In the below example, typing Gsus2 into the chord symbol popover with the proper Engraving options will result in G2. Is there any combination of characters that will result in the G with a flat 2 as below?
Obviously I know how to edit it in Engrave, but it would be great if there was some syntax that would give this result, especially since modified chord symbols are not copyable. I can’t even set this up correctly in Project Default Appearances because I’m not sure of the syntax. Any ideas?
Or the “Nardis” chord?
Is there a proper popover syntax for flat 2 alterations to chords?
Please pardon my ignorance, but what are the notes in a G(b2) chord? Is it a G triad but with an added Ab?
Yes, that’s how I would interpret it. In this particular example it’s really just a moving note from the G2. In Bill Evans’s Nardis, it’s a Emaj7 with an F natural. Other tunes like Bud Powell’s Un Poco Loco I’ve seen some people notate as (b2) but I would usually just call it Dmaj7/Cmaj7.
Hallo thread,
I do not want to open the good old “Pandora’s Box of chord symbols” here, but an Emaj7 with an added F on top would need to be called Emaj7(b9), right?
And a second question: Assuming you’ve set your Engraving options to mean G(sus2) = G2 (which should be the notes G, A and D, but no B!), it would indeed be nice if I could type G(susb2) to mean the notes G, Ab, and D, again, no B.
Me personally, I’m not fond of the X2 and X4 chords, since there’s too much ambiguity involved, of course depending on the community or target audience.
My 2 hits for the dead horse…
Benji
In the case of Nardis, it resolves down so calling it a b9 just seems weird to me although that notation would be interpreted correctly too I imagine. When Kenny Garrett plays an F on an Emaj7 chord multiple times starting around 4:05 here, I personally would think of it as b2 as well. The Bud Powell example with a C# on top of a Cmaj7+11 may be a good consideration for b9, but I really think of it more as a polychord myself.
Once we move away from diatonic and traditional harmony there are often multiple ways to describe it, so I would think it would be good to have more options in Dorico.
Just thought of another example. When it’s sort of an “extended Lydian,” do you think of it as b9, b2, or just a polychord? For example, Terell Stafford is playing a ton of ideas with a C# in them in Hey, It’s Me You’re Talking To whenever it goes to the Cmaj7+11 vamp part. I guess I would think of that as more Dmaj7/Cmaj7 but I suppose any of those notations are ok.
… or
Well,
that example you’ve given (seriously cooking by the way!) is imho playing D Major over that Cmaj#11, which will add some nice colors, such as that b9 or even #8 
, like an altered root note! In any case, in my opinion it’s usually futile to try to analyze or describe soloing approaches and techniques by harmonic means such as chord symbols. If the the composer wanted to suggest/force Terell’s approach, then he would have most likely written something like Dmaj7/Cmaj7, which I think is indeed excellently described as “extended Lydian”.
Kenny’s approach sounds to me like a holdover from that harmonic major/gypsy-scale kinda vibe, which he continues just for fun, and yes, for analysis of that particular section I think, b9 would be appropriate. Or just call it a “motif” and “outside”, and you’re golden… 
Yes, it would!
B.
There’s still nothing available with b2 chords is there? A very well known composer I’m working with needs them, so I guess I’m stuck still doing workarounds for her. Redefining a chord not used in the project seems better than using text and MusGlyphs, but it still seems like a (b2) chord should be natively supported.
