Chord chart generator

klaatu

I have no idea where to post this ...

Does anyone know of any software (preferably free) that generates chord diagrams that can be completely customized? I've been looking and looking and have found some very comprehensive chord generators or chord chart sites, but they tend not to give me the exact fingerings I'm looking for (e.g., three-note diminished chords). Many of the chords created come close, but I want to mute one string or something like that. I'd like to just create my own diagrams, on the computer (not manually), and pick the exact fingerings myself.

Jack

This sounds like it might fit the bill...you fill in the notes, and then you can save the diagram as a jpeg to paste into your charts.
http://www.zippybackflash.com/software-quickchord.php

best,
Jack.

klaatu

Jack,

THAT'S IT! Thank you! It's almost exactly what I was looking for. The only thing missing is the ability to indicate the numbers of the fingers, but that would be easy enough to paste in or even hand write in and make copies. I'm planning a beginner's gypsy guitar workshop in the fall and really need this ability.

Jack

Hi Ben,

I think it does have that if you have version 1.2.7...it seems like you just need to change the mode you're running it in. This is from the link I sent in the other post (my bold):

REVISION NOTES
V1.2.7: This version adds the ability to put chord fingering numbers at the bottom of the chord. There are now three modes that the program works in:

* Diagram+Notes mode automatically shows the note names under each string that is used in the chord. This is the default mode that QuickChord starts in.
* Diagram+Intervals mode automatically shows the note interval numbers under each string used in the chord.
* Basic Diagram mode shows nothing under the chord diagram. However, if you click under the diagram, you can specify the finger numbers to show there

best,
Jack.

klaatu

Jack,

You're incredible! I might have picked that up eventually, and then again maybe not. You've saved me a ton of trouble. Thanks a million!

zippybackflash

Hello everyone!

I am the author of the QuickChord program linked here, and just wanted to drop a note to say thanks to all the users who have been using the program and have been kind enough to write with suggestions and feedback.

After much prompting, I am finally getting to re-write the app (now named QwikChord) to include a lot of new features people have been requesting, and the best part: it will also be available for the Mac OSX and iPhone.

The new version will be a commercial application for sale (at a low price, and I encourage people to make copies for their friends) but I wanted to offer everyone here the chance to download the pre-release beta version for free, as a way of saying thank you for your support.

Furthermore, anyone from this board that uses the beta version and actually emails me with bug fixes and suggestions will automatically get a copy of the retail version for free, and will receive free updates for the life of the application.

This way I get more beta testers and some good word of mouth, and you get a much improved version of the program free of charge. (It only is selling for $9.99, so I can't say it's a huge thing, but free is free, right?)

At any rate, thank you all for your support, and download a copy of the pre-release version before March 21 at:
www.qwikchord.com

pinkgary

Cool. I'll do that. Free software is always good. I've done some beta testing before for Loopers tools (another cracking program i'd be lost without), so i'll definitely let you know my experience.

Should i do that here, or email you?

djangology

To zippybackflash: I think that program is brilliant! good job.

I think it would be cool if you were able to generate chord grids somehow by placing generated images into a simple "Grid Layout Manager" ,that allows you to drag and drop and clone images, and then export the grid to a PDF as a chord chart. (Maybe part of a paid version of your program?)

zippybackflash

Hey pinkgary,

Either way is fine, although email is preferable if I had to choose. (My day job frowns on me browsing forums for some reason... LOL) Just use the Feedback page:
http://www.qwikchord.com/contact/contact/feedack.php

(I get crazy amount of spam if I post the email address in a forum)

Regarding djangology's question...
If I understand you correctly, you want to specify the number of rows and columns and populate it with chord diagrams, be able to add/remove/move different chord diagrams in that "grid manager", then PDF or print it as a whole page of chords? Is that correct?

Not a bad idea! The focus of this app has always been to be just a simple chord diagram creator, and I left it up to the user to drop the diagrams into Word, Excel, or whatever to arrange and print with.

sockeye

Zippybackflash,

People here have been looking for software that can produce charts like this one (I think this was done in Adobe Illustrator):



Maybe that's something like what djangology has in mind...

Best wishes,

John

zippybackflash

Ah, I see!

Maybe this is a question that has been addressed earlier (and please forgive my ignorance if it has) but isn't creating charts and making PDF's out of it that is done fairly easily by creating a template in Word or Excel (for Mac users: Pages and Numbers. For Linux and open-source users: OpenOffice)?

Most of the time I use Word, and for charts like that I just have a blank template that I use that I can just drag chords into and re-arrange as I need them by just dragging them between the cells.

For PDF generation I use one of the freeware PDF apps (I use PrimoPDF personally) that just shows up as a printer: When you "print" your document to it, it creates a PDF file.