Mike Whitaker writes: | > C/D is actually Dsus7(9) without 5th, but | > D/C is actually D7 with the 7th in the bass | > | > I don't think it would make any sense to try to get player programs to | > understand slash-chords, but I don't think they should be forbidden. | > Band In A Box only plays a single note in the bass and the simple chord | > in the "right hand" when stuff like this happens. That's probably the | > best way for player programs to treat this, anyways. | | And I quote: "Membership in the chord cabal should be voluntary, but | anyone who ever says "Who needs it?" should be summarily evicted." *grin* | | I need this. Exactly as notated. A chord sequence written A E/A D/A A | means something very clear to me *exactly* as written.
I'd agree. I play for a lot of Scottish Country Dance, and this is completely conventional notation in that crowd. I actually don't use it that much in my collection. I tend to take the attitude that a competent SCD accompanist will know the conventional bass lines and won't need to be told. But sometimes I use it for a non-obvious bass line that I feel is an important part of the feel of a tune. And I sometimes make up sets for novices, in which case suggesting a bass line can be a good idea. In any case, my experience is that this is a widely-used notation, and we should support it. It should also be implemented with the chord optional. Part of the use of this notation is to show a bass line under an unchanging chord, as in "D"..."D/C#"..."D/B"..."D/A". But this would very often be written "D"..."/C#"..."/B"..."/A", and that oughta work, too. It works with most music formatters now simply because they just show whatever is inside the quotes, and don't parse it. But a player would need to actually understand it and do the Right Thing. (It sounds to me like Band in a Box has a major deficiency here. ;-) To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
