Re: Transposed Chord name "F flat"

[David Raleigh Arnold]

On Thursday 28 October 2004 03:46 am, Matthias Neeracher wrote:
> 
> On Oct 28, 2004, at 12:27 AM, David Bobroff wrote:
> 
> > I'm not a developer, but this looks right to me.  In your example 
you
> > have a chord which is a diminished step above the tonic of the key.
> > When you transpose this down one whole step it remains the same 
> > relative
> > to the key.
> 
> Thanks for explaining this logic. My music theory is not overly sound, 
> so I'm perfectly willing to accept that there is a sound theoretical 
> justification for this. Nevertheless, I'd still argue that on a 
> practical level, "E" might be preferable here.

Chord names are a practical matter, for sight reading, not a theoretical 
one, so the argument is not as sound as it seems.  The option to 
simplify chord spellings should be there.  If and only if the chord in 
question is a diminished seventh chord, respelling the chord is 
standard practice and it is so indicated in theory textbooks.  A
problem is that there is no such thing as a triple-flat, which fact
breaks the symmetry of the system.

If lilypond does not simplify diminished 7th spelling, it is a bug.
The workaround is either to select a different root for the chord,
to change the transposition, or both.  (A dim7 is symmetrical.  Any
member can serve as root.)

It is not customary to have double flat or double sharp chord names
in sheet music ever.  The simpler name is often better than the
"correct" one, as the G6 may often be a better name for an
Em7 when it is 1st inversion and functioning as a G major
color-chord.

Use E.  Most of the folks reading your sheet music wouldn't have
Fb in their chord chart.

I understood the change in transposition suggestion to be meant to be 
applied to just the one chord, which should solve the immediate 
problem.  Optional simplification of chord names would be a worthwhile 
feature anyway.  It is not necessary to simplify the rest of the
members of the chord, only the name, and that would
make it possible to transpose chords freely in a simplified mode
without breaking the keys.  The unsimplified mode is for those
who abuse the system by using it for analysis.  Simply change enharmonic 
names of natural notes to natural notes and double flats and double 
sharps to natural notes, sharps, or flats according to the key.  Again, 
this applies only to names of chords, not the members.  I must say
name, not root, on account of the "6th" chord and other named chords 
which in traditional academic theory don't even exist.  daveA 

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