Making Chords with Cubase

[MacTron]

Making chords is a very important part of music creation. In a Key Editor or Piano Roll editor available in most of DAW apps, it is really easy. I'll show you a example made in Cubase:

C Major Chord

As you can see, it is mostly a question of counting half steps.

D minor Chord


This are the main chords made with three notes (triads):

M : Major chord
m : minor chord
Aug : augmented chord
dim : diminished chord

When we add a fourth note (a seventh) we have a seventh chord. Based on the kind of base chord and the kind of seventh we have added , we have:

Maj7 : major seventh
mi7 : Minor seventh
7 : Dominant seventh
miMA7 : Minor-major seventh
dim7 : Diminished seventh
m7 (b5) : Minor 7 flat 5 chord

... So now -almost- the full picture!






 

[supernova777]

is there a way to map a specific chord for 1-key live playing?

i've never been able to figure out how to do this in cubase.. meanwhile its very easy in ableton live with the included midi effect.
i know there are midi "Effects" vsts like this for pc..  (http://www.thepiz.org/plugins/?p=midiChords) which do not produce sounds but rather, produce chords routed back to the daw to a specific midi input.. i believe this requires a certain vst specification (the same or possibly one up from vst instruments capability?)

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=281389
in this thread someone says that sampletank does that within its self?

a big reason why alot of kids use fruityloops on pc is because it has a drop down menu with every chord shape imaginable integrated into the sequencer
and easily accessible

[MacTron]

Cubase have some live capabilities and real time MIDI transformers. But I never needed to use a DAW in live, so I can't tell much about this.
I can imagine several ways to make "one fingered chords", but none are enough power full and flexible to cover my needs.

In fact, using this graphics you can force a chord even in most virtual instruments.

The easy way to write chords and chord progressions is with Roland/Dynaware Ballade.
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=1029.msg3872#msg3872

Using the picture I've posted (once understood) it is easy too -and better yet -  it avoid the use *two* Apps, Ballade + Cubase, and use only one (Cubase). (I hate using more than one App for the same thing, that's what I hate Rewire and such,  you know ) This method can be used in any DAW (including, Logic, Pro Tools and Ableton Live) in a very similar way.

And of course there is some sampled instruments with the main chords sampled inside (mainly guitars) so work as "on fingered chords"