How to add Db as a chord on the chord track?

When I want to add a chord on the chord track I don’t have all the options available on the flat side of “the circle of fifths” For example, I want to add Db and this is not currently available in the chord track editor. Why is this not available and how can I add it to my chord track? The key of my song is Db major so I need to add the chord into my project so that I am able to see the correct accidentals in my key editor.

The chord track editor tries to be clever about what it thinks which key you are in and whether it thinks it is a sharp or flat key and only present you with those options. Sadly, it’s not really clever, tbh.
In your case, you need to click the “C#” (as the enharmonic equivalent of Db). If the resulting chord gets displayed as a “C#”, too, you need to correct the “enharmonic shift” in the info line, which is on “automatic” by default. It is a bit tedious, and I often wish it could be done from the chord track editor itself.
image

The other option would be to click into the “text input” field of the chord track editor and type “Db” + Enter:
image

You could also switch to the Circle Of Fifth view in the Chord Assistant, which offers all sharp and flat chords, but you cannot edit any tensions or bass notes there…

Maybe someone else knows a better way…

it is not at as complicated as you describe. You have defined the key with the first chord symbol, F maj. so one should not expect to see a Db chord by default.

@attaboy_jhb Did you try simply using Db’s enharmonic as the first chord? Meaning C#?

Are you saying that the first chord you enter on a Chord Track has to be the tonic chord?

No, I’m not. I’m addressing this question specifically.

What does this mean then?

The literal meaning of the words I typed. Have you experimented with the chord track to determine how it deals with chord versus key?

The chord track uses music theory (obviously) to calculate the chord spellings.

Here is a progression, enharmonic is on auto for all symbols. The root spellings are enharmonically correct, even with the chromaticism included in this progression.

in Bb Major
3   6    2   b2    1   4   #6   5  1

vid

Problem is, there are also examples where that doesn’t really work correctly, like in this screenshot:
image

I am in Db major, and for the next chord I want the subdominant, which would be Gbmaj. Chord editor shows a F# instead (and a G# instead of the correct Ab for the dominant).
Now granted, when I click that F#, it correctly displays a Gb on the chord track. Not a biggie, of course, because I know that, but it is still irritating and I sometimes need to look twice…

Now, if I start at the Db, always keep the chord editor open and hit the right arrow for next chord, it works correctly and offers me a Gb. What I did with the screenshot ist close the editor, then double click on that X. In that case, chord editor doesn’t seem to be really context aware.

And I’ve also encountered scenarios where I had to force the proper accidental (is that the right word?), because the display in the chord track was wrong, but tbh I cannot reproduce that now. It might be that it was in some harmonically dubious scenarios :wink:

I think it would be nice if you could define the key you are currently in in chord track, and that the chord editor would reflect that.
At least, chord editor should be consistent with its suggestions. Or just show both variants (“F#/Gb”) instead of not getting it always right in some scenarios. YMMV…

This topic started out to help the OP. @attaboy_jhb was your question answered?

Indeed.

I do too, and I’m aware there are a few things that don’t work as far as spelling goes, but the algorithms are designed to work in this manner, that’s to say, to derive the tonality from the chords, rather than the other way around. I presume also that there are dependencies on other parts of the sequencer that provide for the various chord track functionality, and if one thing is changed, there are possibly many other code portions that must be adjusted and tested to do implement it for a release.

In my view, enharmonic difficulties are present in many genres of printed music and I consider them to be something to be fluent in, so to me having to manually set an enharmonic is trivial.

The experience of using it depends very much on the users perspective and level of music theory knowledge.

That wrked thank you, it is weird though… In my case it came up as Db immediately :slight_smile: