Sound Thinking -- Instructions for finding chords and scale. Find guitar chords and chords for any stringing instrument or falterer guitar tunings.

Getting started

Starting Sound Thinking

When you start Sound Thinking it automatically displays a C major chord mapped out on a six string guitar in standard tuning (EADGBE). You can view other major chords by clicking a root in the Root Picker. Just as easily you can pick a different chord type ...or change instrument or tuning.

The Chord Picker

Chords are grouped into logical families: Major, Minor, Dominant, Flat 5 and Sharp 5. You can select any type of chord, scale, or mode from the Chord/Scale picker.

The Instrument Picker

You can pick from a library of predefined instruments ... or create your own custom instruments. Instruments are ordered by name, or by number of strings. In the upcoming version of Sound Thinking you can view multiple instruments at once (or view multiple views of the same instrument)

Capos

Add a capo to any fret; or add a partial capo (even multiple partial capos, or a full capo plus a partial capo) ... you've got a great tool for exploring partial capo possibility, the discerning the differences and similarities between DADGAD open tuning and Partial DADGAD.

There's a list below of keyboard shortcuts.

What's new?

A preview of the next release of Sound Thinking

Those who've read the documentation this far can try the new version of Sound Thinking

Scenes

See how scenes allow you to bookmark a specific setup that you created.

Click the URL/link button to put a URL on your clipboard, so you can email a link ... or add a link to your site or to interactive documents like PDFs.

Multiple instruments/ Property inspector

With the addition of multiple instruments there was a need to economize on space, and so an inspector was added too. The root picker is no longer at the top of the instrument panel—that functionality (and the display of various properties) have been moved into the inspector.

Whenever you click on an instrument, the properties update in the Inspector to reflect the settings for that instrument.

The Pickers

In the original release of Sound Thinking the picker windows were always open. In the new version they are closeable, and closed by default. To open the picker windows click the checkboxes in the inspector. Keeping them closed conserves on screen space. And you can access them temporarily (like a dialog box) by clicking the Chord/Scale and Instrument/Tuning menu buttons. The main reason for this change is to open up more screen real estate.

Vertical and horizontal views

Now you can view any instrument veritically or horizontally. Just click the icon in the upper left corner of the instrument window.

Notes

Other features are on their way, like chord progressions, voicings, and chord collections ... plus dynamic demonstration of music theory. (Sorry, no sound presently.)

Sound Thinking is an advanced web application, and possesses features such as free-floating windows, moveable and resizeable windows, just like a desktop application. And it has a preference window where you can customize its appearance.

NOTE: Adobe's free Flash Player 9 browser plug-in is required to run Sound Thinking. Get Adobe Flash Player

Keystrokes

Window	Keystroke	Result
Chords Scales and Modes	up arrow	Selects and displays chord above currently selected chord
	down arrow	Selects and displays chord below currently selected chord

Fretboard (Instrument)	A, B, C, D, E, F, G	Sets the root to the letter typed. (Currently you must select any window before this will work.)
	up arrow	Raises the root one half-step. When doing so, Sound Thinking selects the most common enharmonic. For instance Eb is more common than D#. Eb is an actual key signature. Although the key D# appears on the Spiral of 5ths, it is beyond the scope of the Circle of 5ths, and is not considered a normal key. In part this is because it has double sharps in its key signature: F## and C##. All other notes single single sharps: D# E# F## G# A# B# C##. (Weird, huh.)
	down arrow	Lowers the root one half-step.
	shift modifier key	The shift key reverses the effect of "up arrow" and "down arrow". With the shift key down: the down arrow moves the fingerboard information downward (and increments the root) the up arrow moves the fingerboard upward (and decrements the root) The effect of the up and down keys makes sense from the perspective of the Root picker ( i.e the concept of incrementing the root). However, the note information moves up the fretboard as you change the root with the down key—though this relationship is correct the effect seems backwards from the perspective of the fingerboard. When you're not thinking about the root it seems odd that the up arrow moves the fretboard note information downward.
Instrument and Tunings	up arrow	Selects the previous instrument in the instrument picker list and changes the the instrument (the tuning and possibly the number of strings.)
	down arrow	Selects the next instrument in the instrument picker list and changes the the instrument (the tuning and possibly the number of strings.)

	[ ] brackets	The bracket keys move left and right through the horizontal Root Picker. ] moves upward chromatically. [ moves downward.
	+ -	+ When the root state is "natural" or "flat" the + key makes the root "sharp." When the root state is sharp, the + key toggles the state between sharp and natural. - When the root state is "natural" or "sharp" the - key makes the root "flat." When the root state is flat, the - key toggles the state between flat and natural.
	=	Switches the root to the enharmonic equivalent. For instance, it changes an Gb root to F#. Conversely it switches F#to Gb.
	t	Toggles between notes view and degree view. Note view shows the letter name of each note on the fretboard; Degree view show the numeric degree, 1, 2, 3 ... for 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree.

Window

Keystroke

Result

Chords Scales and Modes

up arrow

Selects and displays chord above currently selected chord

down arrow

Selects and displays chord below currently selected chord

Fretboard (Instrument)

A, B, C, D, E, F, G

Sets the root to the letter typed. (Currently you must select any window before this will work.)

up arrow

Raises the root one half-step.

When doing so, Sound Thinking selects the most common enharmonic. For instance Eb is more common than D#. Eb is an actual key signature. Although the key D# appears on the Spiral of 5ths, it is beyond the scope of the Circle of 5ths, and is not considered a normal key. In part this is because it has double sharps in its key signature: F## and C##. All other notes single single sharps: D# E# F## G# A# B# C##. (Weird, huh.)

down arrow

Lowers the root one half-step.

shift modifier key

The shift key reverses the effect of "up arrow" and "down arrow". With the shift key down:

the down arrow moves the fingerboard information downward (and increments the root)
the up arrow moves the fingerboard upward (and decrements the root)

The effect of the up and down keys makes sense from the perspective of the Root picker ( i.e the concept of incrementing the root). However, the note information moves up the fretboard as you change the root with the down key—though this relationship is correct the effect seems backwards from the perspective of the fingerboard. When you're not thinking about the root it seems odd that the up arrow moves the fretboard note information downward.

Instrument and Tunings

up arrow

Selects the previous instrument in the instrument picker list and changes the the instrument (the tuning and possibly the number of strings.)

down arrow

Selects the next instrument in the instrument picker list and changes the the instrument (the tuning and possibly the number of strings.)

[ ] brackets

The bracket keys move left and right through the horizontal Root Picker.
] moves upward chromatically.
[ moves downward.

+ -

+ When the root state is "natural" or "flat" the + key makes the root "sharp." When the root state is sharp, the + key toggles the state between sharp and natural.

- When the root state is "natural" or "sharp" the - key makes the root "flat." When the root state is flat, the - key toggles the state between flat and natural.

Switches the root to the enharmonic equivalent. For instance, it changes an Gb root to F#. Conversely it switches F#to Gb.

Toggles between notes view and degree view. Note view shows the letter name of each note on the fretboard; Degree view show the numeric degree, 1, 2, 3 ... for 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree.

Features

Topic	Feature / Intention	Instructions
Capos	Add a capo	Position the mouse over any fret, then right click (or command-click on the Mac.) This opens a contextual menu where you can choose: Add Capo. Result: You get a segmented capo, which you can turn into a partial capo. You can also add multiple capos, which is common amount partial capoers. See partial capo. below.
	Remove a capo	Position the mouse over the fret with an existing capo. Right click (or command-click on the Mac.) This opens a contextual menu where you can choose, Remove Capo.
	Partial Capo	When you add a capo, by default you get a segmented capo. With this style of capo, you can click any individual segment to remove (or restore) the capo from that particular string. Click again to toggle the capo back on. The result is a partial capo, exactly like turning the cams on a Third Hand Capo.
	Multiple Capos	You can add more than one capo. Multiple capos allow for unlimited exploration of partial capo techniques. Right click any fret and add a capo. Multiple capos are probably of interest only to people using or exploring partial capos.
	Move a capo	Presently you have to Remove the capo and Add a new capo. In the future you will be able to drag the capo to any fret.
Instrument	Change Instruments	Simply choose from the list of predefined instrument in the Instrument and Tunings panel
	Multiple Instruments	Not yet implemented. This is an option for having more than one instrument window. This can be the same instrument, but perhaps viewing a different chord or scale. It could be the same chord or scale on two instrument. Or the comparison of a capoed and uncapoed instrument. The possibilities are endless.
Views	Note view (Letter names)	In the instrument window, click the radio button to the left of the word Notes. The fretboard updates to show letter names.
	Degree View	In the instrument window, click the radio button to the left of the word Degrees. The fretboard updates to show scale degrees.
	Grip View (Capo perspective)	Not yet implemented. This allows you to see letter names spelled as if the capo is the nut. In other words, the letter names are transposed down by an amount relative the the capo position. If the capo is on the second fret, the letter names are two frets (two have steps) lower than the concert pitch (the pitch they actually sound.)
Windows	Chords, Scales and Modes	This window has a number of tabs. There's a separate tab for chords, scales and modes. In the left column you can choose a chord family: Major, Minor, Dominant 7, etc. Then on the right you can select a member of that family. If you don't know what family a chord belongs, select. All in the Chord Family column. The right column then display all chords.
	Instruments and Tunings	Select a type of instrument in the family column. Then select a tuning to the right. You can sort columns by clicking on their title.
	Moving windows	This application works much like a desktop program.You can move windows by clicking and dragging its title bar.
	Resizing windows	Click and drag in the lower right corner.
Preferences		Choose Edit/Preferences from the applications main menu (these options mainly effect the appearance of the Fretboard window.) Press the Apply button to see the effect. Then Save or Cancel.

Topic

Feature / Intention

Instructions

Capos

Add a capo

Position the mouse over any fret, then right click (or command-click on the Mac.) This opens a contextual menu where you can choose: Add Capo.

Result: You get a segmented capo, which you can turn into a partial capo. You can also add multiple capos, which is common amount partial capoers. See partial capo. below.

Remove a capo

Position the mouse over the fret with an existing capo. Right click (or command-click on the Mac.) This opens a contextual menu where you can choose, Remove Capo.

Partial Capo

When you add a capo, by default you get a segmented capo. With this style of capo, you can click any individual segment to remove (or restore) the capo from that particular string. Click again to toggle the capo back on. The result is a partial capo, exactly like turning the cams on a Third Hand Capo.

Multiple Capos

You can add more than one capo. Multiple capos allow for unlimited exploration of partial capo techniques. Right click any fret and add a capo. Multiple capos are probably of interest only to people using or exploring partial capos.

Move a capo

Presently you have to Remove the capo and Add a new capo. In the future you will be able to drag the capo to any fret.

Instrument

Change Instruments

Simply choose from the list of predefined instrument in the Instrument and Tunings panel

Multiple Instruments

Not yet implemented. This is an option for having more than one instrument window. This can be the same instrument, but perhaps viewing a different chord or scale. It could be the same chord or scale on two instrument. Or the comparison of a capoed and uncapoed instrument. The possibilities are endless.

Views

Note view (Letter names)

In the instrument window, click the radio button to the left of the word Notes. The fretboard updates to show letter names.

Degree View

In the instrument window, click the radio button to the left of the word Degrees. The fretboard updates to show scale degrees.

Grip View (Capo perspective)

Not yet implemented. This allows you to see letter names spelled as if the capo is the nut. In other words, the letter names are transposed down by an amount relative the the capo position. If the capo is on the second fret, the letter names are two frets (two have steps) lower than the concert pitch (the pitch they actually sound.)

Windows

Chords, Scales and Modes

This window has a number of tabs. There's a separate tab for chords, scales and modes. In the left column you can choose a chord family: Major, Minor, Dominant 7, etc. Then on the right you can select a member of that family. If you don't know what family a chord belongs, select. All in the Chord Family column. The right column then display all chords.

Instruments and Tunings

Select a type of instrument in the family column. Then select a tuning to the right. You can sort columns by clicking on their title.

Moving windows

This application works much like a desktop program.You can move windows by clicking and dragging its title bar.

Resizing windows

Click and drag in the lower right corner.

Preferences

Choose Edit/Preferences from the applications main menu (these options mainly effect the appearance of the Fretboard window.)
Press the Apply button to see the effect. Then Save or Cancel.