Hey everyone,
I was curious if the scale assistant adapted to scale changes in the chord track. I wonder how it would display such a thing given that it darkens non-scale tones.
Thanks!
Thank you very much, Martin!
That is fantastic. It doesn’t by any chance understand the jazz chord/scale approach these days? I saw that it recommended scales and I was wondering if that was also chord based.
Thanks again!
Hi,
I’m sorry, please, what exactly do you mean by:
I wonder if perhaps the scale recommendation can be based on chord events similar to how we think in Jazz? Every chord has an implied scale based on its extrapolation beyond the 7th.
I guess to put it simply, does Cubase offer a scale/mode recommendation per chord event?
Hi,
No. If you use Chord Track as the source for the Scale Assistant, you can choose from three modes:
- Scales
- Chords
- Scales & Chords
So if you choose Chords, then you can see as valid only the notes, which fit to the current Chord of the Chord Track. If you choose Scales, then you can see as valid the notes, which fit to the current Scale of the Chord Track. And if you choose Scales & Chords, then it’s combination of both.
So if your Chords and Scales match the “jazz” thinking, you would get the result, you expect.
Try enabling Automatic Scales in the Chord Track’s Inspector while you are entering new Chord Events.
Hi everybody…
The chord track and chord and scale editing tools in Cubase are brilliant if you know your theory- as far as the chord track scale lane goes, I don’t think it’s really designed with jazz theory analysis in mind – it won’t label each chord with the mode or scale for that chord- though it will get the notes right in the MIDI Editors as far as the grid and coloring goes.
To kind of illustrate-- in this example of the 1st 8 bars of I Got Rhythm it gets the key signature right, but doesn’t insert new entries for the chords as long as they are diatonic. Then, on the Ab7, it lists C dim as the scale, which while not wrong, Ab Mixolydian certainly would be the first choice if this were a jazz exercise/exam. Also note, the system doesn’t differentiate between whole-half, and half-whole diminished scales.
And of course, there is no mention in the manual about how to play A# major, the key with 10 sharps, 3 of them double. 
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Thank you everyone for your thoughtful response.
Steve, I’m sorry to hear you have to live in my world as well 
It looks more than workable and my earlier version (8.5) is already the most advanced in DAW land so I’ll go ahead and update given what Martin was kind enough to show me.
Hopefully in the future they will look at Jazz ideas as I believe the implementation would be trivial at this point in the game.
All the best!
YOC
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That’s why programmers into A.I. should leave a parallel path open, connected to a “scorn” button.
A# major? Scorn. Playing C minor and saying C, D, D#? Scorn. C Eb G# chord? Scorn.
No buts, ifs or feedback loops. Pure scorn, until the A.I. is traumatized into submission and learns its music theory right.
Disclaimer: This is just a luddite joke, don’t be like that to real people.
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