Enharmony

[joenick]

As I know from long experience with digital music programs, they're STUPID!!!

I write out a tune of mine in Bbm.. the last chord of the bridge is correctly Fbmaj.9 but irealb doesn't
allow that, it has to be Emaj.9 - but that's not even the real problem: my bridge in concert is Ebm9, Gbmaj.9, Cbmaj.9, Bbm9 then the same except the last chord is Fbmaj.9 instead of Bbm9..

so when we're in a flat key and the A section (now transposed by the program for Bb sax) stays in a flat key, why on earth does the above B section now change, except for the first Fm9, to a sharp key? when we're playing on Fm we don't want to see G#maj.9 as the next chord and all that follow as sharp chords, we want Abmaj.9, Dbmaj.9, etc.

it's a real pain thinking in flat and sharp keys at the same time, in the same tune, not to mention enharmonically incorrect - isn't it possible to educate or program these stupid machines for enharmony, lol?

thanks for your sympathy

joe nick

[dflat]

Hello Joe,
yes you are right. We have looked at this a few times now but as you realize it is quite complex as it is not just translating one letter name chord to another - we would have to take into account the key, transposing instrument and all kinds of progressions like II-V-I, III-VI etc.
To most musicians, using Fb (even Cb) anywhere is very odd, even though it can be correct in theory. And with the inversions (bass notes) add options for double sharp and flat (check out what we had to do with guitar chord diagrams for inversions for the key of C# or A#.)

Then there could have an option to block off specific rarer chord names from showing and enharmonically convert them as well as any surrounding chords so the progression makes sense which is what you have to do sometimes, but then it might not make sense in another way (relating to a previous progression or the song key etc.) I know when I am transposing notation for Eb, I have to think a little and sometimes re-write in the enharmonic.

Of course you could 'transpose' to Nashville numbers
Thanks for your comment, we realize it could be better and have not forgotten about this.

[joenick]

thank you C# (oops, lol enharmonic wrong - your name is Db).. your reply means you're cool guys.. hope I didn't sound too sharp ( or flat).. I know it's hard to educate software but someday AI might be smarter than us..

[DaleMac]

...someday AI might be smarter than us...

But it will never be able to smile and wink at the little old ladies to fill up the tip jar.

[dflat]

for anyone interested, if I am trying to explain this enharmonic problem, I usually bring up Baubles, Bangles and Beads,
- show them, change global transpose to Eb (or another), study, then change to another key (in song view) perhaps up a half step (semitone) and study, then try a few more keys or other instrument transposes. There are other songs, but this is a simple one to help explain ... song key, instrument transpose, enharmonics, progressions, the related concert key etc.