Can I choose sharp or flat?

[SAM_38]

I want to create the following chord progression in the key of C major:

| F | G | E/G# | Am | F/A | Fm/Ab | C/G |

However, EZkeys2 displays it as follows:

| F | G | E/Ab | Am | F/A | Fm/Ab | C/G |

Similarly, ‘Abdim’ is displayed when ‘E/G#’ is changed to ‘G#dim’.

However, the E chord consists of [E G# B] and does not contain Ab.
And G#dim is a root abbreviation of E7, so it should not be Abdim.

Of course, there’s a problem even if you make all the accidentals sharp.
This is because the Fm chord is composed of [F Ab C], which cannot be made into ‘Fm/G#’.

Therefore, I would like users to be able to choose between sharp and flat for each chord as they wish.

EZkeys version: 2.1.1
Operating system: Windows 10

Topic

[Michael Bagge]

You create the chords in C-major. G is the fifth tone and or chord in C-major. The chord E doesn’t belong to a C-major; Em conversely does and is the second chord in C-major. So it would be natural not to use G# in C-major, hence EZ-keys 2 would refer to Ab.

EZkeys version: 2.1.1
Operating system: macOS Sonoma (14)

[SAM_38]

Partial modulations and borrowed chords, especially from the relative key, are very common techniques.
EZkeys2 also shows that the E chord (relative key dominant) can be used within the key of C major.
(Take a look at the borrowed chords in C major in Songwrighting Scales.)

Since EZkeys2 supports borrowed chords, isn’t it strange that it can’t display the inversions correctly?

• This post was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by SAM_38.

[Michael Bagge]

It is possible to change the key signature for that or more bars.

EZkeys version: 2.1.1
Operating system: macOS Sonoma (14)

• The post has been modified 6 times, last modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by Michael Bagge.

[Bear-Faced Cow]

BEST ANSWER

Go into the Requests and Feedback forum and add a feature request. You are right in that we should be able to enharmonically shift the note display.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

[SAM_38]

I tried setting the key to Am, but it still shows E/Ab.
If it is a harmonic minor scale, wouldn’t the 7th note be G#?
(Does EZkeys2 use the natural minor scale for chord progressions?)

It is possible to make a partial E major and have it appear as E/G#, but this is not the modulation I intended.
Also, if I register this to User MIDI, the partial modulation will be lost when I call it up, and E/G# will become E/Ab.

EZkeys version: 2.1.1
Operating system: Windows 10

[SAM_38]

Thank you for your advice.
I wasn’t aware there was such a forum.

I will try to post there.

EZkeys version: 2.1.1
Operating system: Windows 10

[Bear-Faced Cow]

I wouldn’t even consider changing key signature as a Band-Aid solution let alone a work around.

By definition, a major triad consists of a root, third and fifth in a scale. Thus, an E major (or E7) chord should display the third as G#. Ab, despite being enharmonically correct, is a flattened fourth.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

1

Thanked by: SAM_38

[Michael Bagge]

Am is the relative minor to C major, hence the same result. You must change the key signature to E major in bar 3 and maybe edit the chord to E with G# in the bass. Then change it back to C major again in bar 4.

EZkeys version: 2.1.1
Operating system: macOS Sonoma (14)

[SAM_38]

As I wrote above, that is not the modulation I intended.

In this case, the E is not the tonic of E major, but the dominant of A minor (relative key dominant).

• The post has been modified 2 times, last modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by SAM_38.

[Bear-Faced Cow]

Michael Bagge wrote:

Am is the relative minor to C major, hence the same result. You must change the key signature to E major in bar 3 and maybe edit the chord to E with G# in the bass. Then change it back to C major again in bar 4.

EZkeys version: 2.1.1
Operating system: macOS Sonoma (14)

That isn’t a viable solution and is less than ideal as well adding an unnecessary and convoluted process to what is supposed to be intuitive and obvious. What happens if someone is working the Circle of Fifths type of progression on each beat of a bar? Is one expected to change the key signature for each beat to reflect altered dominants and tritone substitutions?

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

• This post was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by Bear-Faced Cow.

1

Thanked by: SAM_38

[Michael Bagge]

I see your point. Then I suggest you contact Toontrack and ask them to update EZ Keys 2 to reflect your wishes.

EZkeys version: 2.1.1
Operating system: macOS Sonoma (14)

[SAM_38]

I have posted a feature request.

https://www.toontrack.com/forums/topic/feature-request-enharmonically-shift-in-ezkeys2/

[Billy 86]

SAM_38 wrote:

I have posted a feature request.

https://www.toontrack.com/forums/topic/feature-request-enharmonically-shift-in-ezkeys2/

This issue has bugged me for a while. I followed SAM-38 link and added my support to the request. The more ‘up votes’ the more likely it is to get attention.

SD3, EZD, EZ Keys 1&2, EZ Bass. Win10, i9/9900, all SSDs, 64g RAM, Cakewalk, Studio One

1

Thanked by: SAM_38

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