? How to name chords in Midi files?

Subject: ? How to name chords in Midi files?
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 17 Feb 98 - 10:25 PM

There is such a profusion on Midi tunes on the Web now. I have picked up some interesting Celtic tunes to play that I may never have otherwise found. Most have an accompanying track of guitar or piano rhythm, and while the actual performances may not be too scintillating, the chords arrangements are usually pretty good.

So here's a problem - a great potential source of guitar chords to accompany folk tunes and songs, and no easy way to decipher them apart from my ear. Yes, I could display or print them using NoteWorthy or some other package, but that would just be a series of dots notating a chord on a standard music stave - and my interpretive skills don't run to that yet.

Does anyone please know how I can get an output from a Midi file which gives an interpretation of simple 3 or 4 note chords?

(By way of example Carolan's Concerto will often stump even the better Celtic guitarists who rely upon their ear to come up with chords. I don't know how to get out of here to nominate an address to locate this tune, but dare say that some one else will fairly soon).

Regards John

Subject: RE: ? How to name chords in Midi files?
From: BAZ
Date: 18 Feb 98 - 07:15 PM

The way I use is a bit long winded but it works. First use Alan's Midi2text prog to create an ABC File then run the resulting ABC through ABCMUSIC or ABC2H Both of which will generate a good set of chords as a starter. It doesn't take as long as it sounds.

Hope this helps

Baz

Subject: RE: ? How to name chords in Midi files?
From: Jon W.
Date: 18 Feb 98 - 07:35 PM

Caution: using BAZ's approach will actually strip out the chords that are in the MIDI (midi2txt does that) and then create a set of new chords, which may or may not reflect the original chords in the MIDI file. (although no doubt they would "work" for the tune to a greater or lesser degree.)

Subject: RE: ? How to name chords in Midi files?
From: BAZ
Date: 19 Feb 98 - 06:14 PM

Jon is right. I should have added that I make a copy of the midi file to another name first.
Baz

Subject: RE: ? How to name chords in Midi files?
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 19 Feb 98 - 11:38 PM

Could Baz or someone explain what that approach actually does? Do ABCMUSIC and ABC2H take the melody and come up with chords that fit it? That's a neat trick.

But anyway, John, in my opinion it's really not that hard to learn to read music and identify simple 3- or 4-note chords yourself. (I have to admit I learned when I was little and learning was easy.) In something by a famous harpist there may well be more complicated chords than the basic triads and sevenths, but probably no computer program would name those right either.

Subject: RE: ? How to name chords in Midi files?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Feb 98 - 03:20 AM

Hi, Jerry - I wonder if that's ABCMUS instead of ABCMUSIC. I've got ABCMUS, and it will make up chords for ABC melodies - and the result doesn't sound half-bad. I have a friend who can do the same thing, and she's much better company than a computer program.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: ? How to name chords in Midi files?
From: BAZ
Date: 20 Feb 98 - 05:55 PM

Hi Joe
You're right about the name of the program it is ABCMUS. Jerry it is a neat trick and it is a very easy program to use. It's available from the ABC Home page and at this point if I was Joe there would be a little bit of blue text and you could could go straight there. But being as I'm only just able to type in a new line chr. I think I'll quit while the goings good.
Regards Baz.