Guitar chord software beta-testers wanted

[kirk m. anderson]

Fellow Guitarists and 'C' Coders,

I've developed some guitar/bass/etc software which may interest you.  It is
an Automated Chord Generator.  It has three modes of operation.   You may

      a.  specify the notes on the command line, or
      b.  specify the root and a list of intervals [from the root], or
      c.  give it the chord name!

It will generate all possible permutations, with respect to the tuning, and
displays each on an ascii fretboard diagram.  It readily accomodates alternate
tunings!  It filters illegal permutations.  Additionally, it can be requested to
allow only inversions, or only the root ascending order of the original
spelling.  The default is to pass all legal permutations.

Moreover, the chord->fretboard mapping can be modified.  The default is to
provide all mappings.  However, filters are available to provide only movable
chords, or only fixed [open string] chords, at the user's option.

Other options which will be tuned less frequently are defined within the
source.  These include:

     a.  number of strings [eg. 4,6,7,...]
     b.  number of frets
     c.  your own reach [in frets from the first fret]
     d.  tuning

First, note that twelve-strings tune just like a six-string, with the exception
of octaves -- the note names remain the same!  Initially, it is set up for 6
strings, 24 frets, a reach of five frets from the first fret, and the standard
tuning of EBGDAE.



                       >>> BETA-TESTERS WANTED <<<


Now, with all of that in mind, are you interested in helping to beta-test this
program.  Preferrably, i would like to have beta-testers on a variety of
platforms.  Implicit in this testing may also be solving some porting problems.
The code is written in K&R C and runs under Ultrix and SunOS.  VMS has some
unresolved quirks.  Various PC and Mac compiler testing is also welcome.

If you're interested in beta-testing, please respond to me at my work e-mail
address of <kma at icf.hrb.com>.  Tell me what platforms you deal with and your
level of experience with each.  If the volume of replies exceeds my
expectations, i may not accept all requests, but it'd still be valuable to
hear from you.

kirk

ps -- below is an excerpt of the main comment block.  There you will find an
      example of the output.

/*****************************************************************************
 *
 * [...]
 *
 * DESCRIPTION:     chord prints fretboards, each labelled with the chord
 *                  specified by the command-line args.  notes may be entered
 *                  in upper or lower case; use b or # to indicate accidentals.
 *
 * OPTION SUMMARY:  -h:  print this help message
 *
 *                  -i:  construct chord via root and intervals
 *                  -n:  specify chord's notes in root ascending order
 *                  -t:  translate chord name
 *
 *                  -r:  root ascending order as entered only
 *                  -v:  above together with all inversions
 *
 *                  -f:  fixed position chords containing open strings
 *                  -m:  movable chords utilizing only fretted notes
 *
 *                  Defaults provide all permutations, inclusive of both -r
 *                  and -v, and all mappings, the sum of -f and -m.
 *
 * EXAMPLES:        "chord -fvn d f# a c# e" will yield this among many others
 *
 *            +     +     +     +       ++        +     +     +     +       ++
 *   ||--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|C#|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|
 *   ||--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|-A|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|
 *   ||--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|F#|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|
 *   ||--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|-D|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|
 *   ||--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|
 *  E||--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|
 *
 ****************************************************************************/

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
       kirk m. anderson        kma at icf.hrb.com        HRB Systems, Inc.
                            kma%hrb at psuecl.bitnet
                           ...!psuvax1!hrbicf!kma
--
+-------------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
|  kirk m anderson  |    So much style without substance                      |
|                   |    So much stuff without style                          |
|  k5a at ecl.psu.edu  |    It's hard to recognize the real thing                |
|  kma at icf.hrb.com  |    It comes along once in a while        -- Neil Peart  |
+-------------------+---------------------------------------------------------+