ChordCalc by Thinkyhead is a calculator-like utility for musical chords that includes an interactive guitar fretboard and three other useful interfaces. With ChordCalc you can quickly enter chords and perform common operations like choosing a suitable name, adding extensions, transposing to other keys, and harmonizing within modes and scales.
The Chord Screen is the starting point where you can build a chord from scale tones, chord functions, or stacked intervals. Every chord has twelve possible names as defined by its root tone and the intervals of the other notes in the chord. This screen lists all the alternative names for the chord so you can select the one that best fits.
The Scale Screen displays the chord in relation to a selected scale in all twelve keys. Tap on scale notes to add or remove them from the chord. To transpose the chord, just drag the chord up and down through keys. To move the chord through the harmonies of the scale, just drag it left and right. Twelve scales are provided, including the seven modes of the major scale.
The Circle Screen provides three circular interfaces, providing an alternate way to view, edit, transpose, and harmonize the chord within the current key/scale. The Circle Screen includes a piano keyboard that highlights the scale tones and displays the chord across a three octave range.
The Guitar Screen displays an intelligent scrolling fretboard where you can enter a fingering, find out the name of the chord, and hear how it sounds. While some guitar apps include a pre-defined chord library and a fixed set of fingerings, ChordCalc emphasizes complete freedom. Simply toggle tones on the fretboard, move and resize the adjustable “fret bracket” to choose a range of frets, and fingerings for the chord are automatically generated for the selected range. ChordCalc instantly identifies any chord you enter.
The ChordCalc fretboard can be displayed normal- or reverse-strung, and it operates in any orientation – even upside-down. Over 20 guitar tunings are provided, including GuitarCraft NST.
Features Summary
- Build chords from tones, functions, or stacked intervals
- Enter a chord just by typing in the name
- View and select from among 11 other names for the chord
- Build chords from tones, functions, or stacked intervals
- Modify chords in relation to modes, scales, and keys
- See how a chord fits into all 12 keys simultaneously
- View and edit chords by toggling tones in the Circle of 5ths or Semitones
- Harmonize chords in the Circle of Harmonies
- View and edit chords on a piano interface
- Toggle tones on the guitar fretboard to build and identify chords
- Slide and resize a bracketed region of the fretboard to auto-generate fingerings
- View chord fingerings in more than 20 tunings including GuitarCraft NST
- Strum fingered chords to hear how they sound on a real instrument
- Includes a “Loose Tone Naming” mode to hide double-flats/sharps.
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