Operation Manual
28 Playing Strum Session
4.2.2 Chord Change
Music engraving by LilyPond 2.10.33—www.lilypond.org
Figure 12: Re-triggering a downstroke.
Once a chord has been played, the chord detection, voicing and strumming modules are only
triggered when a new note is played; releasing notes from a chord has no effect. Consequently,
Strum Session holds the current chord as long as all its notes are not released. This can be used
to make rapid chord changes. For example, it is possible to switch from a C chord to a G chord
without muting the strings by playing C-E-G and then by replacing C and E by B and D without
releasing the G as shown in Figure 13. The same effect can be obtained with chords which do not
share common notes by using the hold pedal in Hold Chord mode.
Music engraving by LilyPond 2.10.33—www.lilypond.org
Figure 13: Smooth chord transition.
On the other hand, if one wishes to remove a note from a chord, for example to switch from a
C7 chord (C-E-G-B[) to a C chord (C-E-G), it is not sufficient to release the B[ key. It is necessary,
in order to trigger again the chord detection module, not only to release the B[ from the chord but
also to release another note from the chord, for example the G, and replay it when one wants to
strum the new chord.
4.2.3 Chords and Change of Pitch
Playing chords on higher or lower notes on the keyboard has a similar effect on Strum Session’s
fretboard. With so-called Lowest chord types (Open-Lowest, Movable-Lowest and Drop-Lowest)
Strum Session will make sure that the lowest note played on the keyboard is also the lowest one
played in the guitar chord. These chord types are useful when it is necessary that a succession of
chords follows a certain bass motion.
With the so-called Root chords (Open-Root, Movable-Root), chords detected as inverted are
played on the root note located below the lowest note played on the keyboard (if possible).