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Option to Add and Show Chord Degrees in Chord Track

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asked Jul 30, 2022 in Editing by michaelcollins (1,670 points)
Would be cool to be able to add & see the Chord Degree in the Chord Track view.

For example, Assuming the key of C, I can set G to show as G (V) rather than just G.  

As composers know, the actual chords (Dmaj7, C9) etc don't matter.  What matters is the chord's function in the key, for example, are they a tonic class chord, a dominant class chord; are they a diatonic or chromatic chord etc. In theory we label this using the chord degree.

Why would this be useful?  

1) When playing against chords in a key you need to use the diatonic notes. In order to do that you need to know what mode of the key to use.  For example playing a melody or solo over G in the key of C, you would use the Mixolydian mode as the F is flat not sharp in C.  Seeing the Chord Degree would help us (or our musicians) use the correct mode on sight without doing math in their head, particularly while still in the learning journey for the modes and fingering patterns thereof.

2) This would be great for studying, communicating, and analyzing the chord progressions of our own music as well as music we import.  I often want to go back and analyze the chord progressions I've written to see how they work, but you can't really do that via the chord track in Studio one, so you have to use Markers. Which means recreating a marker per chord and typing it in.  That's not what the Marker track is for and it's way too much work.  

3) Would help when doing reharmonizations, especially in Jazz and covers.  If I can plainly see the chord is a V I can substitute another dominant class chord for it.

Proposed functionality:

The setting of this could be done in the existing chord setting panel, just three extra dropdowns on the right.  

One for the Chord degree of the chord (iii, V, etc),

one for the chord degree of the tonicized chord if necessary (the 2nd chord in V/V).  

And one for the accidental for altered chords, for example the bIII.

Then in the display on the track it would look like C maj (I) - G maj (V) - Dmaj (V/V) - G maj (V) - Bbmaj (bVII)
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