3 is very picky - you have to enter things *exactly* as the selected chordname style demands or it won't be recognized. Easiest way to find out the exact requirements is to run Plugins / Lead Sheet / Chord Chart, and give it the name of the chord description file you want to see (or maybe it defaults to the current one; I forget).

The specific chord you are trying to enter would normally be spelled F13#11/A. General chord symbol syntax dictates that you first put the highest unaltered extension (eg, "stack thirds this high", and then list alterations after that. So the 13 comes before the #11. The only question should be whether or not to use parentheses, but the Real Book style doesn't use parentheses except I believe for for F-(maj7). Actually, I think even the styles that do use parentheses for rendering still require you not to type them.

Luckily, this will all be much improved for 2.0. F13#11, F13(#11), F7(#11,13) and lots of other variations will all be accepted. So will F(#11)13, but actually, that doesn't mean what you want it to mean - to MuseScore or to human musicians. Literally, because the 13 doesn't come before the #11, that symbol would specify an F *triad* with an added #11 and added 13, no seventh or ninth. It's all the same to MuseScore, really (except I guess MusicXML export will be odd), but F(#11)13 would raise question among musicians as to what kind of seventh was supposed to be implied.

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