Reference Guide

1093
Chords and marks
Notation and lyrics
To manage the chord library
1. Right-click the chord symbol to open the Chord Properties dialog box.
2. Follow the instructions in the table:
3. Click OK.
SONAR saves the chord library with the changes you made.
Adding expression marks
Expression marks tell a performer how to interpret the notes and durations on the page. They
provide a necessary supplement to simple notation, in which notes have only pitch and duration, but
no hint of how loudly, softly, or smoothly, they are to be played. Dynamic marks—from ppp
(pianissimo) for “very, very softly” through fff (fortissimo) for “very, very forcefully”—allow notation to
convey volume instructions. Expression marks are also needed to specify other aspects of
performance, such as whether a passage is to be played legato or staccato. Finally, expression
marks can be used to convey to the performer the composer's suggestions or requirements as to
how a passage should be interpreted. In such cases the language used can leave much to the
imagination, as in with majesty or abrasively.
Expression marks do not change the underlying MIDI data. They only provide information to the
reader on how a piece should be performed.
If the track is split into treble/bass staves, expression marks are allowed only below the treble staff.
When entering an expression mark, you can leave a dangling hyphen at the end of an expression
mark to insert automatic spaced hyphens until the next expression mark. For example:
cresc. - - - ff
It is often desirable to terminate such a series of hyphens with a blank expression mark. For
example:
accel. - - -
Expression text is italicized in the Staff view. Standard dynamic markings also appear bold.
To do this Do this
Add a chord to the library Select a group, enter a name in the Name box, enter a guitar
grid (if desired), and click Save.
Delete a chord from the current
group
Select the chord from the list and click Delete.
Add a new group Type a name for the group in the Group textbox and click
Save.
Delete a group Select a group from the list and click Delete.
Merge chords from an external
chord library
Click the Import button and select a file. Chord libraries have
the extension .liw.
Table 194.